The Sims - Kid Friendly?

[hypernova]

My 11 yo daughter was asking if we would buy her the Sims when Christmas rolls around.

Now, I have my preconceptions, but have never played the game myself.  The only Sim games I've played are SC & SC2K.  However, I wish to be enlightened by others.

Is this game appropriate for children?

[solidteezme]

I would say so, but being a life simulator theres the obvious things like sex (undercovers) which the characters will participate in. but from what i have played there is no nudity or bad language.

Solid,

[Dazz]

My kids have been playing The Sims for a couple years now.  My son is 8 and my daughter 12.  As stated above, there isn't any nudity or anything like that. 

[Slippyblade]

Closest it comes to nudity is when they shower.  They do a Wonder-Woman-esque twirl and a black censor box appears over them.  That's it.

There's no actual spoken language, so no worries there.

Closest thing to violence is that it is possible to kill the sims off via household accidents, maliciousness, etc...  I became a serial killer at one point and invited everyone in the neighborhood over for a pool party.  When everyone was in the pool, I paused the game and sold the ladder.  No ladder means they can't get out of the pool.  Everyone eventually exhausts and dies.  You get tombstones to decorate your lawn for doing that.     My first sim died due to household accident.  Her cooking sucked and she caught the stove on fire.  I'd not bought a fire alarm yet and the phone and only escape route were through the flames.  She croaked.   

[J_K_M_A_N]

Closest thing to violence is that it is possible to kill the sims off via household accidents, maliciousness, etc...  I became a serial killer at one point and invited everyone in the neighborhood over for a pool party.  When everyone was in the pool, I paused the game and sold the ladder.  No ladder means they can't get out of the pool.  Everyone eventually exhausts and dies.  You get tombstones to decorate your lawn for doing that.     My first sim died due to household accident.  Her cooking sucked and she caught the stove on fire.  I'd not bought a fire alarm yet and the phone and only escape route were through the flames.  She croaked.   

You make it sound fun.  

J_K_M_A_N

[hypernova]

Is there not chatting during the game with other players? 

[Slippyblade]

Other players?  Sims is a single player experience.  If you are referring to the other characters within the game the answer is...  Sorta.  The sims all speak a baby talk language called Simlish.  It kinda sounds like language, but it isn't.  It's just enough to help convey some emotion so you have a better idea what's going on.  No actual language is ever spoken in the game.

Yeah - I had a lot of fun with the game as the local psychopath.  If someone dies inside the house, they leave behind an urn that you can move around or sell.  If they die outside you get tombstones.  Another way to kill sims was to bait them into tiny rooms, ie - closets, then sell the doors.  House of Usher anyone??   

[Ginsu Victim]

Ya know, I hate The Sims, but SlippyBlade is making me want to play it....

[Slippyblade]

Ya know, I hate The Sims, but SlippyBlade is making me want to play it....

Sims 4 - Silence of the Lambs Edition!!  You don't WANT to know what you do with your cooking skill.

[hypernova]

Well, hell.  My foreknowledge of the game was way off.  I figured it was in the realm of MMO type games based on the way people talked about it years ago.

[Ginsu Victim]

Well, there is a game called Sims Online (PC), but I haven't cared to mess with it. Maybe that's what you're thinking of.