Chappell Roan still swears by The Sims 2: Double Deluxe: 'I knew every cheat code, so I would make everybody pregnant and everybody woohoo'

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Infinitely relatable.

ELMONT, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Chappell Roan performs on stage during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Mike Coppola)

At a Q&A with fans, musician Kayleigh Amstutz⁠—better known by her stage name, Chappell Roan⁠—was asked about her Sims 4 preferences by a member of the crowd. Roan responded by revealing a deep love for The Sims 2, specifically its GOTY-style re-release, Double Deluxe, and even cited it as an inspiration for her style of performance.

A video of the exchange was shared by the TikTok fan account allthingschappell⁠—presumably one stop shopping for all things Chappell Roan in vertical video format⁠—but the video seems to have been originally uploaded by the inimitable djpusskyat26. Someone in the crowd asked Roan what her "go-to Sims 4 storyline" is, to which the performer replied, "Oh girl, I am a Sims 2: Double Deluxe. I'm not Sims 4."

"I knew every cheat code," Roan recalled, "so I would make everyone pregnant and everyone woohoo. I would make everyone have twin baby aliens, and I was a freak and was just trying to make people naked. But I couldn't find it. I was just trying to make everyone naked."

I think that touches on a pretty universal millennial/gen z experience: Furtively exploring sex through videogames, getting flummoxed by non-existent Tomb Raider topless cheat codes or ensorcelled by spurious accounts of unblurred "woohoo" scenes in The Sims. We've all been there. I gotta imagine kids these days are seeing stuff in Discord servers or Peter Griffin creepypasta-themed Roblox games that make my generation's preoccupations seem tragically quaint.

On a more serious note, Roan then mused about the lasting impact The Sims 2 had on her creatively: "I was really, really involved with Sims 2. I still feel like I'm in Sims with Chappell⁠—I'm Kayleigh right now, obviously, I have stains on my dress and I'm carrying my purse."

Roan has previously discussed how she adopts a distinct character when performing, a drag queen persona separate from her usual self. "For Chappell, it's like a Sims character. I can dress her up and put her in a world. I think that's what I was practicing for [with the] Sims." Roan finished with one more story of juvenile Sims chaos before lamenting that she doesn't have the game or her saves anymore⁠—The Sims 2 is also no longer available for purchase digitally.

"I loved to just make my people cheat on each other⁠—something I do not participate in," Roan said. "I wish I had it still, my Sims 2."

Ted Litchfield
Associate Editor

Ted has been thinking about PC games and bothering anyone who would listen with his thoughts on them ever since he booted up his sister's copy of Neverwinter Nights on the family computer. He is obsessed with all things CRPG and CRPG-adjacent, but has also covered esports, modding, and rare game collecting. When he's not playing or writing about games, you can find Ted lifting weights on his back porch. You can follow Ted on Bluesky.