The games in the Sims series are largely sandbox games, in that they lack any defined goals (except for some later expansion packs and console versions which introduced this gameplay style). The player creates virtual people called “Sims”, places them in houses, and helps direct their moods and satisfy their desires. Players can either place their Sims in pre-constructed homes or build them themselves. Each successive expansion pack and game in the series augmented what the player could do with their Sims.

Inspiration for The Sims came to creator Will Wright after his home burned down in the Oakland firestorm of 1991. Wright became fixated with humanity’s affinity toward material things and whether happiness can be bought.

His studio, Maxis, had released SimCity to critical success in 1989, and he wanted to pivot that concept into something new but familiar. In 1997, Maxis was acquired by EA, giving the team funding for another project. Instead of managing an entire metropolis, the team wondered about controlling a singular neighborhood or building.

It’s a flexible form of play that has remained immensely popular for 20 years, despite a rapidly changing video game landscape. Through its four mainline games and expansions, the franchise recently hit 200 million copies sold on PC. Today, The Sims 4 has reached 20 million unique players worldwide.

According to en.wikipedia.org. Source of photos: internet