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The Sims 4 PC & Consoles: NEW UPDATE + Patch Notes! (July 20th, 2021)

The Sims 4 PC & Consoles: NEW UPDATE + Patch Notes! (July 20th, 2021)

The Sims Team has released a brand new update for The Sims 4 on PC, Mac, Xbox One and PS4!

To download the latest version of The Sims 4, simply open your Origin program and if the game doesn’t update automatically, right click on The Sims 4 and select ”Update”.

In case you have Mods or Custom Content, the game will automatically disable them for you after first launching The Sims 4 after the update. To re-enable all your Mods and Custom Content, select the Settings option in the Menu and select Settings. Under the ”Other” section you’ll find the ”Enable Custom Content and Mods” option. Check it and restart your game in order for it to take effect!

Patch Notes

Update 07/20/2021

PC: 1.77.131.1030 / Mac: 1.77.131.1230

Console: Version 1.44

Hello Simmers!

Hope you are well wherever you are in the world and that you are all having a fantastic Summer of Sims! We are excited to share today’s update with you. There is a lot of info, so make sure you have your tea/coffee/beverage of choice ready to read on. You all know I have my coffee ready for this!

As we continue to get ready to explore the countryside charm of Henford-on-Bagley and cannot absolutely wait to play with the adorable animals in Cottage Living, we also have updates and fixes that should improve and complement your Sims’ everyday life. We have something for everyone and we hope that you all enjoy them. Thank you for all your feedback and support.

Cheers!

-SimGuruRusskii ft. SimGuruRomeo and SimGuruJoAnna

What’s New?

Let’s start with some items that we shared in our last Sims 411!

For this update, we partnered with two talented artists from the LGBTQ+ community, Ashley Lukashepsky, and Mohammed Iman Fayaz, and they have brought their inspiring and beautiful artwork into the game. We have also included the modernized version of the large afro hairstyle that we showed you. But more than tell you about it in text, let me actually attach a screenshot of everything put together:

ts4 basegame update july2021

I love everything about this scene, not only it shows you how the artwork looks in a real game setting, but the whole scene with the two Sims and their surroundings is quite magical. Also, look at that hair! The way the light highlights it, perfection! You may also notice the hair of the Sim on the right, which was also added with this update for everyone. I want to personally thank all Simmers for their feedback and recommendations, as we are continuously working on adding more diverse hairstyles and textures to not only packs, but also to our base game.

Now that we are talking about artwork, the last patch notes I forgot to add the artwork made by the wonderful Jupiter Stevens-Hill. I apologize for that, I totally blanked out. However, I’m happy to see that a lot of you are enjoying it and placing it in your Lots! That makes a very happy Russkii =)

To find Jupiter, Ashley, and Mohammed’s paintings in Build Mode, make sure you take a look at the Paintings and Posters sort and filter by Base Game items. These artists are amazing and we hope you enjoy their creations.

Now, without further ado, let’s get to some new features and improvements that are part of this update!

A little bit of Gallery

When you download a lot made with the bb.moveobjects cheat, the game now notifies you about this so you know to activate the cheat before placing the lot. Builders, this means you won’t need to mention it in the lot’s description anymore!

A little for Sims

Trying to find the Sims in the current neighborhood? Select their portraits in the Relationship Panel.

  • “Focus the Camera” moves the camera to the Sim.
  • “Lock the Camera” moves the camera to the Sim and keeps following them.

Where did the Notebook go?

Found it! The Notebook has moved out of the Phone and into its own button for quicker access.

The “Center on Current Lot” button that used to be there has moved to the top right, adjacent to the Camera Controls.

Water Tool

You now can make natural, organic bodies of water! Just head into Build Mode, make a hole with the Terrain Manipulation tool, and fill it with water. It is that easy! The Terrain Manipulation and Paint Tools also have more brush sizes to enable finer detail.

In adding the Water Tool, we also took the chance to overhaul the related tools and object categories. Why not? Enjoy!

Pond Effects

All sorts of critters are available to complete the look of your pond ranging from ducks and swans to pesky mosquitoes. There is even an alligator!

New Pond Objects

Outdoor Water Décor now has an assortment of new Pond Objects to decorate the perfect pond. Some of these objects such as the Bog Log and Colorful Lily Pads have interactions on them in Live Mode to activate Turtle and Frog effects. The new Fishing Allowed Sign enables you to stock your pond with any fish your Sims have previously caught. Try it out!

New Water Styles

Go beyond the original crystal blue and dreamy magenta water. Additional options range from “Mossy Water” to “Pond Scum” to complete that au natural look.

The Shrubs category includes new plants to complement the water styles: “Green Fern”, “Leaning Not-Grass Grass”, “Not-Grass Grass Sans Inflorescence.”

Gardening with Children

Children now can help out in the garden by planting, watering, and weeding. They build their Mental skill as they garden. The process of purchasing and planting seeds is streamlined as well to make gardening more enjoyable for everyone.

Group Cooking

Cooking no longer is a solo affair. Sims now can cook in groups of up to five Sims including children. Start cooking together by selecting a fridge, stove, or any empty countertop.

Zoomers Food Delivery Service

Are your Sims getting tired of the same old pizza delivery every night? Well, gone are the days of redundant pizza nights. Maybe you are in the mood for pasta primavera or even a fancy steak dinner. All this and more are available courtesy of Zoomer Food Delivery. Order delivery through the phone or the refrigerator and the food will arrive in a jif.

Calendar

The calendar, previously available only with Seasons, now is available with Base Game to see upcoming events such as birthdays, school and work schedules, festivals, and fairs. You even can use it to book events, so it’s time to get to party planning!

Bug Fixes

Consoles

  • In Snowy Escape, skiing, sledding, and snowboarding on Bunny Slopes now contribute to the Extreme Sports Enthusiast Aspiration.
  • Also in Snowy Escape, Sims with high enough Skiing and Snowboarding skills now can enjoy the more advanced slopes. Sims also use the Lift to go to the top of the slopes and not go “the hard way.”
  • Simmers can now rotate Sims downloaded from the Gallery in Create a Sim. Spin them ‘round, ‘round, Simmers ‘round, ‘round –  like a record ‘round, ‘round, ‘round, ‘round.

