The Sims franchise has had a monopolistic grip on the life sim genre for 25 years, and EA seems determined to keep it that way by turning The Sims 4 into a true forever game. We’re in the 11th year of The Sims 4 now, and there’s no end to its cycle of expansions and other DLC packs anywhere in sight. So it certainly seems as though The Sims 4 could theoretically be the only game you ever need. But where’s the fun in that?

One of the downsides of The Sims 4 being more than a decade old is that it’s built on a foundation that isn’t exactly modern–the Sims 4 launched before the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One did. That dated foundation puts some limits on what EA can do with it, and it also means you could seriously use a change of pace every once in a while. Ten years is a long time to play one game, even one that’s refreshed this often.

Fortunately, there are plenty of games out there that can scratch that same Sims itch even while being something that’s pretty different–or, in one particular new case, by being very similar but trying lots of new stuff. Let’s dive in. Or if you’d prefer to stick with what you already know, check out our recommendations for the best Sims 4 mods.