Sims can die in a lot of different ways: drowning, electrocution, falling, getting attacked by a killer rabbit or chicken, getting struck by a meteorite while stargazing, and many more.
Once a Sim becomes a ghost, though, there are several ways to figure out exactly what did them in.
Method 1: Check the Simology Panel
This is the most reliable way to find a Sim’s cause of death.
- Invite the ghost into your active household.
- Open their Simology panel.
- Look at their traits — every ghost has a hidden “Died by ___” trait that tells you exactly how they died.
If you found an urn on your lot:
- Leave the urn out and wait 2–4 days for the ghost to start haunting.
- Build up your friendship with the ghost.
- Invite them into your household and check their Simology panel as above.
Method 2: Check the Family Tree
If the Sim who died was related to one of your playable Sims, you don’t need to invite the ghost anywhere.
- Open the Simology panel of a living relative.
- Switch to the family tree view.
- Deceased Sims show up with a ghost icon next to their portrait.
- Hovering over that icon will often show you their cause of death.
This is handy for Sims who died off-screen or who you never actually met as ghosts.
Method 3: Ask the Ghost How They Died
If the deceased Sim’s ghost is still around, you can simply ask them how they died.
When you encounter their ghost wandering the world, select the “Ask How They Died” social interaction to learn the cause of their death directly from them.
Method 4 :Check the Mailbox
Click on the mailbox on your home lot and select “Check Neighborhood Stories.”
This menu shows recent events involving other households, including Sim deaths. If a townie has died, you’ll often be able to see how they passed away.
Method 5: Play as a Reaper (Life and Death expansion)
If you own the Life and Death expansion pack, there’s a career-based way to learn about deaths directly.
The Reaper career has a “Death Determination” job where a Grimtern is sent to a scene with a deceased Sim and has to investigate and figure out the cause of death.
This involves inspecting objects, checking for burn or lightning marks, spotting suspicious stains, and so on before reaping their soul.
It’s a fun, hands-on way to see how the game categorizes different deaths, separate from the ghost-based methods above.
Method 6: Look For Visual Clues
You can also look for visual clues to find out how a Sim died.
- The ghost of a Sim killed by a meteorite has a tiny meteorite burn on their chest.
- Sims that died by electrocution have sparks inside them.
- Ghosts that leave puddles around them died by drowning.
- The ghost of a Sim that died by fire can start a fire at will.
- Ghosts that eat a lot died of starvation.
- The ghost of a vampire Sim killed by sunlight has a little sun inside them.
- The ghost of a Sim that died of old age likes to take things easy. The same is valid for Sims that died from overexertion.
- Sims that died by electrocution can give other Sims an electric shock.
- The ghost of a Sim that died in the sauna at the spa will be dehydrated.
- Sims that died from Rabid Rodent Fever appear as oversized ghostly hamsters.
- Sims that got eaten by the Mother Plant have plant spores floating around them.
- Spellcasters that died after pushing the limits of their powers to the max have light beams and magic sparkles around them.
- If your Sim got crushed by a broken Murphy bed, they’ll have Z’s coming out of their chest.
By the way, if the Cursed lot challenge is active, there’s a high likelihood your Sim will die of electrocution when trying to repair broken household appliances.
Ghosts can change your Sim’s mood
The ghost of a Sim that suffered an emotional death can instantly change your Sim’s emotions.
- Sims will become playful or happy when they’re near a ghost that died by laughter. Well, humor doesn’t end at the grave.
- Your Sim will become angry when they’re near a ghost that died of anger.
- The ghost of a Sim that died of Embarrassment will make nearby Sims feel embarrassed too.
Editor’s Note: This guide was updated in August 2026.