List of Easter eggs in The Sims

An Easter egg is a message hidden in the object code of a program, movie, book, CD, DVD, or video game as a joke, intended to be found by persons disassembling or browsing the code.

There are many Easter eggs in The Sims Series. Some of these are hidden in the actual game play and others are hidden in the code.

The Sims

 * The Yeti from the Vacation expansion pack appears on the TV screen if the cartoons channel is selected. If Superstar is installed, a Betty Yeti film-poster is added to the game.
 * In the neighborhood screen, the Loch Ness Monster occasionally appears in the water for a few seconds. The monster also appears in Downtown and Vacation Island. It can be forced by typing the cheat "nessie", although Unleashed needs to be installed before the player can force it.
 * There are several references to the game's creator, Will Wright, including the doll house and the "Whack-A-Will" game from Vacation.
 * The baby doll souvenir from Vacation bears a striking resemblance to the default look of babies in The Sims 2.
 * The "rosebud" cheat might be a reference to the movie Citizen Kane.
 * The "klapaucius" cheat might be a reference to Stanisław Lem's book The Cyberiad and one of its protagonists, the constructor Klapaucius.Hiddenpicturelauncher.PNG
 * If there is a Christmas tree, fireplace, and a table with cookies in the same room late at night, Santa Claus will come, and leave the family a present.
 * There are some real people starring in The Sims, for example Drew Carey, Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol, Avril Lavigne, and Christina Aguilera.
 * A highway was named after Gunther Goth; it is called the Gunther Goth Highway.
 * There are many Easter eggs connected with the Crumplebottom family such as the court house next to the Goth Sr home, the prune tree, and the park.
 * In the start-up screen (launcher), if the player clicks the Maxis logo at the lower left, a hidden picture will pop up.
 * After the player plays a household for 100 Sim days, a series of pop-ups will come up informing about the team.
 * There is an object from House Party in which when a Sim in a good mood views it, something pops up with a picture from the creators of House Party.

The Sims 2

 * Bella Goth: There are many references to this mysterious Sim in the game. Bella Goth appears on the milk cartons and newspapers in the game. It is rumored that Bella and her brother Michael are standing in the hot air balloon neighborhood object in the game; others suppose this is the Dreamboat and Blonde Bombshell townie characters from The Sims: Hot Date expansion pack. Bella appears in many of the decorative photographs of the game, one being a picture of herself named "Bella Squared". She is also a townie in Strangetown. Belladonna Cove has a statue of Bella holding a PlumbBob. In The Sims 2 for PlayStation 2, the name of a refrigerator is "Chow Bella Bachelor".
 * Onomatology: Several pre-made Sims in the game have puns that allude to a meaning as a name. For example, Rigger Mortis and Earl E. DeMise.
 * Hidden Painting: There is a painting hidden within the game's files that depicts an 18th-century couple. The couple in the painting closely resembles Glenda the Ghost and Gordon the Ghost (NPC ghosts from The Sims Makin' Magic).
 * The Pleasant Family on TV: The Pleasant family appears in commercials on TV. One of the clips depict the two sisters fighting and Daniel making out with another woman. The second commercial advertises a pizza delivery chain.
 * Freezer Bunny: It represents a pink bunny cartoon and first appears on the back of a juice carton in the community lot freezers.
 * Simpsons House: A house on the train table in FreeTime bears a striking resemblance to 742 Evergreen Terrace, the house of the Simpson family.
 * The Flying Pig: A neighborhood object released with The Sims 2: Open for Business. Appears in neighborhoods with a water tower. It also appears as a decoration on a tree in the FreeTime train table. This may be a reference to Pink Floyd, after an inflatable pig broke free during production of one of their albums.
 * The Spaceship: A neighborhood object/event released with Pets. When a crashed spaceship is placed in the neighborhood, a spaceship arrives with a searchlight to find the crashed ship.
 * The Spaceship's Number Plate: Says 'anm8er' (It sounds like "animator"). When an abduction occurs on the lot and the UFO comes to return the Sim, the number plate can be seen.
 * Grim Reaper's Bio: When using the  cheat to view the Grim Reaper's bio, it says that his favorite band is Styx. Note that doing this will corrupt your game.
 * Hidden Lot in Belladonna Cove: There's a hidden lot at the edge of Belladonna Cove, called Watervista Palace. It can only be seen by using the cameraman mode (Tab), or by using a camera mod that allows the camera to view the edges of the neighborhood. It resembles a lot like Baba Yaga's hut.
 * Tree Ring: Players can read trivial information from the Tree Ring from Bon Voyage. One of the bits of trivia is a reference to all of Don Lothario's lovers; DL+CG, DL+DC, DL+NC, and DL+KL.
 * Career Reward: The Sims 2 logo can be seen on the lower part on the 3rd mat of the Medicine career reward.
 * Maxis Outfit for Girls: In The Sims 2, there is an outfit for girls with Will Wright on front and a Maxis logo on the back.
 * Veronaville Residents' Gender Preference: Using SimPE or another third party editing program to open the character files of several pre-made male Sims in Veronaville (e.g. Kent Capp, Cornwall Capp, Patrizio Monty etc.) reveals that they have a slight gender preference for males at the beginning of the game, despite the fact that they are involved in heterosexual romantic storyline. This is possibly a reference to the ongoing critical debate over the possible sexuality of William Shakespeare, on whose life and plays the neighborhood is based. It could also be referring to the fact that, in Shakespeare's day, only men were allowed to act.
 * Hot Dog Stand Counter: On the counter of the hot dog stand in Apartment Life, players can see some recognizable pictures. The pictures include the photos from the photo album of the Smith family, the Grunt family, the Lothario family, the Broke family, and many more. There are also the pictures of Romeo Monty and Bella Goth.
 * Noticeboard: On one of the noticeboards from University, if the graphic quality is set to high, players can read a pinned paper with words written in alphabet "OPEN" and mirrored "HOUSE".
 * Phone Book Cover: The phone book children use when playing chess contains a cover with alphabet on it, despite the fact there's also Simlish on it. It says a series of "asdfsf dfasd asdf." It can be implied that the developer only added random letters while designing the phone book.
 * Video Game: A preview of The Sims 3 in its beta version appears as a video game that is shipped with FreeTime.
 * Sir Bricks-a-Lot: One of the toys that can be crafted in Open for Business is Sir Bricks-a-Lot. This is a play on Sir Mix-a-Lot, who is an African-American rapper/songwriter. Of the designs available for the toy, there is one that has a beard/stubble, meant to look like the real-life singer. Additionally, Sir Bricks-a-Lot reappears in The Sims 3: Pets.
 * Chance Cards: The chance card for the Master of Ceremonies position in the Entertainment career track refers to The Simmy Award from The Sims: Superstar.
 * Job Titles:The "Dread Pirate" job in the Adventurer career track is likely a reference to the Dread Pirate Roberts in The Princess Bride.
 * Wall Lamp: One of the wall lamps is called "Prisoner of Azkalamp". This is a reference to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third novel in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
 * Floor Lamp: There is a floor lamp called "Rave Against the Machine", a reference to popular American rock band Rage Against the Machine.
 * End Table: There is an 8-sided end table called 'Crazy 8'. Crazy Eights is a simple card game. This could also be a reference to the 'crazy 88 gang' from the film Kill Bill vol. 1.
 * Whistling: Sims with enough Music and Dance enthusiasm will occasionally whistle a segment of the buy mode song from The Sims.
 * Teasers: There are two teasers in FreeTime that hint to The Sims 3 prior to its release. The first one is a poster with a green PlumbBob of The Sims 3 logo. The second one is a painting with two presets, one of which closely resembles Sunset Valley, albeit with differences.
 * Stonehenge: One of the new neighborhood decorations in The Sims Castaway Stories is an exact replica of Stonehenge.
 * Dummies: The white bus used as a carpool in Athletic career has two Sims inside that closely resemble children from The Sims. They are not real Sims, but instead, dummy Sims.
 * Unlikely Whale Sculpture: The sculpture's description refers to The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, in which there is a section based on a sperm whale and a bowl of petunias being called into existence high up in the sky. In the book, the whale ponders who it is and it's purpose in life whilst falling, which the description alludes to.
 * The Aerodynamo: The description of this item, specifically the reminder to not use it as a giant fan, refers to this scene from the animated TV series Futurama.

