Gabriella Duke has always been a painter — it was, as the cliché goes, written in the stars. (Or, more specifically, designated by The Sims 4’s Stories feature in Create-A-Sim.) Then she discovered grilled cheese sandwiches.
An unlockable aspiration turned my Sim into a murdering, rocket-building cheese fiend
It was a choice between friendship and grilled cheese — the choice was obvious
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Image: Maxis/Electronic Arts via Polygon
Saira Mueller is the interim culture editor at Polygon. She is fascinated by health and technology and has written about it for CNN, Wired, Mashable, and Self.
After Gabriella ate three grilled cheese sandwiches in a row — why eat anything else, when hot cheese on toast is an option? — The Sims 4 gave her a choice: Change her aspiration in life to Grilled Cheese, or keep trying to become a Computer Whiz (which made little sense, given her profession as a painter).
Image: Maxis/Electronic Arts via Polygon
Naturally, she chose Grilled Cheese. The gooey, mouthwatering delights quickly took over her life.
“This Sim wants to eat, discuss, sleep, dream, and live grilled cheese sandwiches,” says the description for the aspiration. It was completely accurate.
To fulfill the Grilled Cheese aspiration, Sims have to complete various activities, divided into three tiers — Gouda Greenhorn, Cheddar Connoisseur, and Muenster Maniac. This includes, at the Gouda level, talking to three Sims about grilled cheese and eating 10 grilled cheese sandwiches. At the final level, Muenster, Sims have to cook an excellent-quality grilled cheese sandwich, eat a grilled cheese sandwich in space, and talk to the Grim Reaper about grilled cheese.
Image: Maxis/Electronic Arts via Polygon
While completing the early tasks, Gabriella quickly put on weight — all she ate was cheese and bread, so that wasn’t surprising. She also grew out her leg hair; when she wasn’t eating or talking about grilled cheese sandwiches and painting for fun, she barely had time to go to work, sleep, or use the bathroom.
The final stage, Muenster, posed a challenge for Gabriella. For one thing, she lived alone, so getting access to a rocket would be hard. Talking to the Grim Reaper wasn’t exactly an everyday activity, either.
Thankfully, cheat codes unlocked the rocket, and Gabriella spent a few days of PTO building it. Grilled cheese goals come before work goals, after all. With her trusty excellent-quality grilled cheese sandwich on her person, Gabriella blasted off into space to eat it in zero gravity.
1/3Image: Maxis/Electronic Arts via Polygon
On her return, Gabriella began scheming to meet the Grim Reaper. She invited her friend Rob, the grocery delivery guy, to come hang out at her place. He immediately headed to the bathroom. (Who doesn’t go before they leave to meet someone at their house?!) Then he “accidentally” got locked in, because all of a sudden, there was no door.
After many days of waiting for Rob to move on from this life (seriously, why does it take so long for someone to die of starvation in The Sims 4?), Gabriella invited him to join her household. The starvation thing was taking too long, so after another quick cheat code, a killer rabbit showed up to attack Rob, who finally died.
1/3Rob, locked in Gabriella’s bathroom, seemingly is making calls to try get help. Image: Maxis/Electronic Arts via Polygon
“Through sweat, blood, tears, and a large number of grilled cheese sandwiches, Gabriella has achieved her dream of becoming a Melt Master!” the game announced, as Gabriella discussed grilled cheese with the Grim Reaper.
Completing the Grilled Cheese aspiration also earned Gabriella the Melt Master trait, allowing her to summon grilled cheese sandwiches at will and to paint grilled cheese portraits. Her time had finally come.
Now, Gabriella could take her painting career to new heights, with her favorite meal as her muse. Her paintbrush would glide across the canvas, painting grilled cheese sandwiches in various styles — abstract, impressionist, pop art, and surrealist. These masterpieces would adorn the walls of collectors and art museums worldwide.
1/5Image: Maxis/Electronic Arts via Polygon
Unfortunately, after painting her beloved grilled cheese in six styles, Gabriella’s imagination seemed to short circuit, and she started painting grilled cheese sandwiches in the same randomly selected style over and over again, without considering her previous options.
To commemorate the completion of her lifelong aspiration of Grilled Cheese, and the fame she had gained through painting it, Gabriella created a shrine to her favorite melty sandwich in her study. Then, after what seemed like years, she finally moved on with her life. (Just like me after a week with my Furby.)
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