The Sims series celebrated its 25th anniversary this week, prompting a review by psychologist Dr. Audrey Tang on the emotional dynamics in The Sims 4.

The analysis reveals that while the game exaggerates aspects for humor, it captures real human emotions well, like personality traits and mood influences. For example, it cleverly reflects Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs by preventing Sim characters from engaging in fun activities if they’re fatigued.

Dr. Tang emphasizes the significance of self-affirmation, stating that talking to oneself can genuinely enhance outlook and positivity.

Moreover, she notes that while The Sims doesn’t fully align with reality when it comes to ‘death by joy’, it accurately encompasses many psychological principles. Dr. Tang concludes that The Sims 4 does a commendable job in making characters relatable and emotionally rich.

In her words, “there’s a real sense of effort that was put in there to make it as realistic as possible.”

The Sims 4