Have you ever noticed how dark everything is in The Sims 4? Do you find yourself sizing down those saucer lights and sticking them inside of other lights just so your Sims’ homes don’t look like a dimly lit dungeon? Me too! That’s why I was so excited when I saw that Ravasheen released a new lighting mod for the game and, of course, it has an adorably catchy name like all her other amazing mods; it’s called the Easy Peasy Lumen Squeazy Hidden Lighting mod!
This mod adds four new objects to your Sims 4 game; three different types of hidden lights and a light switch controller object you can use to control all of the hidden lights on the lot at once. The mod is also base game compatible!
Getting Started
Of course, you will have to install the mod, first. You can get it from Ravasheen’s website. The current version is in early access for patrons only but will be released to the public on January 29th, 2022. If you need help with installing mods, check out our article Getting Started With Mods and CC.
Once the mod is installed correctly, all you have to do is load up the game and go into Build/Buy. Searching the term “lumen” in the search bar will bring up the four custom objects that come with this mod; the Hidden Floor Spotlight, Hidden Ceiling Light, Hidden Under Shelf Light, and the Hidden Light Switch Controller.
Here’s a catalogue overview of each object included with the mod:
Using the Hidden Lights
Using the hidden lights is as simple as using any EA light. Just grab it out of the Build/Buy catalogue and place it wherever you would like to have a lit area on your lot. The lights are small and in the shape of a cone indicating the direction the light is facing. The ceiling and under shelf light have the light spreading out in a downwards cone. The floor light can be rotated to have the light facing any direction you want on the ground.
When you place the hidden lights, they will remain visible until you also place a light switch controller on the lot. This light switch controls all of the hidden lights on the lot. Click on the light switch in Live Mode to bring up new options. You can hide or unhide all the hidden lights. You can also control the intensity and colour of the hidden lights the same way you can with the EA lights.
Every time you load a lot with the hidden lights on them, the game runs a check to see if there is also a light switch controller on the lot. If there is, all the hidden lights will automatically be invisible. If there is not, the hidden lights will remain visible. So if you’re on a lot in Build/Buy without an active family there and would like to hide all the hidden lights, just place a light switch controller, exit and reload and all the hidden lights will now be invisible.
Why use the hidden lights instead of the EA lights? Well Ravasheen’s lights are much brighter and cast a more even level of lighting across a much wider distance. Instead of hiding multiple lights inside of each other to get the kind of brightness you want, all you need is one of these lights placed where you want them. The under shelf light is especially useful for illuminating the undersides of kitchen cabinets, which are always difficult to light properly.
Lighting Comparisons
Below you can see the comparison between Ravasheen’s lights and a similar EA light from the base game. All lights were compared in a bare 5×5 room with no other light sources to give you an accurate picture of the lighting level.
Remember, the lights are super bright because you can adjust the brightness. If you think the lights are too bright, you can dim them down but having a wider spectrum between dim and super bright gives you more freedom in how you want to light your space.
Our Thoughts
Yet another simple but brilliant mod from Ravasheen! She always thinks of even the smallest details to make our games more enjoyable. My personal aesthetic has always been very bright and colourful in my game so the lack of ultra bright lighting in the game drove me crazy. I was always sticking lights inside of other lights to try and brighten up my Sims’ homes but the lighting was never even so I’d end up with blinding white in some areas and not quite enough light in others. I could never find a perfect solution, even using the dimmers on the EA lights.
All it took was one of Ravasheen’s lights to light up an entire large room evenly and to my preferred brightness. And the light switch controller it comes with is so cute! It doesn’t look out of place in any home and I’m definitely going to be putting one in every room of my homes now. Not just for easier access to the lighting controls when I need them but just for a touch of realism in every room.