The Sims franchise is now officially a fully grown adult. It turned 18 earlier this year, which is slightly off-putting for someone who has been playing it since its inception to comprehend.
Throughout its life, the franchise has produced four main Sims games, each with their own expansions and add-ons. The Sims was released back in 2000, followed by The Sims 2 in 2004, The Sims 3 in 2009 and finally The Sims 4 in 2014.
The franchise has also produced some spin-off games including The Sims Life Stories, The Sims Medieval, The Sims Freeplay and most recently The Sims Mobile.
Previously I have written about The Sims 4 and all the tiny details in that game that players may have missed. These include additions in the background as well as lesser-known interactions and quirks.
The Sims franchise is known for its easter eggs and these didn’t just start in The Sims 4. Easter eggs, crossovers, parodies and puns date back as far as The Sims in 2000. With each incarnation of the game has come a fresh wave of secrets to discover.
In this article, I’m taking a look further back and exploring the first 3 Sims games. For each title, I’ve found 10 different easter eggs in the game. From parodies to pop culture, mythical creatures to celebrities you can find them all in this list of 30 hidden details in the original Sims games.
30 The Sims: Nessie Has Been Around Since The First Game
If you’ve ever wanted to see the Loch Ness Monster then you’re in luck. There’s no need to travel all the way to Scotland either, she’s right there in your game.
The appearance of Nessie in The Sims goes all the way back to the very first game.
On the neighborhood screen, the Loch Ness Monster occasionally appears in the water for a few seconds in and bottom corner. You can also see her in Downtown and on Vacation Island if you have access to these. For those with Unleashed her appearance can be forced by typing the cheat "Nessie."
29 The Sims 2: Visitors To Your Neighborhood
The release of The Sims 2: Pets brought with it some unconventional visitors. You can find a crashed spaceship object which brings with it an event.
If you place the crashed ship on a lot another spaceship will arrive armed with a searchlight to find it. An abduction event can also be triggered with a telescope, although the chances of doing this are low.
If you trigger an abduction you will see that the number plate of the craft returning your Sim reads 'anm8er' which sounds like "animator." You may also notice that the UFO is based on the one from SimCity 3000.
28 The Sims 3: The Tragic Clown
The Tragic Clown has been a Sims staple since the very first game and The Sims 3 is no exception.
After his failed attempts to cheer up Sims in the earlier games, it was difficult to shift him from your lot. You had to sell or set fire to his painting while in a good mood. Alternatively, you could dispatch him with the clown catcher service.
It appears they are finally permanently successful in The Sims 3. His picture appears at the back of the milk carton, before you discover his grave in Pleasant Rest Graveyard. He’s gone forever or at least we thought he was.
27 The Sims: 100 Sim Days Is A Long Time
Playing for 100 Sim days can feel like quite an achievement, especially in the very first game when Sims were much more vulnerable than they are now. If you manage to maintain a household without accidentally (or deliberately, this is The Sims after all) wiping them out you are rewarded with a message from the development team.
A pop-up will appear congratulating you and offering you the chance to receive an additional fact about the game's creation for each Sim day you continue to play your family. You can opt out at any time but the facts are a nice addition for long-standing players.
26 The Sims 2: A Punny Story
In The Sims 2, several pre-made Sims have names which are puns, many of which relate to their stories. The most notable of these are Olive Specter’s late partner’s, Rigger Mortis and Earl E. Demise.
Olive is one of the subjects for many Sims conspiracy theories.
Mostly they revolve around exactly why she has more than the average number of gravestones in her house and how come so many of her partners have met an early demise? She also has a son who also has the pun-worthy name, Nervous Subject. One can only assume this comes from having a mother with such an unconventional “hobby.”
25 The Sims 3: Take A Closer Look At Those Paintings
The Sims 3 Supernatural brought with it a slightly creepy vibe which spreads throughout the game. One such little detail you may not easily notice is in the paintings.
Often players skip quickly through the night, not really paying attention to what is going on.
However, if you keep an eye on those Supernatural paintings then you will be in for a surprise. At 6 pm each night they turn into creepy versions of themselves, ready to scare unknowing Sims, before reverting back to normal at 6 am, ready for a new day.
24 The Sims: The Wright Legacy Lives On
Will Wright is one of the founders of Maxis and the creator of both the SimCity and The Sims series of games and there are tributes to him throughout several Sims games.
They include a street called “Wright Way” which appears in several neighborhoods of The Sims.
He also appears in person as a giant climbing a beanstalk in The Sims: Makin’ Magic, as the mole in a whack-a-mole game in The Sims: Vacation and in a painting in The Sims: Superstar. Further similar references are found in The Sims 2 and The Sims Freeplay, including a scholarship and business perk named after him.
23 The Sims 2: First Freezer Bunny
The Freezer Bunny is now iconic within The Sims but its first appearance was way back in The Sims 2. It appears on the grocery freezer in community lots, inside a toy box, on a cell phone screen and as a painting and sculpture.
The freezer bunny became a much-loved icon and can also be spotted in both The Sims 3 and The Sims 4.
In Sims 3 he shows up as a popsicle, gnome, and tattoo. In Sims 4, he appears as a bonsai tree, snow globe, and guitar. These are just a few appearances. If you have a keen eye you can spot many more throughout the 3 games.
22 The Sims 3: Music Remixes
In The Sims 3, several much-loved tunes make a remixed comeback in the game.
The game's main theme is a remix of The Sims 2: University theme. You can also find more music from the same expansion inside the bookstore where Jazz music plays.
