Burglars: A Look Back at One of the Franchise’s Most Iconic NPCs!
How did they get in? In-tru-da-window!
Your Sims are asleep in their beds after a long day of player-driven chaos. You hear an ominous musical sting play. The camera focuses on a masked Sim walking towards your property. And before you know it your hard-earned belongings have been snatched into a swag bag and the criminal has escaped into the night.
Of course, we’re talking about the fan-favourite NPC the Burglar. With a recent teaser released by The Sims on Twitter, it looks like burglars may be making a return to the franchise this week! Because there has been so much rumour and speculation, I thought it best to remind everyone of the wild history these sneaky NPCs have with the franchise.
Table of Contents
The Sims (2000)
Burglars have been a staple of the franchise since the very beginning – back in 2000. Labelled in-game as “Some Sneaky Sim”, the burglar would appear by chance as your Sims slept. These burglars would be seen creeping onto your lot in their signature black and white striped top, a black beanie, and a black mask. Players would be alerted to the presence of this criminal with an eerie musical sting, something that I’m sure still haunts players 25 years later. Take a listen below!
If your Sims are lucky enough to have an alarm placed on their lot then the police would arrive and attempt to take down the burglar. If you are caught off guard by the thief’s sudden appearance then you may be out of luck as the burglar may already be running off into the night with your valuables. If the burglar is caught then your Sims will be reimbursed by the insurance company for the stolen items and will also receive a §1000 bonus for the capture of a wanted criminal.
The Sims 2 (2004)
Burglars returned in The Sims 2 with a lot more depth and interactivity. This time each burglar had an individual identity, with many pre-made burglars such as Russ Bear in Pleasentview, and Amin Custer in Strangetown. The Sims 2 also introduced the wants and fears systems, with Sims often finding themselves with the fear of having items stolen. Burglars had a 5% chance of striking every night between 10 pm and 4 am and would steal between 1 and 3 items of high value.
If your Sims encounter the burglar they will run out of the room in panic and react similarly as they would a fire. If you direct your Sim to call the Emergency Services they will do so quickly and will whisper into the handset of the phone. A police officer will arrive and try to fight the burglar, however, there is a chance they will lose and the intruder will escape. Sims will then cry over stolen objects and have a greater chance of developing a fear of repeat incidences. If the burglar is apprehended they will be placed in the back of the police car and your Sims will again be reimbursed the monetary value of objects stolen. If your house is alarmed and nothing is stolen then your household will be rewarded §500 for capturing the criminal.
A unique feature of The Sims 2 is the ability for your Sim to free the burglar from the back of the police car. The police officer will then scold your Sim for their actions. If the player has The Sims 2 Late Night Expansion Pack and their households own a car then a car alarm can be installed to prevent it from being stolen. If a burglar walks near an alarmed car then the car will notify the police and they will immediately arrive.
The Sims 3 (2009)
Similar to the previous two entries in the mainline franchise burglars make their return in The Sims 3 in 2009. This time around burglars will target wealthy households and your Sims can call the police to attend the scene. Again, alarms can be purchased in the Build-Buy catalogue and will sound when a burglar enters the room, so this is best placed by the front and back doors of the property. If the intruder is apprehended the stolen items will be returned to the household inventory rather than the value being returned in simoleons.
If a burglar escapes in their vehicle they can be followed back to their hideout at the criminal career rabbit hole lot. Sims can join the Criminal career and can join the Thief branch to attain the rank of burglar. While this does not allow Sims to break into houses, Sims with the kleptomaniac trait can steal up to three items per day. With The Sims 3 Pets Expansion Pack, you can command cats and dogs to guard the house which will actually raise the chance of a burglar attempting to break in, however, your cat or dog will scare off the intruder. If your Sim has a child with an NPC burglar then there is a chance that the child will have the ability to “Sneak Here” once they become a teenager.
The Sims 4 (2014 – present)
With a recent teaser posted by The Sims over on Twitter, simmers are excited about the imminent addition of burglars. While nothing is confirmed at this point, all signs point to their return to the franchise.
In The Sims 4 Base Game Sims can be given the Kleptomaniac trait which, like The Sims 3, allows Sims to steal objects from other homes and community lots. The Sims 4 For Rent Expansion Pack introduced the break-in feature for the first time in the franchise. Combining these two gameplay elements allows Sims in the current household to become burglars, however, we have yet to see the return of the burglar in The Sims 4.
In 2018 rumours were floating around the community on the lack of burglars being down to it potentially being ‘triggering’ to some players. SimSuruGrant debunked this on Twitter in an exchange with @Iron_Cgull.
Yeah, there was a rumour going around last year that someone within EA (but not someone at Maxis) had information that burglars aren’t coming to the game because they’re too triggering for this generation of players
– Julian/Iron Seagull (@Iron_Cgull) May 21, 2018
That is 100% false. While I think it is good and proper for us to consider situations that might trigger folks – seriously, I do – this isn’t why burglars don’t currently exist. Furthermore, we would never implement them in a way that would do so, I hope.
– Grant Rodiek (@SimGuruGrant) May 21, 2018
This rumour has continued to resurface lately with recent hints and speculation surrounding the return of Burglars to The Sims 4. Many players also mistook the ‘Shady Sim’ NPC from the upcoming Businesses & Hobbies Expansion Pack as a replacement for the Burglar NPC, complaining that The Sims 4 is too “family-friendly”. However, from recent leaks and the recent tweet from The Sims, it looks like these two NPCs are separate from one another.
Are you excited about the new Sims 4 patch and the future of Burglars in The Sims franchise? What are you most excited about? Tell us below and stay tuned on Sims Community for the latest news on The Sims 4 Burglars Update!
We got so used to being robbed by EA for 11 years that we got Stockholm Syndrome and ended up begging to be robbed in-game too! Jokes aside I’m actually happy they are back. The Sims 4 is slowly feeling like a real Sims game, kinda.