‘You feel like God’: How The Sims has remained wonderfully wacky for 25 years

I was just eight when my sister introduced me to The Sims. Using our family computer, she had built her Sim a state-of-the-art games room, and had “fixed” her annoying neighbour problem by trapping him in her pool. It was chaotic and fulfilling all at once. I was immediately hooked.

From then on, the game dominated my weekends. I spent hours building mansions, dressing my Sims in outrageous clothes, and furiously applying the “motherlode” cheat code to boost my in-game wealth. It was through The Sims that I discovered the realities of life: my Sims paid taxes, got frisky (all PG, of course), fought and eventually died. The only question was whether they died naturally of old age, or because I intentionally deprived them of food.

The Sims has been around for 25 years, but gamers certainly aren’t bored with it yet.Credit: Compiled by Matt Davidson.

I am not alone. Since it launched in 2000, nearly 500 million people have played the game. That arguably puts it in line with Minecraft – one of the best-selling sandbox games – which has amassed more than 204 million active players worldwide since its release in 2011.

And The Sims is becoming more popular. Last year, its publisher, EA, announced that its latest iteration, The Sims 4, had become its most-played version, with more than 70 million players globally. It has become so iconic that ACMI in Federation Square is hosting a weekend-long event to celebrate its 25th anniversary, including a panel exploring the game’s impact, an immersive Sims bedroom display, and game stations equipped with The Sims and The Sims 2.

For a game that simulates life, mundane aspects included, the hype may seem strange. But for superfans such as JeyJey Bink, it’s that simplicity that has kept it alive.

JeyJey Bink has played more than 3500 hours of The Sims 4 since COVID-19 hit.Credit: Joe Armao

“It’s an empty canvas. Whether you’re a builder or storyteller, there’s flexibility to play it however you want,” she says. “And you’re building a life. That’s something everyone can relate to. You sort of feel like God. It gives me Bruce Almighty vibes.”

As a Sims streamer, Bink has played more than 3500 hours of The Sims 4 since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. She says it’s the only game that allows her to simultaneously dabble in design and pop culture, such as by building Sim replicas of popular television sets such as Squid Game.

“You can create the life you’ve always wanted,” Bink says. “You can be a celebrity or a hermit. You could even be an alien or a mermaid … This game is a way for people to reach heights that may be impossible in real life, and everyone has dreams and aspirations.”

Bink says The Sims offers a “safe space to test our darker impulses”, whether it’s leaving your Sim in a pool without a ladder, or spitting in a neighbour’s face.

Beyond its broad appeal, The Sims has been revolutionary. Josh Jessup and Matt Moss, Sims superfans and the designers behind ACMI’s upcoming Sims birthday display, say it was one of the first to champion casual play for any type of gamer, inspiring newer sandbox games such as InZOI.

“It was also one of the first games that showed you can completely change your gameplay depending on what expansion packs you have,” Jessup says.

Packs such as Eco Lifestyle and For Rent have encouraged players to go beyond usual life simulation by considering things such as sustainability and gentrification. The Sims 4 (released in 2014) has at least 17 expansion packs, so the way people play the game is constantly evolving.

And such in-game developments are constantly reflecting and engaging with society, adds video game journalist and ACMI curator Jini Maxwell.

Josh Jessup (left) and Matt Moss (right) believe The Sims was one of the pioneers of casual game play. Credit: Simon Schluter

“It was the first game to make gay relationships possible,” Maxwell says. “Now, there’s a wider range of gender presentation options, and a wider range of relationship types. It has led the charge in terms of inclusivity, allowing players to self-represent rather than simply presenting media representations.”

Much of this has stemmed from the publisher’s willingness to listen to its players. Maxwell notes EA’s decision to include a more diverse range of skin tones in the game after hearing concerns from the Black Simmers community group.

“Rather than working on it independently, or creating their own solution, they worked directly with the community.”

This demonstrates the power of The Sims community in general, Moss says. There are many active fan pages on platforms such Reddit, and most Sims players are sucked in after watching someone else play.

“My grandma had The Sims, so if I wanted to play, we’d play together. It can really help people bond,” says Moss. “Playing it now is like healing my inner child.”

The Sims 25th Birthday event will take place at ACMI from February 21 to 23.

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