The Sims
The Sims is a life-simulation game created by designer Will Wright and developed by Maxis, released by Electronic Arts in 2000. Instead of pursuing a win condition, players create and control virtual people called Sims, building and furnishing their homes and guiding their careers, relationships, moods and daily needs, from hunger and hygiene to socialising and fun.
Its open-ended, sandbox design and the emergent stories that arise from the Sims' behaviour gave it unusually broad appeal, notably drawing a large female audience at a time when the industry skewed heavily male. The Sims became the best-selling PC game of its era and launched one of gaming's most successful franchises, sustained by a vast ecosystem of expansion packs and player-made content, and it effectively defined the modern life-sim genre.
Today The Sims 4 continues the series as a free-to-play base game with paid expansions, while indie life-sims such as Paralives offer alternatives.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to The Sims, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
| Alternative | Price | Steam Deck | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sims 4 | Free + in-app purchases | Not on Steam | PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox |
| Tiny Life Indie | € 14,99 | Steam Deck Verified | PC, Mac, Linux |
| The Sims FreePlay | Free + in-app purchases | Not on Steam | iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet |
| Paralives | € 29,99 | Not on Steam | PC, Mac |
| inZOI | € 39,99 | Steam Deck Unsupported | PC, Mac |
The Sims 4
Free + in-app purchasesThe free-to-play current entry with huge (paid) expansion content.
The Sims 4 runs on PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox. Not available on Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, Switch.
Tiny Life Indie
€ 14,99A pixel-art indie life sim clearly inspired by the classic Sims.
Tiny Life runs on PC, Mac, Linux. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
The Sims FreePlay
Free + in-app purchasesEA's free-to-play mobile Sims, with house building and life goals that play out in real time.
The Sims FreePlay runs on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet. Not available on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
Paralives
€ 29,99An indie life-sim with flexible building tools and a cosy art style.
Paralives runs on PC, Mac. Not available on Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
inZOI
€ 39,99A photoreal life simulator with deep character creation, positioned as the first real Sims rival in years.
inZOI runs on PC, Mac. Not available on Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
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