Growing together is very real

Well we all know what sim games are for simulation Something – be it a real life or survival scenario, a profession you can’t do in real life or a mundane task you can do. But with The Sims 4’s new expansion pack, Growing Together, the simulations of family dynamics – even with newly created characters splashed across the world – are getting a little weird.


For most Sims players, the primary focus of the new expansion has also been the new addition of infants – an entirely new life stage that bridges the gap between newborns and toddlers to make aging feel more natural. I was incredibly excited to explore the whole new stage of life, of course, but I found myself equally fascinated by the way adults were affected by the expansion as well. The more I explored it, the more amazed I was.

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More than anything, Growing Together makes Sims’ relationships more dynamic – more like real life. I created a new family to test the limits of what I could do, and to make things interesting, I decided to put three generations of Sims in one house: a couple with a baby on the way, and the parents of the expectant father. Even in creating the character, I was surprised. Not only could I work out the Sims’ primary relationships with each other; I can also pinpoint them accurately. She decided that Alonso and his father, Armando, would have a loving and supportive relationship, but that his relationship with his mother would be a little more strained, just to keep things interesting.

The fireworks start immediately: Riley, Alonso’s mother, walks in to see Alonso and his wife, Raquel, cooking together. She had a conversation with them, and it was full of sighs and Simlish disapproval. She thought a lot about herself during the conversation, and the relationships between the characters were punished several times.

The drama culminated at the end of the meal when Raquel prepared a good plate of eggs and toast for everyone. Riley picked up a plate, took one bite, then walked to the fridge to get a bowl of oatmeal instead. Now, I’m not going to lie — that might just be a quirk of The Sims’ task management, but we all are I know that sometimes Sims act a little off also Independently.

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So I decided to do a little testing. She worked with their relationships, encouraging positive interaction between Riley and her son and daughter-in-law. I even threw a baby shower (a new event added with the Growing Together expansion) so everyone could gather and celebrate the imminent arrival of baby Amina. As time went on, Rylee’s Simlish became less dismissive. She’s become kinder and more caring, sharing parenting tips with Raquel and really enjoying herself. She seemed excited about her first granddaughter, and before long, the relationship took a turn for the better.

In all of it, however, I made no active changes to Alonso’s relationship with his father, who was working mostly independently, growing to love the outdoors and fishing more and more every day. During the baby shower, Armando gives his son several lectures on financial security and family responsibility. Before long, I got a pop-up that something had changed in their relationship: Armando was now a strict father. The change actually caused a lot of stress. Several times, I’ve seen him have a sad case that suggested he wondered if he should be any less harsh on his son.

A pop-up in The Sims 4 indicates that there is now a new relationship between Alonso and his father, Armando;  Armando is now a strict father.

I was shocked at the liquidity. Relationships among the Sims shifted in a matter of days. They might still be finding their footing – they were brought into the world just a few days ago. But still, the interactions were strange. My Sims was really *pooh dum*’grow together.’ I’ve found them to mimic real-life relationships and change over time, with each interaction shaping how relationships will play out in the future. The Sims has always had a decently robust way of tracking relationships between Sims (a friendly Sims grow closer over time, while enemies become more and more likely to fight), but this is something completely new.

It’s almost cathartic in a way. Growing together can be a form of self-care; There is something beautiful about watching Sims process their relationships, especially if you yourself have dealt with broken relationships. The way family dynamics shift and change over time is admirable, but you, as always, have as much control as you want. You can choose to act out carefully scripted storylines, starting fights and making amends as you see fit; Or you can sit back and see what happens, leaving everything to the mercy of your Sims’ standalone antics.

Either way, growing up together is a thing of beauty. I can’t believe the sheer amount of depth you add to the game. There are many hours ahead of me, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Alonso and his family.

Next: 10 Best Sims 4 DLCs, ranked

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