The Decades Challenge
CREDIT: kakeru_naruse @ Mod The Sims on August 3, 2016
ORIGINAL CHALLENGE CREDIT: UndeadCleo @ EA Forums on February 17,2015
What Is The Decades Challenge?
The Decades Challenge starts all the way in the 1890s, where everything smelled like crap and people didn't have indoor plumbing. This challenge is inspired and set in the supposed land of the free, also known as the United States of America.
There are a lot of rules in this game. In each decade, they are listed by importance. The first rule is the most important or one of the most important rules and WILL affect gameplay. The last rule is generally a very minor detail that will not affect game play.
Setting Up
The Sims
1. YA or older
2. No restrictions on CAS (however, dressing them up in the appropriate decade clothes is recommended)
3. If you choose to make 2 sims, they must be married or they're going to get married.
Housing and Funds
1. Starter money only (16k)
2. Buy any land/house with it
3. You can import a house from the gallery, but only if you can afford it
4. You can start by living in an apartment, HOWEVER, when you get married and have kids, you MUST move out. (Apartments were not idealistic places for families in the 1890s, as they were reserved for the single and working.)
The Decades
1890s - The Turn of the 19th Century
1. Only male heirs are allowed. If there are no boys, then a woman's husband may inherit.
2. Sims may only have a relationship and marry with the opposite gender.
3. Sims may only marry within their own ethnicity/race.
4. Sims must only "Try for Baby" and never "Woohoo."
5. Teenage sims cannot "Mess Around"
6. No electricity. Use candles or lanterns to light up the house.
7. Women take care of the children, tidy the house, and cook. They can help tidy the garden, and go jogging for fun.
8. Men can only have the Entertainer, Doctor or Criminal career. If otherwise, men can choose to stay home and make money through woodworking, painting, and gardening. You can open a retail store or a restaurant, only if you have enough money.
9. Sims cannot get a divorce unless one of them commits adultery (in this case, flirting with another sim in front of the spouse).
10. If a woman becomes widowed, then she may earn money through painting, gardening, or woodworking. If she becomes divorced, then she can earn money through the Entertainer career.
11. Elementary is mandatory, but high school is optional.
12. High School has a fee. It costs §1000 for every teenager going to school.
13. University is OK. You might want to install a mod to reduce the amount of credits needed to graduate university university to match up with the game time. Student loans are not allowed but scholarships are.
14. Female children move out once they are married.
15. OPTIONAL: I'd recommend downloading a teenage pregnancy/marriage mod (or some other mod that just has teenage pregnancy/marriage embanked in it) since women generally married and had children before the age of 20.
16. Your sims cannot go to festivals or events (City Living).
17. Cell Phones are only allowed to invite people over to your house or to travel.
18. Only bathtubs. No showers.
19. Outside toilets only.
20. OPTIONAL: For more realistic details, don't use any of the glass roofs.
21. Only wooden furniture is allowed in the house
22. Wooden floors and walls. No drywall or wallpaper.
23. Buy the cheapest/oldest stoves, fridges, counters, etc. No other kitchen appliances are allowed besides the stove and fridge.
24. Only impressionist or classic paintings are allowed to be hung. Kid's drawings can only be hung in the kid's rooms.
25. If your sims get sick, you can't give them medicine. You have to cure them through natural remedies.
26. Your sims may not throw any events besides weddings.
27. Every child born during this decade must be born at home. They can only be fed through breastfeeding and not by bottle.
28. If your family can afford it, then you may hire a butler or maid. However, you cannot hire a Nanny.
29. Also, you probably want to start working on a cowplant in this decade.
1900s - "The Greatest" Generation
1. Sims may now have the following careers, as well as the ones listed above: Business (Management), Culinary (Chef), and Musician Career.
2. Women who are widowed or divorced may not work in the Business, Culinary, or Musician Career. They can only work as what is listed in the 1890's decades.
