The Sims team have released a brand-new Roadmap for The Sims 4 which looks to be aimed at the next few months. It appears that players will be switching focus to our Sims selves and that we will be seeing the release of several new Kits as well as more free updates. There is no mention of any Expansion, Game or Stuff Packs in the new roadmap.
Check out the image below for more information!
We shall keep you updated with all the latest news on upcoming releases as well as everything you need to know for The Sims 4!
Make the Crumplebottom Household in The Sims 4 a part of your Story!
For players who own the Cottage Living expansion pack, the iconic Agnes Crumplebottom makes a triumphant return to The Sims 4. Along with her cousin, Agatha Crumplebottom.
The Sims 4 Crumplebottom Intro
Both Agnes and Agatha are coded into the game as “special” NPCs. Not only do they fulfill a basic role to run the garden shop stall in Finchwick. They’re also connected to numerous side-missions in the game that require the player to run various errands around town for them. All in order to earn rewards and learn more about their history and the town.
Agnes also has a special NPC interaction that prompts her to hit people with her handbag. Whenever she sees Sims being romantic in public.
For this reason, Agnes and Agatha aren’t available as playable Sims. They cannot be found in Manage Households even after meeting and befriending them both in-game. Nor can they die of old age or be killed in any way. If the player does manage to make them playable through the use of cheats or mods, they lose their NPC function. After then the game spawns a clone of them to replace them! Before long, you could easily end up with an army of Crumplebottoms running around Henford-on-Bagley!
Experimenting around the Bag
For storytellers like me, this can cramp our style a bit. I needed Agnes to be playable so I could write a story with her. In my story, Agatha was recently deceased and Agnes needed some help from her relatives, the Goths, to keep her farm running in Agatha’s absence. Even if I used cheats to move Agnes into my household and kill off Agatha, I’d still have the problem of seeing their clones running around in the background of my screenshots, ruining the immersion for my readers.
I set out to experiment a little and see if I could “trick” the game into thinking a different Sim was Agnes and Agatha. All so it would not keep spawning clones of them.
First, I used the cheat testingcheats true to enable advanced cheats in the game. Then I travelled to Finchwick where I knew Agnes and Agatha were likely to be. When I found Agnes, I shift-clicked on her to bring up her debug cheat menu and selected the option Add To Family. Agnes was now part of my household and fully playable!
The Clone Issue
Of course, when I did this, the game immediately spawned a clone of Agnes to replace the Agnes I had moved to my household. I had to keep looking around Finchwick for the Agnes clone. When I found her, I had a plan. I used the MCCC mod to modify Agnes in CAS. You can do the same thing without mods by shift-clicking her and selecting Modify in CAS with testingcheats enabled.
Now that I could access the NPC Agnes in CAS, I could put my plan into effect.
Once I was in CAS with Agnes, I clicked the randomize button until I had another elderly Sim that looked nothing like Agnes. To be on the safe side and not muck anything up with the coding, I opted not to change her name. Although it’s possible that changing her name would make no difference, either. In essence, I didn’t change anything about who Agnes was; I only made her look like a different Sim.
When I exited CAS, I was delighted to see that this new Sim still had Agnes’ special NPC role! Since the game still saw her as Agnes, it did not spawn another Agnes clone to replace her! I was delighted! This would work for my story, after all!
Making Crumplebottoms Fit the Story
Even though Agatha is supposed to be dead in my story, I knew killing her off in the game would be futile, even if I used mods or cheats to remove her immortal status. The game would just make another Agatha. So I did the same thing I did with Agnes; I just went into CAS with Agatha and randomized her until she looked like a completely different person.
Agatha Crumplebottom switch
Now I had the original Agnes Crumplebottom as a playable character in my household and two “decoy” Sims to act as Agnes and Agatha in their NPC capacity but weren’t physically recognizable as Agnes and Agatha. I could always place a decorative tombstone to pretend Agatha was buried somewhere in Henford-on-Bagley. Everything would now look believable in my story screenshots.
How will you play?
And there you have it!
Want to play with Agnes and Agatha yourself without running into their clones? All you have to do is add them to your household with cheats and then track down their clones to edit in CAS. Of course so that they look like different people!
This method is great for storytelling and any other scenario.
There’s no denying that with the pack refresh for The Sims 4 Spa Day now out, that the previous pre-made Spas need a little updating!
While the pre-made Spa’s should be downloadable from The Gallery by searching for Maxis as the EA ID. You should also be to find them under the My Library tab as well.
There are a total of four pre-made Spas, all of which were originally built back in twenty-fifteen and at this point are a little over six years old. Of course, since then, we’ve seen an array of different packs released. So, let’s take one and give it a makeover and bring it up to date!
I decided to go with the Perfect Balance Spa by Maxis as the one I wanted to refresh for my game. Here’s a quick look at what the Spa looked like before.
