Players for the new “Sims 4” game have started speedrunning how fast they can go from game start to having a child taken away by Child Protective Services. YouTuber SimplySeze has made a new record: 15 minutes and 38 seconds. To do this, you have to get married, pregnant, and go through birth, then actively neglect the child until CPS shows up—and people are loving it.
“More people need to go into this,” posted YouTuber Eenayeah, and N07 said “This is the most hilariously morbid thing I’ve ever seen,” regarding the video showing the record being beaten, which is now trending on YouTube.
The art of speedrunning a video game began with the idea of completing a game from start to finish in record time, typically by finding glitches and “breaking” the game. Watching someone do so can be captivating, especially when you have played games for tens (or even hundreds) of hours then watch someone beat it in 30 minutes or less.
Most speedruns manipulate a feature of the game to their benefit, like the famous Mario constantly water sliding on his belly (even without water), and flopping like a fish to gain record speed in Super Mario Sunshine (2002). More recently, however, goals of speedrunning have taken a turn into funny or outright strange. Some speedrunners like to create new goals besides simply beating the game.
In The Sims, and other games without a clear “ending,” people have taken to creating their own goals, many of which are heavy in dark humor. Some try to impregnate their Sims and give birth to 100 babies within a time frame, others try to kill all existing characters in the game. In previous Sim games, you could neglect your children until they are taken by the Grim Reaper.
Although some people are displeased at calling these true “speedruns,” others simply enjoy the grim, mildly explicit actions contained in all games of The Sims franchise. Gamers of all kinds, not just speedrunners, participate in similar goals.
The Sims is the eighth best-selling videogame franchise of all time, and the highest selling PC gaming franchise, having sold over 200 million copies combined. They have a cult following due to their captivating life simulation, where death and murder has no consequence and you can marry 10 people at a time. Luckily for all console players who wish to try these new challenges, “The Sims 4” will be available November 17 for the PlayStation 4 and XBOX 1.
