So far tried out three sims, and am giving a short review of each. Sims last longer than most games and some neven end until you make that decision.

First one is Fairy Godmother. Easy to learn and master and game ends when accomplish that level goal. Also have option to continue playing in any town with the happy ever after option. Only needed one bail out from the loan shark. Could have used a few more curses that you have to research for a cure. To break things up there are visits from various fairy tale characters with problems, ie three little pigs and the turtle and the rabbit.

2nd one is Virtual Village. This one is never-ending. There are 16 milestones markers in the game which you have to figure out what they are (got 7 so far) and keeps stats on everything that you do. There are also research milestones that must be reached to do other things. While watching the village grow, you look for mushrooms and then place a kid on it for food, move adults around to various plants to learn healing, to a berry bush for foraging, to a research table, and to make buildings. Also on character profile, can decide if a villager should concentrate on research, bulding, healing, etc.

3rd one is Escape from Paradise. In this one, a local will give you tasks to do that will help you to get off the island and mini-games for experience. Each location when opens up, has its own game. The game building offers just one game and each has five levels (so far) with five variations on each level. Experience points are awarded with successful completion of the game. As leader you assign people to foraging, chopping wood, and building. Also sometimes to treasure digging though most of time get messages. Haven't finished yet but games include a dinner dash building, match 3 in a row/column, higher/lower card game for the buildings. Minis include peg game, shuffleboard, marble, etc. Also need to make sure that they remember to eat, drink, and sleep.

Thanks acornia...I haven't given a try to any sim game since the original Sims. My lady kept burning down the house and wouldn't work. Maybe I'll give one of these a go and see if I can't do better.

Thanks for your reviews.... !

Ana

Great information, and The Fairy Godmother one sounds right up my alley. I'll have to give it a go.

Ana, why did your lady keep burning the house down? Did she hate cleaning that much?

Cleaning?? You must be kidding! She wouldn't take the garbage out and then she'd start cooking, fall asleep and the garbage would catch fire. She was the most unmotivated person you ever met. I couldn't get her to shower or go to the bathroom either. I wouldn't be surprised if a few of the times she died was from an exploded bladder! I decided after the 4th or 5th time of starting over that I had kids I needed to tend to and this lady was worse than having a house of teens.

Ana

That's why I never tried the sim type games. I already had folks to take care of and didn't think I needed anymore in my 'fun' time

I bought the first Sims game, complete with all the expansion packs, some time ago. I showed it to my kids (2,5 and 4 years old) and they talked for weeks about the man burning up his stove.

For me, the Sims is like a neighborhood of doll houses inside my computer. I play a little now and then but I soon get bored.

Pernilla

Of the Sim games, like Safari and City best though didn't bother getting any of the other city games. Like building and exploring. So have played Civilization that way. Much easier with the new one to do that but can't build as many cities or wonders. Also liked the one game where you had the new world to explore--like finding spices and other luxuries.

Zoo Tycoon is my favourite of all the sims, I can spend hours building parks and exhibits, choosing animals, and umm, scooping poop, etc. Actually, I could do without quite so much of the p***-scooping.

I've always thought if I were going to do those games, I might like that one because I love animals.