The original (and arguably best) Sims games have been rereleased! In honour of The Sims 25th birthday, The Sims and The Sims 2 are now available in The Sims 25th Birthday Bundle, or separately as The Sims: Legacy Collection and The Sims 2: Legacy Collection.
These releases bring back the iconic characters, music, sounds, and gameplay that defined the life simulation genre for a generation of players. We lost them for a while there! Technology got the better of us.
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With The Sims officially back, we thought it would be the perfect time to look at the original game’s seven expansions and rank them from best to worst. Whether you’re revisiting The Sims or playing for the first time, here’s our definitive ranking of its expansion packs.
7. Livin’ Large
As the first expansion, released in August 2000, Livin’ Large is more of a miscellaneous grab bag, adding new careers, NPCs, and quirky items like the tragic clown. It expanded the base game but lacked the clear theme or innovation of later packs. Therefore, it find itself in 7th place.
6. House Party
Released in March 2001, House Party focused on the social aspect of the game. It introduced DJs, party-themed NPCs, and wild objects like the dance cage. While a great addition for extroverted Sims, the game itself was yet to peak!
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5. Vacation
Released in 2002, Vacation saw us finally take our sims on holidays! We sent our Sims to snowy mountains, tropical beaches, and forest retreats. It was plenty of fun but did require quite a bit of micromanaging of our Sim families.
4. Hot Date
Now we’re getting into it… Hot Date was an absolute game changer when it released in November 2001. By far one of the most influential expansions, Hot Date introduced Downtown, allowing Sims to go on dates, dine out, and shop. The pack revolutionised social interactions and laid the groundwork for the relationship systems in future games. We also took ‘woo-hoo’ out of the bedroom and into the hot tub…
3. Unleashed
I feel like we were screaming for this expansion for so long! Unleashed, at long last, gave us cats, dogs, and a wider range of small critters. The expanded neighbourhood, complete with shops and community lots, gave the game a more open-ended feel, further setting the stage for later Sims titles.
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2. Makin’ Magic
This was the final expansion for The Sims, and it’s also one of the best. Makin’ Magic transformed the game with spells, potion brewing, and even dragon pets. Magic Town was a delight to explore, and the introduction of duels and carnivals brought a whimsical charm unmatched by other packs.
1. Superstar
And our number one expansion by popular vote… Superstar! It was certainly the most ambitious expansion, allowing our Sims to chase fame as actors, singers, or supermodels. The inclusion of Studio Town — where Sims rub shoulders with actual celebrities — added a whole new dimension, making it one of the most unique and replayable packs.
And that’s that! What’s your favourite expansion? Let us know over on Instagram.
