• The "MySims" series, which started on the Wii, gives players the chance to build their own character and their own home, and then rebuild a town from scratch. To make the best possible town, you're going to need to listen to the whims and wants of the townspeople--and to practice and master the building system. It's a fairly simple game designed for kids to enjoy, so it's quick to pick up.
  
  

Building Houses

• The first house you build will be your own, and it will serve as a good introduction to the building system. You can make the building as large or as small as you want, and you can alter the size and shape of the building blocks that make up the building by grabbing the blue handles on the sides of each piece. You can build up to two stories on your house, after which you'll have to add the roof. You should start by building the basic structure of the building before decorating it.
  
  Decorations become more important as you start to get requests from your friends and neighbors in the area. They may tell you the kinds of things that they like, or you may have to examine their profiles in the relationship book to figure out what kinds of things they like. The more decorations you add that they like, the more they will admire their home--which will help them increase the star rating of the town.
  
  

Making Furniture

• The furniture-making system in the game is much like the building system, but there are some significant differences. When you start with a blueprint, a ghost image appears on the building surface. You can make the piece about as large or as small as you want, but the Sims will need access to the furniture they are using. As far as the ghost image is concerned, you need only fill the green spaces with a piece. You could use the piece suggested by the ghost image, or you could use any pieces that will fill that same area. Start with filling the ghost image with pieces, and then add the rest of your design. After that, it's up to you to decorate. There are several ways to decorate: You can change colors of items and add decorative items. The Sims will also request Essence items be added to them--they can be either painted on, or added as decorations.
  
  

Hunting Essences

• The game features several different kinds of essences. Each of these essences fits into one of the six in-game categories. For example, Spider essence falls into the Spooky category, while Green and Red Apple essences fall under Tasty. Explore the map to find all the essences you can; many are hidden around the world, and some are even hidden in Sims themselves. If you make a Sim mad or happy, you'll receive Angry or Happy essences. Shake the various trees, and you'll find different fruit and flower essences. Explore different places, and you'll be able to find a wealth of essences.
  
  

Town Management

• Some townsfolk are more helpful to you than others, and you won't be able to fit everyone in the small number of lots provided. If you're not quite at the level for the next star, you may need to kick out a few Sims to get to that star level. Fortunately, you can bring any Sims that you kick out back with the relationship book once you have an open lot.