The Urbz: Sims in the City

 * When starting The Urbz: Sims in the City, if the player does not press start at the title screen, the game will play a demo. This does not occur in the PS2 version.
 * Also on Xbox, if the player loads a game in The Urbz: Sims in the City and plays any Urb or goes to a different location, pictures will sometimes be seen.
 * In the GameCube version of The Urbz, when going to Blankwood Towers, the player can see a dresser that looks like a Nintendo GameCube which allows Urbz to dress as Darius or Roxanna Moxie.
 * In Kicktail Park, if the player shakes the Ice Cream Machine while he/she is in a bad mood, the hands of a monkey will shake the Urb.
 * There is a special Urb called Bobo. He does not appear in the relationship list (But he is listed on the Call Urb screen) but he can be made to join your crew in which the player can control him. Although he has Central Station clothes, he is treated as a Gasoline Row Urb.
 * There's a wall paint called Reservoir Digs. A reference toward the famous movie Reservoir Dogs.

The Sims 2 (console)

 * In The Sims 2 for console, when looking at the Comic objects, one can see Darius from The Urbz: Sims in the City.
 * Objects and Sim animations in The Sims 2 for console are the same as The Urbz: Sims in the City, this also occurs on Pets for the console.
 * When using a metal detector, a Sim can find a copy of The Urbz: Sims in the City.
 * In the GBA version, when starting the first episode, Daddy Bigbucks will mention that there are gangster buddies back in Miniopolis though no known gangs have appeared in The Urbz: Sims in the City.
 * In the PSP version, Bella's secret's will mention that she never loved Mortimer, and instead married him for his money.
 * In The Sims 2 for GBA, Daddy Bigbucks mentions the Goth family and it can be seen when starting a new episode or when finishing it.

The Sims 2 Pets (PSP)

 * When going to Town Square, players may get the message "Today is the Cat Day!". Oddly, this may also appear in The Sims Castaway at random times when looking inside a bottle.

