Choose The Sims™ 3
Choose The Sims™ 3 if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 86.7% positive across 20,341 reviews.
The Sims™ 3 vs The Sims™ Legacy Collection
The Sims™ 3 and The Sims™ Legacy Collection 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 14 years older than The Sims™ Legacy Collection (2025). The Sims™ 3 scores higher on Steam reviews (86.7% positive) than The Sims™ Legacy Collection (71.9% positive). 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™ Legacy Collection
Choose The Sims™ Legacy Collection if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,455 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both The Sims™ 3 and The Sims™ Legacy Collection sit in Simulation on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 The Sims™ 3 |  The Sims™ Legacy Collection | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2025 |
| Genres | Simulation | Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 11.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.7% positive (20,341 reviews) | 71.9% positive (1,455 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 14 years older than The Sims™ Legacy Collection (2025).
- The Sims™ 3 scores higher on Steam reviews (86.7% positive) than The Sims™ Legacy Collection (71.9% positive).
- The Sims™ Legacy Collection is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than The Sims™ 3 (11.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: The Sims™ 3 is Deck Unsupported, The Sims™ Legacy Collection is Deck Playable.
The Sims™ 3 vs The Sims™ Legacy Collection — FAQ
- Which is better, The Sims™ 3 or The Sims™ Legacy Collection?
- On Steam reviews The Sims™ 3 scores higher (86.7% positive) than The Sims™ Legacy Collection (71.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, The Sims™ 3 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play The Sims™ 3 or The Sims™ Legacy Collection first?
- If you want chronology, The Sims™ 3 (2011) came out before The Sims™ Legacy Collection (2025). 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™ Legacy Collection 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.