Reunite with your old pal the Grim Reaper

If you were ever going to buy The Sims 4, you would've done so by now. You've held strong. As a reward, the life sim game is free to download. Not just to try, but to keep. Electronic Arts is giving out the PC and Mac version – the no-frills basic edition – on its game platform Origin. The hope is that you'll succumb and grow so invested in your virtual people that you can't help but eye the countless expansion packs.

Simmers, tag a friend who should get The Sims 4 for free! 💚 The game is free on PC and Mac via Origin until May 28th: https://t.co/aOFqVlYFDd pic.twitter.com/lFwaPB098j — The Sims (@TheSims) May 21, 2019

You have a whole week to claim your copy of The Sims 4 for your Origin game library, but don't linger.

If you're having trouble nabbing the free game in the Origin app because it's trying to force you to gift a copy to a friend, you might have better luck using a web browser. I did! Once it's tied to your Origin account, you can download The Sims 4 whenever. You don't need to do so before the May 28 deadline.

The Sims 4 is not free on PS4 or Xbox One, though those versions occasionally go on sale.

To get you started (it's been ages since I've played a Sims game if I'm being honest), here are a few suggestions. Most important of all, yes, you can cheat. Hitting Ctrl + Shift + C will bring up the cheat console, at which point you can type in "motherlode" and hit enter for 50,000 simoleons. Next, if you need inspiration, see what other players are up to in the Gallery. Lastly, for more direction and purpose in your Sims 4 playthrough, consider taking on a community challenge. Or go wild with mods.

The fact that this free game giveaway is timed just ahead of Memorial Day is deviously calculated. Try not to let your digital recreations of friends, family members, and adversaries eat up the entire long weekend. It'll be fun in the moment, but I've been down that sinkhole, and it always ends in regret.

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