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Death
Death
Gameplay mechanic · Featured in: The Sims The Sims 2 The Sims 3 The Sims 4

Featured Article
The Sims Wiki's Featured Article for August 2013.

Death
TS3-Death of a Sim
The death pose of a Sim in The Sims 3.

Tombstone

Death is the permanent state of existence in which a previously living Sim, pet, or other creature ceases to live. Causes of death range from natural causes (brought on by reaching the end of the elder life stage), accidents, player neglect, or through the deliberate player choice(s). While most causes of death are realistic, there are a few fictional causes of death as well.

Grim Reaper[]

Main article: Grim Reaper
Grim reaper with dog

A dog dies in The Sims 2.

Starting with The Sims: Livin' Large, Sims that have died are visited by the anthropomorphic personification of death in the form of the Grim Reaper. However, the Grim Reaper does not come if a Sim dies in a Skydiving Simulator in The Sims: Superstar, if a Toadified Sim is eaten by a dragon in The Sims: Makin' Magic, and if a Sim is eaten by the Cowplant in The Sims 2: University. In The Sims 2 and The Sims 3, the Grim Reaper plays a cameo depending on the method of death and the aspiration level [TS2] of the Sim in question.

Unlike most legends of the Grim Reaper, he seems to be a kind being in The Sims series. His personality is perhaps a reference to the personified Death character in Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" novels. His nice side shows when a Sim with a gold or platinum aspiration bar dies of old age, during the animation of a pet's death, or resurrecting kids with the Resurrect-O-Nomitron.

In The Sims Livin' Large, The Sims 2, and The Sims 4, a living Sim who is on the lot can plead with the Grim Reaper, asking him not to take the newly deceased Sim. The chances of success are determined by the relationship of the pleading Sim with the newly deceased, and pure chance. In The Sims, the Grim Reaper may be in a bad mood, and bring the deceased Sim back as a zombie. In The Sims 2, it is not possible to plead for a Sim who has died of old age. Also, it may not be possible to plead for a drowned Sim, as living Sims will not be able to get to the Grim Reaper if he is out in the water. However, if The Sims 2: Apartment Life is installed, an infallibly good witch or warlock with 9 or more magic skill can use the spell "Expello Mortis", which will reach further out, though it will not be able to reach the middle of a very large pool. Also, in The Sims 2: FreeTime, Sims who have summoned a genie and successfully wished for the power to cheat death can plead for their own lives even if they are in the middle of a pool or have died of old age. In The Sims 4, Sims cannot plead for the dead Sim's life before the actual reaping begins.

In The Sims 2: Pets, the Grim Reaper plays a different animation for pets that die.

In The Sims 3, Sims can beg for their own life depending on the mood they were in when they died.

Aftermath[]

Gravestones[]

Main article: Gravestone

Sims will leave behind a gravestone or an urn after they die. These can be moved around the lot or sold like any other object in buy mode. In The Sims, the appearance of gravestones is randomized except for pets[TS:U] and for Sims who are famous.[TS:S] In other games, the gravestone that appears may depend on their aspiration level,[TS2] the number of lifetime happiness points,[TS3] or the life state they were in.[TS4]

Heritages[]

In The Sims 2, a deceased Sim's closest friends and family members will inherit a small amount of money through life insurance. If a Sim is married or joined at the time of their death, any community lots or vacation homes owned are inherited by their spouse. In The Sims 4, no such monetary inheritance takes place, although items in a deceased Sim's inventory will be transferred to their offspring who live in the same lot. All Sims who witnessed the death, including those not particularly close to the deceased Sim, will receive a very sad moodlet for 48 hours (though household members who were not in the same room as the deceased Sim at the time of death will not be affected). Sims who witnessed the death of an enemy will receive a happy moodlet.[TS4]

Households[]

When all Sims die in a household, or there are only children in the household (as in the case of The Sims 2 and later games), a game over occurs. In The Sims 2, any orphaned babies, toddlers, or children will be taken away by an on-screen social worker, whereas in The Sims 4, a message indicating that the orphaned Sim(s) will be cared for by social services will appear.[n 1] In addition, when all teen and older household members die, all businesses owned will be released back to the community (even if the deceased Sim has a living offspring residing somewhere else) and their prospective owners can generally only buy them as unfurnished lots.[TS4][n 2]

In The Sims 2: Open for Business, if all the visiting Sims of the owner's household die on a community lot that they own, the Grim Reaper will close up shop and send all the customers away. If there are still living Sims in the household back home, the game will transition back to the residential lot after the Grim Reaper leaves.

Ghosts[]

Main article: Ghost

Although death is typically a state of absolute finality, the spirits of dead Sims are often left to roam the world as ghosts, where they can still interact with the world around them.

Reviving[]

See also: Game guide:Bringing Sims back to life
GoldGrave

The Golden Grave of a Sim who died of old age with the Pleasure aspiration.

Death, however, isn't always permanent. With a wide range of items and/or cheats, a Sim can be given a second chance at life.

The Sims[]

  • Whenever a Sim dies, another Sim can choose to challenge the Grim Reaper to a rock paper scissors duel. Grim Reaper will usually reject this, but if you’re lucky there is a small chance he’ll accept your challenge. If your Sim wins, the death Sim will be perfectly revived, but if you lose the Sim will be revived as a zombie instead and have no personality points,
  • In The Sims: Unleashed, a Sim can go to Old Town and pay Miss Lucille §200 to restore a zombie back to full life. She is unable to restore the zombie's lost personality, however.

The Sims 2[]

The Sims 3[]

In The Sims 3, there is a special plant called a Death Flower. If a Sim is carrying this flower in their inventory at the time of their death, when the Grim Reaper shows up, the ghost will offer him the flower. Seemingly deeply moved by this gesture, the Grim Reaper will proceed to instantly resurrect the Sim. A Sim can be resurrected once for every Death Flower in their inventory. However, it seems that the Sim in question will suffer from any lowered motives, just to a lesser degree, so it is incredibly important to use this second chance to raise these motives before the Sim dies again.

