The Sims 4 has been around for over seven years now and if you’re a long-time player, you probably already know about at least most of these secret areas in The Sims 4, but many players are still just discovering the game late in its life cycle. Newcomers to The Sims 4 might not be aware that The Sims 4 has several secret areas that aren’t accessible from the map; players need to go out of their way to find them while playing in Live Mode.
So here area all the secret areas in The Sims 4 you can visit and how to get there!
Sylvan Glade
Ever noticed this funny-looking tree in Willow Creek’s starter neighbourhood? This tree stands out from all the other trees in the area but it’s not just there for decoration. That tree is the key to finding Willow Creek’s secret area, the Sylvan Glade.
To access the Sylvan Glade, walk up to the tree and view it twice. A new option to water it will appear. Water it three times and a new option to compliment its leaves will appear. Compliment it twice and the tree will reveal an opening in its trunk! Now you can choose to explore the tree!
When you enter the tree, you’ll get a series of choose-your-own-adventure pop ups where you’ll have to pick between two options. There are right and wrong answers here. Picking a wrong answer will result in your Sim leaving the tree. To successfully make it to the Sylvan Glade, choose the following answers:
- Follow the Sound
- Follow Downstream
- Enter the Mist
- Travel to Glade
Your Sim will travel to a new, hidden lot called the Sylvan Glade! This area is a beautiful and colourful forest clearing with a rainbow over a waterfall. There are rays of sunlight beaming down and if you unpause the game and pay attention to the edges of the area, you can hear faint tinkling laughter and see little orbs of light floating around. There are also pairs of eyes that will peek out at you from time to time.
This area has a pond and a waterfall for fishing and rare plants grow in this area. If you’re wanting to complete your fish, frog, or gardening collection, you’ll want to pay a visit to the Sylvan Glade to get those rarer collectibles.
There is a tiny lot here that is uneditable; however, you can make it editable by using the bb.enablefreebuild cheat. Now you can build whatever you want here but remember, you’ll have to go through the tree in Willow Creek to visit again. It remains hidden on the map even after you discover it.
Forgotten Grotto
In Oasis Springs, there are two locations that have a boarded-up cave. The area behind the Desert Bloom park and the area behind the Affluista Mansion lot where the Landgraab family lives. Both of these cave entrances lead to the same place; the Forgotten Grotto.
In order to remove the boards and access the cave, your Sim will need to have their Handiness skill maxed out at level 10. Click the cave to pull the boards off the cave entrance, then explore the cave.
When you enter the cave, you’ll get a series of choose-your-own-adventure pop ups where you’ll have to pick between two options. There are right and wrong answers here. Picking a wrong answer will result in your Sim leaving the cave. To successfully make it to the Forgotten Grotto, choose the following answers:
- Take Wide Path
- Climb Ladder
- Step onto the Ledge
- Travel to Grotto
Your Sim will arrive in a watery cave grotto with beautiful crystal formations embedded in the walls of the cave. The area is dim but a beam of light coming from an opening adds a touch of warmth. This area has a small lake for fishing and plenty of rocks containing metals, crystals, fossils, and MySims trophies. If rare fish are what you’re after, you must visit the Forgotten Grotto because there are certain types of rare fish that can only be caught at this location. It’s a good place to finish your metal, crystal, fossil, and MySims collections, too.
There is a tiny lot here that is uneditable; however, you can make it editable by using the bb.enablefreebuild cheat. Now you can build whatever you want here but remember, you’ll have to go through one of the caves in Oasis Springs to visit again. It remains hidden on the map even after you discover it.
Sixam
This area is only accessible to players who have the Get To Work expansion pack installed.
Sixam is an ethereal alien planet that can be visited by both alien and human Sims alike! There are two ways to get to Sixam; through the Scientist career and through the Rocket Science skill.
If your Sim is in the Scientist career, they can invent a Wormhole Generator when they reach level 6 of their career. When they max out the career at level 10, they can upgrade the Wormhole Generator with the ability to travel to Sixam!
If your Sim is not in the scientist career, they can still travel to Sixam if they’re willing to put a lot of time and simoleons into the Rocket Science skill. Purchase a rocket launch pad from Build/Buy for 5,000 simoleons, then start constructing the rocket for an additional 1,000 simoleons. When your Sim maxes out their Rocket Science skill at level 10, they will be able to upgrade the rocket with a Wormhole Generator! This upgrade opens up the ability to fly to Sixam using the rocket.
When your Sim arrives in Sixam, they will find themselves in a completely different world. Glowing alien vegetation surrounds them and a gigantic moon lights the area. In the distance, traces of an alien city can be seen. This area contains a wide variety of collectibles that can only be found here, including a brand new Geode collection. Make sure to collect everything you can from the plants, rocks and geode deposits in the area.
