Building Inclusive Worlds, One Sim at a Time: A Conversation with SpringSims
For Stephen J. Works—better known online as SpringSims—The Sims is more than just a game; it’s a canvas for authentic storytelling, identity exploration, and community connection. As a proud African American and demi-bisexual creator, SpringSims has spent over a decade crafting diverse, joyful, and deeply personal narratives within The Sims universe. From shaping characters that reflect real-world communities to using his platform to advocate for LGBTQ+ representation, SpringSims brings both heart and purpose to his content. In this Pride Month spotlight, we sat down with him to talk about his creative journey, the evolving landscape of LGBTQ+ representation in gaming, and the power of staying true to yourself in front of a global audience
Your Sims narratives often delve into rich storytelling. How does your identity within the LGBTQ+ community influence the stories you craft in The Sims?
As an African American who is Demi-bisexual and loves storytelling, especially in The Sims, I want to be able to create the life I see every day that is full of representation, joy, and realness. Since I was little, I enjoyed using The Sims to create stories that weren’t being told in my real life, which has allowed me to be who I am today. With all the new tools in The Sims, from pronouns, binders, shapewear and more, it’s allowed me to create a diverse group of Sims.
Representation matters. Can you share a moment when a viewer reached out to express how your content impacted their understanding or acceptance of LGBTQ+ identities?
When a viewer found out that I was Demi-Bi who always plays The Sims, they felt more comfortable being themselves.
Pride Month is a time of celebration and reflection. How do you plan to commemorate Pride this year, both personally and through your content?
The best way I’ll commemorate Pride this year is with all my friends virtually playing games together on Twitch and through Discord. As for content, I have an ongoing gameplay series that follows the life of Winston Jordan O’Connor, a bisexual teenager about to enter a new chapter in his life with university, but will be spending his first summer with his boyfriend Atlas Michealson, from The Sims 4 Growing Together.
The gaming community has evolved over the years. How do you perceive the current state of LGBTQ+ representation in gaming, and what role do you see yourself playing in its progression?
Over the years, the gaming community has evolved for sure especially in the past 5 years. But in terms of LGBTQ+ representation is still lacking in a lot of departments in the gaming industry. What I would love to see is more way to get involved by getting myself into the room of the decision makers to work together and make something great. For example, The Sims 4 is a great example of LGBTQ+ representation for the past 25+ years, they’ve done a great job of adding in representation for their players to authentically create the life they want. Sure they have a lot to work on and fix but The Sims isn’t afraid to go the extra mile. What I love is my friend MomoMisfortune started a petition back in 2021 to get Pronouns in The Sims 4, and then in 2022, we finally got a base game update to give our Sims custom pronouns. Since then, we’ve gotten so many updates in the base game (Top surgery scars, binders, and shapewear, hearing aids, better skintones, etc). The Sims feels like home for me and for all.
Balancing authenticity with audience expectations can be challenging. How do you stay true to yourself while engaging a diverse viewer base?
I’m an open book with my community, and I share with them how I feel about things, especially when there are huge things happening in the world, in a lighthearted type of way. My goal is that I want everyone feel safe and heard in my community. I have a big heart for raising awareness for LGBTQ+ rights by using my social platforms to talk about it and even raise money (i.e Trevor Project, It Gets Better)
Looking back, what piece of content are you most proud of that aligns with your identity and advocacy? What makes it stand out to you?
After making content for over ten years, I would say it’s my Sims content, more specifically my O’Connor Diaries that started as a sponsored video that led into a full-blown narrative gameplay that I wanted to share more of my Sims journey. It stood out to me from looking from the outside in on how I can use my personal life in my Sims game which is one authentic to me but also allows me to be creative to create the story as I go.
For brands aiming to support LGBTQ+ creators genuinely, what advice would you offer to ensure their partnerships are meaningful and not performative?
My advice for brands is to allow us to collaborate to make something authentic to our audience/brand, but also provide all things needed for the campaign at hand. At the end of the day, we’re all in this together.
Beyond Pride Month, how do you integrate themes of acceptance and diversity into your regular content?
As a storyteller, I always find a way to integrate themes of acceptance and diversity through storytelling in The Sims. It’s great to “Play With Life” and showcase that we’re here and we’re not going anywhere so let’s live life together.
What’s next for SpringSims? Are there upcoming projects or themes you’re excited to share?
I’ll be relaunching my podcast “Hello Spring” for Season 2 on all audio listening platforms, where I’ll be interviewing various creators on topics of mental health, the video game industry, social media, and more
Photo credit: Robin Lorraine Photography