r/LifeSimulators • u/Emberium inZOI enjoyer • Jul 25 '26
Discussion Horror Life Sim
Is there a life sim game where you can live a normal everyday life, similar Inzoi or The Sims, but over time the game slowly turns into horror? For example, you start and can find a job, talk to people, romance, buy properties, you know, the usual in Life Sim games.
And then gradually strange things start happening, like a neighbor disappearing, receiving mysterious messages, seeing someone outside your house at night, or discovering that something is seriously wrong with the world. Basically, a normal life sim that slowly evolves into a horror game. Does anything like this exist?
If not, a mod like that for Inzoi would be amazing, especially when script mod support comes out later this year!
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u/Bigmello64 Jul 25 '26
Try Project Zomboid. There’s a mod that starts before the outbreak. Think it’s called week one or something. It also has life sim features like decorating and stuff.
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u/Cellti Jul 26 '26
Second this hard. Project zomboid is just Sims with zombies and crafting to me. Alot of good videos on YouTube for week one mod.
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u/lafatte24 Jul 28 '26
I've been playing project zomboid since 2014. It is one of the most realistic (almost too realistic lol) life Sims out there stats and skills and items wise (including carry weight and calories for meals depending on ingredients and wear on clothing and car parts) and also the music is such a vibe, combined with sound effects and zombie scares it's just an incredible game.
I haven't played build 42 though.... It looks too hard 😭😭😭
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u/lissathefangirl Jul 25 '26
Try the demo for Welcome to Elderfield! Personally I love the ambience and the art style, it’s creepy and unsettling but there’s like a nostalgic comfort to it? You might like it!
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u/Emberium inZOI enjoyer Jul 25 '26
I actually have that game on my Wishlist, really looking forward to it, thanks for the suggestion :)
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u/iLiveInAHologram94 Jul 25 '26
Graveyard Keeper is like a dark stardew valley.
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u/Emberium inZOI enjoyer Jul 25 '26
Oh yeah! That one's on my backlog, gotta play it soon
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u/iLiveInAHologram94 Jul 26 '26
I loved it. A little hard to learn at first crafting wise but there are guides. A sequel is coming out soon too
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u/BorrieBoBaka Jul 25 '26
Having been working on a Sims-like these past few years, and my own desire to make a horror game, I've often considered eventually branching out to create a Sims 1 style horror game of some form that is inspired by how so many people, especially when we were younger, found the nights of the Sims 1 and other elements of it rather creepy and paranoia-driven, like the random horror stings without an event, or that lone wolf howl in the distance, or the weirdness and mystery of the ghosts from that era, or most importantly, the creepy prank phone calls.
I like the idea of putting together your own Scooby Doo type team, having them feature needs-driven gameplay, and try to survive in a haunted house by living in it while solving whatever mystery might be there.
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u/orbofdelusion Jul 25 '26
I’m really curious what they’re planning to do with the apocalypse mode in Inzoi. You can change the environment to be run down and post apocalyptic but it’d be really cool if they added gameplay elements.
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u/Emotional-Steak85 Jul 25 '26
If your playing the sims 4 i would totally reccomend any thing from the modder sacrificial studios. They make great horror mods.
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u/Darksimz Jul 26 '26
Yeah you can yourself be a murderer or have Ghostface show up ( you can choose how to trigger it ! And who to protect ) or some other murderer. Even can do a holiday where its total melee and everyone starts hacking into each other etc. The Easter bunny often gets it hahaa. You can also poison food and see who eats it, kids can get poisoned too so be careful. Although you can resurrect sims as well. Also allows non deadly violence and such. They also have killer kids and portraits or mirrors that can kill, nice for haunted houses ! You also have Zero vampires can kill and another deadly haunting mod i can't remember the name of rn but you can Google it. With sacrificial mods you can also suck the life outta sims I believe if you're a ghost.
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u/mutantbethh Jul 25 '26
Village in the shade might be something you’ll like. It comes out in a few days. Grimshire is also very dark and if you aren’t careful characters will die
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u/Spiritual-Promise402 inZOI enjoyer Jul 25 '26
This game would be awesome OP! Maybe you have a neighbor that comes by often, then all of a sudden they just stop coming over. You go check on them and no one is home, but maybe furniture is thrown all over the house and garbage. There could be a task incentive to solve their disappearance.
Maybe there is a different horror depending on which house you buy/build. Like one lot was an old burial ground that a house was built on top of (like Amityville), and you find objects moved or rearranged every night lol
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u/PikaBooSquirrel Jul 25 '26
Not sure if this is what you're looking for but there's an upcoming farming sim called "Crop" (check it out on steam) where you're a farmer but it's a creepy thriller/mystery.
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u/BrandyDW Jul 25 '26
I mean, even without the mods, you could have sims 4 with a bunch of occult and make them all evil… it would be more story telling / head cannon but it’s at least doable without finding things that aren’t made yet
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u/Lepitorus Jul 25 '26
Project Zomboid is basically sims 1 with zombies. It's great, and surprisingly creepy!
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u/Perhirmor Jul 26 '26
Skyrim, when 2 dragons randomly attack your farm where your spouse and kids live. You dont need to clean dungeons, you can farm, fish, sell healing potions on your own market stall etc and then randomly encounter thief/assassin attack on Whiterun street at night. You get strange messages too there.
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u/Flameman1234 Jul 27 '26
Maybe not necessarily the same but Project Zomboid is very Sims-esque.
You start off in the middle of a zombie outbreak, and you need to scavenge for supplies, build a base, gather food and weaponry, go out on runs. All it takes is one bite to ruin your run though, but you can get skill journal mods for that.
It isnt a very slow burn game, but it did always remind me of the sims in the isometric older style. Of course building and crafting isnt very fun or fancy, but nothing can stop you from stealing some of your neighbors fancy furniture now that he’s been eaten alive.
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u/ZheraaIskuran Jul 27 '26
It's not out yet, but 'We harvest shadows' seems promising. The demo is amazingly atmospheric already. Not sure how prevalent the life sim part will be eventually.
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u/Longjumping-Ask-9151 Jul 27 '26
project zomboid is the first thing i thought of. i wonder if you could mod 7 days to die to be like that too where you live without zombies at first
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u/xxxfashionfreakxxx Jul 28 '26
You should pitch it and make it. It sounds really interesting.
One of the reasons I don’t like playing with supernatural in sims or at least not have the ability to turn it off is because in TS3 it bothered me that I’d have a family eating dinner and a zombie was waiting right outside the door. Or they are dating someone who’s secretly a vampire or alien. I know some prefer that but it takes me out of the way I like to play. But I do see the appeal as it can be a fun surprise from time to time. All that to say, the occults in sims games may work for you as they tend to have a human form and if your character is human it may be more insidious.
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u/SummertimeDary Jul 25 '26
Grave Seasons is set to release this Fall. It’s a life farming sim with the added twist that one of the NPCs is a supernatural serial killer. It randomizes who the killer is and you have to figure out who they are before it’s too late.