There is a tiny lot here that is uneditable; however, you can make it editable by using the bb.enablefreebuild cheat. Now you can build whatever you want here but remember, you’ll have to go through a Wormhole Generator to visit again. It remains hidden on the map even after you discover it.
Hermit’s House
This area is only accessible to players who have the Outdoor Retreat game pack installed.
The Hermit’s House can only be found if your Sims go on vacation to Granite Falls. After getting set up in whichever rental property you choose, go to the map mode and travel to the Granite Falls Forest national park lot.
There is a cave entrance covered in vines here but it is very hard to spot in such a densely forested area. The best way to locate it is to pause the game and pan the camera along the rocky edges of the area while zoomed in quite close. When you find the cave, send your Sim there and have them explore it.
When you enter the cave, you’ll get a series of choose-your-own-adventure pop ups where you’ll have to pick between two options. There are right and wrong answers here. Picking a wrong answer will result in your Sim leaving the cave. To successfully make it to the Hermit’s House, choose the following answers:
- Step Forward
- Go Through Web
- Ignore the Object
- Travel Towards the Sim
Your Sim will arrive at a large forest clearing with new fishing spots and a large circular wild garden with Granite Falls plants growing in it. There is also a small cabin here where the Hermit lives. If your Sim is doing the Outdoor Enthusiast aspiration, they’ll have to visit this area to befriend the Hermit. There are also rare insects, fish, and plants exclusive to Outdoor Retreat that can only be found in this area of Granite Falls.
There house here is uneditable; however, you can make it editable by using the bb.enablefreebuild cheat. Now you can build whatever you want here but remember, you’ll have to go through the cave in the Granite Falls Forest to visit again. It remains hidden on the map even after you discover it.
The Magic Realm
This area is only accessible to players who have the Realm of Magic game pack installed.
The Magic Realm is probably one of the more well-known secret areas in the game since it was heavily advertised in the Realm of Magic promotional trailers but it is technically a hidden world; it is not accessible from the map and players must find their way there through in-game exploration.
In case you didn’t already know about The Magic Realm, you can find this magical place by travelling to Glimmerbrook. Follow the footpath behind the empty starter lot in this world until you come to a waterfall with a mysterious portal coming out of the water. Enter the portal to travel to The Magic Realm! If your Sim is a spellcaster, they can also reach The Magic Realm using the Glimmerstone in their inventory or by transportalating there after learning the Homewardial spell.
There is lots to do in The Magic Realm but you won’t be able to take full advantage of the amenities here unless your Sim is a spellcaster. If you’re interested in that, talk to any one of the three Sages at Magic HQ to begin your spellcaster journey. Assuming your Sim is a spellcaster, they’ll be able to shop at Caster’s Alley for potion ingredients, magical artifacts like wands, brooms, and familiars, and magical spellbooks to learn new spells and potions. They can also duel other spellcasters at the dueling grounds and use any of the cauldrons available at Magic HQ. There are of course magical plants that can be harvested from here as well, and some fishing spots but there are no magical varieties of fish.
The Magic HQ lot is uneditable; however, you can make it editable by using the bb.enablefreebuild cheat. Now you can build whatever you want here but remember, you’ll have to use the portal, a Glimmerstone, or the Homewardial spell to visit again. It remains hidden on the map even after you discover it.
Mt. Komorebi Upper Mountain
This area is only accessible to players who have the Snowy Escape expansion pack installed.
WARNING!
There is currently a very serious glitch affecting this portion of Snowy Escape. Players who attempt to visit the onsen or start a mountain excursion get kicked out to the world selection screen with no way to play their family again. Attempting to do so just keeps sending you back to the world selection screen. We do not recommend trying to access the onsen or start a mountain excursion until this glitch is resolved. It can destroy your entire save.
When you visit Mt. Komorebi, you might think “Wait a minute. Where’s the mountain?!” Well, the summit of Mt. Komorebi is a pretty dangerous place to get to so the only way your Sim will be able to access it is by going on a mountain excursion.
To start a mountain excursion, travel to the onsen bath house in the Yukimatsu district of Mt. Komorebi and use the cell phone to start a social event. Choose mountain excursion and then choose all the people you want to bring with you. The excursion will begin at the bath house and you’ll have to make your way up the rock wall behind the big ski slopes.
Pay attention to the excursion goals and complete them to gain access to the next area of the mountain. Your Sims will traverse through several hidden areas along the mountain, going from Mt. Komorebi Base Camp to The Croft Icefall and finally to the Mt. Komorebi Peak, which rises high above the clouds and has the most breathtaking views!
There is a tiny lot at the peak that is uneditable; however, you can make it editable by using the bb.enablefreebuild cheat. Now you can build whatever you want here but remember, you’ll have to go on another mountain excursion to visit again. It remains hidden on the map even after you discover it.
Did you know about all of these hidden areas? Which ones surprised you? Let us know in the comments or come chat with us on social media!