  • A patch in The Sims 3 makes it possible for a Sim with high logic skill to play chess for the dead Sim's life.[n 3] Since chess is a hidden secret skill, that Sim's chances of winning are higher the more practice they have. This only works if the death was accidental; it will not help Sims who died of old age.
  • The Grim Reaper will not take the lives of Sims with the unlucky trait if they died prematurely, claiming that their demise was too amusing and predictable. Sims with this trait can only die from old age, and if they have the Immortal[TS3:SN] lifetime reward or drank the Age Freeze potion, they become completely immortal, as they cannot die in any way.
  • By cooking Ambrosia, a ghost Sim can be brought back to life once they eat it.
  • In The Sims 3, an opportunity named 'Oh My Ghost!' sometimes pops up when 2 or more Sims have died of any reason. The Sim with the two graves in their inventory receives the opportunity and can only let 1 ghost return from the Netherworld. The selected ghost will be ready to play as and can return to Netherworld whenever they like. The Sim who completed the opportunity can revive any ghosts with a price afterwards.
  • In The Sims 3: Ambitions, if a ghost travels to the past by using the time machine, they may be alive again.
  • In The Sims 3: Pets, if a cat or dog is around when the Grim Reaper is reaping a Sim's soul, there is a 35% chance pets will harass the Grim Reaper and bring them back to life, and an additional +10% chance if they have aggressive, loyal, or brave traits; or -10% if they have clueless, lazy, nervous, or skittish traits. You have to be at least best friends with your pet to do this, A pet cannot save the same Sim from death more than once.
  • In The Sims 3: Showtime, a Sim or pet can be resurrected by making a wish to a genie.
  • In The Sims 3: Supernatural, a witch can cast the reanimation ritual to bring them back as a zombie. As well, a witch can use the Sunlight Charm on said zombie to remove the zombification curse, bringing them back as a normal Sim.
  • Also, in The Sims 3: Supernatural, your Sim can get the Philosopher's stone through a chance when reaching reaching Level 10 of the Alchemy skill or as a Lifetime reward for 40.000 Lifetime Happiness. You can use it to revive Sims by summoning ghosts and adding them to your household. Just be warned that when using the Philoshoper’s to transmute items into gold it can also kill your Sim by turning them into a golden statue.
  • In The Sims 3 and The Sims 3 Pets for console, **players can resurrect a ghost with the Divine Intervention karma power.
  • In The Sims 3 Pets for console, if a Sim dies from an accident (or from a karma power such as getting hit with a meteor strike) their dog can harass the Grim Reaper and resurrect the dead Sim. Upon revival, the dog will lick the Sim and they will go and play. This only works if the dog was around when the death occurred.[clarification needed]

The Sims 4[]

Intentional death[]

Players can utilize various cheats, objects, or game features to intentionally kill a Sim. This may be done for multiple reasons. Methods include:

  • Using Rodney's Death Creator to kill Sims in various ways.[TS2]
  • Using the testingcheatsenabled cheat to lower a Sim's hunger need, thus starving them to death.
  • Trapping a Sim in a pool by removing all pool ladders[TS][TS2] or by building a wall around the pool[TS3][TS4], preventing the Sim from exiting the pool when their motives drop too low, or forcing a Sim to swim when they're fatigued from exercise.[TS3] Eventually, the Sim trapped in the pool will drown.
  • Trapping a Sim in a room, then by some means starting a fire in that room. This doesn’t work on a Genie, Simbot and sometimes children of a Firefighter (NPC) or Genie, since they’ll have the ‘Immune to Fire’ Hidden trait. Sims can also be given this Hidden trait using mods.
  • Using cheats or some other means to trigger aging in an elderly Sim in The Sims 2 and The Sims 3; since elder is the oldest life stage, getting older than this results in death.
  • Having a Sim with low mechanical/handiness skill repair any electrical appliance or having any Sim repair an electrical appliance while standing in a puddle of water may electrocute that Sim.
  • Having a Sim with no or low mechanical skill repairing a flat screen television will instantly kill the Sim.[TS]
  • Using testingcheatsenabled, Sims can be forcefully given the I Am Dead Token.[TS2]
  • Continuing to force an elderly Sim to workout or WooHoo until the "Dangerously Tired" moodlet appears. This will result in death if they keep working out or WooHooing under this moodlet.[TS4]
  • Making a Sim playful, then having them drink a happy potion from the rewards store, can lead to death by laughter almost instantly.[TS4]
  • The Running with Scissors Playset from the Sims 2 Store had little purpose besides killing sims.[TS2]

Exceptions[]

Prior to The Sims 2: Bon Voyage, Sims could not die on community lots. Townies may sometimes be unable to die if they are not selectable. In the initial release of The Sims 4, Sims could not die of starvation outside of their home neighborhood, although this limitation was removed since Patch 24. In The Sims Stories, the player's Sims cannot die during the main storyline.

In The Sims 3, due to the way gravestones are spawned, Sims cannot die in areas outside of lots. For example, when a Sim starves while standing on a road, the Sim will not die.

  • When a dying Sim is caused by a moodlet, the death will not occur, and most of the time the moodlet timer will just reset indefinitely or disappear with no effect. This applies to death by fire, starvation, mummy's curse, thirst, dehydration, time anomaly, and jetpack crash.[n 4] Other exceptions include:
  • Sims cannot drown while swimming in an ocean, even within the boundaries of a lot.
  • Meteors cannot crash in areas outside of lots.
  • Sims cannot die of time anomaly while scuba diving.
  • Sims with the ‘Immune to Fire’ Hidden trait cannot die by fire. This trait can be found in Genies, Simbots and Firefighters. If a firefighter or a genie gets a baby, there is a 50% the child wil get either this trait or the ‘Pyromaniac’ Hidden Trait, which allows Sims to survive fire for three hours before dying and they will receive a positive moodlet instead. You can also use mods to give this trait to any Sim you want, so they can no longer die from fire.

In addition, pregnant Sims are unable to die of most deaths, though they may still receive negative moodlets.[TS3]

Types of deaths[]

Sims can be killed in a variety of ways which vary by game version. These include death by fire, shock, starvation, flies, being eaten by the cow plant and being scared to death.

The Sims[]

  • Starvation: If a Sim or pet's hunger bar depletes completely, they will starve. If a Sim with low hunger is scared by a ghost, they are also at risk of starving to death.
  • Drowning: If a Sim uses a swimming pool for too long, they might drown. Swimming with low energy increases the chances of this occurring, but it can happen at random. The pool ladder can be sold once a Sim is in the pool, and eventually they will drown because they can't get out. Drowning does not have a proper animation; the sim will stand still in the water before briefly becoming a corpse on the surface of the water, then a gravestone will spawn next to the pool. The death is accompanied by a snoring sound if it's caused by low energy. Sims who die in this manner will not be visited by the Grim Reaper.
    Firework launcher and rugs

    A soon-to-be-dead Sim.

