The best games like the Sims to play right now

There’s nonetheless not a recreation on the market fairly like the Sims.

For over 20 years, the life simulation franchise has dominated its style. Some comparable games have been in improvement for years (and a few like Paradox’s Life By You didn’t make it), however the Sims stays the greatest life simulation collection on the market.

So, if you happen to’re searching for one thing like the Sims, it could be a bit of difficult to discover — which is why we suggest actually zeroing in on simply what it’s about the Sims that you simply like.

Sims gamers have a tendency to be drawn to one in every of three huge tentpoles of the recreation:

1. The micromanaging, whereby they management actually each side of their Sims’ lives (after which some)
2. The storytelling, a broad time period for the stay play a part of the Sims and crafting a storyline with Sims, be it build up their lives or creating juicy drama
3. The customization, which is the constructing, adorning, and dressing up of all of it.

So it doesn’t matter what it’s about the Sims that you simply love, we’ve picked out some nice games for you to strive subsequent.

The Micromanaging

RimWorld

The place to play: Mac, PlayStation 4, Home windows PC, Xbox One

RimWorld is an especially customizable recreation, with a storyteller that spins the story of your colony. Your job is to assist your house colony survive, which incorporates giving them a pleasant place to sleep, loads of meals to eat, and toys for leisure. As extra random occasions occur, and also you progress by way of expertise timber, your colonists have extra concerned needs and desires. You could want to hustle to amputate a limb earlier than an an infection overwhelms your colony’s physician, or make transhumanist expertise to appease an growing old priest. Managing the temper of every character is essential to success, as psychological breaks can lead to main points — and even homicide. —Cass Marshall

Stellaris

Picture: Paradox Interactive

The place to play: Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Home windows PC

Stellaris is my huge micromanaging recreation of alternative as a result of I like house. There’s a lot to preserve monitor of, however I like games that look like I’m opening up a piece spreadsheet. In Stellaris, you mainly increase a spacefaring civilization, from the second they uncover house journey to the fall of their empire. You get to decide how your aliens look like, and as you discover the huge expanse of house, you encounter different civilizations, which vary from pleasant to xenophobic imperialists . You create colonies on new planets, steadiness your economic system, handle diplomatic relations, and extra — all whereas additionally discovering what lies out in the galaxy. —Petrana Radulovic

Planet Zoo

Picture: Frontier Developments

The place to play: PlayStation 5, Home windows PC, Xbox Collection X

You handle animals in Planet Zoo, not folks. Like Zoo Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon 2 (or Maxis’ animal administration games SimSafari or SimPark), you construct habitats for animals whereas additionally ensuring the zoo is staffed up and friends are completely happy. There’s so much to preserve monitor of all through the recreation, which makes it so much like The Sims 4 — micromanaging throughout! —Nicole Carpenter

The Storytelling

Visible Novels

Picture: Black Tabby Games

The place to play: Nearly any platform!

Visible novels had been my first foray into gaming after entering into the Sims. And I nonetheless love ‘em! I significantly like visible novels which can be tremendous choice-heavy, and allow you to completely customise your protagonist and the way the storyline unfolds. For anybody who loves the Sims due to the tales you get to curate, visible novels scratch that itch — whereas additionally having a low barrier to entry and working very simply on most gadgets!

I play a lot of those on numerous platforms, however need to shout out just a few of my favorites: Scarlet Hole, a horror and in addition romance visible novel from Black Tabby Games (the builders of Slay the Princess!) that takes place in a spooky Appalachian city; The Arcana, a freemium fantasy cellular recreation a few magician’s apprentice caught up in a homicide thriller that has a few of the most beautiful artwork on the market; and I Was a Teenage Exocolonist, a coming-of-age sci-fi recreation happening on a distant planet with an emphasis on replayability with its time loop mechanic. (Additionally shout out to Selection of Games, which hosts some very cool text-based tales — not so much visually happening, however that’s the energy of creativeness). —PR

Baldur’s Gate 3 and different choice-driven RPGs

Picture: Larian Studios

The place to play: Mac, PlayStation 5, Xbox Collection X, Home windows PC

If you happen to spend hours making Sims in Create-A-Sim, you’ll love poring over the Baldur’s Gate 3 character creator. Large sprawling roleplaying games allow you to create your individual character and actually dive right into a world. There’s undoubtedly extra construction than one thing like the Sims, however you probably have a favourite sort of character or storyline to play out in the Sims, migrating that roleplaying mindset over to Baldur’s Gate 3 is a reasonably seamless transition. —PR

BitLife On-line

Picture: Candywriter

The place to play: Cellular and browser

BitLife is the stay play side of the Sims stripped down and speedrunned. You begin off with a random life, which then performs out briefly textual descriptions. Occasionally, a pop up prompts you to make a alternative. However for the most half, it’s fairly free vary. You may ship your little particular person off to faculty, decide what actions they do of their free time, nurture particular relationships (or not!), purchase property or extra. And like in the Sims, you’ll be able to prime them for fulfillment, or have their life go completely off the rails. It’s fully up to you!

It’s additionally free, with some completely elective perks as DLC (I’m a fan of the spy enlargement, myself). Additionally, it’s the uncommon cellular recreation that works with none Wi-Fi connection — all the time a win in my view. —PR

Constructing/Customization

Love Nikki-Costume Up Queen

The place to play: Android, iOS

Love Nikki Costume Up Queen isn’t a simulator recreation, nevertheless it does hit on one side of The Sims 4 — customization. The Love Nikki franchise is thought for its elaborate style programs; in Love Nikki, you progress by way of the world and clear up its issues with style battles. The higher your outfit, primarily based on set parameters for every encounter, the extra factors you rating. If you happen to’re searching for a recreation that allows you to play round with an avatar like you do in The Sims, Love Nikki is your recreation: Arguably, it’s received extra customization than The Sims. —NC

Coral Island – Zoe

Picture: Stairway Games/Humble Games

The place to play: PlayStation 5, Home windows PC, Xbox Collection X

I began enjoying Coral Island throughout its Early Entry section on Steam, and even when it was fraught with in-game roadblocks and bugs, it grew to become one in every of my favourite life sims. There are tons of issues to work towards and interacting with non-player characters is pleasant due to the themes (environmental points, LGBTQ+ identities, neighborhood care) and the well-written dialogue. The animations make me need to transfer to an island in actual life, and actions like cleansing up the coral in the ocean provide a recent tackle the spend-energy-to-get-items trope in simulation games. —Zoë Hannah

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Picture: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo by way of Skye McEowen

The place to play: Nintendo Change

If the factor you like about The Sims 4 is constructing out a neighborhood or adorning areas, strive Animal Crossing: New Horizons. There isn’t the home customization you’ll discover in the sims — no less than with exteriors — however there’s loads to construct out inside your individual island residence. The Completely happy Dwelling Paradise DLC solely takes that have additional, placing the focus immediately on adorning. Getting inventive together with your island design, too, expands the prospects of the world you’ll be able to create: Some players created huge libraries, lush jungles, and even recreated iconic spots from Ocarina of Time. —NC