4. House pets (The Sims 3)

A man’s best friend… Dogs in The Sims could help their owners in more than one way.

Surely one of the best ways to enliven the sims’ existence in Maxis popular video game was to add a pet to their lives, and The Sims 3 offered a wide selection of mascots ranging from dogs to cats and more exotic ones like snakes, or even horses which the sims could ride around town.

Although like in real life, most sims would likely settle for smaller indoor pets like cats and dogs, with the game offering dozens of breeds of either and players being able to customize their appearance and see them grow from puppies to elder animals. In The Sims 3 pets would also prove their worth by warning owners about fires, and even help them with their social lives by “fetching a date” in the game’s nightlife-oriented expansion Late Night.