  • Fire: If a Sim or pet catches on fire, they will turn into ashes and die. It was also possible for a Sim to randomly die from fire via spontaneous combustion, though this was uncommon. This was claimed to be a bug in the very first version of the game, and was soon fixed by a patch.[1]
  • Electrocution: If a Sim uses electrical items while standing in a puddle, or has low mechanical skill and tries to repair broken electric items, they may die of electrocution.

The Sims: Livin' Large[]

  • Guinea pig disease: Sims who play with guinea pigs can be bitten and infected with a disease. The disease is contagious, and a Sim infected with it will eventually break out in a coughing fit before dying. This death uses the same animation as starvation.

The Sims: Superstar[]

  • Skydiving simulator: If a Sim using the skydiving simulator has low energy, they will be launched to the sky and die.[2] Sims with low moods will not use the simulator; the entrance must be blocked so the Sim cannot leave as their motives deplete. Sims who die in this manner will not be visited by the Grim Reaper.

The Sims: Makin' Magic[]

  • Toadification: A Sim who has been turned into a toad may be eaten by a dragon or a cat[TS:U]. Sims who die in this manner will not be visited by the Grim Reaper.

The Sims 2[]

  • Starvation: If a Teen-or-older Sim doesn't eat for a prolonged period, they will eventually die of starvation. Babies, toddlers, and children cannot die in this manner as they will be removed from the household by the Social Worker before experiencing motive failure.
  • Electrocution: If a Teen-or-older Sim has low mechanical skill and tries to repair a broken electrical item, there is a chance for them to be electrocuted. This will cause a drop in needs, and if their needs drop too low they will die from electrocution. Pregnant Sims cannot be electrocuted.
    • There is also a 15% chance for a fire to start when a Sim is electrocuted. If the Sim survived being shocked, they can possibly die from the fire instead.
  • Drowning: If a Child-or-older Sim swims until their hunger or energy depletes entirely, they will drown. The pool ladder can be removed to prevent Sims from getting out of the pool. A PlantSim can drown if their Sunlight need depletes below -90. If a Vampire Sim's needs deplete low enough to cause death by sunlight while they are swimming, they will instead drown.
  • Fire: If a Child-or-older Sim catches on fire their motives will drop 200 points per hour, but cannot be lowered beyond -90. A burning Sim will not die of motive failure, but instead the game randomly determines an animation cycle between 5-10 cycles to trigger death. If the burning Sim has not been extinguished by the selected animation cycle, the sim will burn to death.
    • Babies, Firefighters, the Grim Reaper, and ghosts are immune to fire. Toddlers are not visibly affected by fire, but due to an oversight in the game's code they can die if left in fire for a prolonged period. Toddlers were not intended to be able to die and have no associated animations, so they will simply disappear and trigger the Grim Reaper's appearance.
Sims2dyingofoldage

A Sim dying of Old Age happily

  • Old age: When a Sim ages to Elder, their remaining lifespan will be randomly determined but influenced by their aspiration level when aging up. When elders reach the end of their lifespan, they will die of old age. Sims who die of old age will give inheritances to their family and friends. Sims cannot plead with the Grim Reaper to spare a Sim who dies of old age, nor can Sims plead for their own lives[TS2:FT].
    • If the Sim has a gold or platinum aspiration level when dying, the Grim Reaper and two Hula Zombies will blissfully transition to the Sim to the afterlife. If the Sim's aspiration level is lower than gold, the Sim will try to resist death but begrudgingly leave with the Grim Reaper. Sims with platinum aspiration level will leave behind a special gilded gravestone engraved with the symbol of their chosen aspiration.
  • Disease: A Child-or-older Sim who contracts a lethal disease, such as Pneumonia or Mysterious Disease, will eventually die if untreated. Non-fatal diseases, such as a Cold, will not kill Sims, but will eventually turn into Pneumonia if their severity is high. Diseases can be cured by resting, consuming a cure from the Biotech Station, drinking orange juice[TS2:S], or eating Grandma's Comfort Soup[TS2:FT]. In an unmodified game, Sims have a very high chance to recover from disease so it is difficult and rare for Sims to die in this manner.
  • Flies: If a lot contains 10 or more objects that attract flies, such as trash piles or dirty dishes, there is a 2% chance that when a Sim steps over a fly-infested object the flies will form a killer swarm and devour them.
    • Due to an oversight, Children can also die of flies. As they have no animations for this death, they will simply disappear and trigger the Grim Reaper's appearance.
  • Fright: A Teen-or-older Sim can be scared by a ghost, causing a drop in energy, comfort, hunger, hygiene and bladder motives. If any four of the needs are -40 or below, the Sim will die. If the Sim doesn't die but has a low bladder need, they will experience bladder failure. A ghost can scare any Sim within 3 tiles of their position, or within 6 tiles if they are angry.
  • Satellite: A Child-or-older Sim who watches clouds (day) or stargazes without a telescope (night) has a 1% chance of having a satellite fall on them after 5-24 animation cycles of the interaction. This chance is determined only when starting the interaction, and will not occur if the Sim ends the interaction before this is triggered. The satellite can be sold in buy mode but will devalue rapidly. Servos can die from being struck by a satellite, despite being immune to most causes of death.

The Sims 2: University[]

  • Cowplant: Sims who attempt to grab the cake offered from a hungry Cowplant (The Laganaphyllis Simnovorii) will be eaten alive and subsequently spat out of the plant's mouth as a tombstone. As a result, the Grim Reaper does not appear when Sims are eaten by the Cowplant, and it is not possible for Sims to plead for the victim to be spared, nor can eaten Sims plead for their own lives[TS2:FT]. Afterwards, a Sim can milk the cowplant to drink the deceased's life essence and reverse their age by 5 days. Sims with hygiene at -75 or below will not be eaten by the Cowplant. Servos can die from being eaten by a cowplant, despite being immune to most causes of death.

The Sims 2: Nightlife[]

  • Coffin scare: A Teen-or-older Sim can peek in a coffin with a sleeping vampire in it. If the vampire's energy motive is higher than 25, they will scare the peeking Sim, causing a drop in energy, comfort, hunger, hygiene and bladder motives. If four or more of these motives fall to -40 or below, they will die. If the Sim doesn't die but has a low bladder need, they will experience bladder failure. Despite being extremely similar to death by fright, this is a unique death type and has a higher chance to kill a Sim than death by fright due to the greater depletion in motives.
  • Sunlight: If a vampire Sim is awake during the day time, they will visibly emit smoke and their motives will deplete by 40 per hour while indoors, and 200 per hour if outdoors. If the vampire Sim's hunger, comfort, energy, fun, and hygiene needs all fall to -90, the Sim will sizzle and die. The death itself does not actually check for daylight, so it can even occur at night should the vampire Sim's needs fall too low for any reason. If a vampire is swimming when death by sunlight should occur, they will instead drown.

The Sims 2: Open for Business[]

  • Rally forth: If a Sim uses the Rally Forth business perk, their needs will deplete by 180 per hour. If four or more of these motives are at -75 or below when ending the interaction, the Sim will choke to death.

The Sims 2: Seasons[]

  • Wishing well: If a Sim wishes for money from the wishing well and the wish fails, there is a 25% chance that the Sim will be struck by sack of money worth §1, killing them outright.
    • There is a 75% chance that the sack will be worth §25 and cause a drop in hunger, comfort, bladder, energy, fun, and hygiene needs. This is not fatal in itself, but can cause indirectly cause death by hunger, or death by sunlight for vampires, if the affected Sim's needs are already low.
  • Hail: If it is hailing with high intensity, there is a 25% chance for hail bludgeoning to occur. There is then a 15% chance for a Teen-or-older Sim who is exposed to the elements to experience bludgeoning. Hail bludgeoning will cause -150 per hour to the energy and comfort motives. If both motives fall below -90 and the affected Sim's mood is -50, they will die. Only selectable Sims on the lot can experience a bludgeoning; lot visitors are immune to death by hail.
  • Lightning: When Sims are struck by lightning and their needs get too low, they will die. Sims who are swimming or in a hot tub have a higher chance of being struck.

The Sims 2: Apartment Life[]

  • Murphy bed: When opening the Murphy bed, if a Sim has less than 5 body skill and -70 or less mood, there is a 5% chance that it will fall on and crush the Sim, instantly killing them regardless of their needs.

Indirect causes of death[]

Certain specific actions or events can be dangerous and indirectly kill a Sim by causing one of the above death types:

  • Using The Runs With Scissors Playset by ADD carries a small chance causing death by fright to the user. Servos can also die in this manner, despite usually being immune to death by fright.
  • If an elevator breaks down while Sims are in it, this will cause a drop in comfort, bladder, energy, fun, and hygiene needs. If the Sim's hunger falls too low this can cause death by starvation.
  • A poorly-made snapdragon bouquet will become "evil" and decrease Sims' motives slowly, but not significantly. Prolonged exposure to the bouquet can eventually deplete the hunger need, causing death by starvation.
  • A Kite (both the regular and "evil" variation) flown in a lightning storm has a 30%, 50%, or 70% chance to attract lightning to strike the Sim flying the kite. This can potentially cause death by lightning.
  • A Sim who is passed out from extreme body temperature will continue to have their needs deplete. If their hunger need is already low, this can cause death by starvation.
  • When a teen or older sim is extremely overheated, there is a 15 minute window in every 2-hour cycle with a 0.1% chance for the tile the sim is standing to burst into flame, effectively causing spontaneous combustion. This can potentially cause death by fire.[3]
  • When a witch sits on a throne of the opposite alignment to themselves, their needs will deplete drastically (in a similar manner to when the The Eclectic and Enigmatic Energizer fails). This drop in needs can potentially cause death by starvation, or death by sunlight for vampires.
  • In the initial version of the game, a bug in the disease controller can cause sick and pregnant Sims to suddenly die of disease despite not meeting the conditions for the disease to trigger a fatal outcome. This is fixed in all patches and expansion packs.

The Sims 2 (Console)[]

  • Starvation: When a Sim goes a long time without eating they can starve to death.
  • Electrocution: When a Sim tries to repair an object while standing in a puddle or with a low repair skill they have a chance of being electrocuted.
  • Fire: When a fire starts and a Sim is unfortunate enough to be caught in it they will most likely die.
  • Dancing on own Grave Stone: When a Sim dies and is brought back to life their gravestone will still be on the lot. Should a Sim come back to life, they can dance on their own grave, prompting them to be set on fire and die again.
  • Poison: Making a food using Llama, Beet, Flauxlestra and Squid is going to make any Sim puke and die. Also, preparing food on a dirty counter or blender can increase the chances of food poisoning.
  • Cheating: If a Sim cheats on the slot machine, their arm may get stuck in the machine and they will die.


The Sims 2 (Nintendo DS)[]

Sims cannot die in The Sims 2 (Nintendo DS). They will pass out when losing all their sanity, and recover in the Manager's Suite. They lose their sanity by having a low hunger or hygiene need[citation needed]. They can also lose sanity by performing poorly received actions in a social interaction, however this does not cause a Sim to pass out. This is the same with The Sims 3 (Nintendo DS).

The Sims 2 (PSP)[]

  • Starvation: When a Sim goes a long time without eating they can starve to death. Vampires' hunger need will decrease faster in the sun, which can cause them to die from starvation faster.
  • Headache: If a Sim's headache need is not filled, they may die after a long period of time.
  • Vitalize: If a Sim uses a vitalize machine while their needs are low there is 50% chance they will die.
  • Hypno-teacher: If a Sim uses a Hypno-teacher there's a chance they will die.
  • Drowning: If a Sim relaxes or sleeps in the water bed they have a slight chance of facing death.

The Sims 3[]

Death at the street

A Sim who died on the street.