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While I still essentially wanted to keep the same kind of layout and features that the Spa already provided, I wanted to bring it a little more up to date and maybe even give it a bit of a unique twist. We’ll see how it goes!
As I was making my way through each area of the Spa, there were a handful of rooms that I decided to leave as they were for the most part. The main reason for this was when I first started giving the Perfect Balance Spa a refresh, I was trying to overcomplicate it and make it feel very messy and chaotic. Usually when I’m building, I try to utilize the space to the best of my ability and love using clutter to my advantage. However, this isn’t a build style I usually go for. This is a spa, a place for Sims to relax for a little while. I decided it was best to keep it simple and after replacing the lot I had an idea of where I wanted to go.
The Spa itself felt quite dark and dreary in places when I first started, and that was one thing I wanted to focus on. While not changing the Spa feeling too much, I added a few extra lights and chose some lighter wall options to make the rooms feel more spacious. I added some more plants in places as well as some better seating options. Slowly but surely it started to come together.
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For the most part, most of the changes I made were minimal. I kept the rooms pretty much identical to how they were originally, and opted for some different variants of the original objects that were used. I can definitely say I was a bit too ambitious when I first started this, but after replacing the lot and starting over, making smaller changes rather than bigger ones was the right way to go. There’s still more I could go ahead and change up but for my game and what is happening at the moment this will be perfect!
Have you refreshed one of the pre-made Spa’s recently? Let us know in the comments below!
I see the same question pop up in our Sims Community Facebook group all the time. “HELP! I want to start a new save but I don’t have any ideas for what to do! What are some good story ideas?”
People usually suggest the same handful of things like do this or that challenge, get a spouse then cheat on them, become a black widow, use mods to incorporate R-rated content and all these are fine. If they sound fun to you, then by all means, do that! It’s your game. It should be fun to you first and foremost before anything else.
But if you’re a little bored of these things, I highly recommend this fantastic Plot Generator by Reedsy. It has over 1 million different plot combinations, complete with a protagonist, a secondary character, and a plot twist to shake up your story! Just pick your genre and hit Generate and boom! You have a totally unique story that probably no Simmer has ever done before right in front of you!
Keep in mind this plot generator is designed for writers, not The Sims, so you will probably end up with a lot of suggested plots that aren’t exactly specific to anything in The Sims. This is where your own imagination and creativity comes in. Think about how you can make that story work in The Sims, even if in a more abstract or unconventional way. For example, a Simmer received the following prompt from the generator and asked me how on earth they were supposed to do that in The Sims:
I suggested a mechanical engineer with the self-absorbed trait and a servo. The servo turns up from the future and, in an effort to return them to the future before the opposing galactic empire seizes it, they learn to transportalate as a spellcaster which allows them to travel between timelines as well as locations. When they arrive in the “future,” the engineer is horrified to discover that the future is actually less advanced than their time. The opposing empires clashed and created a new dark age that lasts well into our present day and the servo is one of the last of its kind.
See? You can do anything in The Sims if you stretch your imagination a little. That’s what it’s all about. Thinking outside the given parameters of the game.
The Random Plot Challenge
If you’re looking to take this a step further and turn it into a challenge, I wrote a very simple one with deliberately loose rules to allow you more freedom to tell the stories you’re given.
Use the Reedsy Plot Generator and select your desired genre, then hit Generate. You can do this as many times as you like until you get a plot and characters that catch your interest.
Once you’ve settled on one of the randomised options, create your protagonist and secondary character in CAS according to the info provided. They don’t have to live in the same household. You don’t have to actively play both of them, but they need to both be part of your story. If your character is a teen or younger, you may create their families as well.
You may use cheats only to give the characters a house you think they would reasonably have based on the generated story. You can’t give an elementary school teacher a golden mansion, for example. They would most likely live in a small apartment or modest suburban home. After getting them set up, you cannot use cheats.
You must incorporate every aspect of the plot, including the twist, into your gameplay somehow. If something doesn’t fit with The Sims, find a way to make it fit somehow. The Sims is only limited by your imagination so stretch your imagination. You’re telling a story, not just playing the same old “get job, get promoted, buy a nice house, get married, have a kid or two,” obvious trajectory that the game gives you. Treat it like a story, not a video game.
We’re back again with another travel brochure following some amazing feedback on our other ones! This time, let’s explore everything the vibrant, bustling metropolis of San Myshuno has to offer to tourists!
What world would you like to see us create a travel brochure for next? Don’t hesitate to leave your suggestion in the comments or let us know on any of our social media channels! We’d love to hear all about your favourite vacation destinations in The Sims 4!
As soon as the Spa Day Refresh dropped, the Gallery was flooded with spas and salons built by excited Simmers who couldn’t wait to share their creativity! Not surprisingly, pretty much all of these builds were absolutely stunning; the Simming community is just oozing with talent, we all know that. However, also unsurprisingly, the vast majority of these spas and salons were very large, very elaborate, and very expensive. I had a really hard time finding a cute little salon that my Sim could afford to purchase right out of CAS to launch their new business.
