Why Do My Sims Games Keep Disappearing?

The frustration of losing hours of gameplay in The Sims is something many players have experienced. It’s incredibly disheartening to invest time in creating the perfect family, building a dream home, and developing unique storylines, only to have it all seemingly vanish. So, why exactly do your Sims games keep disappearing? The core reason is usually related to save file corruption, misplaced user data, or game mechanics, but thankfully, these issues are often fixable.

Disappearing Sims games often stem from corrupted save files. When an auto-save or manual save becomes corrupted, the game might fail to properly load your progress, making it appear as though your entire game has disappeared. Instead, the game might start as if you’re new to the game. In other cases, the issue isn’t a full disappearance but rather, specific Sims, families, or households vanishing. This can be due to the game’s culling system, low relationship levels, incorrect library settings, or issues with cloud syncing.

Another prominent culprit is cloud storage services like OneDrive or iCloud. These services are intended to back up your files, but they can sometimes interfere with how the game accesses your saved data. If your user data folder isn’t located where the game expects it to be (Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4) the game will often generate a new and empty folder, making all your previous progress seemingly gone.

Here’s a deeper look into the common culprits:

• Save File Corruption: If your save files become corrupted, the game may struggle to load properly. This can result in the game starting as a new game, making it seem like your saves have vanished.
• OneDrive/iCloud Conflicts: Cloud storage services sometimes sync your “The Sims 4” folder incorrectly, or might even move your user files out of their designated location (Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4), causing the game to fail to recognize them and start anew.
• Game Culling: To keep game performance optimal, the game sometimes removes ghost Sims or those not frequently interacting with your active households. This is called culling, which can cause Sims to seemingly disappear from family trees, or entirely.
• Relationship Decay: Sims can disappear from your active Sim’s “Relationships” panel if their relationship score with your Sim has significantly dropped. When your Sims are not even considered acquaintances, they’ll seemingly vanish.
• Improper Library Settings: When newly created Sims or households don’t appear in your library, it’s often due to improper filter settings, particularly with “Include Custom Content” options.
• Mods and CC Issues: Game updates can disable mods and custom content (CC). Loading a modded save with the mods turned off can cause data loss if you save in this state, potentially causing household data to be altered or removed.

Understanding why your Sims games might disappear is crucial. Thankfully, many of these issues can be resolved with some basic troubleshooting.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why did my Sims 4 saved games disappear?

The primary reason for Sims 4 saved games disappearing is often due to OneDrive interference on Windows. If the “The Sims 4” folder in your Documents > Electronic Arts directory isn’t recognized, the game creates a new folder without any of your old saved data. Ensure that your game’s user folder is located where the game expects it to be or disable cloud syncing for this folder. Corrupted saves, and mods can also cause this.

Why did my Sims disappear in Sims 4?

Sims can disappear from your Sim’s relationship panel if your relationship score is too low. They’ll no longer be considered an acquaintance. Inactive ghosts and other Sims can also be “culled” by the game to improve performance, removing them entirely, as if they never existed. Check your household management screens and increase the “Sim limit” to reduce likelihood of your sims being culled.

Where are all my Sims 4 games?

The actual Sims 4 game application is found in your Applications folder or Launchpad. Your game data, including saves, settings, mods, and custom content, are located in your Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 folder. These are two entirely different and crucial locations.

Where did my Sims 4 household go?

Recently created Sims are usually saved to the library. If they are not appearing, ensure that the “Include Custom Content” option is selected. This is crucial, even if you don’t believe your created Sims contain CC, as the game can sometimes misidentify items.

Why did my Sims disappear from the family tree?

This is often because of the culling system. The game removes ghost Sims and others to improve performance, deleting their existence from your family tree. This is a part of game mechanics, and it’s not a bug.

Why did all my Sims mods disappear?

Game updates often disable mods, and this is an intentional function of the game. If you then load an old save with mods disabled, and you save the game, the game will remove the CC. Ensure you re-enable your mods, and make sure they are up to date before loading saves.

Will the Sims disappear when Origin is deleted?

No, your Sims 4 files will be safe when you uninstall the Origin client (now the EA app). Uninstalling the client does not remove your local or online save game data.

Where are my EA games?

Your installed EA games can be found through the EA app under the “My Library” section. Simply launch the app, log into your EA account, and navigate to your game library.

How do I reinstall Sims 4 without losing saves?

Before uninstalling, back up your Sims 4 folder located in Documents > Electronic Arts. This will safeguard your saves, mods, and custom content. Then, reinstall the game. Once done, copy the backed-up folder back into Documents > Electronic Arts.

Why do my deleted Sims mods keep coming back?

If your system uses cloud syncing like OneDrive or iCloud, they may be re-uploading your deleted mods. The path of your mod folder is typically Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Mods. Ensure that you disable cloud sync or remove the folder completely from the cloud to stop reuploads.

How do you stop Sims 4 from deleting Sims?

To minimize Sims culling, keep households under the “My Households” tab in Manage Worlds and increase the maximum sim count in the “Manage Households” tab. Options are 80, 150, 200, or Unlimited.

What do I do if my Sims disappeared?

Unfortunately, if the Sim isn’t in any of your save files, that specific household or Sim is likely lost. You will need to reload them from your library if they were previously saved there. Otherwise, you’ll have to start fresh with a new Sim.

Why is my Sims 4 not showing up in my library?

Check your account on the EA app to ensure that you still own The Sims 4 and its packs. If the game was gifted, it may not appear in your order history. If this is the case, check the “My Gifts” section of your account.

Are Sims mods banned?

Paid mods that are permanently paywalled are against the terms of service and therefore “banned”. However, early access Patreon mods may be in violation as well, depending on how they are distributed.

Can mods ruin Sims 4?

Mods can cause conflicts and game issues, therefore the easiest way to determine if there is a problem is to play the game after installing mods. Troubleshoot by removing mods one by one to see if the issue is resolved.

By understanding the causes and solutions, you can minimize data loss and continue to enjoy your Sims 4 adventures. Regular backups of your saved data are also highly recommended.