  • Fire: If a Sim is on fire for one hour, then they will die (Sims with the daredevil trait or the hidden pyromaniac trait take three hours to die; those with the hidden Immune to Fire trait will not die). There are various causes of fire, listed in fire.
  • Drowning: This can happen if the Sim is too tired and has the "Exhausted" moodlet or is starving. If the Sim is unable to exit the pool when this happens (e.g. by building walls around the pool), they will drown.
  • Electrocution: Happens if a Sim gets electrocuted and receives the "Singed" moodlet, and then tries to fix another electrical object. A Sim can get electrocuted if their handiness skill is too low, or if they are standing in a puddle while repairing an object.
  • Starvation: If a Sim with the "Starving" moodlet does not eat (or drink blood, for vampires) before the moodlet expires, they collapse, and die.[n 5] There have been reports where Sims die by choking from participating in the eating contest from Seasons, though this is essentially a game glitch which actually addresses it as death by starvation.[4] This glitch was fixed in the version 1.50 patch.
  • Old Age: The Sim reaches the end of the elder stage and dies. SimBots can also die from this cause and they will receive a different gravestone plaque.
    Sim 00 00 00-00 00 30

    A Sim died from Transmutation's spirit being reaped by Grim Reaper.

The Sims 3 Store[]

  • Cowplant: If a Cowplant isn't fed for certain amount of time, it will pull out a slice of cake. As in The Sims 2: University, Sims will try to grab the cake and will be eaten. The eaten Sim's tombstone and ghost represent the death of starvation. Players can purchase the Cowplant here.
  • Door of Life And Death: There's a pit monster under the doormat of the Door of Life and Death. Sims will be attacked by the monster and killed if they upset the Grim Reaper or lose the guitar challenge against him. The pit monster attracts paparazzis and zombies, so it's useful to get rid of them. The killed Sim's tombstone and ghost represent the death by drowning. Players can purchase the Door of Life and Death as part of Grim's Ghastly Manor here.

The Sims 3: World Adventures[]

  • Mummy's Curse: If a Sim loses a fight to a mummy, they are sometimes cursed, and receive a moodlet indicating this. In 14 days they will die by turning into dust.[n 6] The curse can be cured with a visit to The Great Sphinx.

The Sims 3: Ambitions[]

  • Meteor: If a Sim is standing outside, there is an extremely small chance to get a note saying that it has suddenly gotten dark. A meteor shower is a rare in-game event that can occur in any world. If the Sim doesn't move the meteor will crush the Sim, ending their life. This is more likely to happen while using a telescope, raising the chance a bit. Sims near the impact may catch fire, and windows and furniture of the Sim's house may be damaged from the impact if it struck their home lot. If Sims are standing too close to the fire, they may be burned and also die at the same time, but then by fire. With Seasons, aliens are able to summon meteors and it is much easier to kill other Sims. This is the only other type of death besides old age that could also kill pets if they’re not careful.

The Sims 3: Late Night[]

  • Thirst: If a vampire's thirst need depletes completely, it will die of thirst by turning into ash.

The Sims 3: Pets[]

Unicorn died

The death of a unicorn in The Sims 3: Pets.

  • Old Age: (Pets only) Pets can die from old age when they reach the end of their elder life stage.
  • Cat Attack: (Large birds only) Large birds that are placed on a bird tree are at risk at being attacked and killed by Cats, leaving feathers behind.

The Sims 3: Showtime[]

  • Human Statue (Death): When a magician who performs the Buried Alive trick from the Box of Danger fails the trick, there's a chance they will die. The trick is unlocked at level 7 of Magician career. Losers who fail this trick and die will not be resurrected despite their trait's ability to escape most other deaths.
  • Watery Grave: When a magician who performs the Watery Grave trick from the Box of Danger fails the trick, there's a chance they will die. The trick is unlocked at level 9 of Magician career. Although both deaths (Watery Grave and Drowning) seem to be similar, they're treated as distinct deaths in the game. As of patch 1.50, the ghosts for boths deaths have changed: Drowning is light blue, and Watery Grave is darker blue.

The Sims 3: Supernatural[]

  • Jelly Bean: If a Sim picks and eats a Jelly Bean from the Jelly Bean Bush, there is a 1% chance that they will pick a fatal jelly bean, causing them to die. This uses the same animation as starvation.
  • Haunting Curse: Witches with at least a level five of Spellcasting (hidden skill) can die if their attempted Haunting Curse spell fails and backfires on them, causing them to die of hunger. This can be prevented by buying the "Magic Hands" lifetime reward; they will not lose this reward even if they are cured from being a witch.
  • Transmutation: A Sim who uses The Philosopher's Stone may have a chance that they fail and turning them into a gold statue when transmuting other objects into gold bullion. If so, they will pose while turning into gold and die. The gold statue of their expression at the time of death can be kept or sold for §50,000 or §62,500 if you’re lucky.

The Sims 3: Seasons[]

  • Freezing (Hypothermia): Frostbitten Sims can get frozen and collapse to the ground if they stay outside too long in an extremely cold temperature. If they're not thawed within 3 hours or get starved, they'll freeze to death. This will happen more quickly if the Sim's hunger bar is low.

The Sims 3: University Life[]

  • Blunt Force Trauma: Sims may die when they fail to open or close a murphy bed, which will crush them to death. They can also be crushed in this manner by a vending machine, if slamming or shaking it while trying to get free candy or soda.
  • Ranting: If a Sim is ranting about death using the megaphone, there is a chance that they will die. The Grim Reaper will resurrect them with a stern warning not to rant about him again, and will give them the "There and Back Again" moodlet, which lasts for 12 hours. If the Sim rants about death again before the moodlet expires, they will die indefinitely.

The Sims 3: Island Paradise[]

  • Running out of Air: While scuba-diving, Sims can run out of air if they stay underwater for too long or get starved, which can cause them to die. This can be prevented by purchasing the "Steel Lungs" lifetime reward. Mermaids cannot die this way.
  • Shark Attack: A shark may appear while Sims are scuba diving. Sims can avoid the shark by hiding inside an underwater cave. The shark might attack the Sim, resulting in death, leaving some bones of the sim including their ribcage.
  • Dehydration: If a mermaid is left without fulfilling their Hydration need, they will pass out. Other Sims can splash water on the mermaid to re-hydrate them. Otherwise, if they are left without being splashed, they will die of dehydration.

