What makes this game so addicting?

I can't answer for anyone else, but I have no problem buying only the packs that I really, really want. So maybe I'm not actually addicted. Except that doesn't explain why it seems like I might be? :lol: Seriously, though, it's not about packs or money for me (though what I said before is still true). I make up stories, and I don't always know how they'll go. So I have to keep playing to find out.

I love EA sorry. Or more so the amazing devs that make it.?
And I'm willingly buying every pack out of love and excitement for the game. I'm only speaking for myself. But I think it's addicting because not only is there no other game like it in the world, but I always wanted a game that let's you free to do whatever you please. I hated being constrained by the rules and goals of games ever since I was a child. On top of that I love writing, story telling and dollhouses and fashion with a deep passion. I renovate dollhouses and make asylums and stuff out of them for fun and collect figma. My novel is up to 1000 pages now.
This is all of that combined! Everything I ever wanted packed into one.
The endless stories to create, the endless customizations like a dress up barbie, (gosh I love dressing up dolls ?)he fun interactions, the cc and mods that open up worlds more of customization.

I've even made my novel characters into sims and it's so much fun to play out stories with them because it feels like I actually know them personally lol. Hard to explain but my fellow writers would understand ??

But it's the only game I know you can play for literally ever over and over and over and over and over and over and over. The sims is truly special ?

Probably because when you buy a Sims game you become part of a community that has existed for 20+ years, a community that truly cares about one another...despite all of the squabbles. It's one of the few games where you can play how you wish - want to have a completely vanilla game, you can do that. Want to add all sorts of drama - that can be done as well. It also evolves throughout the years - look at the graphics from The Sims compared to now, but if the graphics aren't enough - consider the fact that there are several games in development that do the same thing that the Sims has been doing all this time.

to me its creating stories without actually having to write a story or having to stay in very particular plot

and at the same time watching it all unfold like tv show without having to be stuck watching tv show or heck film one

and also at same time being able to create your worlds your characters your houses...

and torch the whole dang thing if ur not vibing with it...or just want to relieve some stress on poor pixels

basically it very much hits that sweet spot of " you can do whatever you want" for me

which is why I actually can't get into any other video games besides sims

because its just too much forced hero roles
forced villain roles forced questing and character relations

forced everything

in short i guess its just the freedom
If i want to have story of a person who is ancient vampire but also runs a yoga club and has 100 children and is married to mermaid? i can have that. and thats nice.

as for packs its just more content to play with and more stories to make so obviously if it interests me i would rather get that than get say, 2 hours long movie about something that i might not even like and watch only once

Some good points! Yeah, the game is never ending and that's one of the charms.

And I apologize, I shouldn't have said 'we don't like EA since I can't speak for anyone except myself.' I apologize for that. :)

It gives me a chance to live out the many stories I wrote when younger. Most of them, anyway.

I can create almost any character I want, and make them live life as I see fit. How many other games gives me that option? It's my own personal storytelling, in-game. Thus, need more occults.

I honestly don't think I could have said it any better than all the posts above mine have said.

I'll just add the sims themselves sometimes throw you a curveball. You never really know what you're going to get when you start the game. You may have a goal in mind when you start a play session but then your sim starts a fire in the kitchen, they die, and Grim shows up.

The addiction is to the randomness or even the boring and mundane. I think the sims is like reality TV, in that we know it's fake but still so intriguing. We can't help to come back for more.

It's a neverending game. I got addicted to TS2. I mean like true addiction. I forgot to eat, sleep, and even at school and work, I'd bring my computer and sneak in as much time as possible. I loved TS2 because you could play out so many different scenarios and sometimes the same one and each outcome would be different. No two families felt the same and there was so much to do and explore.

I got over that eventually, but it took a while. I'm not as addicted to TS3 and TS4, though I do play very often. I'll admit that through the pandemic I didn't have much to do so I was able to get back into it. Now I'm staying with it. But for me, it's definitely that the game doesn't have an end and as long as I create or my sims procreate, then my world never dies...eh-hem...unless maxis breaks my save...cough cough!

I think it’s because it’s a creative outlet. The Sims games allow you to run wild with your imagination and express yourself with a massive choice of tools and options to help move them along.

Because the Sims you play have a level of autonomy, and the world you play has an degree of random chance, this helps to move your creativity along and helps create new ideas as you go.

I don’t buy all the packs (but to be honest I’ve bought more of them than I ever intended), but with every additional content you gain, you’re prompted with new options and ideas. :)

Every game has their whales. It's not exclusive to Sims. To be honest, the people that buy every pack, full price, on release day for Sims still have much healthier spending habbits than some players of games with lootboxes/gachapons.

I personally plan to eventually own all the DLC packs (except for kits) on Sims 4, and have already done so for Sims 3, but I always wait for sales. Over time I've spent stupid amounts of money on this franchise, but these are games I always come back to and they've continued to entertain me over these past 13 years. I'd much rather cut back on eating at restaurants and buy some discounted Sims packs when managing my money set aside for fun stuff.