The music heard inside the diner is the oldies music from The Sims 2: Nightlife and the tunes from inside the Sharma Day Spa are from The Sims Build and Buy Mode. Recycling at its best.
21 The Sims: Santa Is Livin’ Large
Back in the days of the original game, you had to summon Santa with a set of very specific holiday objects.
First, you needed The Sims: Livin’ Large. Next, you needed to place both a Christmas tree and a fireplace in a room. Finally, you needed a table with a plate of cookies on it. Only then at 3 am would Santa Claus show up.
The real downer is that the individual gifts he left could be unwrapped but contained absolutely nothing. However he would also leave a household gift as well, which ranged from a chess set to a TV, so it was worth the effort of getting him to visit.
20 The Sims 2: A Lot Of Hidden Lots
While The Sims has a cloud with a sleeping giant on it, The Sims 2 which was the first game to utilize proper hidden lots.
The Sims 2: University has clubhouses, accessible for Sims who befriended secret society members. There are also 3 secret lots to be discovered in The Sims 2: Bon Voyage expansion by finding maps while digging or on tours.
The Sims 2: Freetime brought hobby specific community lots, accessible by reaching level 5 in Enthusiasm for the associated hobby. Finally The Sims 2: Apartment life holds a secret neighborhood only accessible by witches. That’s a lot of secrets!
19 The Sims 3: Pop Culture Packed In
Pop culture references are jammed into all Sims games and The Sims 3 is no exception. As well as the parody book titles there are also many other references in the games.
For example, you can find Bob Ross on the side of the festival painters tent in Seasons.
Another reference is in The Sims 3: Ambitions. If your Sim is investigating miners tunnels you may see the message "(Sim) saw an officious looking white rabbit running down a tunnel, but decided to leave that business for some other sucker" A blink and you’ll miss it reference to Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland.
18 The Sims: Will Wright Rocks A Scooter
In The Sims, if you open up the launcher you will notice a Maxis logo on the bottom left of the screen. Clicking this will show you a pop up with a quirky little image. The picture is of the game’s creator Will Wright riding a scooter.
A nice little touch this hidden image is one of many Easter Eggs spread throughout the game which pay tribute to its creator. I am unsure if the little people sitting on him are random or if they represent others on the development team. Either way, it’s a nice little hidden extra that made me smile.
17 The Sims 2: Brick Rolled
If you are in build buy mode lookout for a suspicious paint called “Brick Rolled.” This name is a reference to “Rick Rolling,” an internet phenomenon that was popular when the game was made and is still around today.
Rick Rolling is when you trick someone into viewing the video for the 1987 hit Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley. The description takes it further with the line "These bricks will never let you down," a reference to a line in the song.
16 The Sims 3: Exotic Animals
The Sims 3 has a few exotic animals to contend with, some more difficult to find than others.
The first is a Jackalope, the mythical rabbit with antelope horns from North American folklore. This animal is less animated than the others, being a simple cut out which can be found in Twinbrook by the house named “Swampy.”
Bigfoot can be found by discovering and exploring the Hidden Burrow secret lot from Bon Voyage. It’s worth the trip as you can even become friends with him.
Finally, The Sims 3 Pets added unicorns, which have a 40% chance to appear at night.
15 The Sims: Gunther Goth Has A Highway Named After Him
The Goths are iconic in the Sims universe. The most known members of the Goth family are Bella and Mortimer, who have been in the game since The Sims 2. However, the Goth legacy predates Mortimer and did, in fact, begin with Gunther, a playable Sim from The Sims Unleashed.
Gunther and his wife Cornelia first appeared in The Sims living in Pleasantville.
Gunther is, in fact, a founding father of the neighborhood and if you check out the map you will notice that the road the Burbs live on is in fact named Gunther Goth highway. Mortimer and Bella have a very prestigious lineage.
14 The Sims 2: Hidden Painting
Back in The Sims: Makin Magic you could use the “spectral Spouses” spell to summon Glenda and Gordon the ghosts. They were NPC characters which appeared in the game if you cast the spell with a medium skill. If your skill was high they flew around you. They also gave Magicoins, the town's currency.
In The Sims 2, they make an appearance as paintings hidden within the games files. Why the pictures are hidden is a mystery but the likeness is undeniable.
13 The Sims 3: Secret Mines
Some worlds in The Sims 3 have an abandoned mine somewhere in the town. Bridgeport is a prime example but there are more. Each abandoned mine has a blocked entrance and outside you can find a scattered pickaxe and lantern. Some also have an abandoned mine cart inside. If you look closely eerie glowing eyes appear inside the mine.
I’m unsure of the significance but they are definitely creepy. So much so that I was entirely unsure I wanted to finally go inside one when The Sims 4 added a mine you can explore with high handiness skill.
12 The Sims: Betty The Yeti
Betty Yeti is a much loved NPC who first appeared in The Sims: Vacation. She is a mascot for the winter lots and likes to chill out on the slopes. As well as seeing her on vacation you can also find her in a couple of hidden areas elsewhere in the game.
Watching the cartoons channel on a TV will show Betty starring in her very own cartoon.
The multi-talented yeti actress also appears on a movie poster for Betty Yeti Attacks! If you have The Sims Superstar.
11 The Sims 2: Hot Dog Stand Heroes
On the counter of the hot dog stand in Apartment Life, you can see some photos of recognizable Sims families. They include photos of the Smith and Grunt families from Strangetown, as well as the Lothario and the Broke families from Pleasantville. There are even the pictures of sim icons Romeo Monty and Bella Goth.
Quite why the Hot Dog vendors are collecting photos of townies is anyone’s guess but I’m hoping it’s less sinister than some of the stories found in Strangetown.