With The Sims next roadmap for 2022 seemingly to be released in May, fans are hoping that with it comes the official announcement for the long-awaited The Sims 5. Part of the excitement comes from a potential look at what exciting changes EA has in store for the franchise, which hasn't seen a new core game since The Sims 4 in 2014.
While each installation has had its fair share of updates, changes, and expansions, EA has made sure to keep some long-running Sims lore present throughout the franchise—something fans hope will continue with the anticipated fifth release. Ranging from expansion pack themes to some of the most iconic plants in the game, The Sims has a plethora of clichés that are recognizable to players new and old.
The Goth Family
There are few Sims within the Sims universe that are more storied than the Goth Family. The timeline starts in The Sims 3, where Mortimer Goth is a child living with his parents, Cornelia and Gunther, in a large Victorian manor by the Sunset Valley Cemetery. The Sims takes place 25 years later, where Mortimer and his wife, Bella Goth, live with their daughter, Cassandra. Finally, The Sims 2 shows them 25 years further, where Bella has disappeared, Cassandra is about to get married, and her little brother Alexander is introduced.
The Sims 4 deviates from the timeline, showcasing the Goth Family in an alternate universe with Mortimer, Bella, Cassandra, and Alexander living for the first time without a graveyard. Despite these changes, they still continue their reign as one of the most recognizable and classic families in Sims.
WooHoo In Public
WooHooing is one of the most iconic mechanisms in The Sims franchise; WooHooing in public makes the interaction between Sims all the more exciting and risqué. Introduced in The Sims 2, the ability to engage in a public WooHoo can fulfill the wants of certain Sims, as well as provide a specific memory to Sims involved.
While the ability to WooHoo in public has been a mainstay in the three latest installations, gameplay elements have evolved to give Sims more outlets to let their wild side shine. The Sims 2 had simply photo booths, elevators, and saunas to engage in public WooHooing. In The Sims 4, Sims can experience public WooHooing anywhere from a party bush to everywhere if they have the vampiristic Bat Form ability.
Cowplants
The Cowplant is a rare but classic object that first appears in The Sims 2: University expansion as a career reward. This carnivorous plant is one of the odder things within the Sims universe, needing to be fed every twelve hours before it lures the unsuspecting Sim into its maws using a slice of cake attached to its tongue.
The Cowplant is a premium item from the store in The Sims 3, while in The Sims 4 it must be grown through collecting a rare berry and planting it. Despite this, it is a fan favorite and a must-grow for the cliché Sims experience. It is so popular in fact, that YouTuber Lil Simsie campaigned for the ability to name them, which was adopted in July of 2020.
The Grim Reaper
First introduced in The Sims: Livin' Large expansion, and continuing his appearances through the rest of The Sims main installations, the Grim Reaper arrives when a Sim is dying. His various animations that occur during these visits have become an iconic part of the game, making his visits almost something to look forward to.
In The Sims: Livin' Large, the Grim Reaper will take a dying and pleading Sim away with a whisk of his scythe. In this and later installations, Sims can plead with him for other Sims' lives, but the way in which it happens varies. In The Sims 4, his classic death list is a tablet instead of paper, a nod to the tech advancements of the time.
Island Vacation Packs
Since the original The Sims game, EA has made sure to release an island getaway expansion pack with each installment of the franchise. Providing Sims with the ability to get out of the house and go on a well-deserved vacation, these expansions make for the cliché island adventure.
The first of these was The Sims: Vacation, which gave Sims the ability to stay outside of the home a lot for the first time. After that came The Sims 2: Bon Voyage, The Sims 3: Island Paradise, and The Sims 4: Island Living. All of these give Sims various new NPCs to interact with, and some even new careers they can pursue. The Sims 2: Bon Voyage even offers more than just an island, with woodland and international lots available to visit as well.
Sunny The Tragic Clown
The Tragic Clown, an intriguing figure who is summoned by viewing a Tragic Clown painting and makes Sims sadder with his antics, is one of the most infamous NPCs in the Sims universe. First appearing in The Sims: Livin' Large expansion, he makes a reappearance in both The Sims 3 and The Sims 4.
In both the original expansion and The Sims 4, the Tragic Clown appears when a Sim views the painting, trying to cheer them up. He can be removed by destroying or selling the painting. In The Sims 3, he is a ghost who seemingly died drowning in his own tears. Whether in ghost form or in a Sim's home, the Tragic Clown is a classic NPC within the Sim universe, with a clown-catching service even being available in the original expansion.
Money Trees
One of the most cliché objects one can obtain within The Sims is the fabled money tree. The tree, which Sims can harvest Simoleans from, began as an aspiration award in The Sims 2. In The Sims 3 it was obtained through mystery seeds, and in The Sims 4: Seasons from the aspiration store.
As the tree evolved through the games, the rewards became more and more lucrative. While the original money tree in The Sims 2 only paid out 40 Simoleans every eight hours at its peak, the money tree in The Sims 4: Seasons can pay out a one-time amount of up to 22,225 Simoleans. Overall, this classic plant is a classic add to every Sims garden or house.
Occult Sims
Throughout The Sims franchise, some of the most extraordinary capabilities Sims can have are becoming occult creatures. This is first established in The Sims, where every Sim becomes a ghost after dying, and can even become a zombie in The Sims: Livin' Large.
Within the subsequent installations and expansions, Sims are able to become a plethora of different occult creatures, ranging from vampires to PlantSims. While most of these are not included in the original games, their reoccurrences through various packs over the years and the love fans have for them make at least one occult life a must-play for the classic Sims experience.
Criminal Career
Only in The Sims can players find an online or newspaper ad soliciting them to commit a crime. One of the base career tracks for every main installation of The Sims, the criminal career allows Sims to showcase their dark side, working their way up from pickpocket to criminal mastermind in The Sims.
In the later games, Sims has more options as to what type of criminal they want to be. In The Sims 3, they can choose between the Thief and Evil career paths, whereas in The Sims 4, Sims can aim to become The Boss or The Oracle of The Organization. Regardless of installation, however, this unique job pathway is as classic as it gets for The Sims.
Pets Packs
What else can complete the virtual living experience like pets? Pet expansion packs (first introduced via The Sims: Unleashed which had dogs, cats, and reptiles) give Sims the opportunity to live out their dream as pet owners and are an essential part of playing out a cliché family life within the game.
The Sims 2: Pets, The Sims 3: Pets, and The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs are the subsequent successors to the original expansion, and each offers Sims the ability to own and care for pets. While all have a wide variety of cats and dogs available, The Sims 2: Pets allows for birds and gerbils to be owned. In The Sims 3: Pets, Sims can own a horse and even a unicorn if they're lucky enough.