Sims

 * Several of the easter eggs involve the Tragic Clown - first seen in The Sims. His picture appears at the back of the milk carton, replacing Bella Goth. A parody fish has the name the Tragic Clownfish. Tragic Clown's existence is shown in his grave in Pleasant Rest Graveyard.
 * Vincent Skullfinder, from MySims, is a deceased Sim buried in Pleasant Rest Graveyard.
 * The Goth family is incomplete. There is a Sim in Goth's graveyard named Lolita Goth. Some players believed that she is Gunther's sister, in replacement of Frida Goth, because Frida didn't appear in The Sims 3 yet, only until she reappeared in Supernatural. Some players believe that Lolita is Gunther's ex-wife. For theories, see Lolita Goth/theories.
 * In Late Night, there is a possibility that Sims will exclaim, "This place is hotter than Hank Goddard that one time he caught on fire!" when visiting a random hotspot. It is also possible they will exclaim "This place is as hot as Connor Frio with a bad case of hypothermia".
 * Some worlds have an abandoned mine somewhere in the town. The abandoned mine has a blocked entrance, scattered pickaxe, lantern, and eerie glowing eyes inside the mine.
 * In Twinbrook near the house called "Swampy", there is a fake jackalope with a wooden back and a wooden stand holding it up.
 * The game's main theme is a remix of The Sims 2: University theme.
 * The music heard inside the bookstore is Jazz music from The Sims 2: University, while the music heard inside the diner is Oldies music from The Sims 2: Nightlife.
 * The music heard inside the Sharma Day Spa is from The Sims Build Mode.
 * One of the game tips states that "If all Sims ever created joined hands in a chain, they would stretch from Sunset Valley to Bridgeport and back over one billion times!"
 * The toy train set that's included in Supernatural resembles a small version of Sunset Valley, with the city hall, the theatre, the stadium, the spa, the supermarket, the bookstore, the hospital, the central park and the lighthouse.
 * The skill books from University Life, which are Social Networking Vol. 2, Social Networking Vol. 3, Street Art Vol. 2, and Street Art Vol. 3 are written by Don Lothario, Virginia Buckingham, Cassidy Roth, and Emma Contrary, respectively. They're all premade deceased Sims from The Sims 2 expansion packs, excluding Don.
 * One of the comic books in University Life, entitled "Outrageous Adventure", lists its author as Leod McGreggor, a Sim from Riverblossom Hills from The Sims 2: Seasons.
 * On the city hall of Roaring Heights, there's a carving of render Sims from The Sims 4.

Books

 * "The Crumplebottom Legacy" is a reference to Miss Crumplebottom or Mrs Crumplebottom.
 * "Where's Bella?" is a reference to the Bella Goth's disappearance in The Sims 2, as well as Martin Handford's Where's Wally? books.
 * "Murder in Pleasantview", by Alexander Goth. Possibly a reference to Bella's disappearance in The Sims 2. It's also interesting because Sunset Valley in The Sims 3 occurs before The Sims 2, while Bella is a child, and Alexander shouldn't have been born. Given that, it may have been a subtle hint to the time machine in The Sims 3: Ambitions, which can bring back books from the past or future.
 * "GPod", a reference to Douglas Coupland's book JPod and also the popular Source game GMod.
 * "The Goth Account", a business opportunity book to read, referencing the Goth family.
 * "The Wright Papers", a business opportunity book to read, referencing Will Wright.
 * "Unicorns for Audrey", possibly a reference to the television series Twin Peaks.
 * "Frank I'm Not", "Bluish Eggs with a Side of Pastrami", and "Oh The Destinations You'll Briefly Visit" are references to "Sam I Am", "Green Eggs and Ham", and "Oh, The Places You Will Go!" (respectively), all by Dr. Seuss.
 * In Russian translation of the game, "Oh The Destinations You'll Briefly Visit" is called Где я был, что я написал (Where I Was, What Did I Write), a possible reference to the Russian books for children Где я был (Where I Was) and Что я видел (What Did I See) by Boris Zhitkov.
 * "Game of Thorns", one of the mystery books, is a reference to A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin.
 * "1948" (one of the default names for Sci-Fi books) is probably a reference to the book 1984 written by George Orwell.
 * "To Mock a Killing Bird" (one of the default names for Mystery books) is a reference to the book To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee.
 * "Two Thousand Glorious Moons" (one of the default names for Sim-written books) is most likely a reference to Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns.
 * "Gone With the Solar Wind" a book from the future is a reference to Gone With the Wind.
 * "Benders Fame" is a reference to the novel Enders Game by Orson Scott Card.
 * "Shadow of Games" is a parody of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's book Game of Shadows
 * "Of Moose and Sims" is a reference to the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
 * "The Silence of the Llamas" is most likely a reference to the novel by Thomas Harris and the film by Jonathan Demme The Silence of the Lambs.
 * "Mr. Goss Goes to Town" is likely a reference to Mr. Bean Goes to Town episode of the television series Mr. Bean.
 * "The Vampire Blogs" book is a reference to The Vampire Diaries By L. J. Smith.
 * "How To Win At VideoGames Without Really Trying" Is most likely a reference to the book / Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
 * "Plan 8 from Lunar Lakes" is probably a reference to the movie Plan Nine from Outer Space.

