The Sims Builders

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Sims senior producer Tim LeTourneau surveys the game's booming building trade...

For some players, The Sims' Build Mode is an entire game. In fact, for a special few - who we like to call builders - it's the only game. It's a real eye-opening experience for us who make this game to see how far the systems we create can be pushed. It's also a testament to the ingenuity, not to mention the persistence, of the builders out there who have a vision and use Build Mode to realize that vision.

It would be simply impossible to talk about all the mind-blowingly cool buildings that the Sims 2 builders have created - there are literally thousands and thousands of great examples of incredible imagination. Instead, here are a few of our favorites that show what these fans can achieve.

Above: Created by ehaught58, this impressive castle stronghold features a pond for swimming, a courtyard and a deep well.

Some fans love to make versions of classic architecture styles. They work hard to master specific styles - such as Modern, Victorian or Medieval - for their buildings and, given the structures of our tile-based world, this can be a real challenge. They show excellent taste in selecting wall patterns, laying out floor plans and choosing windows and doors that will best bring off the look they want. They also often engage in some very advanced tweaking of terrain and floor heights using both game tools and cheats.