The Sims 4 Free On PC For A Short Time, Via Origin

It's no secret that Electronic Arts likes to give away free games through Origin. Usually, these games are classics from way back in the day, making these giveaways good for a hefty dose of nostalgia. This week, however, the free game is quite the whopper, as EA is giving away copies of The Sims 4 to anyone who wants them.

At this point, you'd be hard-pressed to find a gamer who doesn't know what The Sims franchise is. It's been going strong since 2000, and with each release, it seems to get even more popular. Though it's the latest numbered entry in the series, The Sims 4 is closing in on its fifth birthday this year, so if you've managed to avoid the game's siren song this long, it looks like your extreme patience is finally paying off.

Of course, you're only getting a copy of the base game with this giveaway, and like every entry that came before it, the base Sims 4 experience is only a small portion of all the content that's out there. Electronic Arts is famous for releasing a ton of add-on content for each Sims game, so the publisher is very clearly trying to get some folks hooked with this promotion in the hopes that they'll open their wallets to pay for more content.

It's not a bad strategy at all, especially when you consider just how much add-on content there is for The Sims 4 here in 2019. The Sims 4 has a not-insignificant six expansion packs, and that's just the tip of the DLC iceberg. Toss a bunch of Stuff Packs and Game Packs onto the pile and trying to collect all of the DLC for The Sims 4 quickly becomes an expensive endeavor.

So, if you're going to download this free copy of The Sims 4, proceed with caution, because there will be plenty of temptation to plop down some cash for all those expansions and DLC packs. The game is free through Origin until May 28th, so claim a copy while you can.