Phanatik

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This was originally posted in r/Sims2 but I can't see a kbin mag for it. There is a federated lemmy mag so maybe I'll link this over there (however that works around here).

Edits have been made to adjust the context.

Introduction

So my girlfriend sent a link to a post in the r/Sims2 sub of someone playing The Sims 2 on the Steam Deck. There were a number of comments asking for a guide on how to make it work so I thought I'd make one since I wanted to give it a try myself.
This guide assumes you have either Lutris or Bottles installed. It won't cover setting those applications up as it would be tangential to the main subject. I also assume you own a Steam Deck but the steps will likely be the same on Linux.
Important to mention that while you can do this solely on the Steam Deck, you'll likely find it more convenient and therefore faster to use a mouse and keyboard so I recommend the latter.
Anyway, let's begin.

Acquire the game.

If you already own the game, skip this section and proceed down the Lutris (Origin) path.
The game is considered abandonware at this point so don't feel pressured to torrent it from shady sites. You can get it from the Lutris website but be aware that you need to own the game on Origin to use that version.
Or you can get it from OldGamesDownload. The second link will work for both Lutris and Bottles whereas the Lutris links will only work with Lutris.
At this point, you will want to have either Lutris or Bottles open (make sure you've extracted the files from the OGD link).

Part 1

Lutris (OGD):

• Click the + button to the left of the search bar and select "Install a Windows game from media".
• Type in the "The Sims 2" under Game Name (or whatever you want to call it).
• Click Install next to the Setup file option.
• Confirm the installation directory.
• Now you need to select the setup file which will be wherever you extracted the .rar file you got from OGD but the path should be something like:/path/to/TheSims2UltimateCollection/The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection/Game Files/Setup.exe.
• Press Continue to confirm and wait for the Install Wizard to start.
• The wizard plays music which you can turn off if you want. Otherwise, just hit Install and let it tick away (it'll take a while).
• Click Finish when it's done and the installation is complete
• Right Click on The Sims 2 and select Configure
• Go to Game Options and add "-w" to the Arguments field (without the quotes)
• Go to Executable change it to:`/path/to/prefix/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/Mr DJ/The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection/The Sims 2 Mansion and Garden Stuff/TSBin/Sims2EP9.exe
• Save and the game should launch when you click Play
• For the links from Lutris.net, a pop-up will open confirming some details. Just click through the windows and get the game installed. No special steps required.

Lutris (Origin)

• Will install and launch the Origin client
• Log into your EA account
• Download The Sims 2 from your library (you need to have purchased it so if you don't have it, there's no way to buy it from Origin)
• It should work properly but if not, add "-w" as a launch option in Origin

Lutris (DVD)

• This is the same as the OGD method but you skip the first 2 steps

Lutris (OSAB)

• I'm not familiar with this method and it seems to involve quite a few steps
• You can try it if you're feeling adventurous

Bottles (OGD Only)

• Launch Bottles
• Click the + button in the top-left corner
• Give the Bottle whatever name you want, I'm choosing "The Sims 2" for this guide
• Make sure it's set to Gaming and then Click Create
• You can either click the cogs icon next to the Bottle you just created or you can open the Bottle and click Run executable
• Locate the Setup file and run it:
  /path/to/TheSims2UltimateCollection/The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection/Game Files/Setup.exe
• The wizard will launch and you can install the game as in the Lutris OGD method. The difference here is how you're going to set the launch option
• "Sims2EP9" should show up under Programs. Click the 3 dots on the right hand side and select "Change launch options"
• Add "-w"here (without quotes) and then Save
• Press the Play button next to Sims2EP9 to launch the game

Part 2

By now, you'll be able to play The Sims 2 in Desktop Mode so now we need to get this added to Steam so we can play in Gaming Mode. This section will focus on the steps to achieve this.
It kinda boils down to getting a desktop shortcut created (in the form of a .desktop file) which you might've done when installing via Lutris but if you haven't, right click the game and "Create desktop shortcut" (this will be saved on your actual desktop but wherever it is, remember the path!).

For Bottles, the desktop shortcut got created automatically and now sits in: ~/.local/share/applications

• Open up the file in KWrite and keep this open, we'll need the info in this file.
• Now open up Steam in Desktop Mode, it should be minimised so right-click it in the notification area and go to your Library. On the main bar at the top, go to Games then "Add Non-Steam Games".
  You'll get a window showing a bunch of programs and this is where Steam looks for .desktop files and if it finds them, they show up in this window.
• If you see The Sims 2 in this list, check the box and add to library. If not, Browse and locate the .desktop file. Might be in ~/.local/share/applications as mentioned above but also check your desktop screen.
• Once added, right-click on the game then go to Properties and change these as follows:
  Target: "flatpak" (with quotes)
  Launch options: Go back to the .desktop file and copy the Exec line from "run" onwards, pasting it into this box.
  For example, I set up my Sims 2 on Bottles so my Launch options looks like:
  run --command=bottles-cli com.usebottles run -p 'The Sims 2' -b 'The Sims 2'
  It looks like this because I renamed "Sims2EP9" to "The Sims 2" in the Bottles interface. The Bottle name is after the -b parameter. Normally, it would say -b 'Sims2EP9'.
• Now you can close this window.
• Try launching the game from the Steam interface.
  If it launches properly, you've done everything right and when you go back to Gaming Mode, The Sims 2 will show up in the "Non-Steam" section of your Library and you will be able to launch it from there.

Hope this helps! Feel free to message me if you have any issues or feedback on the guide.