The Sims has been a renowned and well-loved series since its origins, but it doesn't mean that the games have been without flaws. From visual glitches to broken Sims 4 Kits, each series entry has seen some kind of oddity crop up, though receiving a text from a ghost offering condolences over their own death is likely one many players haven't seen before.
While there are ways to avoid it, the basic setup for any Sims game includes aging and the risk of injury or death for one's Sims. One Sims 4 player found themselves baffled when they received a message from a ghost offering reassurance and comfort because they themselves had died.
Reddit user wormgirl7 shared an image from the odd moment in their game. An on-screen text can be seen from a friendly Sim trying to soothe the player's Sim over their recent passing. He offers to take the player's Sim out for lunch so that they can talk about it, hoping to provide some comfort and closure. The only problem being that the Sim who wants to comfort the player is in fact dead, and is the same person that their Sim was grieving over.
Ghosts in The Sims are nothing new, and have been around from the beginning. Players mostly get to see them when a Grim Reaper comes to collect a Sim's soul after they've died, but there have been multitudes of possibilities to have ghosts hang around or revisit players once their physical bodies have passed. While receiving a text message from one of them is certainly peculiar, some of those responding to post have attested that the same thing has happened to their Sims.
Given that this is something that has happened to multiple players, it's unclear if it was an intentional bit of programming from EA or not. It's possible that it started out as a creepy game glitch and was left in, as it doesn't have a negative impact on gameplay and can be ignored outright if the player isn't interested.
Outside of games intentionally focusing on ghosts and spirits like indie hit Phasmophobia, or Cyberpunk 2077 featuring the late Johnny Silverhand, it's rare for gamers to have an opportunity to actually hang out with a character who has recently passed. It would probably actually serve as a great opportunity for the player's Sim to receive some closure, as they could come away from the experience knowing their loved one still exists, even if they lack a physical form.
The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One..