Sims 4 suitable for a 6 year old?!?! It's 18 certificate?!?!

[Deleted member 44129]

I downloaded Sims4 and my 6 year old autistic son has taken a shine to it. So far it seems to be an absolute gem of an educational tool for him.
We're looking at is stuff we struggle to get him to do IRL, such as brush his teeth, have a wash, go to school and so on. Then there's the social aspect, so we've been discussing how the characters might be feeling as they talk, or what they might do to make other characters happy. It's brilliant and he's loving it.....

.....BUT it's level 9 on the PS4's family controls, suggesting it is suitable for 18 year olds and up. So my question is, what is in the game that is unsuitable for a 6 year old? Is it just because there are online elements and they can't guarantee that player creations are suitable?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dullahan]

Sims can woohoo aka implied sex, in a very PG kind of way. That's all I can see.

 

[Gaardus]

https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/WooHoo

 

[Max|Payne]

I guess it's because of the censored sex and nudity?

Spoiler

?!?!

 

[Triggerhappytel]

I would assume because you can kill the sims?

 

[FloatingDivider]

There's censored nudity which you know about in the showering, but there's also non graphic sex and mild violence if you start fights with other sims. Death is also in there with death by starvation, drowning, catastrophic house-fires etc. None of it is very graphic but I'm not really sure how suitable it is for a 6 year old, I assume it's okay during supervised play though as death and woohoo'ing is very avoidable in most scenarios.

 

[Rotobit]

There's censored sex in a variety of locations where it's not exactly subtle (you can WooHoo in a bush). There are also some surprisingly graphic depictions of death alongside the more goofy ones - drowning is surprisingly realistically done, it's eerie.

I'm not sure if Sims 4 has the "juice" and "bubble blower", either.

I'd say it's suitable for kids 10 and up, not a 6 year old, although with supervision I could see it being ok. 18 is ridiculous.

 

[hankenta]

The ESRB rates it as Teen. It's basically implied sex/innuendo, cartoon violence, and death. PEGI rates it at 12 and up for the same reasons.

https://www.esrb.org/ratings/33553/The+Sims™+4/

This is a "sandbox" simulation game in which players create, customize, and control characters called "Sims" through their daily activities. Players are free to pursue a variety of daily goals as they observe and attempt to influence other Sims in town. Players can socially interact with Sims to build relationships, and are free to pursue more intimate encounters, such as the ability to kiss, hug, or engage in "Try for Baby" and "Mess Around" (i.e., sex) with another Sim: this action depicts the Sims squirming, giggling, and moaning under the covers until hearts float around the bed. Sims maintain their health and hygiene through eating, exercising, bathing, and using the toilet. They sometimes vomit or urinate on themselves if their hygiene is not properly managed. Some interactions lead to fighting, which is depicted by sounds of struggle and partially obscured "fight-cloud" effects; other animations include Sims getting electrocuted by household appliances, being eaten by a giant carnivorous plant, or dying in fires—a Grim Reaper arrives, turning dead Sims into urns.

Click to shrink...

 

[Brian McDoogle]

Sims can have sex, they can get pregnant, they can die, etc. It's never graphic, but the concepts of it all are there.

 

[Deleted member 44129]

Sounds like there isn't anything that I'm uncomfortable in the game. The "Woohoo" can just be explained as "they're having a cuddle". He's 6, he knows that sometimes when people love each other very much they have a cuddle and sometimes a baby is born. I'm happy this is fine.

Also, apparently there can be same sex couples, which while that would bother some people (did I say "people", I meant to say twats), it certainly doesnt bother me. He's already been to a gay wedding.

 

[Gaardus]

Also, I don't know if this has any impact on Sony's Parental Controls rating, but The Sims 4 got an 18+ age rating in Russia because your Sims can be gay.

 

[Nugnip]

They fight, they have sex, they walk around naked, they curse, they die. It's all very cartoony and/or censored, but it's there. Also, online interactions tend to do that to an age rating.

 

[Odesu]

I really don't see how two Sims disappearing under a cover with Hearts floating around could be deemed inappropriate by anyone who isn't a pearl clutching extremist of some kind.

