Posts Tagged ‘writing’

Things We Need In The Sims 5

Posted: August 16, 2026 in Game Articles, Opinion Piece
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The Sims 5; Image credit: EA/Maxis

by Joy Alexis Barker

Earlier this month, Publisher, EA, and developer Maxis, revealed Project Renee, also known as The Sims 5, during the highly anticipated The Sims Summit Stream where devoted simmers old and new got a glimpse at the sneak peek. It was a monumental event in Sims history, marking the beginning of another era that will no doubt surpass The Sims 4’s.

It’s impressive indeed to see what’s been developed so far, and at this point, I’m absolutely certain that the final product a few years from now will far exceed the early previewed stages.

According to the Maxis team, the name ‘Renee’ represents their renewed dedication to and passion for The Sims, and that’s beautiful and heartening to hear because it seems like they’ll be taking this seriously. The developers will most certainly be putting their all into Sims 5’s design, with anticipated expansions to complete the game.

The Sims/Project Rene; Image credit: EA/Maxis

The Sims 5 will also outshine The Sims 4, as it should, in terms of graphics and gameplay so we will most definitely be taking a steps forward with its improvements, additions, and overall progression in the series.

Hopefully, there will also be less bugs and patches needed for The Sims 5, and it’s a lot more user-friendly for players. Thus to prevent this, Maxis knows not to rush it so the game is created efficiently in as much time as it requires to turn out a high quality product.

Now, there are numerous features I want to see in The Sims 5, some of which have already been confirmed, but others are still obscure.

The Sims 5; Image credit: EA/Maxis

I do think there are things that should already be in the base game; The open world; all life stages; maybe even additional stages like an infant stage after the newborn stage and before the toddler stage, and a tween stage which is the stage between the child and teen stages; more practical objects to buy; the color and design wheel in both create a sim and build buy mode; inclusion of different ethnicities and cultures; height adjustments; more personality traits; more venue types; the choose to play either solo or multiplayer; auto save; weather; seasons; townies that have their own lives going on without the player’s involvement, and I could go on all day.

I look forward to the next generation Sims game. It’s exciting to know that at this very moment as I type this, Sims 5 is in development. But for now, I will keep enjoying The Sims 4 which isn’t over yet and even after it has been replaced by the Sims 5, I won’t be abandoning it.

Today, people still play the Sims 3, 2, and even 1, although these are not the latest games in the series, and that’s because they bring good feelings of nostalgia, and they are timeless classics that have built the backbone of The Sims saga as a whole. Without these games, there wouldn’t even be a Sims 5 being developed, so our ongoing appreciation for these earlier games remains strong.

Why Sugar, Sugar Is The Perfect Game To Play In The Fall

Posted: August 16, 2026 in Game Articles, Opinion Piece
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by Joy Alexis Barker

One night, last month, I remembered Sugar, Sugar, a game I used to play in middle school on the Cool Math Games website. Sugar, Sugar became one of the most unforgettable (in my opinion) games that I liked enough to revisit even during summer vacation because it was such a classic pleasure!

So I searched for it, found the first part out of three, and was delighted to see it again after so long. I seriously haven’t played it in years and it hasn’t changed one bit!

You may have never played it before. You could be younger, older, or in your early twenties like me, however old you are, for those of you who don’t know what Sugar, Sugar is, let me introduce you.

Sugar, Sugar was originally released in 1992 for the notable Super NES, and for Sega Genesis.

It’s a puzzle game where you draw lines (don’t worry if you don’t consider yourself artistically inclined, the lines don’t have to be perfectly straight, and you get to reset as many times as you need to succeed!) to guide a trickle of sugar in a timely manner to mugs that take count of how much lands in them, and when you fulfill that required number, you move on to the next level. It’s a relaxing, slow paced game that may not be up to every gamer’s preferences if you’re into something more fast paced and action packed.

Some people will get bored if it’s not their type of game, but for those of you who don’t mind a game with flexible, leisure time and room for thinking, Sugar, Sugar is a cozy computer game that you can play snuggled up to on the couch with a fleece blanket, with calming music in the background. When you’re in the mood for a game to unwind to at the end of a long work day, it suffices that need, and of course, it’s such an endearing the title, from the way the sugar snows from the comma at the top of the screen during a round, and the whole theme of this game, giving off coffee shop vibes where you presumably get pumpkin spice lattes, apple ciders, hot chocolates, or any warm beverage of your choice, and it brings to mind all of the baked glorious goodies that are to come with the fall season, and dare I suggest, even the following winter?

Yes I do!

Sugar, Sugar appeals to the sweet toothed, and to the homebodies whose ideal day is spent at home and whose favorite time of year are more than likely the fall and winter, when we’re more likely to be indoors than outside, where the temperature drops to frosty degrees and this makes sweaters, sugar cookies, and sedentary activities like video gaming all the more attractive!

I recommend giving Sugar, Sugar (all three parts) a try whenever you have spare time to dedicate to it, and if you think it’s suitable for you.

I must also note here that its sequels are more challenging and bring in new obstacles that are sure to sweeten up your experience!

Have fun!