Disclosure: we make Palm Social, one of the games on this page. It is kept out of the list below and described separately at the end, so you can judge the others on their own.
The short answer
There is no official Sims game you can play online with other people today. The Sims Online closed in 2008, and The Sims 4, free since 2022, is single-player. If you want a Sims-style life in a world shared with real players, you need a game from someone other than EA.
This page is about playing with other people. If you mostly want a Sims-like game that opens in a browser, solo or not, see our Sims-like browser games comparison.
What happened to The Sims Online
- The Sims Online. EA's official online Sims launched in December 2002. It was renamed EA-Land shortly before it closed in August 2008.
- FreeSO. A fan-run revival of The Sims Online. Its community server shut down in December 2024.
- Project Rene. EA describes its next life-sim project as social and mobile-first. There is no release date yet.
Four kinds of multiplayer life sim
When people search for "Sims online", they usually want a home of their own, a daily routine and people around them who are real. Different games get there in different ways.
Virtual worlds with homes
A persistent world full of strangers, where you have your own place and an avatar. The closest thing to what The Sims Online was.
- Second Life (Free, optional Premium · desktop download and mobile app). The big adult virtual world. Almost everything is built by players, including homes, clubs and whole towns. Deep, but a steep learning curve.
- IMVU (Free with purchases · desktop app and mobile). 3D avatar chat with rooms you decorate. More about fashion and meeting people than daily life.
- Highrise (Free with purchases · iOS, Android and Mac). Rooms, outfits and events on your phone, with a busy social scene.
- Avakin Life (Free with purchases · mobile and PC (Steam)). A 3D avatar life world with apartments to furnish and places to go out.
Cozy online games
A shared world with homes, skills and a daily routine, closer to a gentle MMO than to a chat app.
- Palia (Free to play · PC and consoles (download)). Build and furnish a home, garden, cook, fish and hunt with other players around. The closest free online match for the life part of The Sims.
Life sims with friends
Not a public town: you invite a few friends into your game. Great if you already have people to play with.
- Stardew Valley (Paid · PC, Mac, consoles and mobile). Farming, a small town of neighbors, relationships and a house you upgrade, with online co-op.
Roblox roleplay
User-made life and house-building games inside Roblox, with very large player counts.
- Brookhaven RP and Welcome to Bloxburg (Roblox · download, mobile and consoles). Brookhaven is a town roleplay game; Bloxburg is known for building and decorating houses and taking jobs. Both are popular with younger players, and Roblox chat needs an age check.
Before you join an online life sim
- Check the age rules. Some worlds are for adults only, some skew young. Pick one where you fit the crowd.
- Look for block and report tools. Living alongside strangers works best when bad behavior has consequences.
- Ask what you keep. A shared world is only fun if your home and progress are still there tomorrow.
- Know what costs money. "Free" usually means free to start, with optional purchases. Read what is sold before you get attached.
Our game: Palm Social
Palm Social is a free online life-sim that runs in your web browser on a computer or phone, with nothing to download. Everyone you see in town is a real player. You build and furnish your own home, make friends and chat, take shifts at the café, work out at the gym, go mining, surf, shoot pool and catch a film at the cinema, all in a shared 3D beach town.
The honest details: it opened on October 24, 2026, and it is made by Kirouff Games, an independent developer. There are two servers with room for up to 150 players each. You need a free account (email, Google or Apple), and players must be 13 or older. Your first lot is free and your first house is half price. Optional Gold packs exist, and Gold can also be earned by playing.
How we checked
On October 24, 2026 we checked each game against its official site or store listing for whether it is running, how it is priced and how you play with others. We do not include ratings, and nobody paid to be listed. If something here is out of date, email support@playpalmsocial.com and we will correct it.
Frequently asked questions
Can you play The Sims 4 online with friends?
Not officially. The Sims 4 has no multiplayer mode. You can share houses and Sims through the in-game Gallery, but you cannot play in the same world at the same time.
Is The Sims Online still available?
No. EA closed The Sims Online, by then called EA-Land, in August 2008. The fan revival FreeSO also shut down in December 2024.
Is there a free multiplayer Sims-like game?
Yes, though none are made by EA. Second Life, IMVU, Highrise and Avakin Life are free virtual worlds with homes, and Palia is a free cozy online game. Palm Social, which we make, is free and runs in a browser.
Is there a Sims online game I can play in a browser?
Hardly any. Almost every multiplayer life sim needs a download or an app. Palm Social runs in a browser tab on a computer or phone. Our separate guide compares Sims-like games that run in a browser, including single-player ones.
What is Project Rene?
EA's next life-sim project, which it describes as social and mobile-first. It has no release date yet, and it is not the same as The Sims 4.
More guides
- Games like The Sims you can play in a browser: Which life sims actually run in a browser, which are free, and which have multiplayer.
- Games like Club Penguin that are still running: Ten virtual worlds that are still online in 2026, from kids’ worlds to hangouts for adults.
- Games like Habbo: Pixel hotels, avatar chat apps and 3D social worlds for Habbo fans, and who each one is for.
- Games like Animal Crossing on PC and in a browser: Cozy alternatives for people without a Switch: which are free, which are online, which run in a browser.
- Free virtual world games to make friends: Virtual worlds for teens 13+ and adults, what each one is like, and how to make friends safely.
See all guides, read about Palm Social or catch up on the latest news.