3. You can now have electricity, but only in the form of lamps. Indoor plumbing is now allowed. No showers, only bath tubs.
4. OPTIONAL: Cheapest computer may be bought, but your sims can only use it for writing. 5. Playing games/browsing web/etc. is NOT allowed.
6. Your house can now have wallpaper.
7. The phonograph is now available for music.
8. Your sims can now go on vacation.
9. By the end of this decade, you will need a cowplant.
1910s - World War I
1. All males who are teenagers, young adults, adults, or who become teenagers during this decade will have to "leave for war."
2. To simulate this wartime leave, roll a dice and feed them to the cowplant. Odd numbers = death. Even numbers = live.
3. Assuming that the males that live have experienced war, they must take one of these traits once they reach adulthood: Gloomy, Hot-headed, Clumsy, Insane, Mean, or Noncommittal
4. OPTIONAL: You can put the men in another house or lot to make it feel as if they have left for war.
5. Men cannot work in their young adult stage and may only work once they reach adulthood.
6. Men who are about to go to war get a chance to have a child before leaving.
7. Children must go to school. Teenagers who go to school MUST get a C or higher.
8. Students who do not receive a C or higher must be sent away to another house.Men can now work as Painters.
9. Drywall is allowed.
Keep that cowplant well and nourished.
1920s - Women's' Rights and the Prohibition Era
1. Women heirs are allowed. They can inherit.
2. Women can now work in the Entertainer, the Culinary (Chef), or the Painter career if they are widowed, divorced, single, or if their husband does not bring in enough money.
3. Men can now work as a Mixologist in the Culinary branch.
4. Your sims CANNOT drink beer, wine, moonshine etc. ANY sort of alcohol is prohibited.
5. Children and teenagers who go to school MUST get a C or higher.
6. Students who do not receive a C or higher must be sent away to another house.
7. Young adults are encouraged to work in the Criminal career.
8. If you have the Hangout Stuff Pack, then your sims are allowed to watch movies.
9. The radio is allowed.
1930s - The Great Depression
1. Everybody in a career loses their job.
2. OPTIONAL: By using the money cheat, reduce your household funds by 40% to simulate the stock market crashing.
3. To make money, teenagers who do not go to school, young adults and adult sims MUST scavenge around the world for 1 week (in-game time).
4. Sims can only eat hot-cooked meals ONCE per day. If they get hungry, they must eat food found from scavenging, fishing, or gardening.
5. Sims may not join the Business Career anymore.
6/ Bills must ONLY be paid after the electricity is cut off.
7. OPTIONAL: For a more difficult version, wait until your water is cut off as well.
8. After 1 week, sims may have a job again.
9. Elementary is mandatory. High school is optional, and encouraged. There is no longer a fee on
10. high school.
11. All sims who are in or reach Young Adulthood by the end of this decade must have one of the 12. following traits: Gloomy, Noncommittal, or Mean
13. Prohibition ends. Your sims can now drink alcohol again.
14. OPTIONAL: Every sim that "served" in the army and "survived" World War I will receive a pension. Use the money cheat to add §100 to the household funds for every war survivor.
15. Gardening for money is encouraged.
16. Small paintings only. Sims may not create medium or large paintings.
1940s - World War II
1. Men sim who are ALREADY Young Adults by the time this decade starts must "leave to war."
2. To simulate war time leave, roll dice and feed your sims to the cow plant. Odd numbers = death and Even numbers = live.
3. Men who BECOME Young Adults DURING this decade will not leave for war.
4. Men who BECOME Young Adults DURING this decade must get a career.
5. Assuming that these males have experienced war time, they must take one of the following traits: Gloomy, Hot-headed, Clumsy, Insane, Lazy, Mean, or Noncommittal.