So I built one myself! I thought using Get To Work’s retail system combined with the new spa equipment would be a fantastic idea. My Sims could tend the spa stuff at a business they actually own and sell a few extra things on the side. Win win!
Before I started building, I knew I was going to have an extremely tight budget. The lot could not cost any more than 10,000 simoleons. Sims only start out with 20,000 simoleons and they need to be able to purchase a home as well as this business straight out of CAS. If a Sim was very frugal, it was doable with a 10k budget for the salon.
I picked the smallest, cheapest lot I could in Newcrest and got to work. This would be a pretty tight space but I didn’t want it to feel tight and cramped, so placement of the furnishings would be key here. Before I even did anything to the walls or floors, I placed the items inside the tiny building, playing around with how everything would be laid out. Once I was satisfied that I had a layout that flowed nicely, I went about making the place pretty.
I went with a chic black and white colour scheme, using Moschino Stuff and Parenthood wallpaper to give the place some personality. I paired it with some trendy black and gold floor tiles from Get Famous. Already, the place was starting to look pretty spiffy, but I wasn’t finished, yet. I also added some Moschino Stuff windows to let lots of natural light fill the space.
By now, I had all the main components of this build. A check-in desk, a small waiting area, some shelves for sellable items, a mini-fridge that sells face masks, a spa chair, and a salon chair from Get Famous, along with some wall cabinets to place supplies on. Now it was time to decorate and really make this place look like a nail salon!
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But I was already in danger of going over-budget, so I focused on purchasing things that were actually needed, first; like sellable clutter items to fill up the shelves behind the front desk. If a retail lot doesn’t have anything for sale, it won’t function, so that was very important. Then, I used one of my favourite cheats to help me out a bit with the rest of the decorating: bb.showhiddenobjects. This cheat unlocked so many different beauty products I could place on the cabinets as decoration and all of it was absolutely free! I filled the cabinet in front of the salon chair with makeup brushes, blush applicators, blush palettes, lip balm, eyeliner pencils and other goodies. On the cabinet next to the spa chair, I focused on nail care and placed plenty of nail polish bottles and nail files. Again, all of this was free since I was using hidden debug objects.
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Outside, I used the same trick but with another cheat: bb.showliveeditobjects. All of the plants and almost all of the exterior decor cost me nothing to place down because I pulled them from the hidden live edit menu. This allowed me to give the nail salon a bit of curb appeal for almost no simoleons at all.
Once I had a finished salon, I had a Sim purchase it and set all the shelved items for sale so it would function properly, then uploaded it to the Gallery!
If you’d like to have this budget nail salon in your own game, it’s called Budding Artist Nail Salon and my ID is SnarkyWitch!
Some things to tweak or be aware of when using this lot:
Remove the foot bath and chair behind the counter. I put them in for looks but they can get in the way of using the spa chair and cash register if you’re playing with this lot.
It’s a good idea to hire an employee right away to check out customers and restock shelves while your Sim tends the spa chair. Your Sim can’t do these things and tend the spa chair at the same time so it can get annoying hopping back and forth constantly.
This lot does not have a washroom. It just wasn’t in the budget. Most neighbourhoods have public washrooms off-lot, though, so that’s an option if your Sims really have to go.
The salon chair can be used to give Sims makeovers but sadly, our Sims don’t have the option to charge money for these services. Hopefully one day, the salon chair will get a revamp in a future Get Famous refresh and our Sims will actually be able to earn a living using the salon chair. Hey Sims Team, are you listening? Wink wink!
The Spa Day Refresh update adds a new trait to the Spa Day game pack. The High Maintenance trait will make your Sims a little… dramatic. They will have meltdowns over small inconveniences and require frequent pampering to stay in a good mood. We could have written a guide for this trait but we thought it would be more fun to walk you through the trait in one of our Day in the Life segments! This trait is so tied into everyday gameplay that it just made sense to show you the trait through gameplay!
Haleigh Silver just moved to Oasis Springs. She’s not sure what she wants to do with her life but she knows she needs a job that will accommodate her high maintenance lifestyle. She has a spa membership which makes her high-end lifestyle much more affordable. That’s a good thing because Haleigh has very high standards of self-care.
While Haleigh is bumming around her new home, pondering over the direction of her life, she starts to feel uncomfortable while watching her fourth movie in a row. Very uncomfortable. In fact, she’s Butt Hurt. As in, her butt really hurts from sitting down for too long. The only cure for such a devastating ailment is clear to Haleigh; only a nice long massage at the spa can soothe her sore behind.
So off to the Perfect Balance Spa she goes! She’s heard the place has new luxurious massage chairs and tables and is looking forward to testing them out, herself. She does like to consider herself somewhat of a self-care connoisseur, after all. If the new massage equipment isn’t up to her standards, the spa staff will hear about it!
