How to Kill a Sim

Sims do not die naturally in The Sims, so you'll have to kill them

Killing a Sim is not for the weak. It can be difficult to watch a Sim suffer and cry out for help. But it's a great way to get rid of annoying Townies or ex-husbands. Once a Sim is gone, that's it! Only kill the Sims you really want to go. Death lasts forever.

Sims ghost chasing revolutionary dressed sim in cemetery screenshot

Ever since the original Sims was released, there were a few methods that were almost guaranteed to kill your Sim. The following are ways people through the years have most commonly killed off their Sims.

Kill a Sim by Fire

If the Sim has low cooking points, have them cook supper either with the stove or BBQ. There is a huge chance they'll start a fire.

Got a fireplace? Place a rug and/or paintings near the fireplace. Have the Sim light the fireplace, and just wait.

Setting off fireworks inside is also a guaranteed way to start a fire.

Kill a Sim by Starvation

Sims have to eat, right? Well, make sure they don't and they will surely die.

To kill a Sim by starvation, lure them into a room, then remove the door and replace it with a wall. Put a radio in the room, and have them turn it on so they don't get any sleep.

This is a difficult way to watch them die. They will plead for fun, food, and may wet their pants. It's a painfully slow process. So, unless you're really morbid, scroll over to a different part of the house.

Kill a Sim by Electrocution

Electrocution is the least efficient way to kill a Sim. The chances of a Sim being electrocuted while repairing an object (a TV, for example) or replacing a light bulb is very low. However, if they don't have any mechanical skills, the risk of death increases and makes this a viable option.

Sims can be killed by electrocution in two ways. First, when repairing an object, like a TV or computer. Second, when turning on an appliance when standing in water.

Kill a Sim by Drowning

If you want to torture and eventually kill a Sim, drowning is a reasonable option. To drown a Sim, have them swim in a pool. While they are swimming enter build mode and remove the ladder.

Some Sims can swim forever, but once they get tired and don't find the ladder, a thought bubble appears with a ladder. Be patient, eventually, they give up and the Grim Reaper comes for them.

Starting with Sims 3, removing the ladder doesn't work because the ladder remains fixed. Instead, drown your Sim by building a wall around the pool.

Most people turn to the four tried and true methods listed above to wipe out their Sim. However, there are a few unconventional, lesser-known methods that end a Sim's life. They aren't as difficult to find as cheat codes, but once you know about them, your Sims will never be safe again.

Flies Can Kill

Starting with Sims 2, if your Sim doesn't wash the dishes, the kitchen becomes overwhelmed with flies that swarm and kill your Sim.

It's an unusual way to die, considering that the common housefly isn't usually lethal. But apparently, the flies in the Sims games are especially lethal.

Hail is Deadly

In Sims 2, if your Sim roams around too long out in a storm, an unexpected hail storm can take them out.

Hail is an especially painful way to die, so don't go with this option unless you really don't like your Sim and would like to watch them suffer.

Beware of the Elevator

In the world of Sims 2, when a Sim gets on an elevator, there's a high chance that the doors close early or that the elevator starts moving before the Sim has finished entering.

To keep your Sim safe, opt for the stairs if you can. But if you really don't care about your Sim, go ahead and gamble by taking the elevator.

Laughter Could Be Fatal

In Sims 4, making your Sim laugh could make them die. It sounds strange, but the danger comes from getting a Sim so hysterical that they literally drop dead from laughing so hard.

This happens from watching a comedy on TV, reading a funny book, or something as mundane as taking a bubble bath.

If you purchase expansion packs, you'll discover new ways for your Sims to die.

Death in the 'University' Expansion Pack

The University is a great place for your Sim to make friends, but who knew that going to college could be so dangerous? The truth is that college-bound Sims face a wide range of dangerous, life-threatening situations.

  • Vending machines: Have your Sim shake a vending machine. It could fall on top of them and crush them.
  • Death by megaphone: Before you decide to turn your Sim into a vocal megaphone-touting activist, consider that it could attract the Grim Reaper.
  • Collapsible beds: One of the easiest ways to kill your Sim in this expansion pack is to close the bed while your Sim is laying in it.

Death in the 'Showtime' Expansion Pack

Does your Sim want to become famous? Install the Showtime expansion pack and make it possible. There are plenty of jobs for Sims in the various Sims games, but entering the field of showbiz introduces a number of fatal dangers for your beloved Sims.

  • Fail as a magician: Getting started as a magician can be pretty tough. But if you send your Sim to entertain crowds with certain tricks like Buried Alive or Watery Escape, your Sim could actually fail the trick and die. The odds are low, but the possibility of death is always there.
  • Singing to death: Who knew that being a singer could be deadly? If your Sim is unlucky, they might catch on fire while singing to the crowd.

Other Expansion Pack Deaths

Most expansion packs include one or two new ways that your Sim can die.

  • Jelly Bean Bush (Supernatural): Eating jelly beans from this bush has a low chance of dying by fire, electrocution, or death.
  • Transmutation (Supernatural): If you want to gamble with some deadly spells, have your Sim cast the transmutation spell one too many times. Your Sim will accidentally turn themselves into a statue.
  • Deadly Mummy (Adventures): Explore the tombs and hopefully encounter a mummy that will curse your Sim and kill them.
  • Lightning (Seasons): Have your Sim walk around outside during a storm in the Seasons expansion pack and risk getting struck by lightning.
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