Sul sul! “Hello!” in Simlish.

This year, The Sims franchise celebrates 25 years since the release of the first game, marking a quarter-century of us, Simmers, controlling the lives of our Sim-selves. Or, should I say, they’re controlling ours?

There’s something about this game that keeps pulling us back in—whether it’s the joy of creating a Sim, the opportunity of building a dream house, or the satisfaction of hitting the top of our virtual career. Meanwhile, in real life, hours of gaming pass like the blink of an eye, our laundry piles up, and emails remain unread.

My relationship with The Sims began 15 years ago when my mom gave me the second part of the franchise for New Year’s Eve. Before, I had only played story-driven, level-based games where progress depended on completing challenges—fail a level, and you’re stuck, sometimes permanently. Considering that The Sims 2, which offered endless scenarios and creative freedom, won my heart very quickly.

Unlike other games of my childhood, The Sims seemed to proclaim that you would never be done with it. And so it turned out. My obsession with The Sims comes up in spades. It takes a while when I’m not playing, but eventually, I always come back.

So, what does The Sims offer us? In simple words, The Sims is a kind of dollhouse, a simulator of ordinary life, where the gameplay boils down to satisfying the needs of the characters. At the same time, the game provides opportunities for different styles of play: just as you can turn your Sim’s life into heaven, you can turn it into a living hell.

I belong to the first group of players: my Sims often become perfect toddlers or children and reach the top of their careers. To get this result, Sims must develop skills. It often happened that after their work, I sent my Sim straight to study, say, logic, and was annoyed that my Sim didn’t want to do it. How dare they disobey their creator?

I’ve noticed for myself that I go off to play The Sims during periods of increased stress and uncertainty. When real life becomes too hard to handle, it is here for us to escape. But what makes The Sims such an appealing form of escapism, given that it includes the same everyday responsibilities as real life—like cleaning and paying bills?

The answer lies in the mechanics of the game. Unlike real life, The Sims provides a predictable and structured environment. If our Sims work hard, they’ll get promoted. If they will be kind to people, they’ll make trustworthy friends. In other words, the game represents a world where effort is rewarded, goals are achievable, and nothing is ever truly out of reach. If only real life was that simple…

Even though Sims still has little will and is endowed with desires, all decisions remain with the player. Thus, players assume the role of God for their Sims. This sense of control and predictability is particularly appealing during stressful times. When life comes to a standstill or personal relationships become complicated, The Sims turns out to be our safe place, where we get to decide the outcomes. And so my Sim goes to work, raises three children, does sports, takes care of chickens and cows, and looks after the garden every day.

Of course, it would be dishonest if I said I play without cheat codes. Well, that’s because The Sims isn’t just about structured progress—it’s also about creative freedom and wish fulfillment. In the game, we can live out lives that might not be possible for us in reality. Feel like experiencing luxury without financial constraints? Just use a cheat code, and suddenly, your Sim is living in a mansion with an infinity pool. The real world doesn’t work that way, which is why escaping into a place where success is just a few clicks away feels so satisfying.

But, inevitably, there comes a moment when the magic starts to wear off. After hours (usually days, though) of perfecting my Sims’ routines, designing their dream homes, and reaching career milestones, a strange emptiness sets in. Watching my Sim master three skills in a single day makes me pause and wonder—what have I accomplished in that time? I could’ve learned to play the guitar myself, at last.

Indeed, the stark contrast between our in-game discipline and real-life habits is almost comical. We make sure they get promotions while we procrastinate on our work tasks. We push them to write books instead of writing them ourselves. We can spend hours making sure our Sims socialize, while we pretend to be busy when our colleagues call us out.

This cycle of obsession, burnout, and rediscovery is something most Simmers know all too well. So why do we keep coming back? Perhaps because The Sims allows us to experiment, to play out different scenarios, and to create order in a world that often feels chaotic. It’s a digital comfort zone, a space where we can escape, create, and, in some way, feel in control of the uncontrollable. At least for a short time… until we look at the clock and realize it’s 3 AM.