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How To Do The Sims 4 Decades Challenge

by Evelyn Feb 20,2025

The Sims 4 Decades Challenge: A Journey Through Time

The Sims 4 community thrives on creating engaging challenges, and the Decades Challenge offers a unique way to experience your Sims' lives across different eras. This guide explains the rules and provides a structured approach to navigating this historical simulation.

The Sims 4 Decades Challenge

Image via EA

Challenge Overview and Rules:

The core concept involves progressing through decades, with each two in-game days representing a year, starting in 1890. You can adjust the starting and ending years to personalize the challenge. Crucially, automatic aging must be disabled, and specific life expectancies are applied based on historical trends: Sims born before 1950 have shorter lifespans than those born afterward, reflecting the significant increase in life expectancy around that time.

Age Progression Guidelines:

Before 1950:
- Baby: 1 day (6 months)
- Toddler: 3 days (2 years)
- Child: 8 days (6 years)
- Teen: 14 days (13 years)
- Young Adult: 26 days (32 years)
- Adult: 36 days (50 years)
- Elder: Dies after ~14 days (around 60 years old)
After 1950:
- Baby: 1 day (6 months)
- Toddler: 3 days (2 years)
- Child: 8 days (6 years)
- Teen: 14 days (13 years)
- Young Adult: 32 days (35 years)
- Adult: 60 days (65 years)
- Elder: Dies after ~56 days (around 90 years old)

Gameplay and Restrictions:

Begin with a single young adult Sim (or a married couple). Multi-generational households are permitted, reflecting common historical living arrangements. Clothing should accurately represent each decade.

Housing limitations exist: Strangerville is off-limits, Del Sol Valley is unavailable before the 1950s, and Sulani is discouraged for realism. Apartments are acceptable for single Sims, but marriage necessitates a house move.

Technology use is restricted by era. Phones are allowed for essential gameplay functions but not for entertainment or communication until appropriate. Computers are similarly limited to job requirements and essential purchases. Job choices should align with the historical context of each decade.

Decadal Challenges (Summary): For detailed rules, refer to Cute Coffee Gal's comprehensive guide.

Sims living in Cottage Living

Image via EA

1890s: Male heirs only; daughters with the Creative trait move out upon marriage; no WooHoo, only "try for baby"; home births; period-appropriate jobs; limited technology; elementary school mandatory; university allowed with relevant majors; Cow Plant cultivation begins.
1900s: Lamps allowed; indoor plumbing (no showers); other 1890s rules apply; phonographs permitted.
1910s: WWI draft for male teens, young adults, and adults; Cow Plant cake consumption; dice roll determines further cake consumption or return home; oldest female and her husband become heirs if all males perish; high school mandatory (C average required); women can pursue manual labor jobs; university for men post-war.
1920s: Women can be heirs; daughters don't need the Creative trait; talk radio, movies, and all lighting options allowed; women can work under broader circumstances; no alcohol (Prohibition).
1930s: Kegs allowed at university; Great Depression simulation (job loss, one cooked meal daily, scavenging for others); Prohibition ends.
1940s: WWII draft (same rules as WWI); victory garden required; thermostats, washers, and dryers allowed; radio listening mandatory; no punishment for poor high school grades; teens can work part-time.
1950s: Korean War draft (same rules); showers and cheap TVs allowed; radio listening not mandatory; high school mandatory; phones allowed for calls.
1960s: Vietnam War draft (two oldest children); any college major allowed; maternity leave for women; WooHoo unrestricted.
1970s: Vietnam War draft (two oldest children); marriage encouraged but not mandatory; microwaves and dishwashers allowed; lottery tickets and food delivery available.
1980s: Gaming allowed; at least one Sim must pursue a business career; science babies allowed; hospital births preferred.
1990s: Laptops allowed; unrestricted TV; texting allowed; Y2K shelter construction and three-day confinement.
2000s: Computer and phone restrictions lifted (except Trendi); home or hospital births; all music and TV channels allowed.
2010s: No journalism (print media decline); same-sex marriage allowed; all part-time work allowed; meat wall, Trendi, and weather generator available.