The Sims 4

  • We made some improvements that should help our Simulation lag, particularly on the usage of some computer interactions like playing BlicBlock, along with fishing interactions, which should make the game perform a bit better. Note that this doesn’t entirely fix simulation lag but it should help and it is a step in a good direction.
  • Fixed an issue in which placing Mirrors directly opposite Doors would create a visual glitch in which walls and borders would disappear around them and well it was quite spooky to be honest, glad we solved that one!
  • Ever wish your food didn’t expire? I know I do, especially when it comes to traveling and coming back to see a fridge in pristine condition, that is a dream… but alas, it is not meant to be in life or in Sims. Fixed an issue in which traveling didn’t let food expire.
  • Sims stuck sleeping and couldn’t cancel that interaction? Not a product of a sci-fi film as I thought, but I can say that we have fixed this issue, well I hope.
  • You want to know how to not make my day, have my coffee brew endlessly but without giving me the coffee! Luckily the issue in-game about the Brew Coffee interaction being stuck has been fixed. Wasn’t it odd? Wait… Sleep and Brew Coffee were stuck in a mysterious loop? SUS.
  • If your Child Sims suddenly interrupted their computer sessions to draw on the activity table when Inspired, worry not, this should not happen after this update.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the “Items Removed” pop-up to appear when no items were removed from the game.
  • Fixed an issue in which setting Lots on Slipshod Mesquite would sometimes generate a crash of the game for some Simmers. The Lot couldn’t handle that much flavor.
  • Some blush and lipstick opacity sliders are back as they were greyed out.
  • Step-Parent/Child relationships are no longer missing in the Genealogy Panel. Similarly, other cases of broken families in the Genealogy Panel have been fixed as well. It is all about reconnecting or connecting with what is important.
  • Platforms will no longer raise in height automatically when creating new walls to intersect part of them.
  • We also fixed an issue in which if you placed platforms in basement levels and a staircase from the floor to the platforms, it would create this gap or hole in front of the stairs and Sims were not able to route correctly. You know, I have played many platformers in my lifetime, but do you imagine Sims trying to jump those gaps? I mean, I am called JumpFail for a reason… glad we fixed this one!
  • World view Lots that had some off-centered border have been adjusted.
  • Toddlers will no longer gain negative Sentiments against their parents randomly, especially the Festering Grudge Sentiment. I should not be laughing at this issue as I type it, I should not…<giggles>
  • We got word that the camera was malfunctioning and bouncing uncontrollably in some Lots across multiple Worlds. We fixed an issue that caused this, but let us know if there are new instances.
  • Sometimes Ghosts can be part of our Households if we choose to, however, it is really hard to live with Ghosts that constantly break things, it makes it a bit… unlivable. So our expert team of Simghostologists has communicated with these Ghosts in the non-physical realm and they have agreed to not break everything all the time.
  • Fixed an issue related to flooring glitches while placing the dance floor or crystal clear flooring.
  • Went through all the trouble in hiring a Nanny only to have your Toddler get sent to Daycare? More than a schedule conflict I imagine having the Nanny show up and there is no Toddler so what does the Nanny do in this case? Do they leave? Do they stay and wait? I must know… However, This should no longer be an issue.
  • Fixed an issue where using ‘{}’ (curly brackets)  in renaming objects would make these invisible in lists or UI in general.
  • Fixed an issue in the Likes and Dislikes section in Create a Sim that had some categories displayed incorrectly (either cut off, or words broken apart in new lines incorrectly) for some languages.
  • There was a clipping issue with the eye preset ymAsian13_Eyes that occurred when Sims were in extreme emotion, like Angry, and blinked. We adjusted this preset so this should not occur.
  • Toddlers can be picky eaters, but Toddlers not eating any fish recipe? That is suspicious, so we had a chat with the little angels and we have found a way to help them enjoy the complex flavors of our fish recipes.
  • Our UI team has fixed an issue in which a scrollbar appeared in the Sentiment section in the Relationship Panel when there were no sentiments. The mysterious scrollbar was mysterious. Similarly, they have also fixed an issue in which if multiple Sims gained sentiments together their thought bubbles look quite not right with the incorrect colors, so now they should look proper.
  • The Likes and Dislikes icon in Create a Sim will no longer overlap its text. It looked weird, honestly.
  • Droids (if you own Journey to Batuu) and Drones (if you own Get Famous) clipping into all kinds of objects in Build Mode? We saw that too, so there should be a fix for that in this game update. I mean this went beyond just crashing into things…
  • The option “Join After School Activity” will no longer be available if Simmers don’t have Seasons or Get Famous packs installed.
  • Sims in deviant paths now can properly reach the Level 4 of the Criminal Career.
  • Now, this is one that made my day, Cowplants are now able to dance again when Sims play music in front of them. Dance Cowplant, Dance!
  • Fixed an issue in which relationship points gained by friendly introductions were more than usual if Simmers didn’t have Snowy Escape installed.
  • We adjusted the color swatches for the S. Cargeaux Counter Island so that when it gets dirty, the counter doesn’t completely change colors. Dirty Counter – who dis?
  • Fixed an issue where the Scared Emotion UI was displaying a broken pose for Toddlers. The pose was kinda more scary than what the Toddler had been scared of, so glad that is done.
  • Outfits worn while Purchased and Worn in Festivals/Kiosks/Stalls should no longer remove accessories that were in place for the Sim.
  • Error code 134:571e5862 that occurred to some Simmers should be fixed now.
  • We fixed a few hairstyles (yfHair_EP05WavyBob, yfHair_EP01PartedFlat, yfHair_EP05UnderCutDreads, yfHair_EP01ShortSwept, and yfHair_DreamyCrew) that when used with the recently added color options would create splotches in the eyes, change the color of teeth, and/or change the eyelashes color.
  • As always the Localization team and this author have fixed and improved text across all packs and updates.

Get to Work

  • Aliens can now enjoy their custom Blush options in Create a Sim. Lewks out of this world!
  • Retail employees will now appropriately change into their assigned outfits. Listen, I grew up wearing uniforms for school, I get it, sometimes they are not the prettiest… but you have to wear them if you have to go to that establishment. I know the pain too well… but my sense of style grew from that… I think.
  • We made a fix to some of the swatches from the Barely Better Digital Camera that were missing a description for the item, so now all the swatches will display the text in all its glory.

Get Together

  • Some of these Sims are not like the others, some of these Sims just don’t belong. Can you tell which are not like the others by the time I finish writing these notes?
    • Fixed an issue where Sims didn’t sometimes change into their Club outfits when a Club Gathering was being held.
  • Fixed an issue in which some of the rooftops in Winderburg were not displaying Snow (if you own Seasons) correctly.

City Living

  • The Scattered Panes window in Build Mode now displays appropriate shadows in all options.
  • Sims enrolled in the Social Media career will now gain influence at the end of their stream instead of every few Sim-minutes.
  • Two hairstyles (ymHair_EP03BunHighPins and ymHair_EP03BraidedFlateBun) have been updated to reflect the correct look when choosing the Neutral Black color option.
  • Your Sims want to shoot some Basketball Close Shots, but they are trying to eat first? Well, now your Sims can finish eating before trying those hoops. Nutrition is important!

Cats and Dogs

  • We fixed an issue in which whiskers were not being seen applied to Cats. A Cat without whiskers is like Peanut butter without Jelly… or something like that! Just wrong!
  • Robot Vacuums should all now return to their docks accordingly. I hope this issue was not a sign that they were becoming sentient.
  • Sims will no longer get a Moodlet referring to the death of their Pet when witnessing the death of another Sim. The loss of a Sim is heartbreaking, but also getting a Moodlet for the death of their Pet when the Pet has not died, that is cold Grimmy, very cold.
  • Speaking of Robot Vacuums becoming sentient a few lines above, we fixed an issue that made the game crash when Cats would sit on the Robot Vacuum. CatonRobot.exe is now working.
  • We fixed an issue in which some Simmers experienced a crash with their last played Household loading into Brindleton Bay.

Seasons

  • Sims were changing into their cold-weather gear… while not in cold weather? We had some conversations with Sims and even though they love their winter outfits, dressing up in full winter gear in the summer was probably not the wisest choice. So the issue in which Sims randomly would change into their winter outfits while not in winter is solved.
  • Egg Hunts are adorable and fun! But not being able to have the furniture reset after looking for Eggs in them, can be quite the rain on Sims’ parade. But this should no longer occur.

Island Living

  • Mermaids will no longer keep the “Dried Scales” Moodlet when they are hydrated. Mermaids’ skincare regimen pays off! Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
  • Fixed an issue in which Lots that are placed in the sand looked quite odd displaying all edges of the Lot when it rained.
  • Sims that have the Collector Aspiration Trait are now able to catch Frogs in Sulani as part of their adventures exploring the island waterfall. Good Luck!
  • We fixed an issue in which some Simmers experienced game crashes when loading into certain lots in Mua Pe’lam. Happy Exploring!

Discover University

  • Sims having a hard time in Uni? No matter what they do they keep failing classes? Worry not, Sims will no longer fail classes when meeting all the criteria for course completion. Work hard, pass your classes hard!
  • Having Roommates can be hard. Have your Sims had Roommates complain constantly and leave even when their needs are met? Yeah, we made it so that Roommates don’t do this any longer.
  • Fixed an issue in which beds were counted incorrectly when placing an ad for Roommates. I mean, as much as Pets and even Toddlers can live with Roommates, the ad should be truthful to how many beds there are actually in the Lot, not count Toddlers and Pets as needing adult-sized beds.
  • We fixed Servo animations so that they don’t look like they are walking on one leg when hovering to their destination. Now they will hover properly.
  • We fixed an issue in which in some instances Professors could not go to work when a Professor NPC is added into that same Household.
  • Fixed an issue in which removing and adding back Household members as Roommates would create some… inappropriate moments, ahem.

Eco Lifestyle

  • Evergreen Harbor’s peace has been restored: roads and parts of neighborhoods no longer disappear or turn blue when businesses open in Port Promise while the Modern Development N.A.P is active.
  • yfBody_EP09DressShirt no longer has a weird texture in some of the footwear from various packs, especially platform shoes and chunky sneakers.
  • Had you moved to Cypress Terrace in Willow Creek and found you couldn’t really do anything there? We fixed the routing failures and interaction failures on the Mitey-Mitey Home – Insect Farm.

