OVERVIEW

This is another God game from the Sim series. If you enjoyed SimCity 2000 or 3000you'll probably like this one. This time you are to control single humans, not cities. You can build a house, make friends, choose a suitable career path, fall in love, start a family, just like in the real world. If you had a dollhouse as a child you should get the general idea. Imagine your dolls move, show their emotions, and the house can be changed anytime you want. Add some awesome graphics and you get The Sims. In fact the main aim in the game is to develop the character of your Sim. You have to use your limited time to learn technical and social skills in order to make progress. Note that EVERYTHING affects your character and mood - even broken toilet can cause harmful consequences, so keep an eye on the toilet :)). Anyway, I assure you that with that game you won't be able to leave your computer out of sight.

GAMEPLAY

At the start you move into a small, ordinary, suburban settlement. Your first assignment is to find a place for your house. In other words you need to buy the ground, but due to your limited funds you'd better not buy the largest parcel, at least if you play for the first time. Having done that you can attempt to build your "castle". Everything you need is available in the menu in the bottom of the screen, from floor tiles to the rooftop. Still got money? Fine, then you can finally acquire some basic equipment. The necessary devices are: sink, toilet, shower, bed, kitchen furniture (with sink), refrigerator, cooker, trashcan, kitchen table, a chair, fire alarm and burglar alarm. Without these you just can't go on. Still got money? I'm impressed. Now you can buy TV set and a couch or an armchair. You could also use some mirror in the toilet, a painting to make the wall colourful and satisfy your Sim's esthetic needs. During the game there are plenty of items available. What for, you ask? Well, in the beginning your Sim is an unskilled, clumsy fool. Your task is to change him into a sophisticated, talented person. Each item has its purpose and helps develop a particular ability. For example, practise in front of the mirror gives charisma points. Note that sometimes you can't apply for a better post without enough skills in the given area. Other items improve your Sim's mood and provide fun. The most difficult thing in the game is to use spare time to provide your Sim with proper doses of rest, fun, social life and learning. Believe me, it's not as simple as it seems. The last but not least advantage of the Sims is the rich internet backup. You can, for instance, exchange some full families and houses at the Sims official site. Have fun!

STRATEGY AND TIPS

• to get a job you have to find an advertisement in the paper, so when the postman arrives, don't waste your time;
• in the beginning take ANY job or you'll go bankrupt, but don't worry, you won't wait long for the promotion;
• first thing you should learn is cooking; food from the refrigerator just isn't enough; on the other hands as an unskilled cook you'll have to put out the fire quite frequently;
• plant trees rather than flowers; trees don't require maintenance;
• better (and more expensive) appliances provide better effects;
• note that your carpool will always wait for you for an hour, so your workday is in fact an hour shorter;
• provide enough sleep - that's the basic rule; don't save on the bed;
• don't build a house with plenty of rooms or you'll lose too much time walking;
• if an appliance breaks down you can either try to fix it on your own (requires some skills) or call a repairman (and pay for it);
• try to build more than one meter at a time (e.g. watching TV from a comfy couch provides fun and comfort;

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

• Windows 98;
• Pentium II recomended;
• 128 MB RAM;
• About 60 MB for the program;
• Additional 330 MB for the movies;