'The Sims 4' free to download online for limited time

LOS ANGELES - Since the early 2000s, the popular life-simulator game “The Sims” has let players control and manipulate every aspect of its virtual characters’ lives, and now the fourth edition of the popular game is available for free download for a limited time. 

Eager users can download the game in the Electronic Arts online gaming store, Origin. 

The game's premise involves the minutia of the lives of virtual characters known as Sims. Fans of the game have spent hours performing mundane tasks, from making their Sims do dishes to building houses. 

The game has had such a powerful cultural impact that it was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame.

While The Sims 4 is a truly involved gaming experience offering dozens of upgrades and expansion packs, the free download only comes with the standard version, so if you're deeply into controlling the virtual characters' lives, you will have to pay a little extra for the bonus content. 

The game is available for free for a limited time until May 28.