Snowy Escape

  • Mountain Climbing can be challenging, even for those experienced. But having indecisive moments before a climbing route like getting off and on your bike constantly seems that a lot of doubt is passing your mind… However, we did speak to these Sims that were experiencing this behavior and calmed their fears and doubts, so this should no longer be an issue.
  • The hairstyle yfHair_EP10BobBluntOmbre now covers all of the Sim’s ears.
  • For Simmers who own Seasons together with Snowy Escape, rain options no longer affect snow.
  • Sims no longer have the option to give a respectful or military introduction during activities such as Dancing or Bike Riding. I mean, I’m not sure about you, but I can’t dance and respectfully introduce myself at the same time. So many falls… so many falls.
  • We made some corrections to the Slippers that came with this pack and they should no longer display a greenish texture on Sims’ toes when selected in Create a Sim. Yikes.
  • Fixed an issue in which for some Simmers playing with the Yoshida Hall Household would generate a game crash when loading into Mt. Komorebi.
  • We took a look at our Ramen menu and have updated our cooking menu to label Miso and Egg Ramen as Vegetarian safe options. Buen Provecho!
  • Want to run a Restaurant in Yukimatsu but also want to enjoy the slopes? Now your Sims can enjoy the slopes and dine in style. However, this action is only directed, and will not be autonomous. In the same vein, Restaurant employees will not be tempted to leave work to enjoy the slopes.

Journey to Batuu

  • Batuu is an awesome destination for those who want to enjoy something fun and different, but if you bought a Droid from the Droid Depot and never saw it in your inventory, I know how frustrating it can be. Never fear, the Droids you were looking for will appear now in Inventories when purchased.
  • In Journey to Batuu, the First Order ID no longer disappears from inventory so Sims now can Access First Order Plans for the Top Notch Trickery Mission.
  • Fixed an issue with the Leveling the Playing Field Mission in which the Scoundrel Informant would not appear on the scene after Sims stole the Prototype Blaster and went to Oga’s Cantina to wait for the informant.

Dine Out

  • Eggs and Toast sound super basic and easy right? They will continue to be that way for our unassuming Chefs on the Chef Station since we fixed an issue that made them… challenging. Sims can also use the second burner for other recipes without fail or routing out.

StrangerVille

  • The Decorations and Kid’s categories in Build Mode should no longer have a “New” highlight when there’s nothing actually new.

Dream Home Decorator

  • Lighting can change the ambiance of a room, and your mood in a flash. Luckily we have fixed an issue that lighting was not even on sectional sofas to continue to set the right mood for our Sims.
  • Our stylists fixed the Sleep ‘N’ Study Styled Room to remove the P.R.I.M.A Computer from it as this is not an item that is accessible for everyone, pardon our dust.

Laundry Day

  • Fixed an issue where an animation clipped when Sims were loading their laundry machines. Because having your clothes go through you is awkward, are Sims made of fabric? I don’t think so.

Bust the Dust

  • Don’t need Simoleons, don’t need Fame. Don’t need dinner to have this date. It’s strong and it’s sudden and it’s cruel sometimes but it might just end your night… the power of Dust, that’s the power of Dust.
    • Our cleaning agents have determined that Sims won’t get romantic negative Moodlets related to filthy levels of dust in public places like parks.

I Played The Sims 2 on Xbox & This Was My Experience

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The Sims 2 was released back in 2004 and even now it remains hugely popular. Not only did we have the PC version of the game, we also had a number of console versions of The Sims 2. Spanning across PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and Xbox as well as the Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, Sony PSP and even some Mobile ports, there was plenty of opportunities to experience The Sims 2 in some way.

The console games were released in late 2005 and while many aspects of the PC version of the game could be seen in the console versions, there were some differences. The home consoles contained a story mode as well as a free play mode, whereas the handheld versions of the game had their very own storylines instead.

Now, I’ve been taking a little trip down memory lane recently, and I’ve been adding some of the older The Sims console games to my collection. I’ve played a few of them in the past here and there, but it was so long ago that I don’t really remember too much about them, so now was the perfect time to play through them again.

I picked up The Sims 2 for Xbox from eBay for around £4 before postage, which wasn’t too bad. The disc itself was fully tested beforehand and in brilliant condition. As soon as it arrived, it popped it into my Xbox 360 and jumped into the game.

First things first, I needed to create a character. After the game selected two random Sims to create my Sim I was able to change her looks and style up to something that suited her a little more. Scrolling through the different sections of Create A Sim made me realize just how different yet in depth it was for The Sims 2. Being able to choose a top but then customize it further with different cuts, sleeves and collars compared to just its swatches was slightly mind-blowing for a moment as I had forgotten that there was so much more when it came to customization.

The whole Create A Sim process, even for the game on console, just blew me away. I honestly don’t remember it being this in depth at all!

Now that I had my Sim ready to go, my first port of call was to visit our home for the first time and meet our roommates.

The first thing that threw me off was being able to directly move my character around freely, but after a few minutes I was okay with the controls. You can swap and have the Classic Controls where you can queue the actions like you would normally in The Sims as well if you want. For now, I’ve kept it with being able to freely move around as it’s more fun, although I do keep running into the odd door or two here and there.

As I had just started out in the game, I followed through the prompts the game was giving me and started to learn the different controls for each of the menus. It was pretty straight forward and easy to remember how to access the different menus for Wants & Fears, Needs, Skills and even into the main menu to access the build/buy mode and a few other sub-menus that I’m yet to explore. Interacting with my roommates was easy, even if my Sim did slap one of them.

It feels strange to be playing an Xbox game that is nearly sixteen years old in twenty-twenty one, but at the same time it isn’t. It felt nostalgic revisiting this game on console, and I’m excited to see how the story mode plays out. It’s still too early to guess what could happen next, but for now it will be learning the basics and working on the relationships with my roommates.

Would you like to see us share more of The Sims 2 on Xbox? Let us know in the comments below!

Preparing for The Sims 4 Cottage Living + Base Game Update

This week there are two big releases for The Sims 4 – the Base Game Update and the release of The Sims 4 Cottage Living Expansion Pack.

The upcoming update for The Sims 4 Base Game expected to release either this Tuesday, July 20th if we follow the pattern of previous Base Game Updates released right before Expansion Packs.

This week’s next big release is The Sims 4 Cottage Living Expansion Pack which comes out on Thursday. There is a different type of release for Expansion Packs this time around so check out our Countdown Post to know exactly when the pack is coming in your area!

The Sims 4 Base Game Update

The upcoming update for The Sims 4 is bringing tons of new features, including:

  • New Water Tools
  • Lot Challenges
  • The Calendar
  • Group Family Activities
  • Revamped Notes

There’s a lot more featues and changes coming with the update that you can check out in the overview video below:

Since the Cottage Living Expansion Pack is set to release this Thursday it’s more than likely that the Base Game Update is set for July 20th release at 10AM Pacific Time.

Because there are a lot of changes and new features being added to the game with this update it’s likely that some of your favorite Mods / CC might get broken.

It’s very important to keep track of the creators of your favorite Mods / CC creators to ensure their creations work (or don’t work) with the latest update. We have a dedicated channel on our Discord Server with all the compatibility updates for well-known Mods!

Although that the game will automatically disable all CC and Mods the first time you open The Sims 4 after updating, it’s best advised that you don’t re-enable the Mods until mod creators confirm that their mods are safe / will be getting a compatibility update soon. Enabling your Mods / CC without assuring that they’ll work with the new Sims 4 version might break your game.

If, however, you want to test out your current Mods / CC and see how they’re working with the latest update I advise you to make a backup of your current save game folder (located in Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4).

Here are some useful articles to help ensure a stabile CC / Mods experience after updating The Sims 4:

The Sims 4 Cottage Living Release

The Sims 4 Cottage Living Expansion Pack is set to release on July 22nd at 10AM PT. You can check out the exact release time of the pack in your area in the countdown linked above.

The Sims 4 Cottage Living, just like the last few Packs and DLC released will only be available for 64bit systems and won’t be supported by The Sims 4 Legacy Edition.

