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How does Sims 4 genetics work?

sims 4 genetics

The way genetics works in the Sims 4 is simply fascinating. If you’re like me, you probably like to create big families or even baby factories for that reason alone. Wait until the kids turn into teens and you can see who looks like who.

Genetics often offers a nice blend of the parents. But sometimes, the kids take after one of their parents. Kudos to the devs for using such fascinating algorithms.

I’ve seen this happen in real life, and the resemblance between kids and parents makes the game even more realistic.

So, if you’re curious to learn how genetics works in The Sims 4, keep on reading this post.

How are genes passed down in The Sims 4?

The Sims 4 averages traits like hair color, skin tone, and eye color between the parents. The offspring is a nice blend of the parents. Kids can also inherit more features from one parent. About 30 percent of the time, kids strongly favor one parent, and the other 70 percent, they’re a nice mix of the two.

The best word to describe the Sims 4 genetics system is variety. The game randomly picks traits between the father and mother, mixes them, and passes them down to the offspring. Kids usually get traits from both parents which results in a nice in-between mix.

On the other hand, kids can also get more traits from one parent and look very much like the parent who passed down the dominant genes. They usually look like the parent that is the same sex as them.

Recessive genes are present but they’re extremely rarely activated. Kids may inherit genes from their grandparents but this will rarely happen if none of the parents display the trait. It’s usually the facial features of grandparents and even great-grandparents that are passed down to the next generation.

For example, take a look at this image posted by a Simmer on Reddit.

sims 4 granddaughter genetics

As you can see, the dark-haired Sim and her granddaughter share a lot of common traits.

Eye, skin, and hair color

As far as the eyes are concerned, kids usually inherit their eye color from one of their parents. The skin tone is often a mix of the parents and the kids almost always end up in the middle. In rare cases, the offspring can inherit the exact same skin tone as one of the parents.

When it comes to hair color, kids have a 50% chance of having either. Oftentimes, if a  Sim inherits the hair texture from one parent, most likely they’ll inherit the hair color as well.

Unnatural hair color is not inherited. For example, if one of the parents has got purple hair, the kid won’t inherit the same hair color.

However, if your Sim dyes their hair red, the kid might be born with red hair. That’s one way you can try to have red-headed kids.

Many gamers miss The Sims 2 genetics

⇒ Fun Fact: 

Did you know genetics was first introduced in The Sims 2? Genetics did not exist in The Sims, babies would simply get random body types, eye color, hair color, and so on.

Many players actually miss the genetics system from The Sims 2. They agree that Sims 2 had real genetics. For example, you could often have a gene return a few generations down the line just like it happens in real life with recessive and dominant traits.

Indeed, The Sims 4 offers more customization options which makes it easier for players to go for lazier routes. Sims 4 genetics is not as complex as in TS2 where ancestors’ traits played an important role.

In The Sims 4, genetics and what traits are passed down from generation to generation mostly depend on the parents.

Speaking of parents and their offspring, you may want to check out the posts below:

What’s your take on Sims 4 genetics? Are there any Sims genetic mixes that blew your mind? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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