Life state

A life state or a creature is a kind of Sim or Pet with special appearance and abilities, mostly inspired by legends or science fiction.

The Sims
Two alternate life states exist in The Sims and its expansions, though they are not well-defined and do not grant any changes in a Sim's behavior.

When a Sim dies, they become a ghost. In Livin' Large, pleading with the Grim Reaper may result in him bringing a recently-deceased Sim back as a zombie. In Unleashed, these zombies can be restored to a normal life-state by Miss Lucille, who can be found on community lots in Old Town. Also in Livin' Large, Sims using the chemistry set might make a purple potion that can temporarily turn a Sim into a monster.

In Makin' Magic, a Sim can create a charm called Beauty or Beast. This charm allows them to assume the appearance of one of many different beastial creatures. However, this effect is simply an illusion and only temporary, with the sim reverting to their standard appearance several hours after.

The Sims 2
Most expansion packs for The Sims 2 added an alternate state in which Sims can exist. Some added sentient creatures which Sims cannot become, but which can be playable Sims. These states have unique triggering techniques, advantages and disadvantages. These states are:
 * Normal Sim
 * Ghost (base game) (Not playable)
 * Alien (base game)
 * Zombie
 * Vampire
 * Werewolf
 * Servo
 * PlantSim
 * Bigfoot
 * Genie (Not playable)
 * Witch

Each life state offers new opportunities for the Sim, making certain aspects of play easier to handle and others harder.

The Sims 3
The Sims 3 and its expansion packs, feature 8 life states and 4 others that will be released with The Sims 3: Supernatural. Occult Sims cannot be given makeovers by stylists. Official game text recognizes certain kinds of life state as "occult". Ghost is not considered an occult status according to the game files.
 * Non-occult
 * Normal Sim
 * Ghost (base game)


 * Occult
 * Mummy
 * SimBot
 * Vampire
 * Imaginary Friend
 * Unicorn
 * Genie
 * Werewolf
 * Witch
 * Fairy
 * Zombie

Trivia

 * Pack leader is considered as the life state for a dog, because of their unique appearance and ability to nibble Sims and turn them into werewolves. However, it is not possible to become a pack leader.
 * Spectral cat is considered as the life state for cat, because of their unique appearance and abilities. They will never age, have no gender, are unable to breed, are immune to the Tempus Interruptus spell, and do not have the bladder need.
 * Unicorn is considered as a life state for a horse, because of their unique appearance and ability to bless or curse a Sim.
 * The Sims 3: Pets is the first expansion pack in the series to feature a non-human occult life state.
 * The Sims 3: Supernatural is the first expansion pack in the series to feature more than one playable life state.
 * The Sims 3: Supernatural is also the first expansion pack that allows the player to choose a life state for their Sim in Create a Sim.

Notes and references
