The Sims (Mac) by Aspyr

Description

The idea behind The Sims is this: the ultimate goal of life is to achieve happiness, and the way to achieve happiness is to satisfy your Sims' needs. That's right, The Sims allows you to create, direct, and manage the lives of SimCity's residents. Each need (Hunger, Comfort, Hygiene, Bladder, Energy, Fun, Social, and Room) can be met by interaction with other Sims or objects: throw a party with the help of a rockin' stereo system, and watch your Sims' Social and Fun ratings improve. Have one of your Sims whip up some food from the refrigerator, and you'll satisfy the Hunger needs of your guests. Or have your Sim engage another Sim in a game of chess: not only will their Fun and Social moods improve, both Sims will gain some points in their Logic skill rating–which might help on the job.

Mismanage your new, simulated family, and you'll be faced with the worst of MTV's The Real World–with a touch of teenage angst drama thrown in for good measure: jealousies will ignite, fights will break out, jobs will be lost, and the house will fall apart. Bringing about such a calamity is almost as much fun as guiding these Sims to material paradise, and takes considerably less time.

A good general rule is that the more expensive the object, the better its ability to satisfy Sim needs. One gameplay goal is to improve your Sim so he or she can climb the career ladder, which nets him or her more money, which allows the purchase of higher quality stuff, which lets you improve your Sim even more. Eventually, your Sim will have a mate, kids, and a mansion with an indoor pool.

Before you decide how to fix your Sims' health and happiness, you need to craft each of your simulated people: pick a name and a gender, decide on personality/astrological sign, and then choose a look from a variety of heads, bodies, and skin tones. After the creation, the next step is to find a place to live. Again, the player can choose from among the empty houses in th

Platforms

Mac

Editorial Review

From Will Wright, the creator of SimCity, comes a strategy game that hits close to home. You are in charge of a neighborhood of Sims, and it is up to you to show them that they're living in your world now! Force them into a life of crime or help them live life in the fast lane. Build them a sprawling mansion or dump them into a dilapidated shack. Let them party like swinging singles or fall in love, get married, and raise a family. They can live out your wildest dreams or experience your worst nightmares. It is up to you to decide–their fate is in your hands.