Escaping into Enchantment with The Sims creator itsqwertyluvs
I’ve always wondered what the mind of a Sims streamer is like, especially after growing up watching so many Let’s Plays. Whenever I played The Sims, I’d get overly controlling about how my Sim-self lived his life including cheat codes to increase their bladder control because I needed them to eat dinner at a reasonable hour and not run to the bathroom in the middle of cooking! But that’s life, isn’t it?
This game means a lot to me because now more than ever, as I’m craving escapism. Whether it’s the dreary state of the world, queer-coded loneliness, or just adulthood sinking its big, meaty claws into my skin… I’m always looking for something immersive that transports me the f*ck out of here! The Sims has always done that for me, and I love learning how it has landed similarly for other people.
So, it’s safe to say I was geeking out when I got the chance to talk to popular The Sims streamer itsqwertyluvs about the new The Sims™ 4 Enchanted by Nature Expansion Pack.
The latest expansion to the beloved life sim game lets players create fairy Sims, learn the new Apothecary skill, and dress up their characters with ethereal accessories like horns and wings. It carries late 90s occult energy (think Buffy the Vampire Slayer or The Craft). It’s a vibe I think spiritually leaning Gen Z players deeply appreciate, especially for its magical and escapist qualities.
No one knows escapism better than Alannah (itsqwertyluvs), who shared that their dream job was always to be a YouTuber, but major anxiety kept them from hitting the record button for years. Growing up watching their dad play The Sims, Alannah soon followed suit, spending countless hours in the game creating wild scenarios and storylines for their characters to live out in the digital world. One day, they decided to record without realizing they would eventually build a thriving, loyal community of viewers.
“No one else in the world plays The Sims the way I play The Sims,” Alannah says. It’s a testament to how every Sims player has a specific niche within the wider community, resulting in infinite creative possibilities from a single game. Some players focus on building and fulfilling their architectural fantasies, while others obsess over creating detailed Sims, approaching it like they’re curating a fashion portfolio or styling a photo shoot.
The Sims has always been more than a game—it’s a platform for expression. For the queer community, where being misunderstood is often the norm, that freedom is powerful. When I asked Alannah if they’d learned anything about themselves through playing, they laughed and admitted: “I had a few bisexual awakenings playing The Sims,” noting that the game normalized queerness because every Sim was essentially bisexual by default. When The Sims 4 added pronouns, they were ecstatic: “My favorite game was trying to be progressive.”
Alannah especially loves the game’s occult elements and created a popular Sims Let’s Play series revolving around a zombie apocalypse storyline they wrote themselves. Through that series, they realized just how deeply their storytelling resonated with others, surprised by how many viewers were invested in the characters they brought to life. That connection led them to discover a love for writing and sparked a dream to someday turn their Sims storylines into a TV series or film.
When I asked Alannah what advice they’d give to budding content creators, they offered this: “Just do your niche. Do whatever you want to do. My least popular videos tend to be ones where I’m following a trend. As long as you’re proud of what you’re doing—or at the very least enjoying it while you make it—people will like that because they can tell you’re having fun.” It’s advice that applies to anyone yearning for creative expression but scared of not being understood, often defaulting to what they think people want instead of what they love.
“Just be yourself,” Alannah adds. “The number one comment I get on videos is, ‘I’m so glad you talk this fast,’ or, ‘You just yap about anything.’”
Whether you want to make music videos, start a Let’s Play series, or live out your fantasy of being a witch-lawyer raising a family in the suburbs, The Sims continues to be a source of joy and connection for queer gamers around the world.
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