To ensure that you’ll be able to play the game properly make sure you check these things:

  • Make sure your PC runs on a 64bit system. 32bit systems are no longer supported ever since the release of The Sims 4 Legacy Edition and if you have a computer that’s running on a 32bit system you WON’T be able to either update your Base Game nor play Cottage Living.
  • Make sure you meet the following system requirements for Cottage Living:

PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

MINIMUM SPECS:
OS: 64 Bit Required. Windows 7 (SP1), Windows 8, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10
CPU: 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon 64 Dual-Core 4000+ or equivalent (For computers using built-in graphics chipsets, the game requires 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.0 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-62 or equivalent)
RAM: At least 4 GB RAM
DISC DRIVE: DVD Rom Drive required for installation only
HARD DRIVE: At least 15 GB of free space with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content and saved games
VIDEO: 128 MB of Video RAM and support for Pixel Shader 3.0. Supported Video Cards: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or better, ATI Radeon X1300 or better, Intel GMA X4500 or better
DIRECTX: DirectX 9.0, 10 and 11 Compatible
INPUT: Keyboard and Mouse
ONLINE REQUIREMENTS: Internet connection required for product activation.

RECOMMENDED SPECS:
OS: 64 Bit Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10
PROCESSOR: Intel core i5 or faster, AMD Athlon X4
VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GTX 650 or better
MEMORY: 4 GB RAM
HARD DRIVE: 18 GB of Hard Drive space

MAC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

MINIMUM SPECS:
OS: Metal required. Mac OS® X 10.11 (El Capitan)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz Processor or better
RAM: At least 4 GB RAM
HARD DRIVE: At least 15 GB of free space with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content and saved games
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680, AMD Radeon RX 560 or better
INPUT: Keyboard and Mouse
ONLINE REQUIREMENTS: Internet connection required for product activation.

RECOMMENDED SPECS:
OS: Mac OS® X 10.11 or later
PROCESSOR: Intel Core i5 or better
VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680, AMD Radeon RX 560 or better
MEMORY: 8GB RAM
HARD DRIVE: 18 GB of Hard Drive space

 

Stay tuned on Sims Community for all the latest news and articles on this week’s big releases!

The Sims 4: Top 5 Vacation Locations for Rental Lots

Ever since we gained the ability to place rental lots in residential worlds, the possibilities for vacations have really opened up. Now that we can vacation in any world we want, it can be hard to choose where to send our Sims on vacation. There are so many choices and each world has its own personality and sets of attractions to enjoy.

Here are our top five picks for vacation destinations in residential worlds!

Remember, you won’t be able to vacation in some of these worlds until you’ve placed a rental lot in them!

Sulani

The Sims 4: Top 5 Vacation Locations for Rental Lots

Let’s get the obvious out of the way, first. Sulani is the perfect tropical getaway for those looking to let go of all the stress of the rat race and find some peace and relaxation. With snorkeling, swimming with dolphins, diving, jet-skiing, canoeing, beach combing, sunbathing, and special island events all on Sulani’s long list of activities, there’s lots for your Sims to do on vacation here.

San Myshuno

The Sims 4: Top 5 Vacation Locations for Rental Lots

Sims looking for a wide variety of cultures in one spot and a fast-paced vacation will love the bustling metropolis of San Myshuno. No matter what you’re interested in, there’s something for you in the city. Geek conventions, markets, cultural festivals, diverse cuisine, art galleries, and karaoke bars all await you in San Myshuno.

Mt. Komorebi

The Sims 4: Top 5 Vacation Locations for Rental Lots

Adventure and thrill-seekers will want to make Mt. Komorebi their number one vacation spot. It offers everything an active Sim looking for excitement could ever want; skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, and tobogganing all await you at the slopes! And when your toes are frozen solid and you need to warm up, head further down the mountain to enjoy some lush forest hikes and cultural festivals.

Windenburg

The Sims 4: Top 5 Vacation Locations for Rental Lots

We’ve all been there. Mom wants to go somewhere with history on vacation. Dad wants to relax with a good drink by the fire, and the teens want to party. If that’s the case for your Sims family, Windenburg is where you’ll want to book your next vacation. It’s the perfect blend of old and new. You can visit the ancient ruins, take a tour of the historic Von Haunt Estate, head back into town for a macchiato at the cafe, and dance the night away at the hottest nightclubs all in one beautiful city. You can’t go wrong with rich history and a hopping nightlife!

Del Sol Valley

The Sims 4: Top 5 Vacation Locations for Rental Lots

Del Sol Valley gets a bad rap for its lack of lots but don’t be so quick to write off this city! This is the home of the rich and famous, so Sims who are hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite celebrities need to vacation here! Take a selfie next to your favourite celeb’s star on the Walk of Fame, attend a fan meet and greet at the local bar, or take a trip up to the hills to see how the world’s most famous Sims live. You’ll never be closer to the stars in Del Sol Valley!

Sims Community Challenge: June/July Cottagecore Builds Showcase

Well, what can I say? The team was blown away by everyone’s creations for our first ever The Sims Community Challenge! Before we take a look at some of our favourite Cottagecore creations, I’d just like to say a huge thank you to every who took part in the challenge, to our members over on Discord who made this such a fun experience and the community as a whole who helped bring the challenge to life and hyped it up even more!

While I wish we could showcase each of the 175 creations that were created, we had to narrow it down to just five!

As a reminder, this challenge was to create a 30×20 fully furnished cottagecore themed build with a budget of $50,000!

Here are our top five Cottagecore inspired builds from the June/July Challenge!

Middle Class Cottage by Suavek_Sims

Sims Community Challenge: June/July Cottagecore Builds Showcase

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Picturesque Cottage by WheezaAnn

Sims Community Challenge: June/July Cottagecore Builds Showcase

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Family Cottage by Melanieee_Drake

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Grandparents’ Cottage by Smilal

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Cozy Cottage by Petchology

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Again, I’d just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part. Each and every single build we looked at was amazing. The way everyone interpreted the challenge and put their own twist on it made it even harder to narrow down the builds we wanted to share in the showcase.

Don’t forget, you can check out all the entries on The Gallery now by searching the hashtag #SCCottagecore. Stay tuned as we will be revealing the August Challenge soon!

The Sims 4: CAS Pieces to Help You with Historical Gameplay

Ever wanted to do a Sims playthrough or story that was set way back when in Victorian or Medieval times but lacked the costumes to deck out your Sims in a way that looked believable? Me too. Of course, fan-made custom content can and has come to the rescue during times like these but what if you play on console? What if your computer can’t handle a lot of custom content? Or what if you’re just not that tech savvy and don’t want to bother with any of that?

Well here are a few of my favourite pieces and outfits I like to use to help tell my stories!

These gladiator costumes from Spooky Stuff do make for a great party costume but if you’re ever in need of some Ancient Roman battle attire, these should do quite nicely! They come in most masculine and feminine styles to suit either frame.

Writing or filming a story about Sims sailing the seven seas? Look no further than the Spooky Stuff and Get Famous packs, each of which contain a pirate costume for both masculine and feminine Sims. The pirate costume from Spooky Stuff is crisp and clean while the Get Famous costumes look more worn out and roughed up, perfect for a pirate fight!

When it comes to Victorian and Edwardian attire, The Sims 4 actually has a pretty decent selection for both masculine and feminine Sims! Numerous packs have brought a variety of pieces inspired by the Victorian and Edwardian periods, including Get Together, Vampires, Get Famous, and Vintage Glamour Stuff.

If you’re looking for even more selection, plenty more Victorian and French Renaissance outfits can be unlocked through the Acting career! Or just download a Sim from the Gallery who has everything unlocked then delete them from your household to gain access to their entire unlocked wardrobe!

Let’s head on over to the Wild West with these rootin’ tootin’ outfits courtesy of Get Famous and StrangerVille. Bella’s dress and Mortimer’s hat come from Get Famous, while Mortimer’s old-fashioned pinstripe suit is from StrangerVille. Combine the two packs to get some pretty great Old Western looks for your Sims.

And if you’re looking to go way back to Medieval times or even earlier, there are several options as well. Various tops, bottoms, hats (or hoods), and full body outfits from various packs like Outdoor Retreat, Realm of Magic, Get Famous, and even the Digital Deluxe version of the base game will help you tell those dark stories from Ye Olden Days.

And here are a few extra outfits that might be a little more costume than historical but that you may still find useful in some of your more fantastical historical stories nonetheless! Spooky Stuff has plenty of costumes and accessories to suit a wide variety of unconventional stories and even packs like Get Together have a few timeless pieces as well. Even some of the base game Star Wars outfits could be repurposed for some kind of prehistoric or apocalyptic gameplay.

