#lutris

[amanitahouses]

Nestled, watercolor, 2025

[simsllama]

FIX: Sims 2 custom videos not showing (black screen) – Linux Mint / Lutris

ok I need to document this because I’ve just fixed something that refused to work on the SAME machine under Windows 11 😭

Sims 2 custom videos (black screen / not showing) on Linux Mint – FIX

I was having the classic issue:

custom AVIs not showing on computer screens / TVs

black screen or nothing happens

files work fine in VLC so it makes no sense

this is NOT a mod issue. it’s a codec problem.

what’s actually wrong

Sims 2 uses an old video system (DirectShow + VP6 codec)

Linux doesn’t include that properly in Wine by default, so the game literally can’t read the video even though the file exists.

how I fixed it (Lutris method)

open Lutris

select The Sims 2 in your library

at the bottom of the window, next to the Play button, click the small arrow (▲)

click Winetricks

you’ll get a window asking what to do:

👉 choose “Select the default wineprefix” → OK

next screen: 👉 choose “Install a Windows DLL or component”

install these:

quartz

wmp9

lavfilters

let everything install, close Winetricks, then launch the game

result

custom computer screen videos → WORKING

custom TV videos → WORKING

no black screens anymore

important note

if you copied your Sims 2 install from another OS before, don’t overwrite the VP6 folders inside the game files. those are OS-specific and can break video playback.

honestly???

this worked better on Linux Mint than it EVER did on my Windows 11 setup 💀

if your Sims 2 videos are broken and you’re on Linux, try this before doing anything else.

[grilledcheese-aspiration]

reminder that you can make your lutris thumbnails be whatever you want! i spent a great deal of my afternoon reworking my own so they have a lil theme 🤌🏼

the text on the simpe thumbnail are lyrics to daft punks technologic and ofc, the lyrics that make the most sense for working in simpe (for me that is):

Write it, cut it, paste it, save it Load it, check it, quick – rewrite it

anyway, this was a fun lil creative outlet! highly recommended 🖤

[oberonthewormofficial]

My current D and D character Lutris! Full name Enhydra Lutris Nereis, they are a kobold alchemist who used to be a librarian. Lutris's master, a friendly Steel dragon, has their kobold underlings go out into the world to collect additions and act as observers/scribes for the library. Lutris is acting as an emissary on one of these collection missions, but has their own personal reasons to leave home.

[simlishstories]

updated linux setup ft. sims 2 apps tht i finally installed through lutris

[netscapenavigator-official]

Since I believe in sharing, I'm gonna leave this here. Idk who it'll help, if anybody, but I'd feel bad if I kept it to myself.

If you're trying to play Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill (Original Version), or Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned For Danger on a Linux device via Wine/Lutris/CrossOver/etc., and everything seems to be working fine except the audio, which skips to the next file/track without any input, then try this:

Open your Wine Bottle's C: Drive, and navigate to your game's installation directory.

Locate the "Game.ini" file, and open it in whatever .txt editor your distro has (like gedit).

Find, within the file, where it says "UseDirectSound"

This setting should be set to a value of 1, by default.

Backspace the 1 and type a 0 (zero) in its place.

Save the file.

The audio shouldn't skip anymore, and if that was your only issue running the game, it should run a-okay now.

[cindysimblr]

Hey there, this is kinda random and I'm sorry if you've already answered this question but. I installed linux on a laptop and used osab's sims installation. I used Wine and launched it through lutris, it goes to start but it doesn't open and it says I can "play" after like a minute. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, just really want to try to figure it out.

Hi, unfortunately I don't know what has gone wrong, but I'm answering this in public. Maybe one of my followers has an idea?

[untierthepolar]

76/365 commission for LutrisOtter!