Decorations

 * In The Sims 3: GenerationsThesims3nyancat.png, the player can get Bulletin Boards. On one of them, there is a painting of a unicorn and three other unicorn/pony pictures. These are possibly a reference to 'My Little Pony'.
 * There is a buyable painting of the Social Bunny from The Sims 2.
 * There is a buyable statue of the Laganaphyllis Simnovorii- the cowplant- from The Sims 2: University.
 * There is a statue of a Servo in the Science lab.
 * If a Sim is painting on an easel, they can paint a picture of Bella Goth and Cassandra Goth as well as Olive Specter crying about being left at the altar by her ex-fiance.
 * A large painting includes a couple on a balcony. The man has a suit and the woman has an elegant red dress; they could be Mortimer and Bella.
 * There is a buyable shelf that comes full of mementos and curios, one of which is a photograph of the young man and woman on the cover of The Sims 2: University box.
 * Under the buydebug menu, there is a small miniature version of The Sims 2 Goth manor.
 * There is a record with a "Bella Squared" painting as the cover.
 * There is a possibility of painting a Spore creature.
 * On the side of any bookstore, there is a poster of Pauline Wan and Hank Goddard. Another person who appears resembles Jebidiah Wilson dressed in his doctor uniform.
 * In The Sims 3: Late Night, the fountain in the center of Bridgeport resembles the picture from the loner trait in Map View.
 * In The Sims 3: Generations, there is a dog paw on the baby gnome shirt. It could be a hint to the next expansion pack, which was The Sims 3: Pets.
 * When children or teens have a school trip to the graveyard mausoleum, they may receive a painting. The painting has a figure of a ghost with a green color and what appears to be a black coloration in his stomach just to the left of the mausoleum. It is speculated that this reveals a new type of death in an upcoming expansion pack, and that it is most likely a ghost Sim who died of illness as featured in The Sims 2. It was rumored that this type of death will be shipped in The Sims 3: Seasons, but it didn't. It was later revealed that the ghost is a new form of death, death by magic, as shown Supernatural trailer.
 * In The Sims 3: Pets, there is a painting called "Rainbows! Lasers! Cat!" which is a possible reference to the popular internet meme, Nyan Cat.
 * There is also a painting/poster called Grilled Cheese! in The Sims 3: Pets which shows a cat thinking of a grilled cheese sandwich. It seems to be a nod to LOLcats, and a reference to the Grilled Cheese aspiration from The Sims 2: Nightlife.
 * Some paintings which Sims can paint are similar to real paintings including: Mona Lisa and The Birth of Venus. See Painting for more.
 * "The Detention Hall" movie poster available in Buy Mode is based on the poster for the 1985 movie The Breakfast Club.
 * In The Sims 3: Pets there is a statue called "Arya's Pony". The name is a reference to Arya Stark, a character from George R. R. Martin's book series "A Song of Ice and Fire" also known as "Game of Thrones". In its description there are other hints/ references to the book/ television series, including the Stark words "winter is coming."
 * The exterior of the 25 Frames Cinema in the Sims University sub-neighbourhood, rather than featuring generic-looking movie posters as in most other theater rabbit holes, features references of posters for movies, including posters closely resembling those for Iron Man and Black Swan re-created using Sims animation styles.

Objects

 * The Access Aperture Door (available after purchasing Lunar Lakes), could possibly be a nod towards Valve's Aperture Science Facility shown in both Portal games, yet the word is also used to describe an opening which allows light to enter; possibly meaning a fancier word for door.


 * The Lucky Door is said to be made by Mr McMann from Pleasantview after he won in Bingo seven days in a row.


 * There is another door called Mags' Door, the door is in the style of the 50s and it might be a reference to Mags Newbie.
 * The Freezer Bunny makes a number of appearances in the game:
 * As a child's toy in the toy box (although it appears as a regular pink bunny, the color depicts a Freezer Bunny)
 * As one of the arcade machines
 * As an ice cream from the ice cream truck
 * As Freezer Bunny magical gnome
 * In Katy Perry's Sweet Treats cover
 * As a Freezer Bunny-Nyan Cat shirt


 * A double bed is made by the Lothario family.
 * A loveseat is said to be designed by Mortimer Goth.


 * Several objects appear made by Landgraab Industries.


 * Zooming in close enough to the hot air balloon that floats around reveals two figures from promotions for The Sims. The figures will always face forward. Watch this video.


 * On a TV set there is a box cover of The Sims 2 Castaway and MySims.


 * One of the fireplace styles is the Chimenea Muy Caliente.


 * A telescope that comes with Outdoor Living Stuff mentions Morrigan Hemlock who is a playable character who lives in Bridgeport.


