Summer 2020 is one that most want to forget. People had to cancel vacations. They celebrated holidays and birthdays inside. But Corona gave fans of the Sims games more excuses to play their favorite game. This year, EA Games gave Simmers even more reasons to stay indoors with their Summer of Sims. With Summer of Sims, players gained three new packs full of additional content, along with three virtual events to attend from the safety and comfort of home.
Family gameplay comes to the forefront in The Sims 4’s newest expansion pack, Cottage Living. (Picture_EA Games)
Earlier in the summer, the Sims released the Courtyard Oasis Kit and the Dream Home Decorator game pack. Both packs had new features that cater to different players. After all, the best part of The Sims is the ability to play it in many different ways. For players who prefer to focus on building houses or community lots, the Courtyard Oasis Kit brings a taste of Moroccan inspired design. The Dream Home Decorator game pack adds a story mode to building and designing as players can put their Sims through the life of an interior decorator. The newest expansion pack, Cottage Living, adds more features. Set in the English countryside, players can finally live the cottagecore life through their Sims. Players have been waiting for the game to add farming since it came out in 2014.
“I love playing with families and generations. So to be able to have a homestead and have kids finally be able to do stuff with the adults and more family gameplay makes it so exciting,” Leanne Ni Mhaolain, an avid Sims fan, said. She has been playing since the first Sims game in 2000. “My favorite part is probably the community built up, the FaceBook group and stuff and the YouTubers who make content.”
Mhaolain is talking about the many online groups. Sims players get inspiration from these groups. Popular YouTubers who share their building tips online and create stories with their game, almost like short movies, are also inspirations.
Another event was the Sims Session: an in-game event that brought a concert into the game. The event had Sim-versions of real life artists: Joy Oladokun, Glass Animals and Bebe Rexha. The event ran for only four weeks, but players loved it. Sage Alexander has been playing the Sims 4 for 4 years and took their Sims to the virtual music festival. “It was a fun experience and I am happy that other artists got to get involved as well!”
This summer marked some big releases for The Sims. The Sims 4 Cottage Living came out on July 22 and is for sale through the Origins store.
