sedimentary numerical simulation, which is of great significance in fields such as petroleum geology as well as hydraulic engineering, is a fundamental method to quantitatively study sedimentology. In this comprehensive review of the up- to- date literatures and review of relevant research, the development process and classification of sedimentary numerical simulation is systematically summarized. Five simulation methods are categorized: geometrical rule based simulation, hydrodynamic equation based simulation, diffusion equation based simulation, cellular automata based simulation, and fuzzy logic based simulation. The basic principles, advantages and drawbacks of each theory as well as the representative simulation software platforms based on them are introduced. The status quo of sedimentary numerical simulation applied in sequence stratigraphy, sedimentary process and mechanism, source to sink system, petroleum geology along with its advantages compared to traditional methods are summarized. Its validity and unique advantage is further illustrated by a case study, which is a forward modeling practice of lacustrine gravity driven flow deposition under fault- controlled settings in the northern steep- slope zone of the Dongying Depression. Finally, it is suggested that exploring novel simulation methods for different depositional mechanisms, coupling numerical simulation and geometrical modeling of multiple geological processes, inverse numerical simulation driven by artificial intelligence, further applications in the unconventional oil and gas resource exploration and development are deemed to be the future development directions in this field.