Simperium Issue 4: May 2020 | Page 5

THE My name is Irene but some people might know me as The Sim Stream. I'm from the north of the Netherlands. I used to be a bartender for years but just started working at an emergency daycare during the crisis that's going on in the world right now. All the bars are closed down now and I'm very happy that I can do something to help out. But of course I spend a lot of time gaming too. I got married last year and my husband is actually a singer in a metal band. I've been playing the game since the Sims 1 came out. I was very young then and I had a girlfriend who introduced me to the game during a sleepover. We where taking turns on the computer, playing the game every single day. I've been hooked since, but the last couple of years I became a pure builder and I started playing the game every single day. The amazing thing about the game that keeps me playing is that it relaxes me and I can still discover new things and possibilities in the game even after playing it for years. I think every single one of the four Sims games has their own charm, but because I'm only playing the Sims 4 now, it's my favorite at the moment. After that I think the Sims 2 is my second favorite. Expansion packs were so full with content and it had so many cool features. I think it has something to do with nostalgia too, because I loved the nights I spent with my friends, laptops on our laps and playing the Sims 2 together. I've definitely been a pure builder for the last couple of years. It never bores me and I can always find a new challenge in building. Every once in a while, I play the game as a Sim, for example when a new pack comes out, I want to check out the new features, and dive a bit into the gameplay. But after one night of playing, I always go back to building. SIMPERIUM 5