There are plenty of games like The Sims PC that gamers can indulge in now, which is a great thing because more games equal more fun!
Well, I’d like to clarify that last sentence by saying that what I mean is that more quality games equals more fun. With The Sims 4 celebrating its tenth anniversary, many great games that follow the same formula have come out. Some are even part of our “Casual Cozy Games to Play This Fall 2024” list, which you can go ahead and read after this.
Now, get your notes ready or bookmark this article because we’ll now be listing 7 games similar to The Sims you can try playing for yourself!
1. Denizen—One of the Similar Games to The Sims People Are Excited For
- Developer: Departure Interactive
- Release Date: April 29, 2024
- Platforms: PC
- Genre: Life Sim
This independent early-access game is essentially first-person The Sims. In Denizen, players are given numerous jobs they may do to earn money and an open environment to explore.
You can then spend that hard-earned cash by visiting a casino, spending a night at the club, or going shopping. Players can even purchase a home and furnish it however they like.
The experience isn’t quite that refined yet. I’m going to be honest, there’s a big chance it might never have that same “polished” look and play that AAA games have due to their budgets.
Nevertheless, it’s still a fun and intriguing estimate of what a first-person Simslike game may be like.
Here’s a video that shows what Denizen looks like:
2. Rimworld—A Member of the Realistic Life Simulation Games Containing Dire Consequences
- Developer: Ludeon Studios, with Double Eleven on console versions
- Release Date: October 17, 2018
- Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One
- Genre: Management sim
Do you know how your sims will act out or faint from tiredness if their requirements aren’t met? Rimworld is similar, with the added spice of “there could be disastrous repercussions” if things got to that point. It’s one of the most unique games like The Sims PC on the market.
Rimworld is a simulation game that errs on the side of being “not for the faint of heart.” The game’s premise revolves around players establishing a colony on a planet that is not their own. You have a group of individuals with their own lives and wills whose wants must be met continuously.
And just when you think you’re the one in control, the AI storyteller presents you with a strange and chaotic catastrophe. Obviously, this ruins whatever plans players thought of. This could severely stress out or lead to the death of the colonists under your care, unlike in The Sims.
For simmers who wish to incorporate some (or a lot) of risk into their simulation, Rimworld is the game for you. Despite its difficulty, Rimworld is one of the best Simslike games to play right now.
Here’s a gameplay to show you just how heart-pumping and chaotic Rimworld can be:
3. Cities Skylines 1+2—Build and Manage Your Own City
- Developer: Colossal Order
- Release Date: March 10, 2015/October 24, 2023
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbos Series X|S, Switch for CS1. PC only for CS2
- Genre: City builder
Many people dislike Cities: Skylines games, even though it is the successor to Sim City’s city-building crown. People often see it as a “city painter” compared to an actual city-building game, which is a sentiment I can understand. However, I still don’t fully see why that’s such a bad thing.
The Cities: Skylines games are more of a chill city builder than a hardcore city management kind of product. It’s perfect for those who just want to relax and construct a vast, open metropolis with an extensive public transit system.
Due to some biases, many are missing out on this franchise’s laid-back vibe, which makes it appealing to Sims fans. Cities: Skylines is a difficult game to fail in, and similar to The Sims, life generally continues even after a setback.
Cities: Skylines can be thought of as a larger-scale version of games like The Sims PC, a dollhouse set in a city. If Cities Skylines is to your liking, then I suggest checking out The Garden Path: A Cozy Escape into Nature, too.
Here’s a video showing what you can do in Cities: Skylines:
4. Medieval Dynasty—A Foray Into the Medieval World Via Simulation
- Developer: Render Cube
- Release Date: September 17, 2020 (early access)
- Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5
- Genre: Survival, life sim
Since survival-crafting games rarely capture the spirit of The Sims, we have refrained from including them on this list. Medieval Dynasty doesn’t appear to match the number of games like The Sims PC in this list—or so I thought. At first glance, it appears to be just another survival game in the forest until you have enough supplies to construct a small cottage.
However, what caught my eye is the “dynasty” component of this game. Among open-world survival-crafting games, Medieval Dynasty stands out due to these lifelike features.
Here’s a video that shows the official trailer for Medieval Dynasty:
5. Stardew Valley—The Farming Game You Need to Try Playing
- Developer: ConcernedApe
- Release Date: February 26, 2016
- Platforms: PC, Switch
- Genre: Life sim
Your goal in Stardew Valley is to transform an old, run-down farm in Stardew Valley into a modern, prosperous one. Although the idea is straightforward, Stardew Valley has developed into a very strong open-world game that has expanded significantly over the years. This is thanks to eight years of consistent updates from the one guy who created it.
Players can build a family and make friends. They can explore an enigmatic cave that is filled with precious objects and extends indefinitely. Gamers can improve their abilities to become more proficient at farming or fending off enemies.
Lastly, you can do pretty much anything else that makes sense in this situation. Do you want to do building, fishing, cooking, or more? Stardew Valley lets you do those things, making it one of the games like The Sims PC!
If you enjoy it, you may also use a variety of Stardew Valley mods to enhance your experience. Oh, and with the game ported to Switch, there’s a big chance it’s going to be one of the best Nintendo Switch games soon.
Here’s Stardew Valley’s trailer that shows its unique gameplay as a life sim:
Test Out Any of These Games Like The Sims PC When You Can
So, did you find a Simslike game that isn’t The Sims you’d want to try? Let us know in the comments below and tell us your thoughts about it!
I hope you get to enjoy some of the games I’ve listed here. Stay tuned for more feature and news about the gaming industry with GameEels, and we’ll see you guys in the article!