Before we go, we can’t forget about the kids! Here are a few CAS pieces for the little ones that harken back to days long since passed. While there isn’t as wide a selection as there is for teen and older Sims, Spooky Stuff and Vampires offer the most historical looks for children. There is a pirate outfit, a Victorian tailcoat with ruffled collar, a princess dress in a Renaissance style, a gothic Victorian gown and a Victorian suit.


I hope some of these pieces will help you tell amazing historical stories in The Sims 4! Many of these pieces are my personal favourites when I’m telling stories based in history and I really enjoyed sharing them with you here today!

Favourite Places To Take Screenshots in The Sims 4

One of my favourite things to do when playing The Sims 4 is taking countless screenshots. I’m sure this is something that many of us can relate to as well. A couple of days ago, I was scrolling through my screenshots folder and was thinking about why do I take these screenshots? There’s a number of reasons really, but before I had a chance to really think about why I did, I was thinking about which of the worlds within The Sims was my favourite to take screenshots in.

Truth be told, it’s all the worlds, although currently, I’ve spent a lot of time with my Sims visiting Sulani.

Favourite Places To Take Screenshots in The Sims 4

What I love about Sulani is that not only is it a beautiful place for your Sims to visit and live in, but there is just so many lovely places for your Sims to explore, relax and soak up the sun. Of course, this creates some perfect opportunities to take screenshots.

One of my favourite places to take screenshots is in Ohan’Ali Town. The mixture of beaches to explore as well as the town life gives you plenty of chances to take some lovely and sometimes random moments.

 

Whether you are exploring the volcano and waterfall in the remote district of Mua Pel’Am, relaxing on the sands of Lani St. Taz or embracing the Sulani culture down in Ohan’Ali Town there is plenty to offer in Sulani.

Favourite Places To Take Screenshots in The Sims 4

What are some of your favourite Worlds or locations to take screenshots of your Sims? Let us know in the comments below!

The Sims 4 Rabbits: Befriend These Adorable Cuddly Critters!

Dress these cuddly critters in cute outfits and enlist their help in your garden!

Presented by EA Game Changers

Sims 4 rabbits are just one of the new animals coming with the Cottage Living expansion pack!

In this article I’ll be doing a deep dive of every aspect of wild rabbits in this pack, including interactions with the rabbits, rabbit clothing, befriending a rabbit and more. Please note that the software used to capture this info is early alpha and things are subject to change.

Where to Find Sims 4 Rabbits

There are several locations where you can find Sims 4 rabbits in the new world of Henford-on-Bagley. You can check out where they’re located in the Wild Animals Maps!

They can be found hanging around the tree stumps placed in the Old New Henford and The Bramblewood neighborhoods. In Old New Henford there is a tree stump near a walking path, while in The Bramblewoods there is one near the Creature Keeper and one near the waterfall. You can check out what they look like below:

If you can’t find a rabbit to interact with roaming around Henford on Bagley then you can try to “Lure Out Rabbits” out of the tree stumps – that is if Sims 4 rabbits are hiding in them. It’s recommended that you try this interaction only during daytime because they don’t like to be bothered when sleeping during the night.

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Rabbits

Once you manage to lure out the rabbit you’ll have plenty of interactions to choose from. It’s recommended that, if you want to befriend a rabbit, to approach Sims 4 rabbits carefully by observing them from the distance. You can also always choose a more direct approach and interact with them immediately.

There are numerous interactions you can do with rabbits! Check out the preview below:

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Rabbits

In the Actions menu you’ll have interactions to Admire the Rabbit (if your Sim has the Animal Enthusiast Trait) and to make the camera lock on them. In the Socialize section there are funny, friendly, mean and mischevious social interactions that you can choose to perform with the rabbit. There’s also an option to Give Gift to the rabbit (or take a gift offered by a rabbit if they’re friendly enough) and an option to Discover Gift Preferences.

Rabbits and Gifts

There are numerous collectibles that you can gift to (and receive from) Sims 4 rabbits, including: books, canned goods, cross-stitch, drinks, eggs, fish, flowers, meat meals, wool, milk, paintings, produce, veggie meals and wooden sculptures.

After choosing the Discover Gift Preferences interaction you’ll get information about what they like/dislike. In this case after I used the interaction I only discovered that the wild rabbit I stumbled across doesn’t like veggie meals, while everything else was still under a question mark whether they’ll like the gift or not. It’s often fun to experiment and give animals gifts whether or not you know their preferences.

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Rabbits

After having several positive social interactions with the rabbit you’ll be able to Take the Gift that the rabbit prepared for you! Each rabbit will be able to give you a gift on a daily basis – just make sure you positively interact with them!

The gifts that Sims 4 rabbits give to your Sims have the same range as gifts you can give to rabbits. In this scenario I’ve gotten 1 Pink Llama Wool from the wild rabbit I’ve started socializing with.

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Rabbits

Befriending a Rabbit and Rabbits at Home

There are many social interactions that will help you befriend a rabbit. If your Sim is an Animal Enthusiast they’ll also be able to form a friendship with a wild rabbit faster! My Sim who’s an Animal Enthusiast had more luck befriending a rabbit, however other Sims might have to be a bit more persistent.

If it’s your first time befriending a rabbit you’ll unlock a wild rabbit home that you can place down on your Residential lot. Also, every time that you befriend a rabbit, you’ll get a powerful moodlet:

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Rabbits

One of the benefits of befriending Sims 4 rabbits is that you’re able to Ask for Gardening Help. The rabbit you’ve asked for help will then occasionally visit your lot and help with the garden. You can check out the status if they’re set to help or not by hovering over them:

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Rabbits

Sims 4 rabbits help out in two ways with your Garden – by eating the weeds and by, well, pooping on the plants in your garden. Don’t worry – their poop acts as a fertilizer!

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Rabbits

You’ll be able to purchase a wild rabbit home from Build Mode for 400 Simoleons. It can be found in the Outdoor Activities section – or simply use the search bar and type in Wild Rabbit Home! A thing I’ve noticed is that I wasn’t able to house the rabbit I befriended first in The Bramblewood, so I had to lure out a new rabbit out of the tree stump and make a connection with them.

TIP: You can have multiple wild rabbit homes placed down on your lot, meaning that you can have multiple Sims 4 rabbits on your Lot!

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Rabbits

So, what do the rabbits do on your Lot?

Beside being of great help with the garden, they’re also very active when on your lot. They can be found sniffing around the outside, digging tunnels and interacting with your Sims… as long as you’re in a good mood.

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Rabbits

Choosing to pick fights with a wild rabbit can end fatally. If you provoke a rabbit way too many times, they’ll attack your Sim. Sometimes your Sim will leave the fight with nothing but a fair warning from the rabbit, but on rare occasions they can get killed by the rabbit. Worry not, we’ve covered the new deaths that come with Cottage Living for you!

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Rabbits

Rabbit Clothing

Sims 4 rabbits have their own set of clothing that you can dress them up in! To obtain clothing for rabbits you can check the Creature Keeper in The Bramblewood to purchase outfits. There’s a limited stock of items and clothing for different animals rotating every day so make sure you check up often! For players with the Nifty Knitting Stuff pack, they can use llama wool to knit the animal clothes themselves.

After obtaining a piece of clothing for rabbits click on them and select Dress Rabbit In…

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Rabbits

Here’s a full overview of all the clothing available for rabbits:

Types of Rabbits

There are 8 types of Sims 4 rabbits that you can find in total. Down below is a full visual overview of all eight rabbits!

Other Facts about Rabbits

  • You can rename wild rabbits:
The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Rabbits
  • Toddlers and Children can also socialize with rabbits and give them a pat or a warm hug.
The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Rabbits
  • You can keep track of all the rabbits you’ve socialized with in the Relationships panel.
  • All rabbits in the game are Young Adults and they don’t age and die like some of the other animals.
  • Wild foxes can be fatal for rabbits on your Lot.

Secret Inherited Traits in The Sims 4 and How to Get Them

Did you know that there are three traits in The Sims 4 that can only be inherited from a parent? Did you also know that you can have a Sim with all three of these traits? It’s true! If you’ve got the patience and dedication, that is. Here’s how to do it!

The three traits are Father Winter’s Baby, Sulani Mana, and Ancient Bloodline. To have a Sim with all three traits, you’ll need the Seasons, Island Living, and Realm of Magic packs.