 * There is an archway that is a direct reference to "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. It comes with the base game and is called the "Archway to Heaven". Its description is "There's an entrance that knows, if you're wealthy with gold, then you're buying an Archway to Heaven". This is a reference to the first few lines of "Stairway to Heaven"; "There's a lady who's sure/All that glitters is gold/And she's buying a Stairway to Heaven".
 * An object that comes with the Pets expansion pack is "Sir Bricks-A-Lot, Jr.", a reference to the rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot, and the original "Sir Bricks-A-Lot" in The Sims 2: Open for Business.
 * A sink named "The Unsinkable Sink" might be a reference to Titanic, as the Titanic used to be called "The Unsinkable Ship".
 * The Scary Bearys: Robo-Bearbot added with Supernatural contains a reference to Isaac Asimov's three laws of robotics, described as the "three laws of bearotics".
 * The "Portrait of Miranda Glauer" that came from Supernatural has a dramatic story wherein Betty was a witch bullied by her classmates in Everglow Academy. This could be a reference to Alessa Gillespie, a major character in the Silent Hill series, who was also a witch and discriminated and hated by her classmates for being one during her school year in 1976 and is seeking revenge to them, the same thing what Betty was about to do to her classmates as stated by in the description of the painting in Buy Mode.
 * In Supernatural, a witch can magically upgrade the wardrobe after they are of high enough skill. Afterward, it becomes a very plain and obvious The Chronicles of Narnia reference from the fact that there's a magic portal in the wardrobe right down to the description of who must be the White Witch.
 * There's a billboard that shows a man in a suit with words in Simlish and a scale in the middle of it. This is a reference to Breaking Bad's "Better Call Saul".

References to EA and other EA titles

 * The book "Point Farmer: The Story Of Grant Rodiek" (Grant Rodiek is one of the producers.)
 * One of the large paintings a Sim can paint closely resembles a creature from Spore.
 * There is also an eye that appears to be a body part from Spore as a graffiti art.
 * On the door to the Bistro there is what appears to be a blue credit card sticker. When flipped horizontally, it can be recognized as the original EA games logo. (seen in Sunset Valley)
 * There is a channel on the TV called "Halls of History", which when turned on shows an authoritarian city from Simcity Societies. The song playing in the background of "Halls of History" is also from SimCity Societies.
 * One of the space rocks is named Sporecite, a reference to the EA Game, Spore.ME3 Reference in The Sims 3 Ambition.png
 * When traveling to the future in Ambitions, Sims can encounter a Mass Effect reference (Some sort of shepherd saving the galaxy from an ancient machine threat), a Red Faction: Guerrilla reference (The Sim stands up for Miners' Rights on Mars and is attacked by the Earth Police), and when traveling to the past a Dragon Age: Origins reference (While traveling through the tunnels, the Sim was saved by a Warden who led the Sim out safely). The Red Faction reference is slightly odd, considering EA had nothing to do with the game; it is published by THQ and designed by Volition.
 * When receiving a certificate for mastering Athleticism, the athletic institute is named "Grodiek Institute", a pun on a creator of the game, G. Rodiek.
 * While it may be just a name, Morrigan Hemlock may also be a reference to Dragon Age: Origins. Not only does she share a unique first name with an important character in the game, her last name is also similar to two of the main creatures of the game (the hurlock and genlock). She also wears an outfit slightly reminiscent of the Dragon Age Morrigan.
 * One of the Rocks/Metals that Sims can pick up is Tiberium, which is a reference to Command and Conquer.
 * On the Channel Troller 27" Deluxe TV, the three disc cases that are shown on the bottom of the item are those of the MySims and The Sims Castaway Stories games, both by EA. Also, the Maxis logo is shown on the top of the DVD player.
 * In EA's Burnout Paradise, an area of the city is called Sunset Valley which may have given Sunset Valley its current name.
 * If a horse learns the riding skill, the skill description plays on the Need for Speed series ( feels the need.... the need for speed!).
 * The background music used in the elevator from Late Night is the theme song from The Sims.
 * There are a number of hidden chambers in tombs in World Adventures. It has a shape of pentagon and an "R" symbol on the floor. It's an initial of Ray Mazza, who designed the tombs.
 * In Generations, when a Sim tells a ghost story, one of the images that appear over their heads is a picture of Morcubus or Zombie Carl from MySims.
 * In Into the Future, there is a poster of SimCity: Cities of Tomorrow that can be bought in the Buy mode.
 * In Into the Future, three of the Arasika Technologies hover cars are named after characters from the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series (Liara, Sebastian, and Fenris).
 * The "Liara" may also bie a shout-out to the similarly named Suzuki hatchback.
 * In The Sims 3 Pets for console, when exploring the abandoned mine, sometimes a message will pop up, saying "(Sim Name) was exploring when they came across the message "the pie is a lie!" scrawled across the wall over and over again," which is a reference to the Portal series.

