The Sims Spark'd is a brand new reality show that sees twelve Simmers🤡 split into four teams of three who compete in challenges to win a cash prize. Each team has a stylist, builder, and 𒀰storyteller who must work together to create a household, lot, and story that fits the judge's requirements.
Now the ver😼y on the Buzzfeed Multiplayer YouTube channel, wꦐe take a look at the highs and lows of this unique competition.
The Teams
The show began with an introduction to the host, judges, and ✨Simmers, as teams were decided by drawing tokens from a bag. Team Llama comprises Dr Gluon, Simlicy, and XmiramiraX while Team Freezer Bunny is made up of Dee Sims, XUrbanSimsX, and Spring Sims. The other two teams are Team Cowplant, made up of Doctor Ashley, Little Siha, and StephOSims and last but not least Team Gnome which comprises Plumbella, Simproved, and The English Simmer.
Once these formalities were over the first task was introduced. Each Simmer had to grab an object from a table of items that represented in-game ob𝔉jects. The three items each team had then needed to be used as inspiration for a household, build, and story.
Winning this first challenge meant an advantage in the next round and each team had just one copy of the game and ninety minutౠes to complete the task. The shock was apparent as both audience and competitors simultaneously gasped when told the time limit.
The challenge also set the stage for chaos as The Englis꧅h Simmer went flying into the table as she ran to grab the voodoo dolls, a moment already immortalized in both the trailer and meme form.
You Built What In 40 Minutes?
The three inspirational items proved to be more random in some ca♐ses than others. While team Freezer Bunny's Camera, microphone, and books matched well, team Llama's guitar, fishing rod, and bubbles were much more difficult to make work. We can only assume blind panic was involved there somewhere.
The main thi💜ng that was evidꦜent in this challenge was that no one had any idea what to expect. All the contestants were incredibly nervous and even those usually at home in front of a camera were left tongue-tied. We were all thinking the same thing as Little Siha when she said that she just wanted to hug Steph, who was uncharacteristically lost for words.
Despite the visible nerves, every team managed to𒅌 produce both sims and a build, as well as tell some kind of story which in itself is a huge achieve✱ment.
While veteran Sims producer Dave Miotke, AKA SimGuruNinja, proved himself to be a harsh judge at ♑times, and has become the Simon Cowell ꦍof Simming, the standout moment in this first round was Team Gnome's build.
Somehow Fry, who goes by the name Simproved, managed to build an in-depth creepy mansion in just forty minutes or so. While anyone who has seen her channel knows she has incre🌼dible talent, the sheer level of detail she managed to accomplish in such a short time scale blew away both judges and competitors alike, giving the win to Team Gnome.
Making SimGuruNinja Cry
The second challenge had a much longer timescale but also came with a twist. Each team had to style a four sim household, create their home in Willow Creek, and give them a backs🌠tory worthy of being included in the game itself. This would be showcased by a short video the team created with access to a r🍃ecording studio and help from an editor, all in just five hours.
An hour through the challenge the twist came as contestants were told that they had to incorporate a rival from ano♉ther world into their household's story. Team Gnome, as the winners of the first 🍰challenge, were allowed to choose the worlds everyone's rivals would come from.
The next part of the challenge showed 👍how much the Sims community is full of love as Team Gnome dished out worlds they felt each team could most easily work with.
The presentation was truly heartbreaking, in more ways than one. Team Cowplant's Tea family, inspired by Gossip Girl, had so many puns. This was followed by team Llama's weaving narrative that incorporated the world's park into its sto🐓ryline, which was a nice touch. We then saw Team Gnome who presented the story of a workaholic dad, his wife, and daughter moving to Willow Creek for a new start alone and how rifts were healed as the family gre♒w.
Finally, the most heartbreaking story of all. Team Freezer Bunny told a tale of "a family bond, unbroken by death." It's the tale we saw a clip of in the trailer and its impact was so powerful it made SimGuruNinja visib🐻ly tear up. The problem was the video was unfinished, starting strong then ending up as a bunch of clips hastily thrown togetཧher, totally destroying its impact.
The Devastating Verdict
Ultimately, this unfinished video cost Team Freezer Bunny their place in the competition, with Team Gnome going on t🅠o win the second challenge as well as the first.
In this first of its kind competition, it's amazing that so many ama🍨zing sims, builds, and stories were even created in such an unknown, stressful environment and with such huge time constraints. It will be interesting to see if the nerves🦄 lift as the competition plays out and the Simmers involved at least stand a chance of knowing what to expect.
In the meantime, we send our commiserations to Team Freezer Bunny and our congratulations to Team Gnome, who will see their final challenge family incorporated into The Sims 4.