6. Relationships between different ethnicity is now available.
7. Your sims can now have the following careers: Athlete (Body Builder), Painter (All Branches Open), Culinary (Mixologist), Entertainer (All Branches Open), Secret Agent (Diamond) and Doctor. The Business Career is still LOST and no sims may apply for it.
8. OPTIONAL: If you have GTW, then the Detective Career is also unlocked.
9. Sims can still only eat ONE hot meal per day. All other hunger is dealt through scavenging, fishing, or gardening.
10. Single women or teenage girls must get a career. If they get married, they can decide to pursue their career on or become a housewife.
11. Elementary is mandatory. High school is optional and highly encouraged.
12. Sims can now take medicine when they become sick.
13. Every house must have a radio, and someone must listen to it for at least an hour everyday.
14. Every house must now have a garden. The garden should have at least 4 plants in it.
15. Teenage Jobs are encouraged.
1950s - The Time where a Crap Ton of Shit Happened
1. The following careers have been unlocked: Athlete (All Branches), Writing (All Branches), and Business (All Branches).
2. Married women can either have a career or be a housewife.
3. Since the Korean War happened during this time, the eldest male child and the eldest female child must "leave for war" once they reach Young Adulthood.
4. Both children get fed to the cowplant. Roll dice. Odds = Death and Evens = Live.
5. Assuming that these sims have experienced war time, they must take one of the following traits: Gloomy, Hot-headed, Clumsy, Insane, Lazy, Mean, or Noncommittal.
6. OPTIONAL: Since the "Baby Boomers" Era peaked during the end of the 1950s, you can download a mod to make teenage sims become pregnant.
7. Your sims can now divorce for whatever reason.
8. Your sims can now live in apartments (City Living).
9. Sims can now eat unlimited hot meals.
10. Elementary is mandatory. High school is mandatory
12. Your sims can now have a TV! Only the first three cheapest TVs are available.
13. There are television restriction times. Television can only be watched at from 6am to 9pm.
13. Showers are now allowed!.
14. Adoption is now available.
15. OPTIONAL: Every sim that "served" in the army and "survived" World War II will receive a pension. Use the money cheat to add §250 to the household funds for every war survivor.
16. Hiring Nannies is now available!
17. Having many children and large families is encouraged.
18. Houses can now have carpet flooring and brick flooring.
19. Houses can be decorated with any type of paintings.
20. Patterned flooring is now available.
21. Private Pools are now available.
1960s - Civil Rights Movement and Sexual Revelation
1. Marriage between different ethnicity is now available.
2. The following careers have opened: Secret Agent (All Branches), Astronaut (Space Ranger) and Scientist.
3. Mothers with careers may take maternal leave during the third trimester. They may also take maternal leave after the baby is born.
4. Your sims can now "Woohoo". They do not have to "Try for Baby" every time.
5. Teenagers may now "Mess Around."
6. Every sim who "fought" in the Korean War and survived will receive a pension. §250 for every sim who survived.
7. Better radios are now allowed.
8. You can now have fancier sofas, beds, chairs, tables, and stairs.
9. Tea Brewers are now allowed.
1970s - End of Vietnam War and the Environmentalist Movement
1. First two children to reach young adulthood must be sent to war, regardless of gender.
2. Roll dice and feed them to a cowplant. Odds = Death and Evens = Live.
3. Assuming that these sims have been to "war", they must choose one of the following traits: Gloomy, Hot-headed, Clumsy, Insane, Lazy, Mean, or Noncommittal.
4. Environmentalist Movement - Anybody born during this decade must have the following traits: 5. Active, Self-Assured, Loves Outdoors, or Outgoing.