The Sims 3: Into the Future[]

  • Time anomaly: When Sims travel through time, there's a chance they will catch "Time Paradox Sickness" moodlet, that will last for 4 hours. If it's left untreated, it will turn into "Blinking In and Out of Existence", and then "Do I Even Exist?" moodlets, that will last for 1 day each. When the moodlet expires, Sims will die of time anomaly, which means fading out of existence.[n 7] Descendants can also die with this way if the future is altered in the present. Their gravestones can be retrieved at a mausoleum. This can be prevented by going to the Hospital to cure Time Anomaly or by buying the Portal Immunity Lifetime reward for 5000 Lifetime happiness, which grants permanent immunity to time anomaly.
  • Jetpack Crash: Also known as falling from the sky. When a Sim flies around using a jetpack, there is an up to 25% chance that the Sim will fall, and the jetpack crashes into the ground which may or may not kill the Sim. When the Sim dies from Jetpack Crash, the jetpack launches the Sim up onto the sky and the Sim burns up as a result of atmospheric friction when falling.[n 8]

The Sims 3 (smartphone)[]

Ts3iosdeath

The cutscene when the Sim dies in the mobile version of The Sims 3.

There is no animation of Sims dying in the mobile version. Instead, an "In Memoriam" dialogue box appears and then shows a scene of a silhouetted Sim looking at the deceased Sim's grave with a light shining down on it. Tapping on the screen will bring the player back to the main menu.

  • Starvation: If a Sim doesn't eat for a long period of time (several hours), they will starve and die.
  • Bladder explosion: There is a chance that a Sim's bladder might explode during a bladder failure and the Sim dies.
  • WooHoo: When a Sim WooHoos with somebody, there is a chance that player will receive a dialog box saying "Your sim has been woohoo-ed to death" and the Sim dies. This is similar to death by overexertion in The Sims 4.
  • Drowning in papers: When a very stressed and overworked Sim goes to work, there is a small chance that near the end of the workday, they will drown in papers and die, as indicated by a text box. If the Sim has the Culinary job, it will drown in a pot of soup instead of papers.

The Sims 4[]

Grim Reaper reaping soul in TS4

The Grim Reaper reaping the soul of a dead Sim who died of starvation.

Some of the deaths in The Sims 4 include hunger, fire, old age, electrocution, laughter, anger, and embarrassment.[5]

  • Starvation: If the "Ravenous" moodlet expires, the Sim dies of starvation. Pregnant Sims, vampires[TS4:V], skeletons[TS4:JA], Servos[TS4:DU], as well as children or younger cannot die this way. Younger than children will be taken away if their hunger bar is low. Pregnant Sims, rampaging werwolves[TS4:WW]), and ghosts will replenish themselves once the hunger bar reaches zero, filling up half of the hunger bar, which in turn avoiding death. Mermaids living in Sulani will die near the ocean.
  • Fire: If a fire starts, Sims can catch fire if they are too close to the flames. If they are not extinguished in time, they will die. Skeletons,[TS4:JA] Servos[TS4:DU], infants, toddlers cannot die this way, although they can still catch on fire.
  • Old Age: A Sim who reaches the end of the Elder life stage will die when their time is up. Vampires[TS4:V] and Servos[TS4:DU] cannot die this way. Sims who have Immortality trait are also immune to this death.[TS4:ROM]
  • Hysteria: Sims who get the hysterical emotion will eventually, if not calmed down, begin wheezing from laughing and run out of breath. Sims with the Cringe trait,[TS4:FR] Vampires,[TS4:V] Servos,[TS4:DU] as well as teens and below cannot die this way.
  • Mortified: Sims who get the mortified emotion for a little while will curl up into a ball from embarrassment and die on the spot. Vampires,[TS4:V] Servos,[TS4:DU] as well as teens and younger cannot die this way. Sims with the Shameless reward trait cannot become Embarrassed and as a result, cannot die from embarrassment.
  • Cardiac Explosion (Rage): Sims who get the enraged emotion and continue to be angry for a while will die when they start stomping around and suddenly clutch their chest before dropping dead. Vampires,[TS4:V] Servos,[TS4:DU] werewolves[TS4:WW], teens or younger, and celebrities who have the Emotion Bomb quirk[TS4:GF] cannot die this way.
  • Electrocution: When fixing an electronic object, there is a small chance the Sim will get electrocuted, and it will give the Sim a "Seriously Fried" moodlet, making them dazed. If the Sim tries to fix another electronic with the moodlet, they will die. Servos,[TS4:DU], infants, toddlers and children cannot die this way.
  • Overexertion: If an elder is forced to work out or WooHoo with the "Dangerously Tired" moodlet, they will die. Sims who contribute knowledge at a Research Archive Machine too many times will also die of overexertion.[TS4:DU] Vampires[TS4:V] cannot die this way.
  • Cowplant: If a Cowplant is not fed for a period of time, it will pull out a slice of cake to lure Sims in. If a Sim tries to grab the cake, they will be eaten by the Cowplant and will be spat out, receiving a negative moodlet. If the Sim tries to grab the cake again with the moodlet, they will be devoured and die. Servos who will die this way will be culled from the game, and the Grim Reaper will not come for them.[TS4:DU]
  • Drowning: If a Sim runs out of energy while swimming and is unable to get out, or jumps into a fish pond full of hungry fish,[TS4:GF] they will drown. Vampires[TS4:V] and skeletons[TS4:JA] (only in pools) cannot die this way due to not having an energy need. There is also a small chance of getting pulled under and drowned while in the ocean.[TS4:IL] Sims with the child of the ocean trait or the master of the sea (marine biologist) reward cannot die this way. Mermaids cannot drown regardless. Servos will be forced to get out of the water and be broken down if their durability need is depleted.[TS4:DU] Infants and toddlers cannot die this way as they cannot swim.
  • Meteorite: Sims have a random chance of getting a scared moodlet while using a telescope, which lasts for twenty in-game minutes. If they're not guided into a building before it expires, a meteorite will fall on them and kill them. Servos cannot die this way.[TS4:DU]

The Sims 4: Spa Day[]

  • Steam: If a Sim uses a sauna with the "Superfluous Steaming" moodlet, they will die.[6] Vampires,[TS4:V] Servos,[TS4:DU] as well as infants and toddlers cannot die this way because the latter cannot go to a sauna.

The Sims 4: City Living[]

  • Low-Quality Puffer Fish: If a Sim eats a pufferfish nigiri, there is a chance that the Sim will be poisoned and choke to death. The chance of death is increased the lower the quality of the dish is and is further increased if the Sim is in a bad mood. Vampires[TS4:V] and Servos[TS4:DU] cannot die this way, because the latter do not eat, and excellent quality pufferfish is completely safe. Mermaids[TS4:IL] are also immune to this death.

