Given just how many different features are included in The Sims 4, it can be difficult for fans of the game to find similar titles to try out. Building houses, forming relationships, raising children, and practicing different skills from cooking to gardening are just a few of the gameplay experiences to be found in The Sims 4 – so where should players start when looking for new alternatives?
Although The Sims 4 has plenty of content to experience, thanks in part to how many expansions and other game packs have been released since it first came out in 2014, many players still find themselves growing bored after some time. This may be due to the base game’s lack of content compared to older titles like The Sims 3, as purchasing all of the expansions could be considered too expensive for some. The overall exclusion of features like open world exploration could also have some role in it.
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While many Sims 4 fans turn to mods and other custom content in order to refresh the experience, others players are just looking for an entirely new game that contains similar gameplay to The Sims franchise. Fortunately, there are quite a few titles either already available or coming out soon that emulate some of The Sims 4‘s most iconic features. Here are a few of the most notable.
For Sims 4 Interior Design Fans – House Flipper
House Flipper is arguably a little lacking in terms of narrative content, but it centers entirely around rebuilding and remodeling house interiors – something that seems to be widely considered a fan-favorite feature of The Sims series. Players can then sell their projects to different clients and take before and after photos of their work, similarly to gameplay elements that are included in the interior decorator career added in The Sims 4 Dream Home Decorator game pack.
For Sims 4 Life Simulation Fans – Growing Up
Although Growing Up isn’t set to release until later on in 2021, there’s currently a demo available on Steam as well as various previews regarding what its gameplay will look like. It labels itself as a story-rich life sim game, meaning that players will follow their character from infancy to adulthood, making choices that will impact who they are and what traits they possess. Decisions can influence everything from a character’s future career to their romantic interest, so fans of The Sims 4 should definitely keep an eye on this upcoming release.
For Sims 4 Relationship Building Fans – Stardew Valley
Players who enjoy building up relationships and communities in The Sims 4 will likely want to try out Stardew Valley or other life-simulator games that have been released as of late. Although Stardew Valley is primarily a farming sim, it places heavy focus on its characters as well as the relationships they can develop with the title’s protagonist. The overall story of Stardew Valley also focuses on the restoration and growth of the community as the seasons progress.
For Sims 4 Fans In General – Paralives
Setting itself up as arguably the first major competitor to The Sims franchise, Paralives contains all the home-building and life-simulation elements that the series is known for while simultaneously placing even more focus on player freedom in terms of creation. The game will eventually be coming out on Steam, but thus far there is no concrete release date, meaning that Sims 4 fans will simply have to watch the game’s development progress for further updates.
Next: Paralives Reveals More Sims-Like House Building Elements
