I know way too much about The Sims franchise & now it is your problem: Part 3

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

For the unfamiliar, The Sims (2000- ) is a life-simulation video game franchise that has garnered a large and loyal following since the original version of the game debuted in the year 2000. Today, the most recent installment of the game is The Sims 4 (2014). Alongside its four main franchise titles, The Sims has also had many spinoff series, such as The Sims 2: Castaway (2007) and The Sims Medieval (2011). Through the years, the game series has created copious amounts of unique worldbuilding aspects to compliment this seemingly simple game; this brings me to the focus of this article: an exploration into the lore centering around The Sims (2000- ) franchise non-player characters, or townies, that the game is host to. 

In previous editions of the paper, I have written two other “deep-dives” into townie lore and explained how even games that seem vacuous can host a plethora of fun facts, interwoven narratives, and “easter eggs” for players to find, that create a more cohesive, cross-game narrative for the more committed players. While the last two times I have touched upon the theories surrounding Bella Goth’s disappearance and Johnny Zest’s true origin— we now will be more carefully covering the secret behind the aristocratic Landgraab family’s wealth. 

The Landgraab household, a staple family of the series, has had various members showcased since their debut in SimCity 3000 (1999) as a family name advertised on billboards in the titular city. Since its subtle entry into the “Sims-verse,” it has continued to soar in relevance, as they now are noted to own most businesses or open residential plots in the buildable worlds of The Sims (2000- ).

In The Sims 4 (2014), there is a particular focus on the current generation of Landgraabs— composed of spouses Nancy and Geoffrey Landgraab, alongside their teenage son Malcolm Landgraab. These landowning-Sims-billionaires enjoy a glamorous lifestyle inside their weirdly long and awkwardly narrow mansion, but how exactly do they afford this? Regardless of the public proclaiming that the money comes from Geoffrey’s business success and profits related to the family’s ownership and partnerships with much of the local business and residential home plots, the truth reveals a much more unsavory means of wealth production.

The union of Geoffrey and Nancy tilts the head of many “Simmers” (or active Sims players) alike. It seems the couple are total opposites, with Geoffrey’s clean-cut “dad” look and positive, good traits contrasting against Nancy's more overtly glamorous way of dressing and having the literal evil trait. They stand to make a powerful duo, though, with Geoffrey as the unassuming frontman to hide Nancy’s true schemes. 

When navigating their townie profiles, it can be revealed that while Geoffrey is in quite a high promotional status of the business career, Nancy’s career hides the true secret to their success. On top of Nancy's generational wealth as the Landgraab heir, Nancy is also employed as a minor crimelord in a criminal career. That, folks, is truly where the money is made. 

Geoffrey must abide by Nancy's wrongdoings, which threaten the safety of his financial and social status, and serve as the public figure who hides a more dastardly secret about the Landgraab fortune.