The Sims 4: Vampires[]

  • Sunlight: Vampire Sims will die of sunlight due to prolonged exposure to the sun. Sylvan Glade, Forgotten Grotto, Sixam, and The Magic Realm[TS4:ROM] do not experience sunlight, therefore vampires cannot die of exposure in these areas. Furthermore, nighttime lasts slightly longer in Forgotten Hollow, as well as Windenburg (though those regions still experience sunlight). Obtaining Sunlight Resistance level 3 confers immunity to this death.

The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs[]

  • Old Age: (Cats and dogs only) Cats and dogs can die from old age when they reach the end of their elder life stage.

The Sims 4: Jungle Adventure[]

  • Poison: Sims poisoned while adventuring will die if they don't find an antidote in time, though the poison may wear off on its own. Servos cannot die this way.[TS4:DU] Causes of poison are
    1. A ghost who died from poison burping
    2. Poison arrow
    3. Poison gate
    4. Bugs (small chance)
    5. Chance card while exploring Selvadorada
  • Turning into Bone Pile (NPC skeletons only): NPC skeletons who are told the Skeleton Joke three times will laugh to death and turn into a bone pile. They will be culled from the game. Its animation is the same as death from laughter.

The Sims 4: My First Pet Stuff[]

  • Rabid Rodent Fever: Sims with a low relationship with their pet rodent have a chance of getting bitten by them, causing them to contract a disease (if the cage is dirty). The Sim will die if they don't get the antidote in time. Servos[TS4:DU] and Sims with the sickness resistance reward trait from the doctor career[TS4:GTW] cannot die this way.
  • Starvation: (Rodents only) If Sims neglect to feed their pet rodents, they will starve to death.
  • Old Age: (Rodents only) Rodents that have not been fed any life-extending treats will eventually die of old age.

The Sims 4: Seasons[]

  • Freezing: Significant exposure to low temperatures can cause Sims to freeze up and die. Vampires[TS4:V] and Servos[TS4:DU] cannot die this way.
  • Overheating: Significant exposure to high temperatures can cause Sims to heat up and die. Reuses the death by sauna animation. Vampires[TS4:V] and Servos[TS4:DU] cannot die this way.[n 9]
  • Lightning: Being struck by lightning too many times can cause Sims to die by lightning. Can be prevented by buying the Storm Chaser reward. Infants, toddlers and children cannot die this way as they cannot get struck by lightning. Servos cannot die regardless.[TS4:DU]
  • Flower Arrangement: If an elder is given a flower arrangement scented with a death flower, they will die. Vampires cannot die this way.[TS4:V]

The Sims 4: Get Famous[]

The Sims 4: StrangerVille[]

  • Mother Plant: Sims who failed at fighting against the Mother Plant at the end of StrangerVille's story may be devoured and killed by it. Servos cannot die this way.[TS4:DU]

The Sims 4: Realm of Magic[]

  • Night Wraith: A hidden death type that is only present in Sims with the "Night Wraith" trait (aside from the Night Wraith NPC himself, who died of spellcaster overload). This trait cannot be given without the use of cheats or mods.
  • Spellcaster Overload: Spellcaster Sims can die from having too much magic charge, resulting in an explosion of their magic. Obtaining Magical Resonance perk confers immunity to this death.
  • Potion of Immortality: If a Sim drinks this, they will instantly turn into a ghost, but the Grim Reaper will not come for them and worst, they can't get resurrected with Ambrosia.

The Sims 4: Discover University[]

  • Catastrophic Meltdown: Servos can die from having too low of a durability need and not getting tuned up after a while. This results in a meltdown where the Servo uncontrollably spins around and short circuits until it turns into a pile of scrap metal. They will be culled from the game.
  • Overexertion: Sims can die if they transfer too much of their knowledge into the Electromagnetic Research Archive Machine in a short time period. Servos cannot die this way.[TS4:DU]

The Sims 4: Tiny Living Stuff[]

  • Murphy Bed: If the murphy bed fails to open, Sims will try to open it manually and there's a chance of being crushed to death. The chance of being crushed increase when opening a broken murphy bed. Upgrade with Reinforced Spring Wiring will prevent this death. Servos can die this way.[TS4:DU]

The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle[]

  • Beetles: If a Sim drinks beetle juice three times in succession, they will instantly turn into a ghost and the Grim Reaper will not come for them. Beetle juice can be made at level 10 of the mixology skill with beetle nuggets in a Sim's inventory. Servos cannot die this way because they do not drink.[TS4:DU]
  • Flies: If a Sim interacts with objects swarmed by flies and disturbs them too much, they are at risk of being swarmed by flies and being eaten by them. Servos cannot die this way.[TS4:DU]

The Sims 4: Snowy Escape[]

  • Vending Machine: If a Sim gets an item stuck in one of the vending machines and attempts to get it out by shaking or slamming the machine they may get crushed by it, causing them to get a “Battered & Bruised” moodlet. If they attempt to do this again with the moodlet, they will most likely get crushed by the vending machine, causing them to die. Servos can die this way.[TS4:DU]
  • Falling: If a Sim is injured, has a low rock climbing skill, or rock climbs in dangerous conditions and attempts to climb the most difficult part of the mountain, there is a chance they will fall to their death. Servos cannot die this way.[TS4:DU]

The Sims 4: Cottage Living[]

  • Killer Rabbit: Sims with a low relationship with a rabbit have a chance of getting attacked by them, causing them to get a scared moodlet. If they get attacked again with the moodlet, they will be killed by the rabbit. Servos cannot die this way.[TS4:DU]
  • Killer Chicken: Sims with a low relationship with a chicken have a chance of getting attacked by them, causing them to get a dazed moodlet. If they get attacked again with the moodlet, they will be killed by the chicken. Servos cannot die this way.[TS4:DU]
  • Old Age: (Livestock and foxes only) Livestock (chickens, cows and llamas) that have not been fed any life-extending treats will eventually die of old age. Foxes can also die from old age when they reach the end of their elder life stage.

