Elder Orphanage Challenge
I thought I was raw asl and made this whole thing up, then BAM! Found out there was an orphanage challenge already 🤦🏽♀️ so I've made (and been playing) my own lol.
I'll just call this the elder version 😂
More info under the cut!
Challenge Overview:
In this Elder-only version of the Orphanage Challenge, you must raise and care for a group of orphans under the watchful eyes of one or two elder Sims. The goal is to ensure the orphans are adopted by neighborhood families or successfully age up to teens before the elders pass away. Elders bring unique challenges due to their slower speed, inability to work, and limited lifespan, making this a fun and immersive challenge!
Setup:
Create the Caretaker(s):
You can choose either:
One Elder Sim for a more difficult game.
Two Elder Sims for a slightly easier experience, but one of the two must use a cane (see details below).
Cane Requirement: If you opt for two elders, one must use a cane (from the Generations expansion pack). The cane slows them down, making tasks like cooking, cleaning, and child care more time-consuming. Of course, if you don't have generations then you're free not to!
You can have ONE 'cheaty' trait PER ELDER. So, you shouldn't make one sim who has perfectionist, neat, natural cook, nurturing, and green thumb traits or something. I highly recommend one cheaty trait, and one bad trait (evil, hates children, mean-spirited, snob, etc) for better storylines and more surprises!
Create the Orphans:
You must start with a minimum of 6 orphans:
2 babies (You can adopt them or cheat and force random infants on the elders or random townies, then add them to the family).
2 toddlers
2 children
You'll need to use a random number generator (like on google) for the future generations of orphans (explanation below)
The orphans can either be:
Created in Create-A-Sim (CAS), or
Adopted using the in-game phone service. Adopting adds an extra layer of realism and difficulty, as orphans will arrive gradually instead of all at once.
First-generation orphans can be random cheated babies from townies.
Challenge Rules:
Elder-Only Restrictions:
You can only control the elders and teens (once teens become best friends with both elders).
Elders are not allowed to have jobs, so they must find other ways to make money (see below).
If you have two elders, one must use a cane, slowing them down considerably.
Generations Expansion Pack Features:
Canes for Elders: The cane-using elder will walk slowly and take longer to get things done, so keep an eye on their timing!
Bedtime Stories: Elders can read bedtime stories to help build relationships with the children.
Strollers for Toddlers: You can take toddlers for a stroll to build bonds and give the elders a fun, but slow-paced, activity.
Daycare Service: You can hire babysitters if managing the orphanage becomes overwhelming, but only sparingly.
Adoption Parties & Fees:
Every Saturday or Sunday, host an adoption party where you invite neighborhood adults.
The children must build a relationship with a guest adult, and once they become friends (or best friends if you want more difficulty), they can be adopted.
After each successful adoption, the player adds $700 Simoleons to the household funds as an "adoption fee."
Starting Funds & Finances:
You must start with $2500 Simoleons to make managing the orphanage financially challenging.
Ways to earn money:
Painting: Sell paintings for profit.
Gardening: Grow and sell produce.
Collecting: Elders can gather gems, rocks, or insects to sell.
Crafting: If you have the Ambitions expansion pack, sculpting and other crafting skills can be used for extra funds.
Elders cannot hold full-time jobs or take on professions, since running the orphanage IS their profession.
Raising the Orphans:
You can’t control babies, toddlers, or children. They must manage their own needs, while elders provide basic care (feeding, diaper changing, etc.). Set them as non-playable household members if you want!
Teens: Once a child ages up to a teen and becomes friends with both elders, they can start assisting with the younger orphans.
Elders are responsible for teaching toddlers to walk, talk, and use the potty until a teen is playable.
Age-Up Losses
Losing Condition: If any of the orphans age up to Young Adult and are not inheriting the orphanage, the challenge is over. To avoid losing, all orphans must be adopted before they reach Young Adult, or they must be the one chosen to inherit the orphanage.
If both elders die and there is no teen to take over, the orphanage shuts down, kids get taken, and you lose the challenge.
Traits I Recommend:
Green Thumb (makes gardening easier).
Perfectionist (provides some skill bonuses).
Surrounded by Family (provides 'parenting' bonuses).
Illustruous Author (lines up well with what they can do while running the orphanage)
Neat (Keeps the place clean, since kids are messy lol)
Natural Cook (obviously don't wanna burn the place down!)
You can use your own, but these are some I recommend picking from!
Endgame & Goals:
1. Adopt all the Orphans:
The goal is to either have all children adopted or successfully aged up into teens before both elders pass away. Once done, you can choose to use the oldest orphan who will age up to an adult as the 'successor' of the orphanage to keep it going!
2. Successfully Have an Orphan 'Inherit' The Orphanage:
Once you've adopted the first six orphans, the oldest teen of the second round of orphans is eligible to inherit, and they can be aged up to YA if they are still teens. You can have as many generations inherit as you want, especially since Sims tend to die before Old Age anyway 😏 I added $5000 as an 'insurance inheritance' when the elder sims pass away.
3. Death of The Elders:
If both elders die before the children are adopted or AT LEAST one is a teen, the remaining orphans are considered to be taken by social services, and the challenge ends.
If a teen has aged up and taken over the orphanage, they can continue managing it until all children are taken care of. Of course, it'll be harder since the teen can't control them and has to take care of themself too.
Difficulty Levels:
Single Elder Sim with 8-10 Orphans (Ultimate Tongue Burn): Managing an entire orphanage alone with limited resources and time makes this the most difficult version of the challenge.
Two Elder Sims with 8-10 (Mild Heat): The couple can share responsibilities, but the cane-wielding elder will slow things down, requiring careful planning and patience.
Single Elder Sim with 6 orphans (Moderate Warmth): Keeping all those kids wrangled will cause a possible headache!
Two Elder Sims with 6 orphans (No Peppers): Two elders may make it easier, but try to keep them alive and raise those chillen!
This Elder-Only Orphanage Challenge was fun, and the pressure to get the children adopted successfully before time runs out is what makes this challenge exciting! Feel free to edit it to however you wanna play! Enjoy!
Also, lmk if you guys want me to share the two lots I used as my orphanages! One is a barely-edited BG house for the homey-loving type, and the other I used the Sudsy Time laundromat as a shell and built like the more utilitarian-type.
