It’s time to admit that you’re curious about the game The Sims. You’ve probably heard of it, or maybe you haven’t. Either way, here are five reasons why you should play the game.
First, some background. The Sims is a single-player social simulation video game, first released in 2001. Since then, there have been a total of four generations of the game. The most current, and the one I play, is the Sims 4. To play, you create a Sim and then basically do whatever you want. There is no clear objective in the game. The game promotes exploration, providing the player with dozens of different choices of what to do. The game comes with multiple built-in characters and worlds to interact with. You control your Sim’s educational path, aspirations in life, career path, and social life. The only way the game ends is when all your Sims die, but that is easily avoidable if you start a family and have kids. You also can restart the game, creating a completely new character. The possibilities really are endless.
Reason # 1: The base game is now free! As of October 18th, 2022, the base game is now free for download. So, if cost was the reason why you didn’t want to download, that barrier has been removed. Now that it’s free, it’s definitely worth trying out. If you don’t like it, there’s no monetary loss, so just download it already!
Reason #2: Expansion Packs: The developers are constantly coming up with new ways to expand the game. This makes it an ever-evolving platform. If you get bored you can always buy an expansion pack that opens up new careers, worlds, interactions, and clothes for you to mess around with. One favorite includes the Sims City Living pack where you get to enjoy apartment living, global cuisine, museums, and the ability to perfect the art of karaoke. Another favorite of mine is Sims Island Living, where you get to explore a beautiful island world, have the option of working as a conservationist, and even become a mermaid if that’s something you’re into. All of this is to say that the game truly has something for everyone.
Reason #3: Multifaceted gameplay: The game can be played in so many different ways. You could spend hours just designing a Sim and messing around with different aesthetics and fashion. You also can spend hours designing in build mode. Some people don’t actually play the game but just spend time either working on architecture or interior design (which there is an expansion pack for). You also can play the game by following the different career paths and aspirations the game has built in. The game recently added a feature called “Scenarios” where they created various goal-oriented stories to be played within the game where every choice you make impacts the outcome. One scenario is called “making money” where you start with zero simoleons (Sim money) and have to become a millionaire. There’s no one right way to do it, so it’s a fun way to problem-solve creatively. Plus, the Sims has so many different ways to make money including one career path as a criminal. You can also sell goods such as paintings, books, or even homegrown produce that your Sim produces. However, the quality of each item is dependent on their skill level so make sure your Sim takes time to practice their skills (or you could always cheat).
Reason #4: A game meant for cheating: The Sims is a platform that literally promotes cheating. There are so many fun cheats that enhance your game. You can, for instance, edit build mode items to make them smaller or bigger, giving you more design options. You also can cheat it so that you have thousands of simoleons added to your Sim’s bank account opening opportunities for your Sim to live a lavish life. Sims require you to take care of their basic needs (sleep, eating, hygiene, fun, etc..) if you are busy trying to meet certain goals, you can also cheat your Sim’s need levels to be full. Using cheat codes is totally optional and is available if you want to just try something new.
Reason #5: Creative Outlet for a Creative Community: The Sims has a huge community of players who have added their own spin to the game. From people who design custom content (player-made clothing or objects that are downloaded to the game) to people making challenges, there’s always something new going on. Examples of the challenges include one called the “Not So Berry Challenge” where you play through ten generations of one family in the Sims where each generation corresponds to a different color. People have fun designing monochromatic outfits and homes for their Sims. Each generation has a unique aspiration and career to complete. There’s also a community of influencers/streamers who design challenges or participate in them and post their content on various platforms. One of my personal favorites is Kelsey Dangerous. She is a YouTuber and Twitch streamer who used to work at Buzzfeed but now works independently.
So, if you’re looking for another creative outlet where you can create an endless amount of characters, and explore various careers and worlds, then you should definitely give the Sims a chance. Especially now that the game is free!