BeyondSims The Sims Turns 26: Celebrating the Game That Changed Everything

On 4th February 2000, a strange little life simulator arrived on PC and quietly changed gaming forever. The Sims turns 26 years old today, and more than a quarter of a century later, it’s still impossible to overstate just how revolutionary Maxis’ creation truly was.

At a time when games were dominated by shooters, strategy titles, and clearly defined win states, The Sims – much like other Maxis games – dared to ask a completely different question: what if the game was simply about life?


A Bold Idea That Shouldn’t Have Worked (But Did)


On paper, The Sims sounded absurd. You didn’t control a hero. There were no levels to beat. You told virtual people when to eat, sleep, go to the toilet, and occasionally set the kitchen on fire.

And yet, that was precisely the magic.

Will Wright’s vision of a “digital dollhouse” tapped into something universal. Players weren’t just completing objectives – they were telling stories. Every household became a soap opera of ambition, disaster, romance, and chaos. The game didn’t need a traditional ending because the fun came from watching things unfold… or deliberately going wrong.

The open-ended gameplay, combined with an intuitive build mode and the now-iconic Simlish, made The Sims instantly accessible to players who’d never touched a PC game before. It also helped that it ran on imagination as much as mechanics – the player filled in the emotional gaps.


Expansion Packs That Defined an Era


A huge part of The Sims’ longevity came from its expansion packs, each one expanding the fantasy of everyday life in ways that felt genuinely exciting at the time.

• Livin’ Large / Livin it Up introduced chaos – guinea pig plague, robots, and the Grim Reaper himself.
• House Party turned our quiet suburban homes into dance floors with Drew Carey and cake dancers.
• Hot Date gave your Sims the chance to leave the house for the first time with proper romance, downtown areas, and the joy of watching a date go disastrously wrong.
• Vacation / On Holiday let Sims escape to resorts and enjoy a holiday – with an unforgettable soundtrack.
• Unleashed added pets, a bigger neighbourhood with community lots, and a surprising amount of depth.
• Superstar fulfilled the fantasy of fame, absurd NPCs and all. You could even meet real-world celebrities of the time!
• Makin’ Magic closed things out with dragons, spells, and a full magical subculture.

Each expansion felt substantial. They weren’t just cosmetic add-ons – they meaningfully changed how you played and how your Sims’ lives could unfold. For many players, specific expansions are tied directly to childhood memories, late-night play sessions, and that unmistakable feeling of loading up the neighbourhood screen yet again.


Why The Sims Became a Phenomenon


The Sims succeeded because it respected the player’s creativity. It didn’t tell you how to play – it trusted you to find your own fun. Whether you were meticulously recreating your real-life home, building impossible mansions, or trapping Sims in ladder-less swimming pools (we all did it), the game never judged.

It also arrived at exactly the right cultural moment. The rise of home PCs, casual gaming, and modding communities helped The Sims grow into something far bigger than a single title. Custom content, fan sites (like us!), and forums flourished – laying the groundwork for the franchise’s famously passionate community.


Playing The Sims in 2026


One of the most surreal joys of this anniversary is just how good it feels to still be playing The Sims 1 today. Thanks to The Sims Legacy Edition, released last year, revisiting the original game on modern PCs has never been easier – or more enjoyable.

Alternatively, if you have all the original games, our tutorial may help you get the game running on newer devices.

The visuals feel better than ever, the game is brutal, and the humour is delightfully unfiltered – but that’s exactly why it still works. It pokes back at you and makes it hard and chaotic.

In an era of live services and endless updates (cough – Sims 4 – cough), The Sims 1 remains refreshingly complete.


26 Years On


From its humble beginnings in 2000 to a franchise that’s spanned decades, platforms, and generations of players, The Sims didn’t just create a new genre – it created a cultural touchstone.

Twenty-six years later, we’re still building, storytelling, modding, and reminiscing. And honestly? There’s something kind of magical about that. I can’t thank The Sims franchise enough for endless hours of fun and the opportunities it has given me over the years through this website.

Happy 26th birthday, The Sims



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