How to be more than a romantic interest in The Sims 3

Relationships are an important part of life, and that means they’re also an integral part of playing the Sims 3. EA Games classic series is basically a simulation of life, where your character is free to get a job, make friends and attempt romantic contacts according to your whims. Relationships on the game work in stages, and the “Romantic Interest” stage opens up many more options for expanding your interaction and becoming partners than the simple friendship levels. Getting past this stage requires patience, persistence and striking when the mood is right.

Start slowly. Open up the “Romance” interaction menu and choose one of the less extreme flirtatious options. These include “Flirtatious Joke,” “Hold Hands” and “Shy Kiss.” After the object of your affections thinks you’re being “Alluring,” you can advance to more seductive options like “Massage,” “Confess Attraction” and “First Kiss.”

Interact regularly. The longer you leave a relationship on the Sims 3, the more it will decay. If you’re a romantic interest, failing to communicate regularly reduces the level of the relationship, so stay in contact. Avoid repeating the same interactions too much though, because this will bore the Sim you’re trying to woo.

Build up to being “Irresistible.” Continue with your romantic interactions until the desired Sim sees you as “Irresistible” (you can see the status in the top left of the screen). You can then perform more romantic actions such as “Stroke Cheek,” “Whisper in Ear” and “Leap into Arms” to improve the relationship even further.

Propose “Going Steady.” If accepted, this makes the Sim in question your boyfriend or girlfriend and gives them a lot more freedom inside your house. You can usually “Woohoo” with little build-up if you’re near to bed, hot tub or elevator. Bear in mind that when you “Woohoo,” there is a small chance of pregnancy.

Focus your romantic interactions on one Sim. “Going Steady” with another Sim opens the door to jealousy. If you’re caught flirting (or worse) with another Sim, this can lead to anything from a minor setback in the relationship (for flirting with another Sim) to complete obliteration of the bond (if you “Make Out” or “Woohoo” with another Sim).

“Propose Marriage” to your chosen Sim when the mood is right. Build up to the proposal with romantic interactions, and if your relationship is strong enough you’ll be successful. This is sometimes difficult to achieve (particularly if one of the Sims has commitment issues), so don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t work straight away. At this point, you can arrange a private wedding or a wedding party to make the Sim your husband or wife.