Starting out


You must create an entirely new Neighbourhood to start with. It can be on any template you choose, but you MAY NOT add a University, Downtown, Shopping District, or any community lots. However, if you have Bon Voyage, you MAY add vacation destinations.

Create a single Sim to be your founder and move them onto an empty lot. The Sim can be made however you choose (looks and personality) and their home lot can be any size (the smaller the better since money will be tight).

As your neighborhood expands, you must play EVERY household for the same amount of time. If you move in townies just for their money and move them back out, they CANNOT just sit in the Sim Bin. ALL Sims MUST be played.

When Sims have children, it is up to you whether or not they remain at home or move out. Keeping them home means a higher lot value which can earn a university (rules in a later section). Moving them out means more households and more community lots. Choose which works best for you.

New households after the founder may be pre-built houses or blank lots.

At the beginning ALL careers are locked, meaning no job for your founder. You must find other ways to make money (painting, novels, business, treasure hunting, etc). We’ll get to how to unlock careers soon, but first we must cover a few other subjects.

Sims MAY NOT have fire detectors or burglar alarms until the first position in the Law Enforcement Career is unlocked (rules in the career section).

Sims MAY NOT call for any services except for the Nanny and Adoption. Service calls are unlocked when the population reaches 500 (figuring out population is in the next section). Pizza and Chinese Food delivery are unlocked with a population of 3,000.

Servos are allowed and do count in the population.