If you‘ve ever played the popular mobile life simulation game Sims FreePlay, you may be wondering – do the Sims you create in the game actually age over time? The short answer is yes, Sims characters do progressively age from babies to elders. However, the aging system works a bit differently compared to other Sims games.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know about how aging works in Sims FreePlay, so you can better understand the life cycles and mortality of your simulated citizens.
How Aging Works in Sims FreePlay
The main thing that sets Sims FreePlay apart is that Sims age in real-time. In other words, as real days and weeks pass for you the player, your Sims will also get older in the game.
Each life stage for Sims takes a set number of real days to complete before the Sim automatically ages up to the next stage. For example, the toddler stage always lasts 4 real days before they become a child. This duration happens even when you‘re not actively playing the game.
However, players do have some options to control the aging process. You can speed it up with birthday cakes or slow it down by purchasing potions and elixirs. There‘s also an option to turn off automatic aging completely if you want total control.
So in summary:
Sims age over real time, not gameplay time
Each life stage has a fixed duration in real days
Players can manually influence the aging rate with special items
Now let‘s take a closer look at each life stage and how long it takes…
The 6 Stages of a Sim‘s Life
In Sims FreePlay, Sims pass through a total of six different life stages, from birth to old age. Each stage lasts a set number of days and comes with new abilities and gameplay options.
Stage 1: Baby
Duration: 3 days
Helpless infant that must be fed, held, played with etc.
Stays in crib most of the time
Unlocks new social options like tickling
Stage 2: Toddler
Duration: 4 days
Starts walking short distances and talking
Can play on toddler playground objects
Must be potty trained
Unlocks more social interactions like playing tag
Stage 3: PreTeen
Duration: 5 days
Attends school for the first time
Can learn to cook and earn money pet-sitting
More independence from parents compared to toddlers
Stage 4: Teen
Duration: 7 days
Even more independent
Can get after-school and part-time jobs
Unlocks romantic social options like flirting
Stage 5: Adult
Duration: 21 days
Considered a "young adult"
Complete independence to make life choices
Can pursue career, marry partner, and start a family
Stage 6: Elder
Duration: 19 days
Visible aging with grey hair and wrinkles
Unlocks reminiscing social options
Random chance of dying from old age each night
As you can see, babies grow up quickly at first, then the stages get progressively longer until adulthood when aging slows down.
The adult and elder stages are the most flexible, as Sims can remain adults indefinitely until you decide to age them up manually. Elders don‘t have a fixed lifespan and can die of old age at any time.
Next let‘s look at how to monitor your Sims‘ aging progress…
Checking Your Sims‘ Age Progress
Since Sims in FreePlay age in real-time, the game gives you a few helpful tools to monitor their age progress day-by-day:
Age progress circle: The colored circle around your Sim‘s portrait will slowly fill up as they approach their next birthday. When the circle turns solid red, aging up is imminent.
Thought bubbles: Sims will periodically think thoughts like "I‘m getting older" which hint their next age transition is approaching.
Calendar: Upcoming birthdays will be shown on the calendar with a cake icon several days in advance.
Sim profile: Tapping your Sim and checking their bio shows their exact age countdown in days remaining until aging up.
Using these indicators can help you prepare for the next life stage transition and plan any aging interventions in time.
Speeding Up or Reversing Aging
If you don‘t want to wait for your Sim to age up naturally, there are a few special items that can speed up or reverse aging in FreePlay:
Birthday Cakes
Blowing out the candles instantly ages a Sim up to the next life stage.
Cakes can be baked 2 days before a Sim‘s natural birthday.
Teens and up get to select a reward trait when blowing out candles.
Age Freeze Potions
Stops a Sim‘s aging countdown completely for 5 days.
Made by combining Life Essence collected from the Sim‘s home.
Lets you pause aging while keeping Sim‘s current age.
Fountain of Youth Elixirs
Subtracts 3 full days from the Sim‘s current age timer.
Made by mixing Life Essence and Life Dreams.
Can be used repeatedly to reverse aging as desired.
Platinum Plumbobs
Extremely rare, expensive awards that make Sims immortal.
Sim keeps this age indefinitely until player removes it.
Earned by fulfilling lifetime wishes and being deemed worthy.
As you can see, you have lots of options to bend the aging system to your will!
Disabling Aging Entirely
If you don‘t want any of your Sims to age automatically over time, you can turn off aging:
- Tap the gear icon to access settings
- Select "Game Options"
- Toggle "Auto Age (Played Sims)" to OFF
This disables aging for all Sims in your save, letting you control it manually as you see fit.
Now let‘s look at what happens at the end of a Sim‘s life once they reach old age…
When Elder Sims Die of Old Age
As mentioned earlier, elder Sims in FreePlay don‘t have a fixed lifespan. But eventually, all elder Sims will pass away from old age.
According to data gathered by players, each elder Sim has approximately a 5-15% random chance of dying from old age each night while sleeping.
When this sad event occurs, here is the process:
The Grim Reaper arrives and takes the elder Sim away.
The elder transforms into a ghost version of themselves.
Their relationships and life progress are reset.
You can choose to move the ghost away or delete them entirely.
If kept, the ghost continues "living" on in the game.
So elder Sims can die at any time, but luckily never vanish completely since they become playable ghosts!
Expert Tips for Managing Sim Aging
Here are some expert tips from long-time players for making the most of your Sims‘ lifespans:
Have teens and adults complete lifetime wishes to earn Plumbobs and become immortal.
Bake cakes on the 2nd to last day to precisely control age transitions.
Use LP rewards like Age Freeze often to extend life stages.
Turn off aging for special Sims you want to keep indefinitely.
Delete elder ghosts soon after death to avoid ghost clutter!
Strategically plan pregnancies to occur before age cutoffs for life stages.
FAQs About Sims Aging in FreePlay
Let‘s wrap up with answers to some frequently asked questions:
Do pregnancy days count towards aging?
No. While pregnant, the mother‘s aging is paused until giving birth.
Can children and teens die in the game?
No. Only elder Sims can die of old age in FreePlay.
Do Sims age while you‘re not playing?
No. Sims only age in real-time when you are actively playing the game.
How long do elders live before dying?
It‘s random – most elder Sims die of old age within 5-15 days.
Can elders die from things besides old age?
No. The only cause of death for Sims is old age.
Conclusion
And there you have it – everything you could want to know about Sim aging in Sims FreePlay! The fixed real-time durations and lack of lifespan limits really change the aging dynamics compared to other Sims series games.
Hopefully this guide gives you a better grasp on managing your Sims‘ life progression from birth through old age. Pay close attention to their age timers, utilize cakes and elixirs wisely, and you‘ll be able to shape their lifespans to match your grand visions.
Soon you‘ll have sprawling family legacies lasting for generations outside of the game‘s normal constraints. So get ready to guide your Sims through the rich tapestry of life stages to create unique lifelong stories!