Luckily, the new spa equipment doesn’t disappoint and Haleigh has a long, luxurious aromatherapy massage at the spa. As she’s getting her massage, her negative moodlet from being Butt Hurt is rapidly decreasing in length of time. The original moodlet lasts for 8 hours but by the time Haleigh’s massage is finished, she only has 2 hours of the moodlet left. That’s pretty good but Haleigh isn’t about to leave the spa still feeling uncomfortable. That would be a waste of a spa trip! You should be totally and utterly relaxed by the time you walk out of the spa, d’uh!
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Haleigh decides she might as well get a mani-pedi while she’s here! As she sits down in the spa chair to select her shape, colour, and style, she thinks why not? Let’s go with a fancy set of stiletto nails with gems! It’s important to treat yourself to only the best of everything all the time, of course. Once she’s got her beautiful new nails, she lets her feet take a soak while she prepares for her luxurious pedicure. Ahhhh… the stress of sitting for too long is melting away already. What do you mean, she’s sitting down right now? It’s totally different if you’re getting your nails done, obviously! Sheesh!
Finally stress-free after a massage and a mani-pedi, Haleigh heads back home to… ponder some more on what she wants to do with her life. She still has no idea but hey, there’s always the spa to help ease her troubled mind when the burden of indecisiveness becomes too much, right?
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That burden rears its ugly head the very next morning. As she sits down on the toilet to relieve herself, it happens. That horrifying PLONK sound, followed by a cold SPLASH on her behind! NOOOOOOOOO! Not the dreaded Poseidon’s Kiss! Day. Officially. RUINED!!!!!
That’s it. She absolutely NEEDS to go to the spa RIGHT NOW! She cannot with this day and she just woke up! Practically in tears over such a devastating tragedy happening to her first thing in the morning, Haleigh rushes back to the spa even though she was just there last night. You can never have too many spa treatments, right?
Wrong! Haleigh tries to settle in with a bowl of cucumber slices and a relaxing face mask to ease all her stress away but something in that mask did not agree with her skin. Instead of leaving her skin refreshed and glowing, Haleigh ends up with a rash on her face. Her Irritated Skin moodlet combined with her Poseidon’s Kiss and Worst Day Ever moodlets push her into a Very Uncomfortable emotional state. How could her favourite place in the world betray her like this?! She has a MEMBERSHIP!
Like any pampered princess would do, Haleigh complains (loudly) about how this spa’s face products almost killed her and that they owe her compensation for their negligence. As an apology to placate one of their valued spa members, they offer the sauna and meditation room, free of charge. Does a sauna and meditation session truly make up for all of Haleigh’s pain and suffering today? Maybe not, but it’s free and who’s going to say no to free spa services?
Haleigh tries to enjoy herself in the sauna, hoping the steam will help soothe her burning skin but she is so upset from her traumatic experience that the sauna does nothing to ease any of her many negative moodlets. Nope, this isn’t going to work. Maybe some peaceful meditation will help centre her chakras again.
As Haleigh sits in the meditation room, listening to the low, soothing tones of New Age music in front of a bubbling fountain, a sense of peace and clarity washes over her. Her negative moodlets are finally melting away. Even her irritated skin is beginning to clear up! The power of the mind is truly a powerful thing!
And in this meditative state, Haleigh has an epiphany. She knows exactly what she wants to do with her life now! It’s been obvious all along! She has a passion for self-care and it’s her calling in life to bring the practice of self-care to others! For profit, of course. A girl’s gotta fund her expensive taste, you know.
Good luck on your Spa Specialist journey, Haleigh! May your mani-pedis be plentiful and your Poseidon’s Kisses minimal.
The Sims Team is continuing with their Expansion Pack Trials!
In the beginning of May EA first offered The Sims 4 City Living for the free extended weekend trial. This time they’re putting out a newer one – The Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle!
As spotted by @SimMattically on Twitter there is a new in-game banner in The Sims 4’s Main Menu that promotes the upcoming Weekend Trial for The Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle.
The Eco Lifestyle Free Trial is set to begin on September 16th, 2021 – presumably at around 10AM Pacific Time.
If we look at how The Sims 4 City Living Trial went down – you can expect to have the Free access to Eco Lifestyle up until either Sep 19th or Sep 20th. During that presumed time you’ll be able to create a new save game (or play with an existing one) and explore what the pack has to offer. After the trial ends you’ll have the played Save – that’s been copied as a new one if you used your old save – locked until you purchase The Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle.
Last time there was also a sale during the entire week of the trial, slashing the price of the Trial Expansion by 25% and the price of the Base Game by 75%. We’ll have to wait and see the full announcement for exact details so stay tuned!
There are a number of different ways that your Sims can make money. Whether it is a 9-5 job, freelancing or even selling paintings, there are plenty of ways to earn a little extra. However, in The Sims 4 Spa Day, thanks to the recent pack refresh, your Sims can now make even more Simoleons!
