If, like me, you dove into The Sims from its early days, you probably remember being quite young when the first game was launched. It’s been 25 years since that iconic moment, so if you were playing back then, you’re likely in your 30s now—at the very least. And for those who were already middle-aged fans, well, they’re certainly well into their golden years. While the original Sims stayed eternal and ageless, it’s safe to say that we have not.
Now, there’s more here than just a trip down memory lane, or thinking about how we’ve all grown older. Many people who grew up with the first Sims recall feeling a bit frightened by it at times. That definitely rings true for me. Even though I adored those live-action TV ads for The Sims, I vividly remember some elements of the game genuinely unsettling me.
For instance, I was nearly in tears the first time a Sim child was shipped off to military school due to bad grades, which felt terrifying to my 10-year-old self. And, I often needed my mom to sit with me whenever the music cue indicated a ghost from the Goth graveyard might be wandering around. Many still get an instinctive chill when they hear the familiar sound that meant a burglar—or perhaps even a raccoon from the Unleashed expansion—was eyeing their Sims’ house.
But hey, that’s childhood for you. Fast forward to today, I’m 34 and a huge fan of everything horror, making it hard to believe The Sims could still manage to scare me.
That’s what I thought until I found myself watching a few retrospective videos on YouTube leading up to today’s big anniversary. Barely five minutes in, I was reminded of a child Sim dying from starvation and realized that yes, The Sims 1 could be quite intense. Even if the visuals of a struggling Sim didn’t faze you, the deeply unsettling screams certainly never returned in any sequel.
The first Sims game wasn’t without its quirks either. There were euphemisms like “punch bowls” and “bubble blowers” to skirt around issues that could bump up the age rating. Meanwhile, baby-making meant lots of kissing, and Sims purchased a special item to “play in” for anything beyond cuddling with a romantic partner. But let’s not forget the surprisingly adult and cheeky content it included too.
In another corner of the game, there was the party entertainer blatantly coded as a stripper, easily recognizable even to the least worldly pre-teens, despite being clothed like someone wearing a swimsuit. Interestingly, this “cake dancer” is making a comeback in The Sims 4’s Blast From The Past event launching today! Adult Sims didn’t need mods to parade around scantily clad thanks to some default wardrobe choices, and the go-go cage dance animations—well, you get the picture.
One critique often leveled at The Sims franchise is its increasing sanitization over the years. Looking back at the franchise’s origins, it’s hard to refute this. The original’s weirdness has been dialed back over time, favoring a more polished, upbeat depiction of life.
There are many reasons this evolution happens, but it’s interesting to consider the context for The Sims initially taking shape. It was a unique project, one that started as an experimental architecture simulator and transformed into a life sim, a concept that was relatively uncharted territory at its debut. There was no clear blueprint to follow, and understanding who might play a game that combined elements traditionally appealing to boys (video games) and girls (dollhouses) wasn’t straightforward. So, it’s not shocking that the humor and aesthetics leaned into what appealed to game developers in California during the late 1990s.
Then The Sims found its audience. Contrary to prevailing wisdom, it resonated greatly with women and girls who appreciated games reflecting their perspectives. It soared to become the best-selling PC game partly because it connected deeply with female players—a group largely overlooked by game publishers until then. It wasn’t just women, though; many men enjoyed it as well because, let’s face it, it’s a fantastic game and hobbies aren’t dictated by gender anyway. Give them a screen’s privacy, and you’d find plenty enjoyed playing virtual dollhouses too, even minus extreme elements of sex and violence, which were toned down but not totally absent.
Yet as The Sims captured a solid audience, it faced commercial realities. With its popularity growing among women and children, balancing content to market it effectively to younger players became crucial. EA recognized that mods adding darker and racier content are fan favorites but making these core elements would seriously hinder sales potential. Like it or not, games need to be marketable to ensure their survival, and without sales, The Sims might not have continued evolving.
Ultimately, let’s cherish what we had with The Sims 1: a quirky, daring experiment that set the stage for everything that followed and is unlikely to be replicated, especially not by a corporate giant like EA. On this milestone birthday, it’s worth noting that cozy games don’t have to be overly wholesome. The Sims 4 has seen resurgence by tackling themes of sex and death—subjects addressed more earnestly now but still getting at the same essence.
One thing I’m relieved stayed in the past? Those gut-wrenching death cries. Seriously, no thanks!
