Family relationships
A happy family.
Family relationships are the bonds between family members. There are special interactions for individual family members beginning with The Sims 2.
The Sims
The family relationships in The Sims are very simple. Two Sims are either members of the same family, or they aren't, and all Sims who live in the same house are considered part of the same family. Even when two Sims marry, what makes them part of the same family is that one moves in with the other. The fact the two Sims are married is not recorded.
The parent-child relationship does exist, but is not recorded as such. It only exists while the child remains a child. Using the "Age of Instant" charm[TS:MM] or a third-party program to turn a child into an adult will break the parent-child relationship.
Likewise, sibling relationships are not recorded as such. Children living in the same house are considered to be siblings, but if one or more of them is turned into an adult, that relationship will not persist.
Of course, players can define two adults as parent and child, or as siblings, and play them as such, but the game itself will not define any relationship between them.
The Sims 2
The family relationships in The Sims 2 are more complex than in The Sims. Since family trees were a new addition to The Sims 2, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, siblings, and cousins now exist.
List of Family Relationships in The Sims 2:
- Grandparent
- Grandchild
- Aunt/Uncle
- Niece/Nephew
- Grandaunt/Granduncle
- Grandniece/Grandnephew
- Parent
- Child
- Sibling
- Cousin
Life-extending items such as the Elixir of Life and the Cowplant, or resurrection can allow a Sim to live long enough to be a great-grandparent. However, great-grandparents and great-grandchildren who are alive at the same time will not be shown as related in the relationship panel.
Children and younger Sims taken away by the social worker but later adopted by other households will still be known to their old households. However, any traces of their family relationships will be erased except for the memory that a family member was taken away (which makes them ineligible for adoption).
Family Interactions
In The Sims 2, Sims have interactions that can only be performed with family members.
- Encourage: Using this interaction, a Sim can encourage a younger Sim's behavior and gradually change their personality. For example, if an older family member encourages niceness often enough, the younger will eventually be kinder to people.
- Family Kiss: Two blood-related or unrelated (somebody who has moved in to join the family but has no relations to any of the family members blood-wise (although they could be a pre-existing Sim's love interest)) family members can give each other a family kiss. If a child Sim kisses another family member they will wipe their own lips with their arm afterward. If a Sim has made their spouse furious at them (e.g. from cheating or arguing), the only kiss they can perform is family kiss (if any).
- Babies: If an infant Sim exists in the family, a related Sim can cuddle and play with them. If an unrelated Sim exists on the lot they cannot perform "cuddle" or "play with". They can only "change diaper", "let [Sim name] out" and "get bottle for [Sim name]".
The Sims 3
The overall family relationships in The Sims 3 are very similar to the ones in The Sims 2. A new addition to the family relationships are in-laws, and step-family members.
In The Sims 3, Sims do not have interactions that can only be performed with family members, with the exception of babies as in The Sims 2.
- In The Sims 3, family relationships always show up in the relationship bar, but a Sim's relationship with a family member depends solely on their interactions with said family member (no added instant bonus for being related, except when living together there is more time to talk with one another).
- Also Sims with the Family-Oriented trait do have an easier time teaching toddlers to walk, talk and potty training them. They also have the option to hug, praise and encourage to build skills more often than other Sims.
List of Family Relationships in The Sims 3:
- Great-Grandparent
- Great-Grandchild
- Grandparent
- Grandchild
- Aunt/Uncle (Relationships for Grand Aunt/Uncle don't show)
- Niece/Nephew (Relationships for Grand Niece/Nephew don't show)
- Parent
- Child
- Sibling
- Cousin (first cousins only)
- Parent-In-Law
- Child-In-Law
- Sibling-In-Law
- Step-Parent
- Step-Child
- Step-Sibling
- Half-Sibling
- Descendant (Into The Future expansion pack only) - not shown in the base game's family tree and list of descendants can change depending on what is happening to a Sim's 'present' life
The Sims 4
Relationships in The Sims 4 function similarly to those in The Sims 3. The Genealogy tree wasn't present in the base game, but was re-added in Patch 12
List of family relations in The Sims 4
- Ancestor*
- Great-Grandparent*
- Great-Grandchild*
- Grandparent
- Grandchild
- Half-Sibling
- Aunt/Uncle (the siblings-in-law of a Sim's parents are not counted)
- Niece/Nephew
- Parent
- Child
- Sibling
- Cousin (first cousins only)
- Step-Parent*
- Step-Child*
- Step-Sibling*
- Descendant*
* indicates family relations that are only recognized on the family tree, but the Sims are not considered related in gameplay.
