Disclaimer

The term "gypsy" is viewed by some Romani people and other populations as a racial or ethnic slur. This page uses the term in reference to the official in-game names used for various elements that appear throughout The Sims series.

Gypsies are a non-occult minority Sim ethnicity in SimNation who appear across The Sims, The Sims 2, and The Sims 3. In the real world, the term "gypsy" is an exonym used to refer to Romani people, also known as the Roma, whom the characters seen in the games appear to be based on. While some Roma people embrace the term, others view it as an offensive ethnic slur. ^[1][2]

In the games, gypsies are typically depicted as nomadic Sims specialising in psychic and clairvoyant abilities. This is consistent with the history of the Romani as a nomadic people, some of whom were known to practice divination to non-Romani. However the notion of the Romani people as possessing psychic powers is viewed in the modern day as a harmful stereotype.

In the 2010s, changing attitudes in the West regarding the discrimination of Romani people appear to have prompted the phasing out of gypsies within the series. Their most recent depiction was in The Sims 3: Supernatural in September 2012, though a furniture set released on The Sims 3 Store in October of that year is modelled on the culture of the Romani people, but with the object names and descriptions almost entirely avoiding use of the term "gypsy".

The Sims: Makin' Magic

Gypsy Clerk Rossar and Gypsy Clerk Yuri appear on community lots to operate the Kurrency Kiosk LX, a merchant point of sale. It is present on most lots in Magic Town, which features shops selling baking ingredients, berries, and posters.

The description of Rowena's Waiting Window mentions Gypsy King Henrik, who at some point was kidnapped for 30 years. His wife, Queen Rowena Ypolos, lit candles for 30 years in the hopes of guiding him home, and they were eventually reunited. To commemorate those events, Gypsy Sims leave candles in their windows in honor of her devotion.

The description of Maid in the Shade mentions Liliana Sidi, The Princess of the Gypsies, who spent the majority of her short life shrouded in mystery, and whose descendants worked to pass on her story. As a result, she is now recognized as a kind of fantastical hero.

The Final Word Fortune Machine contains an animatronic gypsy called Mea Fortuna. Sims can receive seemingly bogus readings from the machine, however they are in fact all meta-references to the game itself.

Gypsies are also mentioned in the Gypsyland Auction: Lot #927 and #330 floor tiles, said to be set pieces from the musical performance of "I Wish I Were A Gypsy" and the performance of "My Gypsy Darling" respectively.

The janitor Sim Wandering Willow was known internally in the game code as "NPC_Janitor_Gypsy", but is not referred to as such in-game.

The Sims 2

The Sims 2: Nightlife

The gypsy matchmaker is an NPC who can be paid to set up blind dates for Sims. The more money the Sim pays to the matchmaker, the better chemistry and compatibility the summoned date will have with the Sim.

The matchmaker also sells scientific potions, as a quicker alternative to crafting them with the SimSanto Inc. Biotech Station. The potions include a love potion, as well as potions to cure Sims of occult life states.

The Sims 2: Seasons

The Adventurer career has a chance card where the player can direct the employed Sim to either ask a gypsy or the Landgraab clan's accountant Spencer Oswald for info on the Landgraabs' ancestor Gregory Landgraab. Picking the gypsy option has an 87% chance to fail, resulting demotion. If successful, the Sim will be promoted.

The Sims 2: Freetime

If Sims in the active household have a high lifetime aspiration and hobby enthusiasm, the matchmaker may sneak over to their house and leave a Dusty Old Lamp, which can be used to summon a genie.

The Sims 3

There is a wall decoration named "Heinrich Stübbman and the Gypsies" and costs §45. The description reads:

"The band that's taking the world by storm! The Gypsies provide a solid rhythmic foundation, but it's really Stübbman's hilarious antics that drive this group."

The Janie Point Lighthouse's description, which is not normally visible without using game mods to make it available in Buy/Build Mode, mentions a Madame Janie "narrowly surviving countless attempts at trading with salty sea-gypsies, (...)".

The Sims 3: Supernatural

The gypsy wagon rabbit hole is the workplace of Sims in the fortune teller career. Sims can also pay to enter the wagon and receive a fortune reading.

The Sims 3 Store

Barnacle Bay

In Barnacle Bay, the household bio of Rose Rome describes that she "is somewhat of a gypsy in how she dresses and acts", presumably referring to her general clothing aesthetic resembling that seen in Romani culture.

Additionally, her personal bio implies that she is psychic and also a thief, though she does not possess the Kleptomaniac trait, nor does she work in the Criminal career.

Hidden Springs

In Hidden Springs, an uninhabited residential lot at 19 Willow Lane is named "Gypsy Hideaway".

Drifter's Desire

The Drifter's Desire set is inspired by Romani culture, though the object names and descriptions do not use the term "gypsy", with the exception of the "Tears of the Gypsy Awning". All other objects in the set instead use terms such as "drifters", "wayward travellers", "nomads", and "vagabond".

The Sims Medieval

The premise of the quest "O Fortuna" is that gypsies have set up a festival in the town square featuring drinking, gambling, and fortune-telling. The festival turns out to be a ploy to pawn off a cursed object on an unsuspecting Sim as a prize for a card-playing competition.

This section is in need of additional information. You can help The Sims Wiki by expanding this section.

References