Secret Inherited Traits in The Sims 4 and How to Get Them

To begin, we’re going to make two spellcasters in CAS and move them into the world. Neither of these Sims have any of the traits we’re looking for, but since they are spellcasters, their descendants will! With the help of cheats to speed things along, I had these two Sims Try for a Baby and then sped the pregnancy up to get an instant baby!

This baby was born with the Weak Bloodline trait but that’s not good enough. To continue strengthening this magical bloodline trait, we need to bring in a third generation spellcaster. So our Weak Bloodline Sim was aged up to a young adult immediately and I added one of my other spellcaster Sims to the household for him to Try for a Baby with.

Their child was born with the Strong Bloodline trait. Better, but still not good enough. Our third generation spellcaster gets aged up to a Young Adult and another spellcaster Sim gets added to the household. They Try for a Baby to bring in generation four. A fourth generation spellcaster should have the trait we need.

YES! Our fourth generation spellcaster is born with the Ancient Bloodline trait! Now to get the other two coveted traits. For that, we’ll need a change of scenery. This house is getting crowded. It’s also important to remember to give your Ancient Bloodline Sim the Child of the Islands trait. They will need to have this trait to bring the Sulani Mana trait into the family.

Secret Inherited Traits in The Sims 4 and How to Get Them

We moved our Ancient Bloodline Sim to a place of her own in Sulani and had her use the self-interaction, Summon Island Elementals. Three elementals showed up on the lot but we set our sights on one of the male ones and only talked to him. It took two visits from the elementals but when our Sim had a fully maxed out friendship bar with the elemental, she could ask him to move in. This option won’t be available until the friendship bar is completely full.

Moving the Island Elemental into the household made him human but if he is still a ghost for you, you can resurrect him with cheats or through any in-game method you like. The Island Elementals all have the Sulani Mana trait and they keep this trait even after being humanized and moved in. Yup, you guessed it. It’s time to bring in generation five with our Ancient Bloodline Sim and our Sulani Mana Sim.

Secret Inherited Traits in The Sims 4 and How to Get Them

Their resulting child has both the Ancient Bloodline trait and the Sulani Mana trait! We got lucky and ended up with a female child but if you get a male, you can temporarily change his pregnancy settings to become pregnant in CAS for the next part. We still need to get the Father Winter’s Baby trait.

To do this, create a holiday for the following day and set Father Winter as a holiday tradition. It’s handy to put a fireplace in your house, too; that way, Father Winter will spawn right in your house and not down the street at 8pm. When 8pm rolls around on the holiday and Father Winter makes his appearance, it’s go time! We had our fifth generation Sim with the Ancient Bloodline and Sulani Mana traits put the moves on Santa.

When our Sim gives birth to our sixth generation, this is finally the Sim we were after all this time! This baby is born with all three traits that can only be inherited from a parent. Baby Cecilia Frost has the Ancient Bloodline, Sulani Mana, and Father Winter’s Baby traits.

So if you’re looking to do this in your own game, you’re going to have to play through (or cheat through) six generations of Sims, beginning with spellcasters, then an Island Elemental, and finally, Father Winter. Or if that’s way too much work for you, Cecilia Frost is available in the Gallery for you to download. She has no CC and is under the ID SnarkyWitch.

Secret Inherited Traits in The Sims 4 and How to Get Them
Cecilia has all three inherited traits, plus a cool backstory! Download her to skip all the hard work!

Countdown to the release of The Sims 4 Cottage Living

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Countdown to the release of The Sims 4 Cottage Living

We are just a few days away until the release of The Sims 4 Cottage Living Expansion Pack on PC, Mac, Xbox and Playstation!

This Pack has a different release schedule compared to the releases of previous Expansion Packs. Unlike previous EPs which had a staggered release for multiple regions and territories, this Pack will have a single release time for all regions and all platforms!

The Pack is set to release on July 22nd at 10AM Pacific Time for PC and Consoles. To be precise, that’s when you’ll be able to get the Pack immediately from the official stores such as Origin, Steam, Microsoft Store and Playstation Store.

Since we know that time zones can get confusing we’ve included a countdown timer down below that counts exactly to the moment of Cottage Living’s release. As soon as the timer turns zero you’ll be able to download and play the pack!

We also have some amazing coverage for The Sims 4 Cottage Living underway – keep checking the Cottage Living Articles for exclusive information, articles and guides on the pack!

You can also join in the countdown hype and celebrate the pack with the community on our Sims Community Discord!

PC & Console Worldwide Release

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Countdown to the release of The Sims 4 Cottage Living

THE FINAL SHOWDOWN: Who is the Best Sims 4 Townie?

Over the past month, we at Sims Community have set out to settle the long-argued debate among Simmers. Which Sims 4 premade Sim is the best of the best? We broke it down by base game, game packs (plus Paranormal Stuff), and expansion packs parts 1 and 2. You cast your votes to tell us which of those Sims deserved to make it to the finals.

And today, the day has come. It’s the final showdown! It’s time to settle this once and for all. Your winners from past polls are here to battle it out for the top spot. Unlike past polls, you cannot vote for multiple Sims this time. There can only be one!

Remember to click the text and not the image when casting your vote!

[totalpoll id=”99624″]

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: Official Theme Song

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The Sims 4 continues the tradition of adding new Theme Songs with each Expansion Pack release – and Cottage Living is no exception!

You can listen to the official Theme Song for The Sims 4 Cottage Living above. It’s a beautiful, calm remix of the original The Sims 4 Theme Song composed by Illan Eshkeri.

Becoming a Vampire Slayer in The Sims 4

The Sims 4 Vampires has been out for five years now; plenty of time for Simmers to have discovered everything about it, right? Well, I thought so, too, until I saw some people discovering a “secret” aspect of the Vampires pack for the first time the other day. I love that no matter how long this game is out, there is always something new for people to discover.

So in case this is a new discovery for you as well, I’m going to tell you all about how you can be a vampire slayer in The Sims 4!

While The Sims 4 Vampires is understandably focused on the vampires, that doesn’t mean there’s no gameplay for human Sims. If you’ve got a Sim who’s sick and tired of being visited in the night by toothy strangers looking for a midnight snack, they can fight back and dedicate their time to ridding the Sim world of vampires once and for all.

Becoming a Vampire Slayer in The Sims 4

Start by looking for information on vampires on a computer. When your Sim reaches level 2 of the skill, they can advance to getting more knowledge from vampire tomes, which you can purchase from any bookshelf.

Keep studying vampire lore and unlocking tomes. As you gain skill in Vampire Lore, your new vampire slayer will begin to learn ways of resisting, warding off, and even fighting back against these plasma-sucking creatures. The first thing you’ll unlock is the ability is to purchase garlic seeds which are a must for keeping vampires away from your home.

Purchase garlic from any planter box and keep at least one large planter box full of garlic as soon as possible. You’ll need plenty of it to start fashioning garlic braids, garlands, and wreaths when you gain more Vampire Lore skill. Click on some garlic in your inventory to craft the garlic decorations and put them up everywhere inside and outside of your home to protect yourself.

But just keeping the vampires away isn’t enough. Warding them off will just send them after some other, less protected human. Continue learning the Vampire Lore skill. At this point, it’s also a good idea to start building your Fitness skill as well. You will need both physical strength and extensive knowledge of vampires to take one down.

When you unlock the ability to plant wolfsbane and plasma fruit, keep a small garden of that, too. These are useful ingredients you will need to start mixing special drinks at the bar to help you in your mission to rid the world of vampires. Once you have a high enough Vampire Lore skill and some wolfsbane in your garden, you’ll be able to make the Vampire Resistance Cocktail at any bar. No Mixology skill required! This drink requires 2 wolfsbane and costs 25 simoleons to make. Drinking this will make your Sim more resistant to vampire powers. It’s a good idea to drink one of these before bed if you’re worried about break-ins or before confronting a vampire.

Becoming a Vampire Slayer in The Sims 4

Keep looking after your garden and building your Fitness skill as you continue to level up in the Vampire Lore skill. When you max out the skill at level 15, you’ll be able to mix The Ultimate Vampire Cure at a bar. It requires 10 garlic, 10 plasma fruit, and 10 wolfsbane and costs a hefty 2,500 simoleons to make. This drink is the key to slaying a vampire!