Note:Keep in mind that if your Sim has completed the Self-Care Specialist Aspiration, they are able to earn more Simoleons than a Sim who hasn’t completed the Aspiration. You can read more about the new Spa Day Aspirations here.
Meditation
Sims who have reached Level 2 in the Wellness Skill are able to host both Public and Private Sessions for both Yoga and Meditation.
To start a Guided Meditation Session, simply click on a Meditation Stools and select Host Guided Meditation. From here, you will be able to choose either a Public or Private session. You will also be able to see how much you’ll make per Sim who attends. The only difference between the two session types is that you are able to chose which Sims attend a Private session, whereas anyone can attend a public session.
Session Prices
Without Self Care Specialist Aspiration – $80
With Self Care Specialist Aspiration Completed – $240
Session prices are the same for both Public and Private sessions.
Yoga
Much like the Guided Meditation Sessions, Teaching a Yoga Class works similarly. Simply head over to an Instructor’s Yoga Mat, and you’ll then be able to select either a Public or Private Class. However, with the Yoga Classes, you’ll be presented with four different Classes that your Sim can teach. These are Brain Boosting, Energy Centering, Family Friendly and Mind Concentrating. You’ll be able to choose any of these Classes to teach, regardless of if you are teaching a Public or Private Class.
Class Prices
Without Self Care Specialist Aspiration – $110
With Self Care Specialist Aspiration Completed – $330
Class prices are the same for both Public and Private classes.
If you end either a Guided Meditation session or Yoga Class, your Sim will not receive any money.
Don’t forget, your Sims can also promote Guided Meditation Sessions and Yoga Classes on Simstagram in return for Fame.
Massages
As well as teaching Yoga and hosting guided Meditation classes, your Sims are also able to earn Simoleons by offering Massages to other Sims. You can do this by having your Sim interact with either the Relaxo Deluxe, Relax-N-Go or Relaxed Chairs as well as the Massage tables that all come with The Sims 4 Spa Day.
Massage Chair
Providing your Sim has at least one level in the Wellness Skill, your Sims can offer other Sims massages. Simply have your Sim Tend one of the available massage chairs, and you’ll be able to Offer Sims either a Hand or Foot Massage.
Massage Chair Pricing
Without Self Care Specialist Aspiration – $40
With Self Care Specialist Aspiration Completed – $160
Massage Tables
Of course, your Sims are also able to offer Massages via the massage tables. Simply have your Sim Tend the massage table and you will then be given the option to Offer massages to other Sims.
Your Sims can also offer Aromatherapy Massages too!
Massage Table Pricing
Standard Massage – $40
Aromatherapy Massage -$160
The above prices are for Sims who have not completed the Self-Care Specialist Aspiration.
Standard Massage – $240
Aromatherapy Massage – $280
The above prices are for Sims who have completed the Self-Care Specialist Aspiration.
Manicures & Pedicures
Last, but certainly not least, your Sims are now also able to offer other Sims manicures and pedicures. Your Sim will need to have reached level 6 of the Wellness Skill before they can offer Manicures and Pedicures.
Much like Massage Tables, just have your Sim tend one of the massage chairs. From there you’ll find an option to offer Sims a manicure or pedicure and can then select the Sim of your choice from there.
Manicure & Pedicure Pricing
Manicure – $40
Pedicure – $40
The above prices are for Sims who have not completed the Self-Care Specialist Aspiration.
Manicure – $160
Pedicure – $160
The above prices are for Sims who have completed the Self-Care Specialist Aspiration.
While I was playing through each of the various ways of making Simoleons with my Sims, I noticed that even though each different option has a set price (varying depending on if your Sim has completed the Self-Care Specialist Aspiration or not) your Sims will sometimes earn a small amount more over the normal set price. Almost like it’s a little tip for your Sims being awesome!
Now, you don’t need to be at a Spa specifically to do this, you can also offer Sims all of these services from the comfort of your own home too!
What will you get your Sims to try out first? Let us know in the comments below or over on our social media!
With the Spa Day Refresh update, it looks like The Sims Team has invested a lot of time into opening up Wellness options for both children and toddlers! The lack of inclusion for kids and toddlers in a lot of the game’s activities has been a long-time complaint of Simmers and it seems like The Sims Team heard those complaints because all of the new content being released in recent months has offered family gameplay to engage both kids and toddlers just as much as adults.
The Spa Day Refresh is no exception! Read on to find out everything that’s been added for toddlers and children!
Yoga
Children can now do yoga! There is a new type of yoga routine called Family Friendly, which children can participate in. They can also practice yoga indefinitely and do some specific poses. Children do not have access to some of the more advanced poses adults can do; those would be pretty dangerous for a kid to attempt, after all, but many of yoga’s basic poses are available to children. Children can even lead yoga classes as an instructor! They don’t get paid for doing this, however.
Doing yoga builds both Mental and Motor skill simultaneously, so it’s a great skill building activity for kids. If Parenthood is installed, it also builds the Emotional Control value. Children can get a lot of adorable moodlets from doing yoga, too.
