Updated August 18th, 2021 by Anastasia Maillot: The simulation genre remains mostly in the hands of The Sims 4 and EA Games, but some worthy competitors have popped up with their own niche. RELATED: Things You Didn't Know You Could Do In The Sims 4 If you, too, are a The Sims 4 addict and feel like you have nothing to do while waiting for The Sims 5 to be announced, we've got a nice list of games you should totally give a chance, with similar mechanics and themes as the original The Sims game series. It's a tough task of finding that fine balance between fun and realistic, and between building and living the life you want. While the series has been largely without any real competitors, there has been a huge expansion of the life simulation genre, which continues to grow every year with even more incredible games. The Sims franchise has been incredibly successful since its release in the early 2000s.