Sim Life: Why We Love Sims In All Their Forms

Video Games

Apr 21

Whether it is City, Ant, Spore, Kingdom, or…Urbz, Maxis’ video game stalwart has been a constant presence in the market since the late 80s. Indeed, it filled a gap in its audience's lives that they didn’t even know they had! So how then has this game become a staple of PC and consoles, but also a cultural phenomenon for over 20 years?

Let’s find out Wag Nere, Wap Zow

7. Cheaters Never Prosper

Most players start with the best intentions when they pick up a Sim-flavoured game. They want to play honestly, and build up their Empire/House/Space Base slowly and feel the achievement as they start getting more money, better quality items, and can Lord it over their neighbours. However…mention the words ‘Rosebud’, ‘Motherlode’, or ‘FUND’ to a gamer and you are likely to see the flicker of recognition as they remember the numerous times they have thought “**** it I want all the money”. Few things in games are as satisfying as entering these cheats and watching the Simoleons rack up faster than your heart rate when you first saw Some Sneaky Sim in the original Sims game.

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6. Pull Up A Chair

Every single person who has ever had the pleasure of playing a Sims game knows that feeling of ”jumping on for 5 minutes for a quick game”…and then losing 3 weeks of their lives. The escapism and pleasing satisfaction of achieving small goals, and eating away at the larger objectives is truly addicting. Frequently this meant that the best plans of a 20-minute session often resulted in missed meals, missed appointments, and missed days. Worth it.

5. What Is A King To A God?

Before The Sims, you may have had the power of a fantasy elf, plumber with a penchant for jumping, or anthropomorphic hedgehog – but very few games had given you the feeling and power of being a god. Whether this was saving your citizens from natural disasters to creating digital life on a barren planet. The Sims gives you the power to create worlds, control every aspect of your subject's lives, or even defeat death. Simply put, The Sims was and is the ultimate power fantasy.

4. Feels Just Like It Should

The Sims series has never tried to compete on graphical fidelity, nor has buffeted about on game or aesthetic changes i.e., there isn’t a Sim Battle Royale, and it didn’t have its gritty brown phase of the late 2000s.
The Sim series has always looked and sounded exactly like it should – a Sims game. Of course, it evolved, grew, and took advantage of new technology, but it still retained its charm and feel from those early games.

3. The Spice Of Life

Few game series have managed to pivot so broadly and still stay true to the formula of what made them. Whether you want to lord over an entire continent, build your dream home with a family, or help an Ant survive an alarming amount of spider attacks, Maxis has the Sim game for you.

2. These Violent Delights, Have Violent Ends

Don’t look at us me that. You know exactly what I’m talking about. Swimming pools and their ladders, Dr. Vu’s tower, those concerningly flammable bookcases.

You’re terrible, and I love it.

1. We Go Again…

No matter how it’s dressed up, and whatever the goals of that specific title; every Sim game has, at its core, an addictive gameplay loop that few other titles could hope to match. Simple enough that anyone can pick it up and play it, but deceptively deep that truly mastering it can take years.

Dag Dag!

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