Toddlers cannot do yoga which makes sense. If you’ve ever tried to get a toddler to focus for longer than two minutes on anything, you’ll know why.
Meditation
Children can meditate now! Just plop down a meditation stool/pillow anywhere you like and have your kiddos practice some meditation and mindfulness. Meditation builds the Mental skill for children. If Parenthood is installed, meditation also builds the Emotional Control value. Children can meditate on their own or lead guided meditations with other Sims if they have level 2 Mental skill. Children cannot make money from leading guided meditations, however.
Toddlers cannot meditate for much the same reasons why they can’t do yoga. Toddlers have limited attention spans and probably would not be able to sit still for very long.
Face Masks
Children and toddlers can both use face masks!
When purchasing face masks from the new mini-fridge that came with the Spa Day Refresh update, there is an Animal Facial Mask available to purchase. This is the only mask that can be worn by children and toddlers. Purchase it, then take it out of the fridge where it’s stored by default and put it in your kid or toddler’s inventory.
In their inventory, select the animal mask. Children have the option to apply the animal mask while toddlers have the option to play with it, but both interactions do the same thing; both kids and toddlers will put the mask on.
The type of animal on the mask is random; both my little Sims got a zebra mask but the child in the developer livestream got a tiger mask. It can be fun to see which animals your little Sims will get.
Just like all the other masks for adults, the animal masks need to be worn for a certain length of time before your little Sims will see any benefit from them. Children and toddlers get all kinds of adorable moodlets unique to them related to wearing the animal mask.
As far as we can tell, there are no negative effects on children and toddlers from overusing the animal masks like there are for adults. The masks can be used many times back-to-back on children and toddlers with no skin irritation occurring.
Nails
Both children and toddlers were seen with colourful nails in the Spa Day Refresh trailer, so it was a major disappointment to discover that they cannot actually get their nails done in-game via the spa chair. Children and toddlers can only have different nail colours selected for them in CAS, so there is no gameplay attached to them in this respect. It would have been adorable to have our Sims take their little ones to the spa with them to get their nails painted together so we really can’t understand why this would be left out, especially since they spent the time on making nails for kids and toddlers in the first place.
In CAS, children have fingernail and toenail subcategories under the accessories category. You can choose between short and medium-length fingernails for them in various colour combinations. Toenails only have a short option in solid colours.
Toddlers do not have a toenail subcategory and can only have short fingernails in various colour combinations.
Since their nails are only available through CAS, they will never fade or need touch-ups. Again, extremely disappointing and a huge missed opportunity for some heartwarming family gameplay.
Wellness Interest
Children can now choose Wellness as a like or a dislike in CAS (or through gameplay) since they can now participate in Wellness activities. This interest was previously only available to teen and older Sims.
Toddlers don’t have this option since they do not have likes or dislikes.
How are your little Sims enjoying the Spa Day Refresh? Let us know in the comments or come chat with us on social media!
Back in May we got the CAS Preference Update for The Sims 4 which allows players to choose different preferences such as Favorite Color, Music, Interests and Decor if you have Dream Home Decorator.
It was already proven by the community that adding new Categories and Preferences is possible, and The Sims Team did state that they’re definitely open to adding new Preferences in the future.
Modder @WickedWhims spotted a new piece of code that’s been added in after the latest Update, showing the new code that allows for clothing Preferences. The game could, in the future, allow players to choose Preferences for different clothing, accessories and makeup.
See this piece of code? It allows to test for clothing CAS likes & dislikes. This could mean that future patches will include preferences for Sims clothing, makeup, or accessories 🥳 pic.twitter.com/WKsmW3L3ji
The Sims 4 released a new update yesterday giving players the ability to apply custom, colorful fingernails and toenails with various designs included with both the Base Game and Spa Day Game Pack.
However, it only took players a few moments after the update’s release to notice that something’s wrong with it.
@NolanSimsCC first reported that the Nails Texture overlap over a lot of clothing pieces that came from The Sims 4 and its Packs.
It looks like the texture space for the nails that came with the Spa Day Refresh overlap with a lot of existing EA pieces. Pretty disappointing. pic.twitter.com/ZqwbdjByia
The overlap glitch might not be noticable at first, however try to focus on the pink gradient texture popping on random clothing pieces:
This visual glitch will change on your Sim’s clothing as you switch between different nail color variants.
I tried to see if this visual glitch appears in my game and indeed it is there.
I’ve set my Sim to have pink nails and the pink texture somehow managed to appear somewhere on some outfits – whether it’s below the armpit or underneath the outfit layers.
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One player reported a visual nails deformation that looks like this:
The Sims has released it’s Spa Day refresh; a free game update for both base game players and players who own the Spa Day game pack. While players who don’t own Spa Day get a few goodies, like some nails to choose from in CAS, players who own the Spa Day game pack have access to a much wider variety of content aimed at elevating the existing Spa Day gameplay.
