The Sims 4 is currently free on PC

If you've ever dreamed of wrangling the lives of little computer people into abject misery and ruin (or something nicer, I suppose), but still have a Sims-shaped hole in your games library for some reason, you might be interested to know that The Sims 4 is currently free on PC.

When The Sims 4 launched back in 2014, it was widely considered to be a little on the scant side, having ditched features from previous games - most notably the open-world structure of its predecessor - to create a more compact, focussed life sim experience. That's not to say it was a dud, though; the series' endless loops of busywork were as mesmerising ever, and significantly bolstered by powerful character customisation, building, and social tools, that placed much greater emphasis on personalisation and creativity.

These days, of course, The Sims 4 is a considerably more substantial experience than it was at launch, courtesy of six expansion packs, seven Game Packs, 14 Stuff Packs, and a raft of free updates - although, at £34.99 per expansion, £17.99 per Game Pack, and £9.99 per Stuff Pack, going all-in is an expensive proposition.

Even so, and I say this as someone who recently tumbled right back down The Sims 4 hole after a long period away, there's a more-than-decent amount of entertainment to be found in the omniscient manipulations of the base game alone, particularly for those of a creative disposition. So if you've been curious to familiarise (or reacquaint) yourself with the series, now is probably the perfect time while The Sims 4 is discounted to zero pence on Origin.

You will, unsurprisingly, need an Origin account to redeem your Sims 4 freebie, and the promotion continues until May 28th.