If you think that Loony Toons or Tom & Jerry are OK with its cartoon violence, then so it the Sims. There's really nothing here. The games have a "From 6 years on" age rating in notoriously harsh germany, by the way.

So, yeah, you're completely fine.

 

[TrashHeap64]

Sounds like there isn't anything that I'm uncomfortable in the game. The "Woohoo" can just be explained as "they're having a cuddle". He's 6, he knows that sometimes when people love each other very much they have a cuddle and sometimes a baby is born. I'm happy this is fine.

Also, apparently there can be same sex couples, which while that would bother some people (did I say "people", I meant to say twats), it certainly doesnt bother me. He's already been to a gay wedding.

Click to shrink...

You should be fine then. Some of the deaths can be seen as scary (Sims burning to death screaming) but its more cartoony than realistic. The grim reaper will show up and take them away. They'll come back as ghosts if you move another family into the house, but its not scary or anything.

 

[McNum]

There's censored sex in a variety of locations where it's not exactly subtle (you can WooHoo in a bush). There are also some surprisingly graphic depictions of death alongside the more goofy ones - drowning is surprisingly realistically done, it's eerie.

I'm not sure if Sims 4 has the "juice" and "bubble blower", either.

I'd say it's suitable for kids 10 and up, not a 6 year old, although with supervision I could see it being ok. 18 is ridiculous.

Click to shrink...

Sims 4 has the totally not alcohol "juice", yes.

And yeah, the game is goofy, but it also doesn't shy away from suddenly having reality ensue for what you do. Fire is an ever present threat, but also things like passing out or wetting your pants if you fail to take care of those needs. And, of course starving to death. Though getting that one by accident is hard, you have to be in a very sadistic mood to get that.

Though I suppose that's educational, too. Don't play with fire or you'll get burned. In the real world, that just means a minor burn, in The Sims, it's full on immolation.

 

[Jessie]

Watch this. If you're comfortable with your child seeing this, then you'll be fine. This is as bad as it gets.

 

[SnatcherHunter]

My daughters love Sims 4. They been playing it since 6 as well. As long as you explain to them ( not everything in it is bad) etc., it is a good game for them IMO

 

[Lukar]

TIL that sex in The Sims is called woohoo.

 

[Deleted member 44129]

Watch this. If you're comfortable with your child seeing this, then you'll be fine. This is as bad as it gets.

Click to shrink...

That's it I'm calling a Priest.

 

[Brian McDoogle]

Sounds like there isn't anything that I'm uncomfortable in the game. The "Woohoo" can just be explained as "they're having a cuddle". He's 6, he knows that sometimes when people love each other very much they have a cuddle and sometimes a baby is born. I'm happy this is fine.

Also, apparently there can be same sex couples, which while that would bother some people (did I say "people", I meant to say twats), it certainly doesnt bother me. He's already been to a gay wedding.

Click to shrink...

Probably the biggest thing he would run into would be fires being started when cooking. They are panicky, and a sim can die while on fire. The stuff in the online gallery is curated and he won't see anything bad there, and that's really the extent of online interactions.

In general, it's a lot harder to kill your sims in this game than in any of the previous other ones. Look up the fire animation and see if that might bother him. (Look up all the death animations for fun for yourself! The drowning one is kind of legit disturbing. lol)

Oh, and I guess there are ghosts in the game too. And vampires. But again, they're all cartoony. (Still, with kids you never know).

 

[hankenta]

Watch this. If you're comfortable with your child seeing this, then you'll be fine. This is as bad as it gets.

Click to shrink...

I need to take a shower after watching that.

 

[Jessie]

I need to take a shower after watching that.

Click to shrink...

Showers aren't safe either

 

[Kneefoil]

I need to take a shower after watching that.

Click to shrink...

And I need a hot tub.

 

[Deleted member 44129]

It's a real nuisance because now every time he wants to play sims I have to set the family settings to level 9, then check he's not blowing nazi heads off in a different game, and then remember to change the setting back when he's finished playing.