When The Sims was released in 2000, it was referred to as "almost the only game of its kind".[1] But there are several important precursors to The Sims and the social simulation genre. Firstly, the game's creator Will Wright acknowledged the influence of Little Computer People,[2] a Commodore 64 game from 1985. The games are similar, although The Sims is described as having a richer gameplay experience.[1] Secondly, Will Wright also acknowledged the influence of dollhouses on The Sims,[3] which have generally also informed the gameplay of this genre.
Animal Crossing was released in 2001 for the Nintendo 64 in Japan. While released towards the end of the life cycle of the Nintendo 64, it developed a following that led to it being ported to the GameCube and released throughout the world. As the game's popularity has surged, this series has also been described as a social simulation game.[4][5]Story of Seasons, a series that began in 1996 and is often compared to Animal Crossing,[6] has also been described as a social simulation game. Its social simulation elements are derived from dating sims,[7] a subgenre that dates back to the early 1980s, with games such as Tenshitachi no gogo[8] in 1985[9] and Girl's Garden in 1984.[10]
Since the initial success of these games in the early 2000s, video game journalists have begun to refer to a group of similar games as belonging to the social simulation game genre.
Recent history
Several other social simulation games have emerged to capitalize on the success of The Sims.[11] This includes several sequels and expansion packs, as well as games like Singles: Flirt Up Your Life with heavy similarities.[12]
A farming sim is a specific type of social sim in which the player tends to a farm at the same time they interact with other townspeople. A direct connection can be drawn from early games in the genre such as Harvest Moon (1996) to the more recent Stardew Valley (2016). Other games, such as the Rune Factory series and Harvestella (2022) put a fantasy spin on the genre,[13] while there are also sci-fi examples such as Lightyear Frontier.[14] The 2.0 update of Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020) added the ability to create a farm and grow produce.[15]
Princess Maker (1991)—by Gainax, a raising sim which the player must raise an adoptive daughter until she reaches adulthood. The final result varies from a ruling queen, to an ordinary housewife, to even a prostitute if the player looks after her poorly.
Tokimeki Memorial series (1994–2014)—6 main games and a large number of spin-offs
True Love (1995)—a Japanese erotic dating sim and general life simulation game where the player must manage the player's daily activities, such as studying, exercise, and employment.
Persona series (1996–2024)—6 main games and several spin-offs, although the first 3 games do not emphasize this aspect very much.
Real Lives (2001)—an educational life simulator by Educational Simulations where the player is randomly "born" somewhere in the world and often must deal with third-world difficulties such as disease, malnutrition, and civil war.
Democracy (2005)—a government simulation game that was first developed by Positech Games, with a sequel released in December 2007 and a third game in 2013.
