Fun

Fun means something different to everyone. Some Sims may prefer reading while others like watching TV. Most Sims will enjoy playing a game of of pinball or darts with other Sims. ― The Sims 2 Fun is a motive in The Sims Series. In The Sims 3, the fun meter stops decaying once it is half full and will only decay once the Sim does stressful actions such as work. In other Sims games, the fun meter decays until it is empty as in other motives.

In The Sims 3, if the fun bar slowly rises to the maximum, it will give the "entertained" moodlet, and if it continues to rise, will eventually give the "having a blast" moodlet. If the fun meter goes down, it will give the "strained" moodlet, and if not raised will give the "stressed out" moodlet.

In The Sims 4, a Sim with low fun need will receive a +1 "Needs Amusement" tense moodlet, which will evolve into a +3 "Desperate for Fun" tense moodlet. The Carefree satisfaction reward trait protects the Sim from all tense moodlets, effectively sparing the Sim from low fun need's punishments.

Sims, like real people, like to cut loose from the daily grind and enjoy themselves once in a while. Music is a good way to increase the fun rating for many Sims at once. However, different Sims can have different ideas about what is more fun; for example, a Sim with a playful personality might enjoy watching television or playing computer and arcade games, but a serious Sim would probably rather spend time reading or sitting down to a quiet game of chess.

Even when out of the house, fun is easy to restore. In The Sims, Downtown and Old Town have plenty of things for Sims to enjoy, such as pool tables, pinball machines, arcade games, rental shacks and so on. Studio Town has Oxygen Bars, SCUBA tanks, and skydiving machines to use if fun levels are too low. In Magic Town, Sims can do anything from playing a game of checkers or a few holes of mini-golf to going on a fun-house ride. In The Sims 2, community lots will often have fun objects, and some will be centered around fun. For example, a lot in Bluewater Village is an arcade.

Going on vacation also provides many opportunities for fun. Vacation Island has carnival games, archery and fishing activities. In The Sims 2: Bon Voyage, Twikkii Island has beaches for fun in the sand and surf. Sims can test their skill at log-rolling and axe-throwing in Three Lakes or play a game of Mahjong in Takemizu Village. With The Sims 3: World Adventures, Sims can visit famous landmarks in Shang Simla, Champs Les Sims, and Al Simhara.

Also with The Sims 3: World Adventures, Sims get the new lifetime reward, Carefree, which is available for 20,000 lifetime points and increases fun gain by 25%.

In addition, things like laying in bed or taking a bath in a bathtub will reduce stress, although such activities do not contribute to fun level beyond the half level. In addition, the "Sugar Rush" moodlet will temporarily halt the decay of the fun motive, and is gained by:
 * Fun Activities
 * Playing basketball
 * Feeding or watching the fish in the aquarium
 * Playing with babies
 * Diving and Swimming
 * Viewing a fountain or lava lamp
 * Playing Chess or Pool
 * Playing with Pets
 * Playing video games on the computer or on TV
 * Blowing bubbles of the flavor Cotton candy with the bubble bar
 * Drinking nectar
 * Drinking juice from a non-professional bar