Gaming

When I was growing up, my mom limited the amount of gaming that my brother and I could do. But, we need a lot of online games. Club Penguin, Webkinz, Neopets. I also got into Sims and Rollercoaster Tycoon. Later, the smartphone games. I loved Diner Dash, Restaurant Story and Candy Crush. I guess that my favorite game of all time was Sims. I actually bought the CDs and expansion packs. It was the only game that I spent money on.

The reason why I liked Sims so much was the feeling I got from playing God. I had these people whose lives that I controlled. I got to decide where they worked and who they married. I also got to kill them off if i wanted to. In the Sims 2 version, Sims who died prematurely came back as ghosts. There were seven different types of ghosts for the seven different ways of dying: drowning, electrocution, fire, etc. I tried to create all of them in one household, but making Sims die is harder than you think. They have a sense of self-preservation.

Each Sim also had their own personality and life. The premade Sims in the game even had backstories. When you played, you became a storyteller. I felt like I had all these stories in progress that weaved together. I also got to decide the endings. I also decided a goal and aspiration for each Sim. The game provided spontaneous and unpredictable events that could hurt or help your Sim. Therefore, you felt accomplished if your Sim achieved your goal.

There are also books that let you decide the ending. Each chapter ends with a choice. Each choice tells you to go to a different chapter. Ultimately, you create your own story within this already written book. Sims also has online forums that let you share your stories. There is an online version of Sims where you can interact with other people as Sims. This gives people the chance to create a better version of themselves. People play Sims because it gives them a world where they have more control.