Homages to art, film and literature

 * Attack with The Claw is an action available to Sims interacting with toddlers (as of Generations). This is a reference to the Jim Carrey movie "Liar, Liar".
 * "Herding Cats: Music Edition" (Herding Cats is an album by Gaelic Storm who recorded a Simlish version of their song "Scalliwag" for The Sims 2: Bon Voyage.)
 * "The Fountainfoot" is a painting referencing the book "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand.
 * Some created paintings in The Sims 3 are allusion to famous paintings in real life.
 * The poster named "Detention Hall" is a parody of The Breakfast Club.
 * The trait "Never Nude", as well as the playable character Gobias Koffi, are references to the television show "Arrested Development".
 * The descriptions of the shrubberies in The Sims 3 refer to "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".
 * There is a book called The Tiny Lebroski, which is a reference to the movie "The Big Lebowski".
 * Under the band skill, there is a reference to Spinal Tap when it says band life has many things, such as the number 11.
 * One novel is called "A Game of Thorns", a reference to George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones.
 * A downloadable item in the Sims 3 Store has a cube-shaped table lamp called "The Comrade Cube". The look of the item and a part of its description - "Please note, we'd like to take a moment to remind you that the Comrade Cube cannot, and will not, speak" - are both references to the weighted Companion Cube from Valve's Portal series where GLaDOS constantly reminds the player that the weighted companion cube cannot speak.
 * On the side of the Starlight Shores rabbit hole, the players can see a poster that looks a lot like a promotional picture from Battlefield 3.
 * There is an opportunity called "To Boldly Go" which asks the Sim to write a Science Fiction novel, a reference to the Star Trek franchise.
 * In The Sims 3 there is a street lamp called 'A Street Lamp Named Desire,' a reference to the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire. The product description mentions 'Marlon Kowalski,' referencing both the actor Marlon Brando and the character he played in the film adaptation, Stanley Kowalski. He is mentioned as calling the lamp 'Stellar!' referencing the famous 'Stella!' cry from the play.
 * In Ambitions, when the Sim is investigating a tunnel dug by a miner, sometimes a message will pop up saying "(Sim) saw an officious looking white rabbit running down a tunnel, but decided to leave that business for some other sucker". This is a reference to the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
 * One of the novels your Sim can write is Waiting for Godat, an obvious reference to the play Waiting for Godot.
 * One of the houses in Lunar Lakes mentions seeming to be "bigger on the inside", a possible reference to the TV show Doctor Who. Likewise, the object The Lightning Leap Atomic Molecular Arranger, introduced with The Sims 3: Supernatural, is a reference to the TARDIS from Doctor Who in both its design and functionality.
 * If a teen is crowned as Prom Queen, their moodlet will say "They like me! They really like me!". This is a reference to Sally Field's acceptance speech for her Academy Award for Places in the Heart.
 * The "Atlas's Burden" sculpture refers to a Titan of Greek mythology, who was tasked with carrying the weight of the world. He was often depicted carrying a large sphere on his back.
 * In Pets, there is a decorative plush unicorn titled "I'm So Fluffy!" Both the title and likeness are from the movie Despicable Me.
 * In Supernatural, the Swain family (Chester and Bailey) are likely based on the characters Charlie and Bella Swan of the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer. There is also a beach called La Shove, which references the La Push beach near Forks, Washington, where the books take place.
 * In Supernatural, the Flying Vacuum lifetime reward is a reference to Mary Sanderson's flying vacuum of the 1993 film, Hocus Pocus.
 * In Supernatural, the "Fae Ray Gardens" and "Fae Ray Arboretum" in Moonlight Falls are references to the actress Fay Wray.
 * In Seasons, there's a Sim-version picture of at the side of face painting booth.
 * In University Life, there's a chance Sims will get a "Lilly Lonka" golden candy bar from the vending machine, worth §1,000. This is a reference to Willy Wonka golden candy bar from the book and the films Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
 * Walter White from Breaking Bad appears in University Life as a graffiti.
 * In University Life the graffiti kit to make Street Art is called Banky's Street Art Kit, which could be a reference to the famous street artist Banksy in the UK.
 * In The Sims 3: University Life, university mascots perform a dance similar to "Gangnam Style".
 * In Island Paradise, the bridge connecting the houseboat to port is called "Gangway Style", which is a reference to Gangnam Style by K-Pop artist Psy.
 * In Island Paradise, there is a poster called "Jowls", which is a clear reference to the movie Jaws.
 * In an opportunity to unlock a hidden island in Island Paradise, the name of the opportunity is called "Firewalk with Me", a reference to Twin Peaks.
 * In Island Paradise, one of the messages found in the bottles is "4 8 15 16 23 42". This is a references to the TV show Lost - the sequence of numbers were used when Hurley played the lottery and won. The numbers are featured predominantly throughout the series.
 * In Into the Future, using the "Randomize Name" button in the Create a Bot menu may result the name "4 8 15 16 23". This is a reference to the show Lost, just like the message in a bottle Easter egg above.
 * In Into the Future, an Arasika hover-truck is named the "Elroy", possibly a reference to the character Elroy in The Jetsons.
 * Into the Future also includes an Arasika hover-car named the "DeLorraine Flying Roadster", which is described as having engine limiters that do not allow it to exceed 87 miles per hour. This is a reference to the time-traveling DeLorean from the Back to the Future movies.
 * The layout and building designs of Oasis Landing in Into The Future appear to be modeled on The Capitol from The Hunger Games series. References to the outlandish fashions in the films can also be seen in the new CAS items added in that expansion; notably, two new facial hair styles for male Sims are obviously based on the elaborate beard worn by the character Seneca Crane.
 * In Into the Future, inside the all-in-one bathroom, there are three seashells. This is a reference to the 1993 film Demolition Man, in which a man gets frozen and thawed out in the future. One of the minor jokes in the movie is that toilet paper is replaced by "the three seashells" and he can't figure out how to use it.
 * In Into the Future, some objects are made by Wiggin Youth Architecture. This may be a reference to Ender's Game, as the protagonist's last name is Wiggin.
 * In Into the Future, the catalog description for the Windcarver hoverboard says that it is "not intended for use over water." This is a reference to the 1989 film Back to the Future Part II; a minor plot device is that non-powered hoverboards come to a stop over water.

