The Sims

The Sims is a life simulation game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. First released in February 2000 for Windows 95 and 98, the game lets players create and control virtual people, called Sims, and manage every aspect of their daily lives. You build homes from scratch or move into pre-built lots, furnish rooms with hundreds of items, and guide your Sims through careers, relationships, hobbies, and the constant juggle of bodily needs like hunger and hygiene. The isometric perspective and charming, if not cutting-edge, graphics are packed with tiny, observational details, from the glow of a teak table to the slap of a toilet seat being put down. A robust in-game tutorial eases new players into the surprisingly deep systems while a thriving online community at thesims.com offers thousands of user-created skins, objects, and entire stories, turning the game into an ever-expanding virtual dollhouse. Its success launched one of the best-selling PC franchises of all time, with seven expansion packs released for the original game alone between 2000 and 2003.