Over the last 12 years,Minecrafthas only continued to grow in popularity, and a big reason behind that is the game’s continued support. While it’s not quite considered a live-service game,Minecraftreceives new content updates around every few months or so. Though some of these updates can be quite small, adding in just a handful of new blocks or mobs, some go above and beyond, adding new biomes, enemies, weapons, blocks, and much more. But forMinecraft’s next update, it might want to consider borrowing one or two social features fromThe Sims.
For over two decades,The Simshas been at the forefront of the life-sim gaming genre, essentially pioneering it back in 2000. All these years later, some ofThe Sims' best social features have trickled down into the rest of the industry, laying the foundations for games likeAnimal CrossingandStardew Valleyand even being present in modernRPGs likeFalloutandSkyrim.The Simsis one of the most influential gaming franchises around, andMinecraftcould still use some more of that influence when it comes to its own Villagers.
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Minecraft Should Make Its Villagers More Sims-Like
Minecraft’s Villagers are some of the most iconic NPCs in recent gaming memory. Immediately recognizable due to their unassuming garb, oblong head shape, and iconic “mmm” sound effect,Minecraft’s Villagershave been updated quite a bit over the years, with each one making them feel a lot more useful in terms of gameplay. Villagers are passive mobs that tend to their farms and animals, and can trade resources with the player. While this level of functionality is fine,Minecraftcould be doing so much more with its Villagers.
A futureMinecraftupdate should borrow a few ofThe Sims' social features and systems, and apply them to its Villagers. Villagers are currently categorized by age, biome, and the work they do, but this update could add another wrinkle to that in the form of a dedicated family structure.Minecraft’s Villagers will often already have a “family” in the current form of the game, but all that means is that they sleep in the same house. This proposed update would add a lot more depth to that system, giving each family a name and personality type.
Over the years,The Simsfranchise has had countless iconic families. The most beloved of these characters have their own distinct personalities, such as the Goth family, who’s remained one of the series' most prominent families since its very first entry. Each family usually has its own distinct style as well to make them easily noticeable in a crowd, such as the Goth family wearing dark clothing.Minecraftcould do a similar thing with its Villagers, giving each family household their own personalized outfit, house, and personality. For instance, there could be a Villager family that’s too snobbish to trade and requires the player to complete a special request first, or a Villager family that’s on the opposite end of the spectrum and is overjoyed to welcome the player into their home.
With every new majorMinecraftupdate, these Villager families could be progressed along a storyline, much likeThe Sims' families are between each entry. In doing this,Minecraftmight be able to capture some of that magic seen in franchises likeThe SimsandAnimal Crossing, where players get deeply attached to the NPCs they surround themselves with. Of course, this feature should be kept completely optional, letting fans ofMinecraft’s current gameplay loop keep things the way they are, but this does seem like a logical next step for the series.
Minecraftis available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