6. LGBT relationships are now allowed!
7. Computers are now allowed for gaming.
8. Microwaves are now allowed.
9. Coffee machines are now allowed.
10. Plastic furniture is now allowed.
11. You can now have better stoves, fridges, sinks, and showers.
12. Dishwashers are now available.
1980s - The Yuppie Decade
1. The following jobs have been unlocked: Tech Guru (Start-Up Entrepreneur), and Secret Agent (Villain).
2. At least one sim in the family now has to be in the Business Career.
3. Anybody born during this decade must have one of the following traits: Ambitious, Self-Assured, Materialistic, Snob, or Perfectionist
4. Every sim who "fought" in the Vietnam War and survived will receive a pension. §250 for every sim who survived.
5. Cell Phones are now allowed. No restrictions.
6. Computers may now be used for gaming.
7. Better TVs are allowed. No flat screens.
8. Television has a time restriction. TV will be allowed from 6am to 2am
9. Your house can have marble flooring now.
1990s - Globalization
1. ALL careers have been unlocked!! :D
2. When the oldest teenager is about to become a young adult, the family must prepare for the Y2K Disaster.
3. You must build a temporary safe house or shelter using the cheapest furniture. The whole entire family lives in there for 3 days right before the teenager's birthday.
4. No children are allowed to go to school during the Y2K Disaster time.
5. In the safe house, there cannot be a computer.
6. Men can now take paternity leave after their child has been born.
7. There are no cell phone restrictions.
8. There are no restrictions on how fancy your showers, sinks, fridges, or stoves can be.
9. Your sims can now use the computer for socializing.
10. Treadmills are now available
2000s - The Starting Point
1. Computers can be used for anything now.
2. Flatscreen TVs are now available.
3. There are no longer any restrictions on the type of electronics you can own.
4. All fitness machines are available.
5. There are no restrictions on how fancy your furniture can be.
6. No restrictions on the type of flooring.
7. No restrictions on the type of walling.
2010s - We're Here
1. LGBT marriage is now allowed!
2. There are no restrictions on anything. Seriously.
To Win
You must get your family through all the decades/generations.
Scoring System
+10 points for every sim married before their Adult Stage
+5 points for every sim married during or after their Adult Stage
+10 points for each child born
+5 points for each child adopted
+15 points for each skill mastered
+25 points for each sim that reaches the top of their career branch
+10 points for every teenage sim that has an A in school
+10 points for every child sim that has an A in school
+5 points for every teenage or child sim that has a B in school
+5 points for every sim that dies a natural death
-10 points for every job fired from
-5 points for every child or teenager with a D or below in school
-10 points for every sim's death before they reach Young Adulthood
-5 points for every sim's death before they reach Elder
-5 points for every fire that starts
-15 points for every sim that Child Services takes away
Original Challenge By UndeadCleo
EA Forum post is located here
You start in the 1890's (I downloaded a bunch of appropriate clothing just to add to the feel) and I wanted to show the changing world in real time, which means the challenge starts out with some limits to marriage in regards to race and gender. You can totally choose to ignore those and any other rules, these are just the things I am playing with. Each new decade starts with the children growing into young adults (or teens if you prefer)
1890’s
May only marry within their ethnicity
May only marry and have a relationship with opposite gender
Outside toilets
No electricity (Lighting is a problem here, use candles or lanterns)
Must always ‘try for a baby’ no just woohooing
Girls born may only have the creativity bonus
Women take care of the children and tidy the house, may help garden
Female children may only move out once married.
