Sims 4 Decades Challenge: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you're diving into The Sims 4, one of the most engaging ways to keep gameplay fresh and exciting is by participating in community-created challenges. Among them, the Decades Challenge stands out as a fantastic way to immerse your Sims in evolving historical eras, from the late 1800s all the way through to the modern age.

Rules of the Decades Challenge in The Sims 4

Image via EA

The core concept of the Decades Challenge is simple yet immersive: every two days in-game represent one calendar year, starting from 1890 (or an adjusted range if preferred). For example:

• Days 1–2 = 1890
• Days 3–4 = 1891
• …and so on until reaching 2010 or 2020, depending on your preference

To enhance realism, automatic aging should be disabled, and custom life expectancy rules are applied based on whether a Sim was born before or after 1950, reflecting real-world increases in average lifespan.

Age Progression Timelines

Regardless of birth era, the early life stages remain consistent:

• Baby: Ages after 1 day (6 months old)
• Infant: Ages after 3 days (2 years old)
• Toddler: Ages after 8 days (6 years old)
• Child: Ages after 14 days (13 years old)
• Teen: Ages after 12 days (19 years old)

For adult life stages:

Sims Born Before 1950:

• Young Adult: Ages after 26 days (32 years old)
• Adult: Ages after 36 days (50 years old)
• Elder: Dies after about 14 days (around 60 years old)

Sims Born After 1950:

• Young Adult: Ages after 32 days (35 years old)
• Adult: Ages after 60 days (65 years old)
• Elder: Dies after about 56 days (around 90 years old)

Starting Conditions

You may begin with either:

• A single young adult who eventually finds a spouse
• A married couple of young adults

One Sim can also include their parents in the household, reflecting multi-generational living common during earlier periods.

Outfit choices should reflect the current time period, adding visual authenticity to your challenge run.

Housing Restrictions

Certain worlds and features are off-limits until their historical debut:

• Strangerville: Not allowed at any point
• Del Sol Valley: Unavailable until the 1950s
• Sulani: Best avoided for maximum realism
• Living in apartments is permitted only when single; marriage requires moving into a house

Technology & Jobs

Phones can be used for necessary gameplay mechanics but not for entertainment or communication until appropriate decades. Similarly, computers may be used for job-related tasks and ordering items like books or seeds, but otherwise follow era-appropriate restrictions.

Choose jobs that align with each decade’s norms—use judgment to ensure historical accuracy where possible.

The Sims 4 Decades Challenge Difficulties

Image via EA

Each decade introduces unique gameplay mechanics and restrictions designed to simulate life during that time. Below is a breakdown of each era's specific rules:

1890s

• Only male heirs are recognized
• Daughters must take the Creative trait and move out after marriage
• WooHooing is strictly prohibited; Trying for a Baby is the only reason Sims share a bed
• Babies are born at home
• Men work period-appropriate jobs such as woodworking
• Women manage the household but may freelance or garden if widowed
• No electricity allowed
• Elementary school required; high school optional
• University available for men and women, but majors must be historically accurate
• Begin growing a Cow Plant

1900s

• Lamps now permitted
• Indoor plumbing introduced, but no showers
• Same job and education rules as the 1890s
• Phonographs allowed for music
• All other 1890s rules still apply

1910s

• Teen, Young Adult, and Adult males drafted for WWI
• All drafted males must eat Cow Plant cake
• Roll a die for each drafted male: odd numbers eat again, even numbers return home
• If all males die, the oldest female and her partner become the heir
• High school becomes mandatory (minimum C average); failing students must move out
• Male Sims may attend university post-war
• Women gain access to manual labor jobs

1920s

• Daughters can now inherit property and remain in the household after marriage
• No requirement for the Creative trait for daughters
• Talk radio, movies, and all lighting options now allowed
• Women may work more freely, including if their partners earn insufficient income
• Alcohol consumption prohibited due to Prohibition laws

1930s

• Kegs allowed at university
• Great Depression in effect
• No business careers permitted
• All Sims lose jobs at the start of the decade; reemployment possible after one week
• One cooked meal per day allowed; other meals must be scavenged, caught, or grown

1940s

• Repeat WWI draft rules for WWII
• Victory gardens required (minimum four plants)
• Thermostats, washers, and dryers now allowed
• Radios required in households; one Sim must listen daily for at least one hour
• High schoolers no longer expelled for poor grades
• Teens may take part-time jobs

1950s

• Oldest son drafted for Korean War under same rules
• Showers and basic TVs allowed
• Radio listening no longer mandatory
• High school attendance required
• Phones may be used for calls (similar to traditional landlines)

1960s

• Two oldest children (any gender) drafted for Vietnam War under same rules
• College majors unrestricted
• Women eligible for maternity leave
• WooHooing now permitted

1970s

• Repeat Vietnam War draft rules for two oldest children
• Marriage encouraged but not mandatory
• Microwaves and dishwashers allowed
• Lottery tickets and food delivery introduced

1980s

• Gaming allowed
• At least one Sim must pursue a business career
• Science Babies now permitted
• Babies must be born in hospitals

1990s

• Laptops allowed
• TV watching unrestricted
• Appliance and furniture restrictions lifted
• Texting now permitted
• Families must build a Y2K shelter and stay inside for three days

2000s

• Computers unrestricted
• Mobile phones unrestricted (except Trendi)
• Babies may be born at home or hospital
• All music types and TV channels allowed

2010s

• Journalism limited to digital media (print declining)
• Same-sex marriages fully supported
• Part-time work unrestricted
• Meat Wall, Trendi, and Weather Generator features unlocked

That covers everything you need to know about the Decades Challenge in The Sims 4. While the Eco Lifestyle expansion pack enhances the experience significantly, you can adapt this challenge to suit your own collection of game packs.

The Sims 4 is currently available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms.