Inspiration can be found in unexpected places. Director Kate Herron managed to use a tip she learned in The Last of Usand apply it to the live-action adaptation of The Sims.
Herron is a co-writer on the script for The Sims, a movie she will also direct. Herron, who directed the latest episode of The Last of Us, revealed how a component of the HBO show’s script inspired her to apply it to The Sims.
It’s tricky to know what I can say, but I’m very indebted to Craig [Mazin] and Neil [Neil Druckmann] for giving me an opportunity to direct on it” Herron told Variety about directing The Last of Us season 2, episode 4. “Getting to do that was like a bucket list kind of moment. I just hope I get better at my job. OK, actually, I’ve got a much better answer for you. I’ll answer it again. Craig writes the thoughts of the characters in the script. I love it, and I have 100% stolen that, and I’m now doing it in all the scripts I write. It’s such a good idea.”
The Sims‘ live-action movie was announced in March 2024. Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap banner will produce The Sims alongside Amazon MGM Studios and Electronic Arts. Herron will direct from a screenplay she’s writing with Briony Redman.
Liane Hentscher / HBO
In Herron’s episode of The Last of Us titled Day One, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) spend their first day in Seattle exploring the confines of the city. At night, Ellie and Dina discover a group of WLF soldiers murdered at the hands of the Seraphites. When the duo tries to escape from the WLF, they run into the infected.
While trying to escape, Ellie is bitten after successfully saving Dina. When Dina points a gun in her face, Ellie reveals her immunity. Dina later confesses her pregnancy to Ellie, and the two have sex while hiding in an abandoned theater.
The episode ends with Ellie and Dina overlooking the city as they plan to infiltrate a hospital with WLF soldiers, which could lead them to Abby.
The Last of Us season 2, episode 5 airs on May 11.
The Sims has maintained its dominance of life sims since it launched in 2000, and perhaps that’s why Inzoi has garnered so much attention. Between its incredible graphics and the surprising depth it brings for an early access game, Inzoi could go toe-to-toe with one of the most firmly entrenched franchises in gaming history.
That’s why the relative lack of updates has left many early adopters disappointed. When Inzoi first opened into early access, it had almost 90,000 players, but that has dropped down to around 5,000. That isn’t a sign of failure, but rather that players have explored most of the content and are waiting for more to be released and for more updates that foster long-term engagement.
Like The Sims, you can get a job, get married, and even have a baby. You can even drive a car. And one area where Inzoi definitely beats out The Sims? Character creation. You can spend hours fine-tuning your Zoi to look almost just like yourself (to a degree that borders on Uncanny Valley, honestly).
Inzoi Studio
Recently, director Hyungjun ‘Kjun’ Kim shared an open letter in the form of a social media post that promised better communication with the community.
The developers are dedicated to making the game what players expect
In the opening words of the letter, Kjun thanked the community for their continued support and apologized for its more troublesome aspects. “Some of you may have experienced crashes or found the available content lacking. I deeply apologize for any frustration this may have caused,” he writes.
“The inZOI team always keeps an eye on the messages you send, and we are committed to working even harder to reciprocate your kindness. Although we may be lacking right now, we are determined to prove that this is not just another “Early Access” game that just takes advantage of it. We truly wish to communicate with you, build this game together, and remain dedicated to that promise.”
Inzoi will receive a dedicated Discord channel
One of the most exciting takeaways from Kjun’s letter is the announcement of a Discord channel where the development team and players can chat in real-time. “…we plan to establish a dedicated channel on Discord, where we can actively discuss and reflect on your feedback together,” Kjun writes. “Our goal is to grow and evolve Inzoi day by day and week by week, ensuring it becomes the best possible experience for everyone.”
The Discord will allow the team to keep players updated regularly and more easily discuss changes and complaints.
Inzoi Studio
The team is going to take a short break
It’s no surprise that the Krafton team is exhausted. A game launch is an extensive endeavor, and the team had to scramble to fix a few major issues immediately following launch (including the removal of DRM before early access went live.) “At the moment, our team is a bit worn out from launch preparations, so we will be taking a short break to recharge,” Kjun writes.
The team will launch the Discord and resume work after a break. While Kjun doesn’t specify how long this break will be, the roadmap promises an update in May and the next in August. It might be a somewhat slow summer for the game as the team recuperates, but the content that’s scheduled to release in the latter half of the year will make up for it.
Stability will be the main focus
Although the Inzoi team will focus on smaller, more frequent updates, they want to ensure gameplay remains stable and that crashes happen as rarely as possible. “I also recognize that frequent updates can sometimes introduce unexpected issues,” Kjun says. “There, we will prioritize stability and be thorough in our internal reviews before implementing new changes.”
inZOI Studio
The promise of well-thought-out updates is welcome at time when a routine hotfix can sometimes cause more damage than improvements. Just take a look at the recent update to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered that threw its graphics settings into chaos. With a dedication to stability, perhaps Inzoi players won’t have to worry when an update rolls in.
More updates are coming, and soon
Although he didn’t outright provide a date in his letter, the Inzoi roadmap shows its first update in May. It will add an adoption system, in-game cheat codes, a mod kit, and much more. There is also DLC called Kucingku Cat Island planned for release on August 8 (International Cat Day) and will probably let you adopt a pet.
