Choose The Sims™ 3
Choose The Sims™ 3 if it matches what drew you to this matchup. 20,341 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Sims™ 3 vs The Sims™ 4
The Sims™ 3 and The Sims™ 4 both land in Simulation on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Simulation games on Steam. The Sims™ 3 (2011) is 9 years older than The Sims™ 4 (2020). Both sit near 87% positive on Steam (The Sims™ 3: 20,341 reviews, The Sims™ 4: 103,350). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose The Sims™ 4
Choose The Sims™ 4 if you want an Adventure, Free To Play, and Casual game with Stereo Sound, Surround Sound, and Playable without Timed Input. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 103,350 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both The Sims™ 3 and The Sims™ 4 sit in Simulation on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (86.7% vs 87.1% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 The Sims™ 3 |  The Sims™ 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2020 |
| Genres | Simulation | Adventure, Simulation, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 86.7% positive (20,341 reviews) | 87.1% positive (103,350 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | The Sims Studio, Maxis | Maxis |
Side by side
- Both are Simulation games on Steam.
- The Sims™ 3 (2011) is 9 years older than The Sims™ 4 (2020).
- Both sit near 87% positive on Steam (The Sims™ 3: 20,341 reviews, The Sims™ 4: 103,350).
- The Sims™ 4 is free; The Sims™ 3 is paid (19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: The Sims™ 3 is Deck Unsupported, The Sims™ 4 is Deck Playable.
The Sims™ 3 vs The Sims™ 4 — FAQ
- Which is better, The Sims™ 3 or The Sims™ 4?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: The Sims™ 3 sits at 86.7% positive (20,341 reviews), The Sims™ 4 at 87.1% (103,350). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play The Sims™ 3 or The Sims™ 4 first?
- If you want chronology, The Sims™ 3 (2011) came out before The Sims™ 4 (2020). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are The Sims™ 3 and The Sims™ 4 similar?
- They overlap on Simulation on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Is The Sims™ 4 free?
- Yes — The Sims™ 4 is a free-to-play Steam title. The Sims™ 3 is paid (19.99 USD).