The Sims at 25: How a virtual dollhouse took over the world

The Sims was never supposed to be a hit.

Back in the 1990s, when creator Will Wright pitched the game to his bosses, they weren't convinced by his idea of a "virtual dollhouse".

A so-called life simulator where players design their own characters, give them personalities and tend to their needs.

Who wants that?

Quite a lot of people, it turns out.

Now, 25 years from its debut, The Sims is one of the best-selling video game series of all time, with an active community of superfans known as Simmers.

The latest instalment, The Sims 4, has been translated into 18 languages and played by 85 million people worldwide, according to publisher Electronic Arts.

The original game's open-ended nature helped it to become a hit and reach so-called "casual gamers" outside the medium's more dedicated audience.

Players had the freedom to carefully craft a detailed domestic setting for their digital people, managing their love lives, daily routines, basic needs and hobbies in exacting detail.

But it also allowed them to imagine various torments for their virtual pals. One of the most famous - stranding your Sim in a swimming pool without a ladder - remains a popular meme to this day.

UK-based streamer Jesse, best known as Plumbella, says she became obsessed with the legendary trick when she first played the game at five years old.

The Sims has been part of Jesse’s life ever since, thanks, she says, to the community around it.

Players can create modifications or "mods" that alter different elements from the way the game plays to a characters appearance.

Extra height options, having multiple jobs and neurodivergent personality traits are among some of the popular fan-made add-ons.

For dedicated fans, Jesse says, the longevity comes from building on each other's creations.

As she puts it: "Take something and customise it and share it with other Simmers.

"It's really interesting to see the ways that people can come up with to use their game in an interesting way."

The ability to express yourself in The Sims also made it a popular title among its many players from diverse communities.

Even at its launch in 2000, The Sims included same-sex relationships at a time when choices around sexuality or identity in gaming were rare.

Creator Mollie, who streams as TheEnglishSimmer, makes a lot of LGBT-themed content for her channel.

She says developer Maxis has "always been kind of a spearhead in the gaming industry when it comes to telling diverse stories and wanting to show that representation".

Mollie says The Sims has given her a platform to find others like her.

"That's been so wonderful that I have been able to tell my stories and connect with people and they can see themselves represented," she says.

The Sims has come in for more criticism over the years for its racial representation.

American content creator Amira, known as Xmiramira online, created a custom skin tone pack for The Sims 4 that's still used by many players today.

"I couldn't make Sims that either look similar to me or my family, friends. And that's the case in a lot of games," says Amira.

"But the difference between The Sims and other games is I can do something about it."

Amira's Melanin Pack was a hit when it was released, and she's since worked with Maxis and Electronic Arts on officially adopting more skin tones into the game.

"For me that's a big part of why I've played the game for so long," she says.

"I can do what I want, I can make a Sim with any body type, complexion, hair, whatever I want to do, it's one of the most customisable games I have."

Amira says she's noticed more and more games offering the ability to choose different skin tones, body types and hairstyles without the need for third-party add-ons.

While The Sims is often seen as a leader when it comes to inclusivity in gaming, some people are uncomfortable with its approach.

Zoe Delahunty-Light, a video producer at website Eurogamer, commends The Sims for making "great strides" with diversity and working with creators to build authentic representation into the game.

But she does point out that much of the work was done first, for free, by modders.

The official Lovestruck add-on, Zoe says, introduces polyamorous relationships to the game and costs £30 ($37).

"So it can feel like it is squeezing as much money as it can out of people who desire representation the most, which is pretty audacious," she says.

The game has also been criticised over a lack of inclusion for players with disabilities, both in their ability to modify its controls and see themselves on screen.

"The game still lacks the option to change key binds, which is a basic accessibility issue," says Zoe.

Developer Maxis has previously said it's discussing the introduction of more accessibility features to the game.

It has added certain features - such as visible hearing aids - to improve the representation of disability in the game.

As The Sims celebrates its anniversary, the new US government has introduced policies to scale back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Critics argue these schemes are discriminatory and used to push political agendas, while supporters argue that they work to combat inequalities.

The tech industry has followed suit, with companies such as Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, scrapping its DEI efforts and also cutting moderation teams.

There's a question over whether this could impact gaming, where companies are often criticised for failing to adequately tackle racial and gender-based harassment on their platforms.

"The bigger concern is that this will be seen as a green light for certain groups of toxic gamers to become more open about their own hateful views, making inclusive spaces more important than ever," says Zoe.

Simmer Amira says it's especially important for a life simulation game such as The Sims to include as many people as possible.

"Everybody should be able to, for the most part, make themselves with little to no issue," she says.

Jesse adds: "A lot of people don't get to experience things that other cultures experience and it's a really great way to implement learning about it in everyday life.

"I think that goes a long way to acceptance as well."

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