Becoming a Vampire Slayer in The Sims 4

By the time you’ve made The Ultimate Vampire Cure, you should have maxed out Fitness skill. Do not confront a vampire with low Fitness skill; your chances of success aren’t very good. With The Ultimate Vampire Cure in your Sim’s inventory, seek out any vampire and under the Mean social category, choose Slay Vampire. If the option isn’t there, spend some time doing Mean socials with the vampire until they dislike you enough.

The battle is on! Your Sim and the vampire will fight it out and if your Sim wins, they’ll pull out The Ultimate Vampire Cure and splash it in the vampire’s face. This will turn the vampire into a human, making the Sim world a little bit safer. In case you were wondering, no you cannot actually KILL a vampire (at least not directly as a Sim; you as the player can dispose of them, though). Sims killing other Sims would make this game rated M, so slaying a vampire only slays the vampire within them by turning them human.

The vampire will be quite sad about being forced to give up their immortal existence but your Sim will feel confident knowing they’re protecting people by curing one vampire at a time.


Want the Sim featured in this article? His name is Charlie and he is available in the Gallery under the ID SnarkyWitch

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Lot Challenges

Presented by EA Game Changers

The Sims 4 Cottage Living Expansion Pack introduces a new set of Lot Challenges. Usually these would’ve been Lot Traits however the upcoming update for The Sims 4 is categorizing all of the Lot Traits we’ve gotten in previous Packs into Lot Traits and Lot Challenges. The Lot Traits are usually Traits that don’t add an extra layer of challenging gameplay. The Lot Challenge Category includes challenges that can make gameplay on your Lot more difficult.

We’ve gotten a list from The Sims Team of all the Lot Traits being converted into Lot Challenges:

  • Creepy Crawlies
  • Cursed
  • Filthy
  • Gremlins
  • Grody
  • Landfill
  • Off the Grid
  • Quake Zone
  • Reduce and Recycle
  • Simple Living
  • Spooky
  • Volcanic Activity
  • Wild Foxes

The Lot Challenges can be found in Build Mode in the “Traits and Challenges” section of the Venue Info Category on the top left corner.

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Lot Challenges

Facts about Lot Challenges:

  • They function just like Lot Traits, they’re just a seperate categorization.
  • You can apply one or multiple Lot Challenges per Lot. There is no limit on how many challenges you can apply.
  • The Sims 4 Base Game only has one Lot Challenge – Off-the-Grid.
  • If you’re indecisive about which Lot Challenge you want to apply to your Lot you can use the Randomize button!

The Sims 4 Cottage Living comes with two new Lot Challenges – Simple Living and Wild Foxes. In this article I’ll be guiding you through each one and what gameplay and difficulty they bring! Note that the software we captured info and footage is early alpha and features are subject to change.

Simple Living Lot Challenge

This lot requires ingredients to cook all recipes. Cooking with ingredients just makes food taste better!

The Simple Living Lot Challenge doesn’t just bring a challenging gameplay twist – it also brings a specific task and reward that you can unlock, which I’ll be explaining at the end of this segment.

This Lot Challenge adds a realistic challenge of having to have all the ingredients when cooking, baking, canning or anything in between that requires your Sims to make food!

You’ll notice that with this Lot Challenge applied any recipe that doesn’t have all the ingredients will be locked out until you get the needed ingredients.

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Lot Challenges

There are several ways to get the ingredients you need for making food in The Sims 4, including:

  • Gardening
  • Raising Animals that produce needed Ingredients
  • Grocery Delivery
  • Going to the Grocery Shop

Surviving only off of ingredients that you’ve harvested in your garden or milked from your Cows sometimes just isn’t going to cut it. Most recipes in the game now also require things like Flour and Sugar which you can only get when ordering or purchasing Groceries directly. For more information about ordering and purchasing Groceries check out this guide!

All the groceries that you purchase will be unloaded into your Refridgerator. You can keep track of all of the groceries you have by clicking the Refridgerator and selecting Open. From this interface you’ll also be able to transfer ingredients your Sim has harvested or gathered into the Refridgerator.

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Lot Challenges

Sims who cook on a lot with the Simple Living Lot Challenge will get a significant Skill Boost for Cooking / Baking, as well as a Self Sustaining +2 Happy Moodlet that lasts for 2 hours!

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Lot Challenges

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Lot Challenges

Now, back to that reward that I talked about in the beginning. Sims can unlock the ability to write a special Cookbook if they manage to do the following:

  • Reach Level 10 of the Cooking Skill
  • If you already mastered the skill, you’ll unlock the ability to write the Cookbook after cooking 15 meals.

How do you write a cookbook? It’s easy! Simply head over to your computer and go Write > Write Skill Book > Simple Living Cookbook.

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Lot Challenges

You’ll also be able to choose and name the Cookbook yourself or leave as-is.

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Lot Challenges

After finishing the Cookbook you’ll be able to find it in your Sim’s inventory. The value of this Cookbook isn’t of a high resell value (even though you can find it in BuyDebug for a tremendeous price of 2,500 Simoleons). Still, it’s high in value in terms of how other Sims can use it. This single Cookbook is powerful enough to supply a Sim and level up their Cooking Skill from a 0 to 10 quickly!

Wild Foxes Lot Challenge

Wild foxes will appear on this lot, being a nuisance to your garden, chickens, and rabbits.

With this Lot Challenge you’ll get an extra layer of having to handle Wild Foxes spawning on your lot every so often. This will especially become difficult if you’re taking care of chickens, have a rabbit on your lot or even take care of a garden in your backyard. Foxes are ruthless and sometimes the consequences can be fatal for your Chickens, Rabbits or Crops. Oh and yes – Chicken Eggs too.

On some ocassions with this Lot Challenge you’ll be notified that a “Bushy Tailed Thief” is stalking your home, referring that a fox is nearby on your lot…and means trouble.

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Lot Challenges

The fox will approach to their target and observe for about an hour. During this period you’ll have enough time to Plead the Fox to stop what they’re doing or try to Shoo the Fox away.

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Lot Challenges

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Lot Challenges

In this example, a Fox tried to attack (and possibly even kill) one of my Chickens. Thankfully there’s also a factor where Chickens can also come out of the battle as winners! If they win they’ll chase the Fox away. If they don’t…well…you probably get where I’m going with this.

There are some other, less harmful consequences as Foxes stealing eggs or just digging through your garden.

Want to hang out with Foxes and befriend them but don’t want to suffer the consequences for the rest of your Animals on your lot? Worry not, there are ways you can neutralize the effects of a Wild Fox!

Tips for dealing with Wild Foxes:

  • Find a Wild Fox and “Ask Not to Steal”. You’ll have to befriend a Fox first before doing this interaction.

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Lot Challenges

  • Install the Fox Be-Gone Alarm on your Chicken Coop. You’ll need 3 Livestock Upgrade Parts to do this Upgrade. After you’ve gathered the parts click on the Chicken Coop and select Actions… > Upgrade…> Fox-Be-Gone Alarm. After upgrading the Chicken Coop with the Alarm Wild Foxes will be automatically scared away when approaching the lot with bad intentions.

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: All About Lot Challenges

  • Roosters are natural foes of Wild Foxes – they will chase after any Fox that’s close in their surrounding.
  • Llamas play a huge role on defending your Lot from Wild Foxes. If they notice a Wild Fox on your Lot they’ll spit at them to shoo them away.

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: Meet the Residents and Townies of Henford-on-Bagley

Presented by EA Game Changers

Welcome to Henford-on-Bagley

The Sims 4 Cottage Living Expansion Pack introduces a new world of Henford-on-Bagley with 4 premade households and 7 NPC townies!

This Expansion Pack continues the same route of pre-existing relationships and sentiments that were first introduced with Snowy Escape Expansion Pack. Down below you’ll get to meet the backstory of each pre-made Sim, their personality traits, sentiments, careers, skills, relationships and much more!

On the second page of this article we also have a full list of NPC Townies and their characteristics, relationships and personalities in-game so make sure you check that out!

Let’s meet the residents of Henford-on-Bagley:

Moody & McMillan Household

Household Description

After working an office job for more years than he’d care to admit, Derek found a man willing to live the rustic dream of his youth and the two moved to his family cottage and never left. When not fending off financial offers from developers who see their home as a prime target, Ian and Derek balance their days between adventure and quiet, depending on who’s in charge of the agenda. Despite – or perhaps because of – their differences, time has been most kind to these elderly lovebirds, who live a contented retirement as key members of the Henford-on-Bagley community.

