The Sims 3 Death Guide

Causes of Death, Killing Sims, and Immortality

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This Sims 3 Guide was originally written for the PC and Mac versions of the game, but also will help owners of the console versions - PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii. Please remember some info or numbers may have changed.

Previous: Learn about Ghosts, Hauntings, and How to Have a Ghost Baby This list will start for vanilla Sims 3, that is The Sims 3 with no expansions, and the list will grow as we learn new ways Sims can die with the expansion packs. Yes, your Sims' causes of death will vary depending on what expansions you have installed. I'll also include information on making a Sim die in a certain way for the deviant Sim killers out there. Owners of the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of The Sims 3 will find the vanilla deaths apply to their console port.

Age
With Aging on, Sims will eventually die of old age. This is the natural cause of death in the Sims 3, all other ways seem to be accidental. The life span is determined by what you've chosen in the options menu. Sims don't die immediately once the age bar on elder is full. They'll die at a random moment at some point, but you can't be sure what day they'll die. This is a realism feature. Ghosts of Sims who've died from old age will be white in color. To "kill" a Sim this way, just turn the aging option on and nature will eventually take its course.

Death by Drowning
Sims can drown in the pool when they are swimming, but it's rare unless they're extremely low on energy. These ghosts will appear blue in color. To kill a Sim by drowning reliably, you'll need to use build mode to trap them in the pool with walls. Removing the ladder no longer works, as they'll just climb out.

A ghost killed by electricity in the Sims 3

Electrocution
Failing repairs on electronics can cause a Sim to die from electrocution. They don't usually die from the first shock, but the second is likely a sure kill. Handy Sims are immune to this, because they never fail repairs. Sims with high level handiness are also unlikely to die this way. The more complex the device, the more likely the Sim is to die from electroction. The cheapest tv is not as likely to cause death as the transporter lifetime reward, for example. So do some studying before you send your Sim to repair the plasma TV. To trigger this cause of death, get your Sim to repair or upgrade an electronic and get shocked, then immediately jump in to try and get shocked again. It's a bit more tricky than your other options. Ghosts who die this way will be yellow in color.

Death by Fire
Fire kills Sims. It can strike at any time with low level cooking. If a fire breaks out, and your Sim is in the vicinity upon the moment of combustion, there's a chance of death. There's also a chance of death when a Sim is fighting a fire. For non-brave or pyromaniac Sims, this can be a concern. It's usually better to call the fire department and take the loss rather than risk the death of the Sim. To kill a Sim with fire, you could have them stand next to a fireplace (wall them in so they have little choice on where to stand). You can also teleport them to their doom with the Sims 3's testing cheats. Sims that are killed by fire will be red in color.

A meteor squashes a Sim in The Sims 3 Ambitions

Death by Meteor Shower
The Sims 3 Ambitions expansion brings a new way to die in the form of the Meteor Shower. The sky will grow dark, and meteors will begin to fall. You should have your Sim vacate the area or they may get squished by one of these killers from the heavens, like the poor sap under the rock above.

A ghost Sim killed by the mummy's curse in the Sims 3 World Adventures.

Dying from Mummy's Curse
Like many Sims expansions in the past, The Sims 3 World Adventures introduces a new way for Sims to die: The Mummy's Curse. Sims get cursed by mummies sometimes after they lose in a fight. The likelihood of this seems random, as sometimes your Sim will get knocked out. If you do get cursed, you'll know it. Your Sim will be hit with an onslaught of dark energy from the mummy who will then leave them alone.

From the moment your Sim is cursed, they'll have 14 days to cure it. If they haven't done any of the available options on the mummies page, they'll die, disintegrated in a cloud of evil energy. Nothing's wrong with your graphics card -- when the curse starts to get closer to taking effect, your screen will be met with a moving dark ring around the edges that looks very sinister. There will occasionally be evil music played as well as the time draws near.

Upon death, Sims killed by the mummy's curse have dark, black and white ghosts as seen in the screenshot above.

Dying of Starvation
This hunger-specific cause of death is very rare. It takes about 48 hours Sim time for a Sim to actually die of starvation. If you can't grab a snack at the fridge in that length of time, you must intend to kill them. Killing Sims in this way is easy, just wall them up in a room (guests) or turn free will off (Sims of that household). Don't let them eat, and within a couple days they'll die and turn into a purple ghost.

Death Flowers
Death Flowers will cause the Grim Reaper to take the flower instead of the Sim's soul for all causes of death. With one in the inventory, your Sim will be immune to all forms of death, including old age. With Ambrosia, this can make Sims immortal without disabling aging. You can find death flowers in cemeteries or have your Sim grow them from special seeds in his garden.

Unlucky Sims Avoiding Death
Unlucky Sims are immune to death by unnatural causes, such as accidents like fires. The reaper will spare the Sim's soul out of pity, so this trait is by far not useless.

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Chloe says...

My sim who was an adult, a husband and a dad of 4 died by drowning in a swimming pool soon after his wife found out she was pregnant again. He literally jumped into the water, cried for help and then he just died. All very uppsetting as a few days later, Stuart's wife had twins with her teenage son having to take her to the hospital. And now these two girls, Alice and Amelia are going to grow up, not knowing who their dad is.

The Sims 3 Death Guide

Causes of Death, Killing Sims, and Immortality

Share Tips and FAQs (109)

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