Twenty-five years. Wow! That really is crazy to think that The Sims franchise is turning a quarter of a century old on February 4th 2025.
It really has been a wild ride since the launch of the first The Sims game back in 2000 and to think, this was a game that truly opened the door to so many life simulation games. There’s no denying that The Sims franchise has been the leader of the genre for so long.
However, this post isn’t to talk about every single life simulation game or those inspired by them but more to celebrate The Sims birthday and look back or some of the many memories I can recall from my time with the game.
The Sims: It’s Only The Beginning
Neighbourhood 1 is where our story starts.
Having grown up playing various simulation games, such Sim Tower and SimCity, I was no stranger to the Sim world as such even at such a young age. Naturally, curiosity set in and The Sims was added to the family computer. I used to watch my Dad play, but I would sneak on the computer and play when he wasn’t there.
Slowly but surely I was hooked on the game. Truthfully, I didn’t really know what I was doing, I was kind of making it up as I went along. Figuring things out and how things worked and hoping it all worked out. This was before I discovered that there were cheats for the game to help you on your way.
My mission, was to buy the mansion at 2 Sim Lane. I think that was the aim for many people. Eventually I made it, and without cheats. The mansion slowly turned from its original state to something fairly chaotic, with bright yellow and black celestial wallpaper everywhere (if you know you know), a home gym and indoor pool, the wavy counters in the kitchen and just so many more random memorable aspects around the home.
I eventually gathered all the expansions for the game just as The Sims 2 was about to release. While there is so much that I recall from my time exploring the extra content, I know there’s so much I never discovered or have forgotten about over time.
The Sims 2: A New Adventure
Fast-forward several years and The Sims 2 arrived. I remember I was somewhat late to the party and started this new era a year or so after its release. In fact, I think it was around the time that The Sims 2 Pets was released in late 2006 that I finally made the move.
Of course, I had some catching up to do, but I loved exploring several expansions, University, Nightlife, Pets and Open For Business. As for Stuff Packs, this was something I added at a much later date and picked many up in sales. While many a Sim and many stories were made during The Sims 2 era, I spent a lot more time with the console version of The Sims 2 as well as the likes of The Sims Bustin’ Out that released just before The Sims 2 released.
Looking back, I certainly feel there’s a lot of The Sims 2 I never experienced properly at the time, which is why I’m very excited to be diving back into the game with the new The Sims 2 Legacy Collection that has just released.
It’s also been nice in the short time I’ve been playing the latest The Sims 2 release is rediscovering the Simlish versions of many songs I listened to growing up!
The Sims 3: The Miss-Match Era
I have very fond memories of visiting multiple different stores locally to me on launch day trying to pick up a copy of The Sims 3 Base Game. Eventually I remember walking into Blockbuster, thinking they had sold out, only to buy the last copy. Of course, the excitement set in, and I was hooked and played as much as I could from the moment I got home.
With The Sims 3, I didn’t really keep up with the latest releases or anything, and ultimately just went along at my own speed with expanding my collection. If my memory serves me right, I only owned the base game along with some mods and custom content for quite sometime before adding a few expansions like Seasons, Generations and Pets to my collection. I think my favourite expansion that at the time wouldn’t play on my set-up is The Sims 3 Showtime, the Katy Perry edition and the Katy Perry Sweet Treats pack. I’m pretty sure I still have these tucked away somewhere, too.
I did however get into The Sims 3 via Steam in around 2018/2019. Having picked up a lot of the packs digitally during one of the sales at 50% off. I still have a couple of packs missing that I’ll get at some point.
The Sims 4: Jumping Into The Community
Ahh, The Sims 4. I can’t lie, I have had a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences with this game, but it’s also the era I’ve thrown myself into more. Being that the game’s community, writing content about the game on various websites, diving into storytelling and so much more.
If I’m being honest, I would be here forever talking about all my different memories from The Sims 4’s era, but despite everything, I wouldn’t change my experience at all. The game really has pushed me out of my comfort zone in so many ways, something I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
I’m incredibly grateful for this era of the game. Not just for the experiences and opportunities the game has given me but, for the friends I’ve mad and communities I’ve become a part of.
The Future
While there’s a lot of things I’d love to see added to The Sims 4, I’d rather quietly wait and be surprised (as much as possible) as content is revealed to the community. As for Project Rene, I don’t have many thoughts on it at all, really. I think this is more because of the limited information shared with the community so far, and that’s okay,
One thing I’m hopeful for, especially since these recent nostalgic re-releases and also the MySims re-releases, is that we may see the likes of The Sims Bustin’ Out, The Urbz: Sims in the City, The Sims Medieval and some of the other console games make some kind of return in the future.
It’s still crazy to think that The Sims franchise is twenty-five years old. It only feels like yesterday that I was diving into the game for the first time. A franchise that holds so many memories. From gameplay, to merchandise, reading the guidebooks late at night and often found playing the soundtracks on YouTube.
For now, I’ll be jumping into The Sims 1 and The Sims 2 Legacy Collections and rediscovering the games I loved growing up with!
What are some of your favourite memories from The Sims franchise?
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