How To Do The Sims 4 Decades Challenge

The Sims 4 community thrives on creative challenges, and the Decades Challenge offers a unique way to experience your Sims' lives across different eras. This guide explains how to navigate this engaging time-travel adventure.

Understanding the Rules

The core concept: Every two in-game days represent a new year, beginning in 1890. You can adjust the starting and ending years to personalize your challenge. For instance, days one and two are 1890, days three and four are 1891, and so on, typically concluding in 2010 or 2020. With the Blast from the Past event underway, it's the perfect time to embark on this historical journey.

Remember to disable automatic aging and utilize the following life expectancy guidelines. Life expectancy significantly changed around 1950, so Sims are categorized into "born before 1950" and "born after 1950" to reflect this historical shift.

Life Stages (Both Categories):

• Baby: Ages after 1 day (6 months old)
• Infant: Ages after 3 days (2 years old)
• Toddler: Ages after 8 days (6 years old)
• Child: Ages after 14 days (13 years old)
• Teen: Ages after 12 days (19 years old)

Adult Sims Born Before 1950:

• Young Adult: Ages after 26 days (32 years old)
• Adult: Ages after 36 days (50 years old)
• Elder: Dies after approximately 14 days (around 60 years old)

Adult Sims Born After 1950:

• Young Adult: Ages after 32 days (35 years old)
• Adult: Ages after 60 days (65 years old)
• Elder: Dies after approximately 56 days (around 90 years old)

Challenge Setup: Begin with a single young adult Sim (or a married couple), optionally including their parents for a multi-generational household. Strive for historically accurate clothing choices for each decade. Housing is restricted: Strangerville and Del Sol Valley are unavailable until the 1950s, and Sulani is generally excluded for realism. Apartments are acceptable for single Sims, but marriage necessitates a house.

Technology Restrictions: Phones are permitted for essential gameplay functions but not for entertainment or communication until appropriate for the decade. The same applies to computers, which are necessary for certain jobs and online ordering. Job choices should reflect the era's available occupations.

Related: Where To Find Plathinum & Ironyum in The Sims 4 Blast From the Past Event

Decade-Specific Rules:

Each decade presents unique challenges. For detailed rules, refer to Cute Coffee Gal's comprehensive guide. Here's a brief overview:

1890s: Male heirs only. Daughters with the Creative trait move out upon marriage. No WooHoo, only "try for baby." Home births. Men work period-appropriate jobs (e.g., woodworking). Women manage the household, with limited freelance or gardening options if widowed. No electricity. Elementary school mandatory, high school optional. University is allowed with relevant majors. Begin growing a Cow Plant.

1900s: Lamps allowed. Indoor plumbing (no showers). Other 1890s rules apply. Phonographs permitted for music.

1910s: Teen, Young Adult, and Adult males are drafted for WWI. They must eat Cow Plant cake (roll a die; odd numbers eat again, even numbers return home). If all males die, the oldest female and her husband become heirs. High school is mandatory (C average required). Men can attend university post-war; women can take manual labor jobs.

1920s: Female heirs allowed; daughters don't need the Creative trait. Talk radio, movies, and all lighting options allowed. Women can work under more circumstances. No alcohol (Prohibition).

1930s: Kegs allowed at university. Great Depression: No business careers; all Sims lose their jobs initially, then find new ones after a week. One cooked meal daily; others scavenged/grown. Prohibition ends.

1940s: WWII draft (same rules as WWI). Victory gardens (four or more plants). Thermostats, washers, and dryers allowed. Radios mandatory (one Sim must listen for an hour daily). No punishment for bad high school grades. Teens can work part-time.

1950s: Korean War draft (oldest son). Showers and cheap TVs allowed. Radio listening not required. High school mandatory. Phones allowed for calls.

1960s: Vietnam War draft (oldest two children). Any college major allowed. Maternity leave for women. WooHoo allowed.

1970s: Vietnam War draft (oldest two children). Marriage encouraged but not mandatory. Microwaves and dishwashers allowed. Lottery tickets and food delivery available.

1980s: Gaming allowed. At least one Sim must pursue a business career. Science babies allowed; hospital births preferred.

1990s: Laptops allowed. No TV restrictions. Texting allowed. Families must build a Y2K shelter and stay for three days.

2000s: Computer and phone restrictions lifted (except Trendi). Home or hospital births. All music and TV channels allowed.

2010s: No journalism (print media dying). Same-sex marriage allowed. All part-time work allowed, along with the meat wall, Trendi, and weather generator.

The Sims 4 Decades Challenge offers a rewarding and historically themed gameplay experience. While the Eco Lifestyle pack enhances the challenge, it's adaptable to other packs you own.

The Sims 4 is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.