Kjun’s letter read like a heartfelt message rather than a corporate press release and was well-received by fans. One dubbed it the “realest post-launch message from a dev” ever. As an early access game, fans shouldn’t expect perfection from Inzoi. The game has already delivered on many fronts and can only get better from here.
There was nothing quite like The Sims when the series first appeared and quickly became one of the best PC games of all time. This series has evolved into one of the most robust life simulator games ever made, with the latest iteration still being played over 10 years since it initially came out, partly thanks to it going free-to-play. For a long time, The Sims owned its genre completely, with no other game able to offer anything close to the depth and addictiveness it offered. However, we now have plenty of games that will hook you just as hard as The Sims did when it was new. These are the best games like The Sims you can play right now.
As the Sims-like genre becomes more popular, keep an eye on the list of upcoming video games for more releasing in the coming months and years.
Inzoi
Platforms:
Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
Genre:
Simulator, Adventure
Developer:
Krafton
Publisher:
Krafton
Release:
March 28, 2025
Even though Inzoi is still in early access, it has already shown the potential to be a real threat to The Sims’ crown. The first thing that separates Inzoi from any Sims-like is the graphics. This game is easily the most graphically advanced life simulator on the market, which goes a long way into selling the entire experience. There are already tons of tools and options to fully customize your Zoi (what this game calls their characters) with various hairstyles, clothing, accessories, and more to the point where you could spend hours simply crafting your ideal character. Outside of that, you are free to explore an entire city, talk and build relationships, develop skills, and generally live a second life. With the game only looking to expand its features in the future, Inzoi could be that true next-generation Sims experience you’ve been looking for.
Stardew Valley
Metacritic:
87%
Platforms:
PlayStation 4, Linux, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Given its popularity, we probably don’t need to introduce you to Stardew Valley. This farming simulator has become the go-to cozy game for most people and has a ton of overlap with what makes us love The Sims. You create your own pixelated character to take over an old farm and bring it back to prosperity. While the core focus is around farming, that is vastly underselling how much there is to do in Stardew Valley. The town is full of great characters to meet and romance, there are dungeons to explore, and plenty of quests and events that pop up as the seasons change. There are ways to “win” Stardew Valley, but that is never a pressing obligation. You can spend as much time as you want decorating, tending your farm, and enjoying the quiet life with the other characters for as long as you want.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Metacritic:
82%
Platforms:
Nintendo Switch
Genre:
Simulator
Developer:
Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 5
Publisher:
Nintendo
Release:
March 19, 2020
What is more realistic than a life simulator where you’re saddled with crippling debt right off the bat? That’s how every Animal Crossing game starts, but don’t let that make you think the game is stressful. You can take as long as you want earning those Bells, and even after you do, there’s no reason to stop. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a game that gives you something to look forward to every day. Because the game tracks your real-world time of day, things like the day and night cycle or seasons all reflect reality. There are a ton of things to do on your own little island, including redesigning the entire thing. Each villager has a special personality and routine of their own to make it feel like a living community. You can spend your days fishing, collecting bugs, and helping out the town grow to unlock more outfits and decorations.
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Metacritic:
80%
Platforms:
Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, PlayStation 5, Mac, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre:
Role-playing (RPG), Simulator, Adventure
Developer:
Gameloft
Publisher:
Gameloft
Release:
December 05, 2023
There’s one major uphill battle every Sims-like needs to overcome, and that’s making the cast of characters fun and interesting. Disney Dreamlight Valley bypasses this issue by letting you rub shoulders with all the classic Disney characters you already know and love. You are in charge of building up the titular Dreamlight Valley, where heroes and villains from across the company’s massive legacy reside. There are tons of ways to design yourself and the village, as you would hope, but a lot more quests and specific objectives to chase. Each new character added to the game has their own story that you need to complete to unlock them and bring them to your village. This is an easy choice for any Disney fan.
Tiny Life
Platforms:
Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac
Genre:
Role-playing (RPG), Simulator, Indie
Developer:
Ellpeck
Release:
May 03, 2023
Tiny Life is another game still in early access, but one that specifically aims to be a Sims-like experience. While basic, the pixelated art style and isometric perspective don’t take anything away from how ambitious this title is. You control an entire group living in a household, building relationships, improving skills, managing their needs, and everything else you would expect. However, that simplified style allows the team to add hundreds of customization options and an intuitive building system that lets you tailor the experience exactly how you want. It is an incredibly relaxed experience perfect for a rainy day inside.
Two Point Museum
Platforms:
Xbox Series X|S, Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Mac
Genre:
Simulator, Strategy, Indie
Developer:
Two Point Studios
Publisher:
Sega
Release:
March 04, 2025
You can’t go wrong with any game from the Two Point series, but Two Point Museum is the newest and most ambitious game yet. Each game places you in the management seat of some institution, such as a hospital, college campus, or museum. These games are perfect for those who love the management aspects of The Sims. In Two Point Museum, you can design the layout of your museum, place your exhibits, manage the staff, and more. Everything has a bright, humorous tone to it and isn’t meant to be overly stressful. There is a nice set of campaign missions to teach you the basics in some pre-built museums, but you can always go into the sandbox mode and make whatever your heart desires.
