HOW (S)IMPRESSIVE. What do you get with a writer with too much time on her hands and a laptop? Sims buildings.

I’ve been enthralled by Sims 4, a virtual simulation game (get it, “Sims?”) since I was a child. It’s a great source of escapism, if I’m being honest. I can make whatever person, or Sim, I want, make them look however I want, make them live however I want (thank you, money cheat codes), and build them whatever house I want (again, thank you, money cheat codes). 

About a year ago, after I made essentially the same Sim woman for the 1000th time, I decided I wanted to challenge myself by making Sims that resembled my coworkers. After I created them, I printed out pictures and hung them in our break room. Even though they haven’t been updated in a while, they still hang gallantly on the wall.

For this year's iteration of the special section Gaming Culture, I decided to challenge myself even further by creating the Volume One Headquarters and The Local Store building – and a challenge it was. I spent hours (yes, hours) creating half of this two-story building I spend five days a week in, and I nearly tore every single hair follicle from my head in the process – hence why I only finished one level.

First, the awnings weren’t right – the Sims game only had stripped awnings, much to my chagrin – then, I created the whole building layout, forgetting to add the building’s basement, thus compromising the realism of the whole project. I decided to scrap the whole basement, realizing that, much like the co-worker replica Sims I created, it’s close enough to the real thing that people will be able to tell what it is.

After completing the most basic layout of The Local Store level, my laptop resembling a microwave more than a computer, my Sims game began to malfunction. After several times closing and opening the app with no fix, this project had to be paused before I could reach the top office level for not only my laptop's sake, but for my own sanity.

Now, you may be thinking, “Sawyer, was there a meaningful reason as to why you spent so much of your free time on this project? What did it accomplish?” Well, Dear Reader, it accomplished absolutely nothing. And I know, not so deep down, that I could have easily spent my time on something that would have been not only been productive to me, but to the community as a whole. Trust me, I thought about nothing else as I agonized over the fact that I couldn’t create the “Cozy Corner” to the left side of the stairs in The Local Store. 

So why’d I do it? The only answer I could possibly give is that it was (mostly) fun. I think that’s the only reason people play games anyway. It usually doesn’t contribute anything of value to society, but it sure is enjoyable. So, I hope you enjoy my Sims version of 205 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire, because I will likely never be completing another project like it again.