The Dark Side of The Sims

Abstract

The Sims is a computer game that simulates the daily life of a stereotypical American suburb. The player has to manage the sim’s life by performing typical daily tasks, such as cooking and cleaning, and taking care of its social circle, its career, and starting a family. The player is the author of the sim’s story. However, not only does the player tell a story, the game does, too. But what story does it tell? This question has been a topic of discussion for some time. Since its release in 2000, the game has been examined by a substantial number of scholars. Investigation of the existing discourse on The Sims raises the question of whether the game has a satirical subtext. This thesis joins the academic discourse on The Sims and its satirical subtext, while adding a new perspective: the fact that the game can also be played in a vicious manner, whereby sims are tortured and killed. This thesis provides a new interpretation that this kind of dark play is the key to understanding The Sims’ satirical subtext, while answering the research question: To what extent does The Sims express satire of stereotypical American suburban life from a perspective of dark play? A textual analysis, which includes transgressive play, demonstrates how the game can be understood as a parody of the stereotypical American suburb and the conditions existing therein. By revealing the dark narrative, the game viciously communicates the satirical message that the pure image we have of the suburban life is merely a circulation of images and has lost touch with “the real”.