Ian Moody

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: Meet the Residents and Townies of Henford-on-Bagley

  • Age: Elder
  • Career: Unemployed
  • Aspiration: Friend of the World
  • Traits: Goofball, Foodie, Outgoing, Gregarious
  • Likes: Electronica Music, Piano, Handiness, Color Orange
  • Dislikes: Winter Holiday Music, Fitness
  • Skills: Charisma 8, Comedy 5, Handiness 2, Mischief 2, Piano 5
  • Relationships:
    • Agatha Crumplebottom – Good Friends
    • Derek Mcmillan – Spouse
  • Sentiments: Agatha Crumplebottom – Deeply Connected

Derek McMillan

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: Meet the Residents and Townies of Henford-on-Bagley

  • Age: Elder
  • Career: Unemployed
  • Aspiration: Bestselling Author
  • Traits: Animal Enthusiast, Neat, Bookworm, Muser
  • Likes: Classical Music, Cooking, Gardening, Writing, Color Yellow
  • Dislikes: Pop Music, Programming
  • Skills: Cooking 9, Cross-Stitch 4, Gardening 6, Gourmet Cooking 5, Writing 5
  • Relationships:
    • Ian Moody – Spouse
  • Sentiments: None

The Watson Family Household

Household Description

Inheriting the family estate was always the plan, but Thomas may be in over his head. For a man who equates success with crop size, he’s losing both his confidence and his family. While his wife Rahmi loves the country air, her feelings for her husband are becoming stale and her affections have wandered. The oldest of their three children, Rashidah, feels trapped, preferring to dream of a future outside Henford-on-Bagley – dreams that have sparked something between her and a kindred soul. The two youngest couldn’t be more different! Imran treasures the security of life at home while Maira can be found bravely venturing out into the unknown. Will this hectic family come together or fall apart in their “old new” home?

Rahmi Watson

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: Meet the Residents and Townies of Henford-on-Bagley

  • Age: Young Adult
  • Career: Style Influencer (2)
  • Aspiration: The Curator
  • Traits: Romantic, Loves Outdoors, Perfectionist, Collector
  • Likes: Cooking, S-Pop Music, Color Green
  • Dislikes: Piano, Classical Music
  • Skills: Comedy 2, Cooking 8, Gardening 6, Gourmet Cooking 3
  • Relationships:
    • Maira Watson (Child) – Friend
    • Imran Watson (Child) – Friend
    • Rashidah Watson (Child) – Friend
    • Thomas Watson (Spouse) – Awkward Friends
    • Lavina Chopra – Disliked
  • Sentiments: Lavina Chopra
    • Rahmi’s Sentiments about Lavina – Bitter about Breakup
    • Lavina’s Sesntiments about Rahmi – Guilty
  • Thomas Watson
    • Thomas’ Sentiments about Rahmi – Hurt

Thomas Watson

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: Meet the Residents and Townies of Henford-on-Bagley

  • Age: Young Adult
  • Career: Unemployed
  • Aspiration: Country Caretaker
  • Traits: Active, Materialistic, Hot-Headed, Collector
  • Likes: Classical Music, Gardening
  • Dislikes: S-Pop Music, Mischief
  • Skills: Fitness 6, Gardening 6, Violin 2
  • Relationships:
    • Maira Watson (Child) – Friend
    • Imran Watson (Child) – Friend
    • Thomas Watson (Spouse) – Awkward Friends
    • Lavina Chopra – Disliked
  • Sentiments: Rahmi Watson
    • Thomas’ Sentiments about Rahmi – Hurt

Rashidah Watson

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: Meet the Residents and Townies of Henford-on-Bagley

  • Age: Teen
  • Career: High School C Student, Babysitter
  • Aspiration: Soulmate
  • Traits: Gloomy, Alluring, Lactose Intolerant
  • Likes: Romance Music, Mischief, Writing, Color Black
  • Dislikes: Pop Music, Comedy
  • Skills: Cooking 2, Mischief 3, Video Gaming 3, Writing 2
  • Relationships:
    • Rahul Chopra – Boyfriend
    • Thomas Watson – Dad
    • Rahmi Watson – Mom
    • Maira & Imran Watson – Sister and Brother
  • Sentiments: Rahul Chopra
    • Rashida’s Sentiments about Rahul – Smitten
    • Rahul’s Sentiments about Rashida – Smitten

Maira Watson

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: Meet the Residents and Townies of Henford-on-Bagley

  • Age: Child
  • Career: Grade School B Student
  • Aspiration: Artistic Prodigy
  • Traits: Active
  • Likes: S-Pop Music, Fishing, Purple
  • Dislikes: None
  • Skills: Mental 2, Motor 7, Social 5
  • Relationships:
    • Thomas Watson – Dad
    • Rahmi Watson – Mom
    • Rashidah & Imran Watson – Sister and Brother
  • Sentiments: Kim Goldbloom
    • Maira’s Sentiments about Kim – Adoring

Imran Watson

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: Meet the Residents and Townies of Henford-on-Bagley

  • Age: Child
  • Career: Grade School C Student
  • Aspiration: Rambunctious Scamp
  • Traits: Animal Enthusiast
  • Likes: Kids Radio Music, Video Gaming, Color Blue
  • Dislikes: None
  • Skills: Creativity 5, Mental 2, Motor 2
  • Relationships:
    • Thomas Watson – Dad
    • Rahmi Watson – Mom
    • Rashidah & Maira Watson – Sisters
  • Sentiments: None

A New Start Household

Household Description

After living in the big city and having her heart broken, Cecilia decided to ditch everything she knew for a small garden plot and some chickens. She’s still looking for someone to share this life with, though after a date she’d love to forget with local Creature Keeper Michael Bell, she’s happy to only form long-term attachments with the critters that visit for now.

Cecilia Kang

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: Meet the Residents and Townies of Henford-on-Bagley

  • Age: Young Adult
  • Career: Freelance Programmer
  • Aspiration: Country Curator
  • Traits: Noncommittal, Animal Enthusiast, Ambitious, Collector
  • Likes: Alternative Music, Programming, Gardening, Color Pink
  • Dislikes: Kids Radio Music, Blues Music, Writing
  • Skills: Cooking 2, Cross-stitch 2, Gardening 5, Logic 6, Programing 6
  • Relationships:
    • Michael Bell
  • Sentiments with Michael Bell
    • Cecilia’s Sentiments about Michael – Awkward after a Bad Date
    • Michael’s Sentiments about Cecilia – Smitten

Scott Household

Household Description

As owners of The Gnome’s Arms, Finchwick’s beloved pub, the Scotts are living the dream! Well, Sara’s dream at least. Simon – a city boy with no more city around – still feels a bit awkward every time he runs into a chicken. Still, he’s here to support his wife’s dream. Will their hopes of adding a new member to their tiny family changes things up for better or worse?

Sara Scott

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: Meet the Residents and Townies of Henford-on-Bagley

  • Age: Young Adult
  • Career: Unemployed
  • Aspiration: Party Animal
  • Traits: Self-Assured, Cheerful, Outgoing, Gregarious
  • Likes: Blues Music, Fitness, Video Gaming, Mixology, Color Red
  • Dislikes: Electronica Music
  • Skills: Charisma 6, Fitness 5, Mixology 10, Video Gaming 2
  • Relationships:
    • Simon Scott – Husband
    • Agnes Crumplebottom – Friend
  • Sentiments with Agnes Crumplebottom
    • Sara’s Sentiments about Agnes – Closer from Hneford Heart-to-Heart

Simon Scott

The Sims 4 Cottage Living: Meet the Residents and Townies of Henford-on-Bagley

  • Age: Young Adult
  • Career: Unemployed
  • Aspiration: Big Happy Family
  • Traits: Family-Oriented, Clumsy, Goofball, Domestic
  • Likes: Hip Hop Music, Retro Music, Comedy, Color Purple
  • Dislikes: Electronica Music, Mixology
  • Skills: Charisma 6, Comedy 2, Cooking 5, Mixology 3
  • Relationships:
    • Sara Scott – Wife
    • Agnes Crumplebottom – Acquaintaces
  • Sentiments with Agnes Crumplebottom
    • Simon’s Sentiments about Agnes – Festering Grudge

And now let’s check out the Townies – head over onto the next page!