Building a family and helping them achieve their dreams is a big part of The Sims, but things don’t always go according to plan. If you’re a benevolent watchman, you’ll do everything in your power to make them happy. Otherwise, you may want chaos to reign in your neighborhood. Whichever suits your whims, we’re here to help.

While it’s nice to think every life is perfect inThe Sims 2, that simply isn’t true. Sometimes your teen Sims have had enough of their little lives and do the unexpected, and if you don’t act fast, they’ll be gone forever. Thankfully, we’ll show you how to bring them back safe and sound.

How To Make A Sim Run Away

Not every Sim’s life is a happy one. Teens thatstruggle to make friends and maintain healthy relationshipsin the home are a flight risk. They might just run away,fleeing the lot and becoming unselectable.

This won’t affect your Sim’s grades. The schools are surprisingly forgiving.

The chances are increasedif a Sim has negative experiences and poor relationshipswith their family. When a Sim runs away,you’ll get a notificationthat they’ve taken off. You havea short time to actif you want them back.

How To Get A Runaway Sim Back Home

When a Sim runs away, you have24 hours in-game to report themas missing. Hurry tothe nearest phoneand select the option to report them. The police will respond quickly, though there’sno guarantee they’ll find the missing teen.

However, theodds are in your favorthe sooner you act. After the 24-hour window passes, chances of being found drop significantly. If the policecannot find your Sim, the teen willreturn on their birthdayto age up, but you won’t see them at all until then.

Sims that run away are less likely togo to collegedue to the time constraints.

If the teen is found, thecops will return them to the propertyand any household members will rush to see them and apologize (if they are on good terms). The teen is thenno longer a flight riskfor the next day, so be sure to improve conditions.

How To Find A Runaway Pet

Similar to Sims that run away, pets can alsoflee if they are too stressed or witness traumatic events. Pets can also leaveif their master diesor if theylose a fightto another pet. When they run off, the procedure is the same:report them as missingas soon as possible.

If your pet has a collar, theymay appear on another Sim’s lot. These Sims can pick up the pet andreturn them for a reward. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait for the police to find your pet.

If the pet doesn’t have a collar and isn’t reported as missing, it will bemarked as a strayby the end of the week andcan be adopted by another family.