Killing off your Sims has been a staple of the series since the very first entry of it back in 2000, and while the methods of seeing our Sims move on from this world have massively expanded with time, there’s nothing like the classics for a blast of nostalgia.

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The Sims: How To Use Your Free Magic Kit
Selling it is a toad-ly understandable idea, but you might be surprised by how useful the magic kit can be.
There are seven ways for your Sims to die in the original game. Whether you’re removing the pool ladder, setting too many wooden pieces of furniture near unattended fireplaces, or maybe you reached a little too hard for the stars, it’s not a life simulator without a little death as well.
7
Starvation
Surprisingly Easy In The First Game
Introduced In |
The Sims (2000) |
---|---|
Happens When |
A Sim’s Hunger motive decays entirely. |
It’s maybe not the most exciting way for your Sims to die (in any entry in the series, really), but not letting your Sims eat has always been a reliable way to kill them. If you’re trying to get rid of a Sim, preventing their access to the fridge is a surefire way to see them leave the mortal coil.
And in The Sims 1, it’s entirely likely that you didn’t even mean to let that Sim starve to death, since needs are much more difficult to attend to in this first entry. Sims need to eat several plates of dinner to feel sated, and the Hunger need seems to decay quicker than in any other entry in the series.
6
Guinea Pig Disease
We Just Wanted A Furry Friend!
Introduced In |
The Sims: Livin’ Large (2000) |
---|---|
Happens When |
Sims play with Guinea Pigs sometimes. |
Maybe it’s just because they didn’t come in Unleashed, the pack fully focused on owning pets, but guinea pigs in the original Sims games could and regularly would be lethal. If your guinea pig pals are living in a cage that could use some cleaning and they bite you while you’re playing with them, your Sim will come down with the ill-fated Guinea Pig Disease.
It can be cured, if you’re looking to do so, by either keeping the Energy and Comfort needs high while the Sim is sick (and you’ll know they are when they cough and sneeze quite a bit), or by drinking a white potion they make at the Concoctination Station when infected. However, if their needs get too low while they’re infected, your Sim is gone for good, as not even pleading with Grim can save them then.
5
Toadification
Whimsical, But Worrisome
Introduced In |
The Sims: Makin’ Magic (2003) |
---|---|
Happens When |
A Sim who has been turned into a toad is eaten. |
There are plenty of fun ways to use your powers in the Makin’ Magic expansion, not least of which is meddling in the lives of other Sims. If you’ve got a magic wand and the right ingredients, you can cast plenty of spells with varying effects. One of these spells is the Toadification spell – when done right, it turns another Sim into a toad, but if they’ve got a magic wand as well, it’s your Sim who turns!
Anytime a Sim is in toad form, they’re in immediate danger from two different creatures. The dragons you’ll find around Magic Town (and can purchase as pets) consider toads to be a treat, so they’ll readily pounce on and consume any Sim who’s been Toadified if they see them. Similarly, pet cats may do the same thing if you’ve got the Unleashed content installed, so be mindful of any household pets, too.
4
Electrocution
Bzzzt!
Introduced In |
The Sims (2000) |
---|---|
Happens When |
|
In later Sims games, we got a little warning shock when our Sims were maybe not the right Sim to ask to fix a broken electronic (especially more complicated ones like televisions or large appliances), but that wasn’t so in the original Sims! As soon as our Sims got a little zap, their bodies turned into blue skeletons for a moment before they passed away.

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What’s The Most Chaotic Thing You’ve Done In The Sims?
With the re-release of The Sims and The Sims 2 I’m quickly remembering just how much chaos you can cause in these early games, usually entirely by accident.
While playing The Sims I burned down an entire kitchen, minus the fridge for some reason, and killed two Sims.
How? I went to get a drink without pausing the game. Three minutes unattended with full autonomy was all it took to wipe out a family.
What’s the most chaotic or unexpected thing you’ve managed to do in The Sims? Either deliberately or by accident. No judgement here.
What’s scarier than ill-prepared Sims being shocked to death is the fact that even mastering the Mechanical skill doesn’t guarantee 100 percent that a Sim is safe when fixing broken electronics. This chance skyrockets if your Sim is trying to mess with the wiring on an electrical object while standing in a puddle. Best get a mop first if you’re not looking for a visit from Grim.
3
Fire
Burn Baby Burn
Introduced In |
The Sims (2000) |
---|---|
Happens When |
A fire breaks out near a Sim and they’re consumed by the flames. |
Another thing your Sims couldn’t just do back in the original game was prepare a meal at the stove. And while they always make the same thing when you instruct them to prepare food, that doesn’t mean they’re very good at it. Sims who attempt cooking with less than three Cooking skill points are a veritable fire hazard.
Similarly, placing too many items near a fireplace (such as wooden furniture or carpets, things you’d imagine are quite flammable) may result in some wayward sparks kicking up an entire inferno. Sims who spot a fire are drawn to it, seemingly bound to scream about the problem until something is done. They can try to put out the blaze by themselves, but should the flames consume them, there’s little left to do. Grim will come grab them before long, making fire a pretty faithful way to do away with Sims back in The Sims 1.
2
Drowning
Who Needs A Ladder? Your Sims, Apparently…
Introduced In |
The Sims (2000) |
---|---|
Happens When |
A Sim can’t exit a pool before their Energy motive decays. |
While it may be a little buggier in the old games, who among us doesn’t fondly remember when removing the ladder from a pool made it so your precious Sims physically couldn’t exit? If a Sim is swimming in a pool and can’t get out before their Energy motive depletes entirely, they’ll pass away from drowning.
You’ll see them floating on the pool’s surface for a moment before becoming a tombstone or urn off to the side, without visit from Grim. Any player of the original games remembers fondly how easy it used to be to sell the ladder and look the other way when Sims were swimming, and that nostalgic kick coming back was invigorating.
For us as we played, anyway – the Sims that drowned might beg to differ.
1
Skydiving Simulator
Up, Up, And (Really Far) Away
Introduced In |
The Sims: Superstar (2003) |
---|---|
Happens When |
A Sim can’t exit the Galileo’s Free-for-All Skydiving Simulator. |
It’s maybe one of the sillier deaths in the entire Sims series, but if your well-off Sim is feeling brave, they can sate their sense of adventure by purchasing the Galileo’s Free-for-All Skydiving Simulator. It’s a casual §16,999 in a game where earning money can be tough without cheats, but it didn’t debut in the Superstar pack for nothing!
Your Sims won’t use the machine if they’re not already in a good mood, but it’s a fun way to help them work on their Body skill. If for some reason they can’t get back out of the machine when they’re done, though, like if someone or something is blocking the exit, then they may fall asleep while skydiving. Then, the only way out is up through the top – too bad they’re not awake enough to stop themselves from soaring away to their death off the top of your screen.
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