"Hvala na preuzimanju, Marko. Ali ništa nije zaista besplatno." (Thanks for the download, Marko. But nothing is truly free.)

As the door creaked open, the last thing Marko saw on his monitor was his Sim sitting down at a computer, beginning to play a game called The Humans .

The Sim began to walk toward the front door of the digital house. Simultaneously, Marko heard the heavy thud of footsteps coming up the stairs outside his real apartment. Every time the Sim took a step, the floorboards in the hallway groaned in sync.

But as the digital snow began to fall, a strange chill crept into Marko’s actual room. He shivered, reaching for a sweater. On screen, his Sim walked to the thermostat and turned the heat up.

Panic surged. Marko lunged for the power button, but the PC wouldn't shut down. The Sim reached the door on screen and grabbed the handle. Clack. Marko’s real front door handle turned.

Suddenly, Marko heard a loud click from the hallway. He jumped. His real-world thermostat had just flipped to 30°C (86°F) on its own. "Coincidence," he muttered, though his heart was hammering.

He decided to test it. He swung the game’s season to Summer and triggered a massive thunderstorm. Outside his real window, the clear starry night vanished in seconds. A violent crack of lightning shook the apartment building, knocking a picture frame off his wall.

He knew he should just buy it. But as a broke student in Sarajevo, the price tag on the expansion pack felt like a week's worth of burek. With a hesitant click, the download began.