When it comes to the topic of kids, everybody has a different reaction: for some excitement, for others dread. Childbirth is definitely shrouded in questions, but only a few of them can be answered.
What kind of parent will I be? What kind of kids will they be? And then, the main question: How many kids will I have? Well, whereas the typical answer is, “Hmm, probably just one or two at the most,” have you ever considered 100?
With everyone’s favorite virtual game, “The Sims,” having 100 babies just became possible. The concept is exactly what it sounds like: one Sim gives birth to 100 babies.
The original writer of the 100-baby challenge comes from Tumblr, under the username snarky-sims-witch. In her original post, she clearly states the rules and requirements for the challenge, including a lengthy list of required settings as well as optional rules for those who would like to play using the supernatural setting of the game. Here are the main logistics broken down:
All 100 babies must come from the same “matriarch”: there cannot be another Sim that gives birth in contribution to the 100-baby challenge.
When playing, the Sim must age at a normal speed: no speeding up allowed; everything must happen at the normal setting and the aging setting must be turned on.
Every baby/set of babies must be born from a different partner: no repeats! The matriarch cannot have a baby with the same partner, meaning they would have to woohoo with a different significant other every time.
The matriarch cannot have a job outside of home: she must be able to make money at home through whatever skill set is chosen. Anything that requires her to leave for work would be detrimental to the kids and the process of taking care of them.
Donors or partners cannot live with the matriarch: they cannot contribute to the house in any way, shape or form. They are only there to help reproduce.
Once the matriarch is an elder, the next daughter in line takes over. Once the main Sim can no longer give birth, her eldest daughter becomes the new matriarch to carry on the bloodline.
Once kids are old enough, they move out to keep enough space in the Sim’s house for this absurd number of children. Those who are classified as young adults are encouraged and able to move out. Keep in mind, once they are moved out, they cannot move back in.
The matriarch can leave her house: although she is not allowed to work outside of home, that does not mean she cannot leave. The matriarch is able to come and go as she pleases, and she doesn’t have to bring her children along. Just be aware, whenever she comes home, it is at her own risk.
No marriage (at first): The matriarch is not allowed to get married when she is still a young adult, and of child-bearing age. Only when she becomes an elder is she allowed to marry someone, since they will no longer be able to have children.
No cheats! This may be upsetting, as there are many cheat codes used in the Sims for everyday use, but not in this case. No cheats are allowed while partaking in the 100-baby challenge.
There are other rules regarding supernatural settings, where the Sim lives in a fantasy world filled with other supernatural beings, but for the most part, this is the gist for the normal settings.
The 100-baby challenge is really no easy feat. If cheats were allowed, you would be able to speed up the process, lengthen the matriarch’s lifespan or finesse the household size settings. However, having everything restrained to the normal settings makes the process extremely time-consuming and stressful.
This user on a forum for the Sims said it took them roughly a month, with “dedicated playing” and seven generations of kids. They go on to say that it was “really a grind” and that they were ready to pull their hair out, telling of the immense stress this challenge can cause.
However, it’s the satisfaction of getting it done that encourages players to do the seemingly impossible. YouTuber Yammy took on the challenge herself, and it took her a whopping three years and 14 days to complete the challenge in its entirety. While both individuals have vastly different time frames for their completed challenges, it is still apparent that the 100-baby challenge takes an absurd amount of dedication and time.
For many people, the challenge became a big hit once they heard more of it via Buzzfeed, where they had employee Kelsey Impicciche attempt the challenge herself. Each episode of the series is roughly 20 minutes to a half hour long, and so far there are nine episodes.
Within these nine episodes, Impicciche’s matriarch has managed to give birth to 11 children, leaving her with 89 left to go. Since Buzzfeed is a very popular mainstream platform, many credit it with the revival of the challenge, stating that they were inspired to give the challenge a try themselves after witnessing Impicciche hilariously fumble through it.
Though the challenge is not new, the media frenzy helped it to go viral again, as its value lies in what is trendy. Attempting what many deem virtually impossible is what pushes others to make it possible.
Many individuals are still in the early stages of the 100-baby challenge, and given the scope of how long it could take, there could be an absurd amount of children within a few months, or even a few years. Wow, talk about the next generation of baby boomers!