The Sims 4: High School Years[]

  • Stink Capsule: If the interaction "Plant Stink Capsule" on lockers fails, there is a chance that your sim will die due to inhaling the smoke. Servos cannot die this way.[TS4:DU]
  • Urban Myth: If the interaction "Summon Urban Myth" fails, there is a chance that your sim dies because of a scare. Servos cannot die this way.[TS4:DU]

The Sims 4: Horse Ranch[]

  • Old Age: (Horses, mini-sheep and mini-goats only) Horses, mini-sheep and mini-goats can die from old age when they reach the end of their elder life stage.

The Sims 4: For Rent[]

  • Mold: Sims who leave their apartments unclean can develop mold which the mold can also kill Sims if left exposed too long. Infants, toddlers, and Servos cannot die this way.[TS4:DU] Children are also immune to this death, although they can still catch mild molditis.

The Sims Bustin' Out[]

  • Mutant plant: A mutant plant that's created by an incubator can eat other Sims if it is hungry. To avoid this, the mutant plant must be fed regularly. NPCs can be eaten, and this can produce ghost service Sims.
  • High dive: When a Sim using the High Dive dives into the ground if their comfort is low, they will die.
  • Fire: When a sim with low cooking skill uses the stove there is a possibility of the stove catching on fire. If the Sim catches on fire and is not extinguished, they will die.
  • Starvation: If a Sim's hunger bar depletes completely, they will starve to death.

The Sims Medieval[]

  • Dueling: Knights, Monarchs, and Spies have the option to duel to the death (as opposed to merely dueling to a knockout or surrender). The loser of such a duel will die.
  • Poisoning: Spies can lethally poison other Sims.
  • Quest Execution: Through quests, Sims can be killed with a sword (without using a duel) or killed with a magic spell.
  • Execution: Sims that have been sentenced to death will be thrown into the pit and killed by the executioner.
  • Pit Monster: If a hero jumps into the pit and loses the fight against the pit monster, they will be eaten alive.
  • Starvation: If a Sim doesn't eat for a long period of time (several days), they will starve and die. The animation is identical to the death animation for starving from The Sims 3.

The Sims FreePlay[]

  • Old Age: It takes approximately 60 action-days (as in total time for the Sim performing actions) for the full Life Cycle from start to end. At the end of a Sim's Life Cycle the Sim dies from Old Age.

Games where death is not possible[]

Not all The Sims games have Sims dying. Below are the games where it is impossible to have Sims die.

  • MySims series: There is no death in the MySims series of games as it is targeted towards younger audiences.
  • The Sims 2 (GBA): Sims do not actually die, but they will pass out and play dead when motives are depleted, affecting show ratings.
  • The Sims Stories: Story mode only. Sims can die in free play mode or after the story is completed.
  • The Sims 3 (Nintendo DS): Sims are taken to the hospital when their Hunger or Energy need is depleted.
  • The Sims 2 (Nintendo DS)
  • The Sims Mobile: Sims used to be able to die of old age in an early stage of the game, but this has since been replaced with "retirement", where an elder becomes an uncontrollable NPC.
  • The Sims Bowling, Pool, and DJ: Sims do not die in these games as they are not focused on life simulation.
  • The Sims Social

Trivia[]

  • There is an unused death type in The Sims 2. Death type 9 is named "Cinematic", but it's unknown what was intended as no other data remains.
  • In The Sims 3, when Sims without the good trait watch a very disliked enemy die who was not part of the Sims' household or family, the Sim may calmly chuckle at their enemy's demise, but evil Sims will laugh maniacally regardless if the dying Sim was an enemy or just an acquaintance.
  • Generations is the only expansion pack for The Sims 3 that did not introduce any new type of death.
  • The gravestone shown in the memories of Sims who have seen a Sim dying in The Sims 3 will have the years 1880-1920.
  • In The Sims 4, the player's Sims will receive consolation text messages even if a dying Sim is resurrected through pleading, if the Sim has received the "Mourning" moodlet during the death.
  • In The Sims 4: Jungle Adventure, skeletons cannot die from starvation or drowning, as hunger and energy do not decrease. They also cannot burn to death, although they can still catch on fire.
  • In The Sims 4: Vampires, vampires are immune to a total of 12 deaths by default: old age, hunger, drowning (including ponds), overexertion, emotional deaths, steam, low-quality puffer fish, flower scent, freezing and overheating. Vampires also have access to the "Sunlight Immunity" perk, effectively making them immune to 13 deaths when leveled up to final level. If they also reach the top level of the doctor career, they'll become immune to Rabid Rodent Fever and are immune to 14 deaths in total.
  • In The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle, death by beetles and beetle juice are a reference to the 1988 Tim Burton film Beetlejuice.
  • In The Sims 4: Cottage Living, death by killer rabbit is a nod to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, as it has the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog.
  • In The Sims: Bustin' Out, Sims cannot drown or die from electrocution. Instead, the Sim will get sluggish in the water when their energy meter reaches 0, and while Sims can still get electrocuted trying to repair objects, it never kills them.

See also[]

Gallery[]

Notes[]

  1. In The Sims 4, the event in which the social worker takes away children is labeled a death interaction (specifically, death by neglect).
  2. In Get to Work, Dine Out and Cats & Dogs, when the last teen or adult in the household dies, any businesses owned by the household will be released back to the community. Anyone who wants to buy these businesses previously owned by deceased Sims can only buy them unfurnished. This means the new owners need to buy all the furniture, equipment, etc. themselves and hire a different set of staff. To avoid the hassle of furnishing the lot from scratch, the business lot needs to be saved in My Library before the last household member's death. Upon their death, this saved lot can then be placed where the original lot once stood.
  3. This may be a reference to the film The Seventh Seal
  4. When the "Mummy's Curse" moodlet expires outside of a lot, the Sim does not die of mummy's curse. However, one of the traits is still replaced by the evil trait.
  5. When Sims starve while swimming, it is treated as death by drowning. When Sims starve while frozen, it is treated as death by freezing.[TS3:S] When Sims starve while scuba diving, it is treated as death by running out of air.[TS3:IP]
  6. When Sims die of mummy's curse while scuba diving, the animation for death by mummy's curse plays as if they had died on land. The Grim Reaper still wields his trident, however.[TS3:IP]
  7. When Sims die of time anomaly outside Oasis Landing, they will get a futuristic holographic gravestone.
  8. When Sims die of a jetpack crash outside Oasis Landing, they will get a futuristic holographic gravestone.
  9. Death by overheating uses the same animation as death by steam from Spa Day.[TS4]

References[]

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