One new addition exclusive to the Spa Day game pack is face masks! To refresh your memory, face masks were automatically applied when Sims took any of the special Spa Day soak baths but players could not instruct their Sims to use face masks as a separate action. The masks didn’t provide any benefit to your Sims, either; they were purely cosmetic.
Now face masks can be used anytime, anywhere and offer a wide variety of boosts and effects for your Sims! They come in a brand new mini-fridge object that’s been added to the Spa Day game pack in this refresh update. These mini-fridges can be placed on any lot so you can have them at home or at the spa. In addition to offering face masks, the new fridges also have two new cucumber-based quick meals available from them; a bowl of cucumbers and a cucumber energy drink.
To get your hands on some face masks, just click on one of these new mini-fridges and choose Purchase Face Mask. You can also opt to purchase and wear one right away. A menu will pop up with all the face masks available to purchase! There are six face masks you can buy and each one provides your Sims with different positive moodlets after wearing it for a short amount of time. One of the masks is even wearable by children and toddlers!
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After purchasing your face masks, they’ll be stored inside the mini-fridge. This is to keep them chilled. Chilled masks offer more powerful benefits from being worn. A mask will only stay chilled for a short period of time after being removed from the fridge. If you want to get the most benefit out of your face masks, don’t carry them around in your inventory. Keep them in the fridge until you need them.
With a mask in your Sim’s inventory, just select it and choose Wear Face Mask. For toddlers, they have the option to Play With Animal Mask which is the same thing. Each mask looks different; some are sheet masks, others are clay masks, some are smooth and shiny. A few even have visual effects. For example, the gold mask sparkles. All masks have to be worn for a while in order for your Sims to gain a positive moodlet from it.
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In the developer livestream, SimGuruNotVlad teased that some of the masks have special effects on occult Sims. We tried a Sun Soothing Facial Mask on a vampire and it made him immune to sunlight for 12 hours! There may be other effects from different masks on other occults. If you discover any more special occult effects from face masks, let us know!
Face masks can be very relaxing but don’t overdo it! Keeping a face mask on for too long or using too many face masks in a row can leave your Sim with irritated skin, which shows up as a blotchy red rash on their face! You cannot apply more face masks while your Sim has irritated skin. You must wait for their skin to heal, first. Sims will usually remove their masks on their own when they need to come off as long as they aren’t busy with something else, so it’s pretty hard to get to this point.
As long as you use face masks in moderation, your Sims should have no problems with them and reap all the benefits that come along with indulging in self-care.
The Sims 4 Spa Day received a pack refresh on 7th September 2021 and with that introduced several new aspirations!
The aspirations fall under the new Wellness category in the Aspirations panel. You will now have the option to choose the Inner Peace, Zen Guru or Self-Care Specialist aspirations for your Sims.
Below you’ll find everything you need to know about the new aspirations. Each of the aspirations comes with one overall level to complete, but each will come with multiple tasks your Sims need to do.
Inner Peace
“For the Sims that want to achieve ultimate harmony and learning tools to mitigate their negative emotions.”
Practice Mindfulness 0/6
Seek Relaxation 0/6
Find Peaceful Surroundings 0/40
Maintain Harmony 0/1
Completion of this aspiration will reward your Sim with the Clear Perspective Reward Trait.
Clear Perspective: “Bob has a clear head on his shoulders! Bob is now able to have a brief respite from the harshness of reality and recontextualize things. Like how it’s all sorts of meaningless… but in a good way!”
Zen Guru
“For the Sims that want to share the power of wellness with the world…the whole world, for real. They also focus on seeking to train their successor to pass the knowledge along.”
Comfort Others 0/20
Guide Others 0/6
Share Detox Tea 0/10
Become a Master Wellness Teacher 0/1
Completion of this aspiration will reward your Sim with the Calming Aura Reward Trait.
Calming Aura: “Eliza’s mastery over Wellness allows her to emanate a soothing glow! Use this newfound ability to calm Sims around her, and to look awesome.”
Self-Care Specialist
“For those Sims who would like to monetize their love of fitness and wellness.”
Hustle 0/1
Gain Self-Care Notoriety 0/10
Become a Spa Regular 0/20
Maintain a Regular Customer 0/1
Completion of this aspiration will reward your Sim with the Self-Care Expertise Reward Trait.
Self-Care Expertise: “Bob has developed an expertise for all things Wellness! Clients will now cough up way more money for his services!”
If you find yourself stuck while completing any of the new aspiration milestones, you can simply hover over the task to find out how to go about it.
Regardless of what Wellness path your Sims will take, these new aspirations will surely help them on their journeys.
Let us know what you think of the new aspirations in the comments below or over on social media!
The Sims 4 Spa Day has received a refresh in a game update today. Players who already own the Spa Day game pack will receive all of the new features and content in a free game patch. Players who do not own Spa Day will still be getting some features of today’s refresh, like the ability to select fingernails and toenails in CAS.
