The Sims is one of those PC games that looks ridiculously simple until you’ve somehow spent five hours managing the life of a virtual person who can’t even cook without setting the kitchen on fire.
Released in 2000, The Sims lets you create characters, build homes and control pretty much every part of their daily lives. You decide where they live, what they do for work, who they become friends with and, occasionally, whether they get to enjoy a peaceful evening without something going horribly wrong.
The real fun comes from the freedom. You can build a lovely family home, create a successful career-focused Sim or deliberately make things as chaotic as possible. The game doesn’t really have a traditional ending, so you can simply keep playing and see where your choices take you.
The building system is surprisingly addictive too. Designing and decorating your house can be just as entertaining as looking after the Sims themselves. Of course, your dream home might eventually turn into a cramped box because you’ve spent all your money on a ridiculously expensive television.
The Sims also has a brilliant sense of humour. Watching characters struggle with everyday tasks, develop relationships and get themselves into bizarre situations can be genuinely hilarious.
It does feel quite limited compared with later entries in the series, particularly when it comes to customisation and activities. But for its time, it was an incredibly fresh idea.
