The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →In The Sims 3, switching households puts the new household under your control and leaves the one you were playing to carry on with the town simulation. EA says the household you leave may gain skills or relationships, or have Sims fired or promoted; you can switch back, but things may have changed while you were away. On PC, the documented route is Options > Edit Town > Change Active Household.
How to switch households on PC
- Open the Options menu.
- Choose Edit Town.
- Click Change Active Household.
- Choose the household you want to play from the town options.
This menu route is documented in EA’s PC manuals. The available documentation does not establish that the same sequence applies to every console or edition, so check the menus for your version.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
The Sims 3 - PC | $24.27 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
The Sims 3 Island Paradise - PC/Mac | $12.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
The Sims 3 Supernatural | $4.40 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
The Sims 3: Pets Expansion Pack | $8.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
The Sims 3 Seasons | $32.26 | Buy on Amazon |
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What happens to the household you leave?
EA describes the former household as changing along with the rest of town. While you play another family, Sims in the household you left may gain skills or relationships, get fired or promoted, or change in other ways. The manual’s practical warning is that switching back is possible, but the household is likely to have changed.
In other words, switching is not a way to pause a family’s story. It hands that household back to the game’s simulation while you control another one.
#1 Best Overall
- New Seamless, Open Neighborhood—Explore the neighborhood freely
- New Create A Sim—Create any Sim you can imagine
- New Realistic Personalities—Every Sim is a unique person, with a distinct personality
- New Unlimited Customization—Everyone can customize everything
- The freedom of The Sims 3 will inspire you with endless possibilities and amuse you with unexpected moments of surprise and mischief
Aging while you are away
EA’s general manual says Sims pass through life stages unless aging is turned off in Options. If aging matters to your plans, check that setting before leaving a household. The manual does not specify a switching-specific schedule, so it does not establish when a particular Sim will age or how much time will pass while you play elsewhere.
Wishes and opportunities
Whether wishes or opportunities persist, reset, or disappear after switching is not established by the manual passages available here. An EA forum thread shows that players have raised the question, but that concern is not confirmation of a universal rule. Avoid relying on a guaranteed outcome without information for your specific platform and version.
Rank #2
- Be it by paddleboat or speedboat, your Sims can now leave port to discover new lands and explore like never before, from inter-island travel to discovering their own uncharted island
- Create a family-friendly resort of waterslides and buffet tables, a romantic retreat dotted with minimalist cottages, or a singles resort featuring multiple pool bars where Sims can mingle and flirt. Choose and fine-tune your amenities, set your price
- See what surprises await under the sea as your Sims build their skills in snorkeling/scuba diving. Your Sims may find them on the shore of a new island or discover sunken or buried treasure
- New stilted foundations give your Sims the best of both worlds, a home that's partially on the water and partially on land. Build a resort, create travelling houseboats, and customize your very own island paradise for your Sims
- Requires The Sims 3 to play
Is switching between households worth it?
It depends on how much control you want over each family’s day-to-day decisions. Rotating between households lets you play different stories in one town, but means accepting that unattended Sims may change skills, relationships, or careers on their own. Staying with one active household is the more controlled approach if those autonomous changes would disrupt your plans.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Assemble your company of customized soldiers, weapons, and vehicles - then take them on an epic journey through the tides of War.
- Experience the most intense, immersive battlefield yet. You will never be the same.
- Play firestorm battle royal, reimagined for battlefield V. Scavenge, fight, and survive to become the last squad standing.
Rank #4
- Be the pet - Wield control of your pets to chase, dig, tackle, and more
- Determine the personalities of your Sims' pets, from intelligent, friendly, and proud to playful, adventurous, and aggressive
- Pets can learn skills - Cats and dogs can learn to hunt, dogs can learn to locate collectibles and fetch your Sims a date
- Sims can take their pets outside - Take Spike to the park, bring Whiskers to the library, or ride Star to the new Equestrian Center
- Requires The Sims 3 to install & play
Rank #3
- Play as supernatural Sims: Create witches, wizards, werewolves, more intriguing vampires, and fairies, each with their own magical abilities, traits, and interactions.
- Explore the town of Moonlight Falls: Discover what mysteries and abilities are revealed by the light of the full moon. Will your Sims freak out or become more powerful?
- Hone your magical crafts and share the enchantment: Learn to cast spells and find rare ingredients to brew elixirs, so you can charm or hex your Sims’ lives.
- Discover supernatural items: Race around the arena on your broomstick, visit the gypsy caravan, or preen in front of your magic mirror.
- Zombification: Mix a special elixir to create shuffling, brain-hungry monsters of your very own. Chomp on other Sims to spread the love and wreak havoc. Don’t fret, you can always concoct an elixir to change your Sims back
- Switch between families if you enjoy following several households and can tolerate changes while they are inactive.
- Stay with one family if you want closer control over its development.
- Check aging settings if life-stage progression while you are away matters to your playthrough.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
