Plumbob

Overview

The PlumbBob (also known as the Plumb-Bob or Plumbob due to a frequent misspelling) usually appears over the head of the currently selected

sim

. The closer to a vivid green the PlumbBob appears, the happier that sim is, while the closer to a dark red it appears, the unhappier they are. The PlumbBob has become an iconic staple of

The Sims franchise

, now appearing as the dot of the "I" in The Sims logo and appearing over the heads of characters in advertisements for the games as well.

Changes Throughout the Franchise

The Sims

In the original Sims

, if the player has

The Sims: Hot Date

installed and takes another sim out on a date, a small, blue PlumbBob appears over the date's head with the vividness of the blue indicating how happy they are. In

The Sims: Unleashed

selected pets also have a PlumbBob appear over their heads.

The Sims 2

In

The Sims 2

the PlumbBob also appears white when a character's aspiration meter is in the platinum area, giving them maximum possible happiness. A blue PlumbBob also appears over the heads of any sims in the same group as the currently selected sim, although it always stays blue, regardless of the moods of the sim.

The Sims 2 (PSP)

In The Sims 2 for the PSP the protagonist doesn't have a PlumbBob over their head, although when other Sims are selected a PlumbBomb will appear over them and they will become controllable. In the game, the antagonist, Dr. Dominion has created a mind control device known as the 'Green Diamond' (i.e. The PlumbBob) and it is revealed at the end of the game that the Green Diamond allows sims to be controlled by an outside force (i.e. The player), although the main characters of the game conclude that this cannot be possible.