Male heirs only, if there are no boys, a married girl's husband may inherit
Wooden furniture only (No upholstered beds only quilts and blankets)
Old fashioned stove and fridge (I downloaded a pantry item to help with the aesthetics)
No showers only bathtubs
No jobs, money made through gardening, painting or woodworking
Wooden walls and floors
House must only be decorated with impressionist or classic paintings
(Must have a cow plant ready for the 1910’s so start now)
1900’s
Indoor plumbing (Still no showers)
Electric lighting allowed
Upholstery allowed
Wallpaper allowed
Phonograph music player allowed
Jobs allowed (males only)
Business career to level 6
Culinary to level 5
Entertainer – musician branch full career open
1910’s war years
Male children ‘go off to war’ at adulthood (feed to cowplant, randomise through dice rolling - odds die, evens survive)
Male children must take one of the following characteristics at adulthood (Assuming they have been to war and have suffered trauma)
Gloomy
Hot headed
Clumsy
Insane
Lazy
Squeamish
Mean
Noncommital
Men of the family cannot work until they transition from young adulthood to adulthood (You may wish to move them to a separate household until this happens, then invite them over once a week to simulate wartime leave)
Carpets allowed
Painted walls allowed
Men that marry the female children must also ‘go to war’ (Allowed one chance to have a baby first)
Jobs (Male only)
Business – Management branch
Culinary – Chef branch
Entertainer – Musician branch
Painter – both branches
1920’s Womens rights
Women can be chosen to inherit
Women can work as a painter or musician until Children arrive
Careers opened
Criminal (bootleggers) – Boss branch
Culinary (bootleggers) – Mixologist branch
1930’s Great depression
Anyone in a career loses their job and must make money by scavenging through the neighbourhood for 2 weeks of game time
Careers lost (business)
Bills may only be paid after the electricity has been cut off (Water too if you want a harder version)
All sims reaching adulthood in this era must take one of the following traits:
Gloomy
Noncommital
Mean
1940’s WWII
Male children ‘go off to war’ at adulthood (feed to cowplant, randomise through dice rolling - odds die, evens survive)
Male children must take one of the following characteristics at adulthood(Assuming they have been to war)
Gloomy
Hot headed
Clumsy
Insane
Lazy
Squeamish
Mean
Noncommital
Men of the family cannot work until they transition from young adulthood to adulthood (You may wish to move them to a separate household until this happens, then invite them over once a week to simulate wartime leave)
Women must now work in one of the following careers:
Athlete – Body builder career (Working as a health advisor to the government)
Painter – Master of the real (Working as a propaganda minister)
Culinary – Mixologist (Working as a pub landlady) Chef (Minister for food/agriculture)
Entertainer – Either (Entertaining the troops)
Every house must now own a radio and someone must listen for one hour a day
Every house must have a garden (Dig for victory)
One hot cooked meal per person per day, all other hunger must be dealt with produce from the garden
1950’s Korean war
First male child gets conscripted, first female child becomes a volunteer nurse, both get fed to the cowplant at adulthood after choosing one of the war characteristics from the 1st and second world war
Cheapest TV Available – only shows programmes from 6-10am and 6-12pm
Cheapest pc available – Only used for writing
Athlete – professional Branch available
Writing career available
House can be decorated with popart
Showers allowed
1960’s sexual revolution and civil rights era
Birth control! You no longer need to try for a baby with each woohoo
Astronaut career available
Secret agent career available
Marriage available regardless of ethnicity
Homosexual relationships allowed
Better TV’s allowed (No Wall mounted flat screens) (time restrictions still apply)
You may take time off for the birth of your baby
1970’s End of the vietnam war
First two children (Of either gender) are sent to war (cowplant) as conscripts or volunteer nurses and must take a survivor trait
First microprocessor allows 2nd tier computer to be used for gaming and writing only
Environmentalist movement – Every child born must have one of the following:
Active
Self assured
Loves outdoors
Outgoing
1980’s
All computers available for writing and playing games only
Yuppie era – Every child born must have one of the following traits:
Self assured
Foodie
Ambitious
Materialistic
Snob
One person in the family must have a business/investor career
TV time restrictions 6am – 2am
You are allowed to go camping
1990’s – Internet!
Computers have no restrictions!
You are allowed to use your mobile phones!
When the first child turns from a child into a teen your family become Y2k disaster preppers
You must build a safe house on your property using the cheapest furniture and you must stay in there three days before your oldest teens birthday, no children etc are allowed to go to school
2000’s – Climate change
All careers open
Dad’s may take leave for the birth of their baby
Flatscreens allowed
2010’s
Gay marriage allowed