This brings us to possibly one of the most exciting new features of the Spa Day refresh: NAILS! Sims can now go to the spa and have their nails and toes painted a variety of different colours and patterns. They can also give manicures and pedicures to other Sims both for fun and profit if they have high enough Wellness skill!
Getting Your Nails Done
Sims can ask another qualified Sim for a manicure or pedicure by clicking on any spa chair. At a spa, there will be nail techs on site to offer these services but spa chairs can be placed and used on any lot. Sims can hire a professional to come do their nails or ask a skilled Sim on the lot.
When your Sim sits down in the chair to have their nails done, a menu will pop up with a wide selection of colours and patterns to choose from, as well as different shapes. You can choose from coffin, round, stiletto, almond, short, and curated shaped nails. The curated section features nails of differing shapes made by CC creator, Ebonix. Each nail shape offers different sets of colours and patterns. There are both glossy and matte varieties of many colours as well. The glossy nails have a sheen on the corner of the nail polish bottle icon while the matte nails do not.
Once you’ve chosen your shape and colour, sit back and relax while a nail tech pampers your Sim! When finished, your Sim will be sporting a brand new set of nails which they will spend a few moments admiring. Getting your nails done also gives Sims a happy moodlet!
If you want your Sims’ toes to match their nails, your Sims can get a pedicure, too! The pedicure selection screen does not have differing shapes and only offers solid colours. As any nail enthusiast knows, it’s not so easy to get intricate patterns and designs on toenails and long toenails are just… ew. Toes are usually more simple than fingernails for these reasons and it’s no different in The Sims. There is a nice variety of solid colours to choose from so you can pick a colour for your toes that’s similar to the main colour on your fingernails if you want a matching look.
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When getting a pedicure, your Sims will spend a few minutes letting their feet soak in warm soapy water, first. This is my favourite part of getting a pedicure and I’m really happy to see The Sims didn’t forget about this important first step! After your Sim’s feet have gotten a nice good soak, your nail tech will come over and start filing and painting the toenails for you.
Nails are not permanent if you get them done via a spa chair! They do degrade after roughly one in-game day and your Sims will need to go back to the spa to get a touch up.
Becoming a Nail Tech
While there is no official nail tech career in this Spa Day refresh, your Sims can definitely make a living as a nail tech. Your Sims have a lot of freedom to choose when and where they want to work. Spa chairs can be placed on any lot but the refresh also adds a portable version of the spa chair (and massage table) that can be dragged in and out of your Sim’s inventory anywhere they are. Go to a spa venue to work, work from home, or take your portable spa chair to the park! With other packs like Get To Work, your Sims could even own a retail business that does nails, although the funds made from doing nails may not be counted by the game as business profits.
To launch your own nail business, your Sim will need to spend some time building the Wellness skill. You won’t be able to offer nail services until your Sim has level 6 Wellness skill. Once your Sim is at level 6 of the Wellness skill, they can click on a spa chair and select Tend Spa Chair, much the same way your Sims can tend a bar.
While tending a spa chair, your Sim will wait near the chair until nearby Sims wander over to request spa services. Your Sims will automatically offer manicures, pedicures, hand massages, and foot massages while tending a spa chair but if you only want your Sim to do nails or massages, you can disable any services you don’t want your Sim to offer via the spa chair as well.
If your Sim completes the new Self-Care Specialist aspiration, they will earn the Self-Care Expertise reward trait which will allow them to make a lot more money from offering all spa services, including nails! This can be a very lucrative option for your Sims!
If your Sim is having trouble drumming up enough business, they can promote their services on Simstagram! Click on a spa chair to promote yourself and your Sim will pull out their phone to make a quick Simstagram post. Results aren’t guaranteed; social media can be hit or miss, after all, but in most cases, promoting yourself on Simstagram will encourage more Sims to show up to receive spa services from your Sim. If the Get Famous expansion pack is installed, your Sims can gain fame from doing this, too!
Your Sims can of course still offer nail services to specific Sims for free, just like they always could with the hand and foot massages.
Nails in CAS
Players who don’t own Spa Day will still be able to customize their Sims’ nails directly in CAS, but having Spa Day offers a much wider variety of nails to choose from.
There are now two new sub-categories in the accessories section of CAS; fingernails and toenails. You can select any nail set you like for your Sims. Children have short and medium-length nails to choose from in a variety of colour sets, as well as options for toenails. Toddlers do not have a toenail category in CAS but can choose short fingernails in a few different colours. Unfortunately, children and toddlers cannot get their nails done in game via a spa chair; their nail options are only available in CAS.
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CAS nails differ from nails your Sims get done in-game. Unlike nails from the spa chair in-game, CAS nails do not degrade over time. Your Sims’ nails will stay beautiful forever if you select them in CAS.
Manicure & Pedicure Pricing
