“Sul! Sul!” No, I don’t mean the Dutch insult, but I mean to say hello in Simlish. Simlish is the language spoken in the popular computer game The Sims: the virtual dollhouse created by Will Wright. This popular game is now also available as a board game, and apart from the cheat codes like Motherlode and Rosebud, most of the iconic aspects of The Sims are present. Will your Sim be successful or end up in a pool without a ladder?
Theme
The computer game The Sims was conceived in the 1990s by Will Wright and developed by the software company Maxis, which also previously developed SimCity. Wright based The Sims on his own experiences when his family had to move and rebuild their home after a fire. Wright came up with a virtual puppet show in which players create a family and guide them through life. Additionally, The Sims was also a satirical critique of American consumerism. Somewhat ironic when you consider that The Sims itself would become a multi-million-dollar business with dozens of games, expansions, DLC (downloadable content), merchandise, and spin-offs. The board game before us is one such spin-off. Funny detail: if players wanted The Sims 4 and all its DLC (thus access to all content), half a year ago they would have spent between 1,000 and 1,500 euros. That’s a hefty price for a game that’s almost ten years old.
In the board game, players have access to iconic Sims content without spending a fortune. Luckily, the board game is quite manageable, but it still offers the typical Sims experience. Besides the aforementioned cheat codes, there are many references to iconic Sims moments, such as typical houses, characters, furniture, and locations. What’s perhaps (rightly) missing are the terrible things players do in the game. Think of removing all toilets or the ladder from the pool so your Sim can’t escape… By the way, do you know the internet legend about the Painting Goblin?
On a certain unnamed forum, gamers take a seat on the digital confession bench to admit the evil deeds they’ve done in games. Someone shared a story about the Painting Goblin in The Sims. Every time this player played The Sims, they started their family with a painting goblin. The player made him/her morbidly obese with green skin and gave the goblin the following traits: loves being alone, loves art, hates the outdoors.
The player then built a small room in the basement for the goblin to live in captivity by removing the stairs. The goblin was left alone in a tiny cubicle with only an easel, a toilet, a fridge, a bed, a shower, and a trash can. Oh yes, and a passion for art and painting. The only thing the goblin could do all day to keep from going insane was paint. The imprisoned goblin paints and paints and paints and paints.
Eventually, his paintings become very good and worth a lot of money. Every few minutes, the player sells the paintings. The Sims family living above the goblin always felt blessed because of their fortune and never discovered the terrible secret hidden beneath their house.
These virtual atrocities not only show the dark versatility of the human mind, but also the versatility of The Sims game. It is rightfully popular, but what about the board game?
Game Setup
At the start of the game, the three boards are unfolded and connected together to form the playing board. Notable detail: the back of these boards is a plumbob (that thing that floats above Sims), so during setup you can do a quick cosplay.
Players place locations on the board, and next to the board go six action cards and a stack of action cards, a pile of aspirations, a pair of iconic Sims, and two stacks of cards.
Each player receives a board to track their Sims’ needs (this is essentially the payment method of the game), an overview card, and a plumbob in their chosen color. Players also receive a house and an aspiration.
Gameplay
The goal of the game is to score enough points (8 for a short game and 10 for a longer game, but players can also set a different value beforehand). They do this by fulfilling aspirations, collecting enough SIMbols (the symbols on action cards they lay in front of them), and by inviting iconic Sims home.
During the game, players can go home to replenish two needs so they can set out again full of energy. When players go out, they choose a location (if possible), lower the indicated need, and choose an action card from the market that has at least one matching SIMbol for that location.
Players play the action card and add it to their collection of SIMbols. If another player is at the same location, players must roll the dice and may lose needs or have to exchange cards. If players pick SIMbols that match iconic Sims currently available, they may invite them home, but it can happen that these Sims visit other players during the game.
All cards feature fun descriptions that bring the feeling of the computer game into the board game.
Conclusion
For fans of The Sims, there is plenty in this board game. Their favorite Sims, locations, objects, and other elements from the computer game are present. The gameplay is clearly inspired by the game, and that’s noticeable, but expect mainly a short, characteristic translation of the atmosphere of the computer game, not the depth of the sandbox that the computer game offers to its most loyal players. What we have here is a board game with simple gameplay that, thanks to the theme, is entertaining for fans of The Sims and not too intimidating for newcomers to board games.