The Sims 4: Parenthood Relationship Types
Upon aging up to young adult, Sims and their family members receive relationship types based on their friendship levels and, in the case of parents/guardians, the types of Parenting actions players chose (or didn't chose) to discipline the child misbehaving.
| Parenting Method
(Parent / Child) |
Friendship Level | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative | Neutral | Good | Best | |
| Relaxed | Unhelpful Parent | Parented Passively | Provided Happy Childhood | Mommy/Daddy Dearest |
| Unhappy Child | Passive Parent | Happy Childhood | Mommy/Daddy's Girl/Boy | |
| Authoritative | Punishing Parent | Commanding Presence | Grateful Guide | Oh Captain, My Captain |
| Repressed Child | Obedient Child | Grateful Child | Respected Heir | |
| Friendship Level | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Negative | Neutral | Good | |
| Grandparent | The Grumps | Plain Ol' Gran/Gramps | World's Best Grandma/-pa |
| Grandchild | Grumpchild | Grandkiddy | The Best Lil' Boo |
| Friendship Level | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Negative | Neutral | Good | |
| Ally | Childhood Enemies | Childhood Buds | Super Siblings |
| Rival | Childhood Tormentor | Family Frenemies | Thick As Thieves |
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The Sims 4: Growing Together Family Dynamics
Family Dynamics are introduced in The Sims 4: Growing Together, and they offer a new way for Sims to autonomously interact with family members differently based on the type of dynamic they have.
| Icon | Family Dynamic | Description | Pack |
|---|---|---|---|
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Close | Close family members are tight-knit and have a very strong relationship. These Sims will naturally gravitate towards each other, and develop strong positive sentiments more easily when spending time together! When socializing, they will share Deep Thoughts with each other more often. |  |
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Distant | Sims with a Distant family dynamic tend to be more reserved when around each other, and won't make particularly frequent contact when apart. Even when in the same household, they won't go out of their way to interact or spend time together. If they do have to speak, they'll both naturally lean towards Small Talk. They also have a higher chance of forming Bitter sentiments towards each other. | |
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Supportive | When Sims have a Supportive family dynamic, the older Sim often provides the younger Sim with emotional support and reassurance, while serving as a good role model for the younger Sim. When socializing, both Sims will actively seek to provide Affection and Compliments to each other, the older Sim will actively seek to console or cheer up the younger Sim, and the younger Sim feels comfortable venting their Complaints or asking for help a bit more. | |
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Permissive | Sims with a Permissive family dynamic tend to let things slide when the younger Sim gets into a bit of trouble. The older Sim will often shower the younger Sim in Affection and Compliments, while the younger Sim will tend to be more demanding. They're more likely to form Adoring sentiments towards each other. | |
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Difficult | When Sims have a Difficult family dynamic, they simply don't get along like most other family members. When socializing, they will usually lean toward Complaints, or even Mean interactions. They will also be more likely to form Furious sentiments towards each other. | |
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Strict | When Sims have a Strict family dynamic, the younger Sim in the relationship respects the authority of the older Sim. The younger Sim often meets the high expectations set for them, though they often feel stressed around the older Sim. When socializing, the older Sim will often demand more of the younger Sim, and the younger Sim will usually play it safe with Small Talk. | |
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Jokesters | Sims with the Jokesters family dynamic are often cracking jokes with one another, and really know how to make each other laugh! When socializing, they'll often naturally lean toward Funny interactions, especially Jokes. They might even get up to some Mischief together! They're more likely to form Close or Hurt sentiments towards each other. | |
The following table shows which family members are capable of having which family dynamics.
| Close | Distant | Supportive | Permissive | Difficult | Strict | Jokesters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parent and child | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Grandparent and grandchild | |||||||
| Siblings | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Spouses | |||||||
| Uncle/aunt and niece/nephew | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Cousins | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes |
Conflicts in family titles
At times, Sims who do not stay loyal to their spouse or commit somewhat incestuous acts by marrying relatives can create conflicts when it comes to labeling family relationships. Below are some examples:
- If a man has kids with two women who happen to be sisters, his children will be both half-siblings and first cousins. In real life, children in this situation would be labeled three-quarter siblings, but implementing that level of specificity would require overly complex coding and could potentially affect other game systems.
- Because The Sims 3 only recognizes first cousins (the children of a Sim's parent's sibling) and a Sim is only considered an aunt/uncle if they are the brother/sister of the Sim's parent, it is therefore possible for a Sim to marry their parents' first cousins. The Sim's parent will originally see their cousin as "Cousin" but after the marriage will instead see them as "Daughter/Son-in-Law", regardless of age.
- Excessively adulterous Sims can have as many children as they want. Since these children are only related through one parent, half-siblings can marry their half-siblings' other parent. This results in the relationship being recognized as both half-sibling and step-parent. A step-child is only labeled as such if one of their parents marries another Sim. Therefore, if their biological parent dies, they can opt to marry their former step-parent and have children with them. In this case, any resulting child will be the half-sibling/nephew/niece of the children from the former step-parent’s previous marriage.
- An uncommitted male and female Sim have a child, while the female Sim has another child with the male Sim's son and subsequently marries him. The male Sim's son is then the half-brother/step-father of the first child, while the second child is the half-sibling/niece/nephew of the first child.
- If two female Sims marry each other's fathers, they will be recognized as each other's step-mothers, and the husbands as fathers-in-law to each other. Likewise, their children recognize each other as aunts/uncles, although in The Sims 4 they instead recognize each other as nieces/nephews.