Other

 * Occasionally airplanes can be seen in the sky.
 * Some of the rabbit holes have music from MySims as their background music.
 * The ambient sound inside the art college rabbit hole in University Life sounds like Sims' voice in French accent.
 * When travelling to the past in the Time Machine from Ambitions your Sim may get a message about horse riding which also mentions that it could be useful in near future: which may have been be a possible hint to The Sims 3: Pets.
 * On the big rocks near Crystal Springs in Sunset Valley there are alien carvings on the rocks presenting some sort of message.
 * Pre-made deceased Sims in Twinbrook, Barnacle Bay and Bridgeport are all light-green skinned, grey-haired, barefoot and dressed in similar hues. Also these Sims share their last name with some Twinbrook families, possibly meaning that they may be related to them but oddly they don't appear in tOboroten-the-sims-3-pitomci.jpg''?]]heir family tree.
 * As the Easter egg above, if you look at the Big Bling Household in Bridgeport, you can see a description saying that no one knew how these "former Twinbrook residents came under the same roof."
 * NPCs from Bridgeport and Barnacle Bay often don't have the typical and appropriate traits to the determinate NPC job, for example babysitters don't have the Family-Oriented trait.
 * One of the background music songs in any grocery stores bears a resemblance to the song from the movie "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" called "Champion Charlie Brown"
 * In the theater at Bridgeport, there is a movie poster of a doctor examining a woman, as seen on The Sims 3: Ambitions box.
 * The football clips on the sports station are a game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars from Madden NFL 10.
 * The FIFA clips show a game between Arsenal FC and Manchester City.
 * In CAW it says set "Beautiful Vista" buff instead of moodlet. This may give away The Sims Medieval as moodlets are called buffs.
 * A playable song is named Flamenco Fever, perhaps a reference to the Caliente family.
 * All the TV shows are made with The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories.
 * The name of the Twinbrook Stadium is Bachelor Stadium, making a reference to the Bachelor family (perhaps because Michael wishes to be an athlete).
 * The newspaper may say that Twikkii Island is the #1 vacationing island. This a reference to the island that appeared in The Sims 2: Bon Voyage.
 * When travelling to the past, the player may randomly get a message about the disappointment of the Sim that personal teleportation is still not possible 50 years after The Sims 3. This makes no sense, since teleportation does exist in The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories and can be achieved by meditating or learning the Ninja teleportation trick. Kids can also be teleported by the Social worker. Repomen also teleport in The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories if the walls are blocking the objects. Teleportation is also possible through the Teleporter Challenge Reward. Although it's possible the game means an object that allows personal teleportation. Also in World Adventures, Sims can teleport by using Zeneport.
 * One of the songs used when entering the elevator for The Sims 3: Late Night expansion is one of the songs used in build mode in The Sims.
 * The cooking channel plays a song from the The Sims: Unleashed.
 * Some of the songs playing while in the neighborhood view of France are from the neighborhood view of Magic Town in The Sims: Makin' Magic.
 * Under the "Themed" category while designing objects, one pattern shows three real-life sports cars: Audi R8, Chevrolet Camaro, and Lamborghini Gallardo.
 * There's a bat hanging under the trampoline in The Sims 3: Ambitions. It might have been a clue for the next expansion, The Sims 3: Late Night.
 * While having a Sim play computer games, if you listen closely, you can hear music from The Sims: Makin' Magic.
 * The in-game icon for R&B has a picture of a man who looks like Ray Charles.SimNationMap-reverseUSA.jpg
 * In The Sims 3: Generations when a sim goes to graduate at City Hall, you can hear some of the producers names being read out. Such as "Vaughn Ryan" one of the producers on the expansion pack.
 * Inside the school rabbit hole there is a map displayed on the wall that appears to be a reversed map of the United States.

The Sims 4

 * The game "Sims Forever" on the computer shows gameplay of The Sims. The four icons on the HUD are traits from The Sims 3: Absent-Minded, Handy, Loser, and Light Sleeper.
 * "A Game of Groans" book is a reference to Game of Thrones.
 * "The Bladder Games" and "The Plunder Games" books are parodies of The Hunger Games trilogy.
 * "The Sauntering Dead" book is a reference to The Walking Dead.
 * "The Lord of the Swings" book is a reference to The Lord of the Rings.
 * "Where the Boardwalk Ends" book is a reference to Where the Sidewalk Ends.
 * The Teen Idol Poster resembles Hatsune Miku, a J-Pop singer with blue ponytails.
 * The Henry Puffter Poster is a reference to the Harry Potter series.
 * The "Schmapple" kitchen applications is a reference to Apple Inc. (Both expensive and hold descriptions influenced by apple's advertising).

The Sims Medieval

 * When playing a quest as the Wizard, the player may be given the chance to undertake an optional quest objective, "scry into the distant future (just for fun)". A dialogue box appears describing a "beautiful woman in a red dress" and a confused image of "Gothic bells", clearly intended as a vision of Bella Goth.


