Summary
The Simshas become a ubiquitous franchise in the niche of simulation gaming it occupies, leaving little room for direct competition. DeveloperMaxishas been resting on its laurels for the past decade, pumping outadditional content and DLC packsforThe Sims 4.
Obviously, if there’s easy money to be made, developers will take it. However, fans of the franchise can look to mobile gaming for similar experiences. That’s not to say there’s no enjoyable gameplay to be found, from games that toe a pretty close line to those that innovate and expand. Consider these best mobile games likeThe Sims.
1The Sims Mobile & The Sims FreePlay
Licensed Mobile Alternatives
It would be remiss not to mention there are, in fact, two licensedSimsgames currently available on mobile. These are most likely the best alternatives for fans looking for a 1-to-1Simsexperience but it feels like a bit of a low-hanging fruit, so consider this a sort of honorable mention.
The Sims Mobileis more focused on the micro experience of runningthe lives of one family of Sims, whileThe Sims FreePlayis a larger town management experience. Both provide the classic experience and use cooldowns for progress. It’s also worth mentioning that updates forThe Sims Mobilewere scaled back in 2024, so the game may have a limited shelf life for new players.
2Single City: Social Life Sim
Flirting With Fame
Single City: Social Life Simaims to sell the power fantasy of living a high-power, glamorous lifestyle. As the name might suggest, it puts a particular focus on romance options and chasing thedream of becoming famous.
The format is more typical of mobile games, with a static character explaining an issue followed by player prompts to clear and redesign certain rooms. The livable elements are more bare bones. It’s probably better suited to fans of those match-three puzzle games where players are renovating grandma’s house.
3Design Home: House Makeover
Interior Design
Design Home: House Makeoveroffers a laser focus onthe home design aspectofThe Sims. Players won’t be designing their own characters and living out their lives; this is specifically for the subset of fans who are drawn into the series by the open-ended construction tools.
With those additional elements stripped out,Design Home: House Makeoveroffers a lot more variety in customization options and even some recognized furnishing brands for players to design their ideal homes.
4Glow Fashion Idol
Fashion Styling
The newest entry on the list and the exact inverse ofDesign Home: House Makeover. For fans more attuned to designing and dressing their avatar,Glow Fashion Idolis one ofthe best fashion gameson the mobile market.
It doesn’t stray too much from the addictive format of mobile fashion games that came before it, but it is reasonably generous with its currency, minimizing the monetization impact and, unlike so many others, it offers more diverse body inclusivity options.
5Home Street - Dream House Sim
Impress The Neighbors
This may not be the most creative SEO-grabbing title on an app store. However,Home Street - Dream House Simdoes provide a decent blend of all the elements that make upThe Sims.
It offers some good character customization options and some pared-back but component home design features. In terms of the lifestyle elements, it mainly consists of townsfolk giving players odd jobs to do in the form of missions, more akin toAnimal Crossing. Completing said missions allows players to level up and earn more customization options.
6Life Makeover
The Mystery Of Fashion
This is a strange recommendation because, like so many mobile games,Life Makeoveris a game that doesn’t really deliver what the thumbnails promise, but after scratching beneath that surface, does offer a very interesting gameplay alternative. It does technically feature a lifestyle sim that players are free to maximize, but it is a small part of a much larger whole.
There’s a lot to unpack, but the elevator pitch is there’s a full-story campaign revolving aroundsolving mysteries to track down a killer. The player-designed protagonist can enter NPCs' minds to uncover secrets and she also gains power from designing fashion items. Progression is halted by the grind of crafting certain items to complete an outfit and move on to the next chapter.
7Virtual Families 3: Our Country Home
Mobile Home
Virtual Families 3: Our Country Homeis the culmination of a series that basically began with the question, what ifThe Simswas a mobile game? Those mobile adaptations include the loop of expanding ever outwards, similar to mobile farming games, and a real-time element similar toTamagotchi, where afamily is always active even when players aren’t.
Failure to leave them with enough food or check in on them regularly for ailments and issues will result in them dying in between plays. It’s also worth springing for the premium version without microtransactions as needy families will constantly require more items to be purchased by design.
