The Sims just turned 25! Here’s a considered ranking of all four games from worst to best

The Sims turns 25 years old today – a very sobering thought knowing a hefty proportion of people reading this were probably not even born yet. But for the rest of us, and especially those of us sitting at 28 cannot remember a time in our lives where The Sims franchise wasn’t in our video game experience. I have always been obsessed with The Sims. Why is it so utterly all consuming? Having control of these people and watching the franchise grow and grow – and not always for the best – is something I will never get tired of. I’ve played my whole life and will probably be interested in playing it forever and seeing where the game goes in the next 25 years. So, as The Sims turns 25 years old – here’s a ranking of all four main games in the franchise.

4. The Sims (2000)

The Sims – the game that started it all. It feels absolutely abysmal to rank it last, because without this absolute diamond then we wouldn’t even be having this conversation right now. But The Sims one was BARE BONES. It was a huge feat for the time, but nostalgia aside it can’t hold up to its sequels in 2025.

But this game is absolutely bursting with personality. It doesn’t matter that you can barely make anything properly in Create a Sim and it’s barely even 3D – it just felt so alive and creative and like nothing else out there. The brilliance of this game is its gameplay, which is still the basis for everything that happens in The Sims 25 years later. A rusty little classic that we will always hold a flame for.

3. The Sims 4 (2014)

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The most divisive and enduring game in the entire franchise, ranking The Sims 4 is by far the hardest out of the games on this list. If we were doing base game only, it’s rock bottom. EA released this controversial title without any pools or toddlers. So many features were lacking. It stripped back the open world. The entire game now costs over £1000 if you were to get every bit of expansion pack and content released for it. And it shows no signs of stopping. It can’t help but feel like it’s just a bottomless pit of moneymaking for EA games – and that puts a bad taste in many mouths of people who play The Sims.

And yet, there is much about The Sims 4 that is peak. It has the best Create a Sim in the franchise. It’s easier than ever to build a beautiful lot. And when you’ve shilled out a fortune for enough packs, it feels like there’s a lot to do.

2. The Sims 3 (2009)

Without question, the ugliest Sims game. Abysmal loading screens and wait times – and sort of exists in a space where it’s not old enough for nostalgia but not new enough to feel impressive in 2025. Sims and their clothing have never been more vile.

All that said, The Sims 3 stands strong in its sheer ambition. It’s incredible what was accomplished in 2009, even if it made every laptop feel like it was going to explode. A fully open world. The lands of The Sims 3 felt well and truly ALIVE. The creation in CAS and Build and Buy were so detailed they’re almost TOO detailed, it’s daunting what you could do and achieve. I remember playing it at my friends house and being utterly infatuated with how big the game felt and how exciting it all was to drive about and go wherever you wanted.

Not really the romantic one everyone loves right now, but an ambitious classic that is a bit rough around the edges.

1. The Sims 2 (2004)

Is any ranking of The Sims games correct if it’s not got 2 where it belongs? Of course, right at the top. It’s no question. There is a reason The Sims 2 has so much endless love – and it isn’t just the nostalgia. What The Sims 2 absolutely smashes out of the park is how alive it feels. It leant into the weirdness, the lore, the eerie nature of its worlds. It gave us more occult and more mayhem. It helps a lot that in 2025 we yearn for a Y2K aesthetic that The Sims 2 has in spade loads – endless vibey clothes.

The gameplay never gets old. Everything works painlessly and feels intuitive and charming. Peak of gaming right here.

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