How To Do The Sims 4 Decades Challenge

The Sims 4 Decades Challenge: A Journey Through Time

The Sims 4 community thrives on creative challenges, and the Decades Challenge offers a unique way to experience your Sims' lives across different eras. This guide explains how to navigate this engaging challenge.

Challenge Overview and Rules:

The core concept involves simulating a year with every two in-game days, starting in 1890. You can customize the starting and ending years (e.g., 1890-2010 or 1890-2020). Automatic aging must be disabled, and life expectancy is adjusted based on historical trends. Sims born before 1950 have shorter lifespans than those born after, reflecting the significant increase in life expectancy around that time.

Life Stages and Aging:

The initial life stages are consistent regardless of birth year:

• Baby: Ages after 1 day (6 months old)
• Toddler: Ages after 3 days (2 years old)
• Child: Ages after 8 days (6 years old)
• Teen: Ages after 14 days (13 years old)

Adult Lifespans:

• Before 1950: Young Adult (26 days/32 years old), Adult (36 days/50 years old), Elder (dies after ~14 days/around 60 years old)
• After 1950: Young Adult (32 days/35 years old), Adult (60 days/65 years old), Elder (dies after ~56 days/around 90 years old)

Gameplay Rules:

Begin with a single young adult Sim or a married couple. Multi-generational households are permitted, reflecting historical norms. Costumes should reflect the appropriate era. Certain locations are restricted based on historical context: Strangerville is always off-limits, Del Sol Valley is unavailable before the 1950s, and Sulani is discouraged for realism. Apartments are acceptable for single Sims, but marriage necessitates a house.

Technology use is period-specific. Phones are allowed for essential gameplay functions but not for entertainment or communication until the relevant decade. Computers are similarly restricted, only usable for necessary jobs or ordering items. Job choices should align with the era.

Decade-Specific Rules and Challenges:

Each decade presents unique rules (refer to Cute Coffee Gal's complete rules for detailed information):

• 1890s: Male heirs only; daughters with the Creative trait move out upon marriage; WooHoo is forbidden, only "Trying for a Baby" allowed; home births; period-appropriate jobs (e.g., woodworking); women primarily manage the household; no electricity; elementary school mandatory, high school optional; university allowed with period-appropriate majors; Cow Plant cultivation begins.

• 1900s: Lamps allowed; indoor plumbing (no showers); other 1890s rules apply; phonographs permitted.

• 1910s: Male teens, young adults, and adults drafted for WWI; Cow Plant cake consumption; dice roll determines further cake consumption or return home; oldest female and her husband become heirs if all males perish; high school mandatory with a C average or relocation; women can pursue manual labor jobs; university for men post-war.

• 1920s: Female heirs allowed; daughters don't need the Creative trait; talk radio, movies, and all lighting options allowed; women can work under broader circumstances; alcohol is prohibited.

• 1930s: Kegs allowed at university; Great Depression simulation (job loss at the start, new jobs after one week); business careers prohibited; one cooked meal daily, others scavenged/grown/caught; Prohibition ends.

• 1940s: WWII draft rules (similar to WWI); victory garden with four or more plants; thermostats, washers, and dryers allowed; radio mandatory (one Sim must listen for an hour daily); no punishment for bad high school grades; teens can work part-time.

• 1950s: Korean War draft (oldest son); showers and cheap TVs allowed; radio listening not mandatory; high school mandatory; phones allowed for calls.

• 1960s: Vietnam War draft (oldest two children); any college major allowed; maternity leave for women; WooHoo allowed.

• 1970s: Vietnam War draft (oldest two children); marriage encouraged but not mandatory; microwaves and dishwashers allowed; lottery tickets and food delivery available.

• 1980s: Gaming allowed; at least one Sim must pursue a business career; science babies allowed; hospital births.

• 1990s: Laptops allowed; unrestricted TV watching; appliance and furniture restrictions lifted; texting allowed; Y2K shelter construction and three-day confinement.

• 2000s: Computer and phone restrictions lifted (except for Trendi); home or hospital births; all music and TV channels allowed.

• 2010s: Journalism prohibited; same-sex marriage allowed; all part-time work allowed; meat wall, Trendi, and weather generator available.

The Decades Challenge offers a rich and customizable experience, adaptable to your available game packs. Enjoy your journey through time!

The Sims 4 is available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.