 * When the music box is opened, two small dancing automatons can be seen inside. The female figure wears a long red dress, which could possibly be a medieval variation on Bella Goth's iconic outfit. Her male dancing partner is also dressed smartly in dark hues, and could possibly be a medieval version of Mortimer.
 * When the Blacksmith is making something, they will get the 'Hammer Tyme' buff, with 'Thy cannot touch this' as the description, a reference to the MC Hammer song.
 * When any hero Sim gets a minor wound, the description says, 'Tis merely a flesh wound. I've had worse', a reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
 * There is a townie called 'Rodger the Shrubber', another reference to 'Holy Grail'.
 * When sending a parrot to 'Hunt for Treasure' the description says 'How much treasure can a parrot carry? I suppose it's a question of weight ratios,' another reference to 'Holy Grail'.
 * There is a metal that you can find called "Mithral", which is a possible reference to the Elven metal "Mithril" in the works of J. R. R. Tolkien.
 * There's a song played on the lute called Lament for Mortimer. Likewise, there is a song on the fiddle called Bella in the Lowground.
 * When playing the quest to kill the monarch, the spy discovers that the monarch is an imposter, and the true monarch's bones are buried under the name of Sambert Limnel. This is a reference to Lambert Simnel, who was a 'pretender' in Henry VII's reign. Lambert Simnel pretended to be the Earl of Warwick so as to claim that he was the true heir to the throne. This is practically the opposite to what happens in the game play, therefore it is ironic that they swap the letters around of the first and last names.
 * If Pirates and Nobles is installed, a Sim can become a member of the Pirate faction. If they do this, they can choose the special "Scurvy Strike" while dueling, where they spit in their opponent's eye. If this fails, the Sim gains the buff "Blinded by Spit," with a description of "So you think you can blind me and spit in my eye??" This is likely a reference to the Queen song Bohemian Rhapsody.
 * While asleep, there is a chance a character will get a dream related to a bard named "Andy Island", singing a comical song about "crude lust". This is likely a reference to the comedy band The Lonely Island, and their lead vocalist, Andy Samberg. The options in the opportunity are "The night starts..." and "To the good part!", both phrases used in their song "Jack Sparrow". The other option contains the name Bikhail Molton which is likely a reference to Michael Bolton who is featured in the song as well.
 * The chickens in the Merchant character's Market, despite being functionally no more than decorative items and having no interactions available, can occasionally be seen with Relationship plus or minus signs floating over their heads after clucking at each other for a while.
 * In the adventure, "Secrets and Successions", when the party ends, the host of the party may say "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." This is a reference to the song Closing Time by Semisonic.

Llamas
The reappearing llama reference is an old joke from Maxis dating all the way back to SimCity 2000, when the speed names were "Pause", "Turtle", "Llama", "Cheetah", "African Swallow". Llamas appear throughout most games of The Sims series.


 * The theme appears as the mascot of the college in The Sims 2: University and various pictures.


 * The pirate ship in Bon Voyage (and Hogan's Deep Sea Diner in Barnacle Bay) has a llama figurehead on it as well as the face of a llama.


 * Mr. Humble´s computer has a picture of a llama on it.


 * Calling to invite over a person who doesn't particularly want to accept said invitation, they will sometimes say "I'm sorry. I can't; I have to feed my pet llama," or "I'd rather play Myshuno with a pack of llamas."


 * There is a book in The Sims 3 entitled "Llama's Rights".


 * Another indication of the infamous Llama is on the Foosball table. It can clearly be seen on the sides of it.


 * Also, in The Sims 3: Late Night, when a Sim is using the Bubble Bar, there is a chance that it will blow a bubble in the shape of a llama.


 * In The Sims 2 Castaway, the Llama people appear on every island.


 * In The Sims 2, Sims on the first level of in the sports career, "Team Mascot", wear a llama costume.


 * Sims in The Sims 3 and The Sims Medieval can also do a Mean interaction which is "Imply Mother as a Llama".


 * In The Sims 3: Ambitions expansion pack, Sims can get a llama tattoo.


 * In the stylist profession added in The Sims 3: Ambitions, Sims can reject a client by using the interaction "Reject and imply client looks like a llama".


 * In The Sims 3, the football team is called the Llamas.
 * In The Sims 3, there is a lifetime reward named "Fast Learner" and its description is "Learn and improve skills faster than a galloping llama!".


 * In The Sims 3: Generations, you can have a llama cane as an elder.


 * The cheatcode "enablellamas on" also alludes to this love of llamas, although entering this cheat code does not actually have any effect on gameplay. Instead, it will simply cause a bubble that says "Llamas enabled" and "Llamas unenabled" if turned off.


 * In The Sims 3 for console, there is a llama that can be used for cheating.


 * In The Sims 3, a toddler's everyday shirt has a picture of a llama on it.


 * Bachelor Stadium in Twinbrook has a picture of a Llama in the soccer picture.


 * If a sim visits an art gallery after the Generations expansion pack has been installed, they will get the memory "That art gallery is full of horizon-expanding pieces, such as a Llama standing on a box of apples".


 * In The Sims 3, in front of Mike's Cornerstore in the town of Bridgeport, there is a sign outside with a picture of a llama wearing a suit and holding a guitar.


 * In The Sims 3: University Life, one of the university mascots is a llama.


 * In The Sims 2 Castaway there is a llama on the tail section of the plane.