# FreeSims: recreating The Sims 1 engine

> FreeSims recreates The Sims 1 engine in C# and runs on files from the user's original game installation. Its SimsVille source covers game content loading, characters, houses and a neighborhood, with build instructions for Windows and Linux.

- Type: Case study
- Targets: Game
- Category: Independent reconstruction cases
- Relationship: Independent reconstruction project
- Sources reviewed: 2026-11-06
- Added to the catalog: 2026-11-09
- Original resource: <https://github.com/francot514/FreeSims>
- Primary source: <https://github.com/francot514/FreeSims/blob/cd4ab05777abe659d0de61b0af339cfabd463e6b/README.md>
- Catalog page: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/freesims-case/>
- Record JSON: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/freesims-case/record.json>
- Chinese version: [简体中文](https://awesomerea.org/zh/resources/freesims-case/index.md)

## Requirements & limits

- **Prerequisites:** An original The Sims 1 Complete Collection or Legacy Collection installation in the default path is needed.
- **Prerequisites:** Building requires Visual Studio 2017 or later on Windows, or Mono on Linux; the README also specifies MonoGame 3.6 or later and OpenTK 1.2 for Windows, or OpenGL 3.0 and SDL2 for Linux.
- **License:** Mozilla Public License 2.0.

## Primary sources

1. <https://github.com/francot514/FreeSims/blob/cd4ab05777abe659d0de61b0af339cfabd463e6b/README.md>
2. <https://github.com/francot514/FreeSims/blob/cd4ab05777abe659d0de61b0af339cfabd463e6b/LICENSE.md>

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## About this entry

The description was reviewed against primary sources.
Original editorial content: MIT. Linked projects, papers and assets retain their own rights and licenses.