Maxis prepares a new Sims 4 Update Hotfix for Desktop and Consoles!
Electronic Arts and The Sims Team have issued a new Sims 4 Update across Desktop and Console devices. As confirmed late last week, the new Patch promises to bring quality tuning to Ailments from The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature, as well as other general bug fixes and improvements.
Find out what’s been fixed and improved in the official patch notes below:
The Ailments Hotfix Update
Table of Contents
Installing the Latest Sims 4 Update
You can get the latest The Sims 4 Update on the following official launchers and platforms:
You can download the latest Sims 4 Update by checking for a Patch through the EA App, Steam or Epic Games launcher for Desktop. If you have Automatic Updates enabled the update will automatically download through your client program. In case your EA App is not working properly ensure you’ve cleared your app cache!
If you play The Sims 4 on Xbox Series X / S and Playstation 4 and 5 you can request a new update by checking for updates under The Sims 4 game in the Main Menu. If you’ve enabled automatic updates the Patch should download right away.
Official Sims 4 Patch Notes
Update 7/29/2025 PC: 1.116.240.1020 / Mac: 1.116.240.1220 Console: Version 2.17
Sul Sul, Simmers,
We’re here with an update to address a few of the top concerns you’ve been sharing with us, including bug fixes, Gallery access for consoles, and improvements to the Ailment system in Enchanted by Nature. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and feedback with us, and we’ll continue to review if more tuning is required in the near future.
Enchanted by Nature – Ailments
Today’s tuning update reduces the frequency of Ailments by up to 75%. To provide more context, there are two primary sources for what causes Ailments—Contagions and Imbalance—and we’ve made improvements to both based on your feedback.
With Contagions, we’ve significantly reduced how contagious Ailments are, resulting in Sims contracting an Ailment every 3 days on average instead of the previous 1 day. If your Sim is living in a big household and/or seeing clients as a Naturopath, Ailments will happen about 40-50% less than before.
With the Balance system, when a Sim becomes Very Imbalanced, Ailments will appear. We have adjusted the extremes of Balance which affect how frequently Ailments could appear. Previously, witnessing a death and having extreme emotions such as Mortified and Hysterical instantly took away all Balance, causing the Sim to instantly feel Very Imbalanced. Now, extreme emotions still drain Balance faster than regular emotions, but leave time for Sims to react and get proper care.
We’re exploring what additional Ailment control could look like, and look forward to hearing your feedback after this update.
Enchanted by Nature – Fairy Wings
We wanted to share more information about Fairy wings, and when they’re supposed to appear. There are over 360 positions and unique interactions surrounding Fairy wings that our team reviewed and tailored animations for. By design, there are certain activities where Fairy wings will intentionally be tucked away, such as lying down, sitting, or riding a horse. This is to avoid clipping or animation disruptions to complex objects, which could introduce additional technical difficulties to players. If you’re experiencing Fairy wings not showing up after completing several interactions where they should be visible, we would love information via the Forums to aid investigation.
Console Connectivity
We’ve been investigating reports that some Simmers on consoles have been unable to access the Gallery and claim Event Rewards, and being told an “Online Connection is Required” or seeing only Library on the Main Menu. This is due to a User Agreement pop-up not appearing where it should. We’re working on resolving this and in the meantime, you can restore full access to the Gallery by going to “Game Options” > “Other” select the “Link EA Account” button and an updated User Agreement will display. Accepting the updated agreements will prompt you to restart the game. Selecting “Confirm” will restart the game and restore your connection to the Gallery. As always, make sure you have saved any progress before restarting.
Thanks again for all the passion and love for Fairies!
-The Sims 4 Team
Bug Fixes
Enchanted by Nature
[EA Forums] Ailments now are less contagious between household Sims and much less contagious from public toilets. This results in Ailments triggering up to 75% less often depending on your household size and other factors.
[EA Forums] Balance is now more… balanced. Witnessing death and having extreme emotions such as Mortified and Hysterical no longer cause a Sim to become Very Imbalanced.
[EA Forums] For players with Seasons, the Naturopath career now respects holidays so its Sims have the day off.
“Sponge Bath in Bathroom” (at The Mossveil Fairy Hub) and “Bathe in Water” (in ponds for Sims with Natural Living Skill) now clean Sims who have been singed by fire.
Werewolves
[EA Forums] Werewolf noses now have color options once again in Create a Sim.
Base Game
[EA Forums] During a limited-time event such as Nature’s Calling, Sims now remain at work or school when other household members travel or join a career.
Multiple Packs
Get to Work Aliens and Sims wearing an outfit from DLC packs no longer look pitch black or have invisible bodies when played in a game that does not have those packs.
What are your thoughts on the latest Sims 4 Update? Join the conversation below and stay tuned for the latest Sims 4 News!
Looking for a fun challenge to explore some iconic achievements in The Sims 4? Lilsimsie’s Bingo challenge is a difficult but exciting way to reimagine gameplay in The Sims 4.
During the month of May 2025, Sims 4 creators have been competing in the new The Sims Bingo Challenge hosted by Lilsimsie on Twitch Rivals. In the original Twitch Rivals competition, there were 40 different Sims 4 players competing for a cash prize. Lilsimsie was in a team with Risshella and they were fundraising for St. Jude. While Lilsimsie was streaming, EA actually donated $10,000 on behalf of The Sims team!
The Sims 4 Bingo Challenge by Lilsimsie
Lilsimsie’s The Sims Bingo Challenge on Twitch Rivals
During the Twitch Rivals challenge, the players were divided into 20 teams with 2 players each. Their goal was to work together by completing different tasks on the bingo board to earn points. Teams were ranked by amount of points and the fastest time to complete the bingo board.
The original bingo board on Twitch Rivals included 25 different challenges reflecting a variety of activities in The Sims 4. The original challenge was designed for only The Sims 4 Base Game, Cats & Dogs, and Cottage Living.
After the Twitch Rivals Challenge, James Turner adapted the bingo concept with different themed boards. His Sims 4 Bingo Challenge website is a great resource for players who want to attempt the challenge themselves.
You can only play the sim you created, if they die, you can continue to play as their ghost
You are only allowed to build on your home lot (not community lots)
No Rewards/Free/Exclusive items (i.e. Grimophone or The Green Lady’s Lost Tome)
Time speed changing is allowed
Start on a fresh save
Use only Base Game, Cats & Dogs, and Cottage Living
30 minutes to create the sim and make a plan
2.5 hours to complete the bingo board
Game Setup
Players must start on a fresh save file
Game must be paused until challenge begins
Sim
Sim can be created in advance
Sim must be a Young Adult
Only one playable Sim in the household
The sim cannot be played until the challenge starts
You cannot have any pets in your household at the beginning of the game
House
Must start in Furnished “Daisy Hovel” in Willow Creek
House cannot be edited until the challenge starts
You can move or visit other lots after the timer starts
Game settings
Autonomy: Full
Allow Romantic Invites and Requests: On
Allow Friendly Invites and Requests: On
Disable Autonomy for Selected Sim: Off
Auto Age (Played Households): Yes
Auto Age (Unplayed Households): On
Sim Lifespan: Normal
Hide Challenge UI: Off
Allow Burglar Visits: Off
Show Wants & Fears: On
Traditional Social Menu: Off
Automatic Death Inventory Handling: Off
Animal Aging: On
Lunar Cycle Length: 8 Days
Set Permanent Phase: Disabled
Disable Lunar Effects: On
Enable Guidance System: On
Enable Help Center Icon: On
Enable Pack Guidance System: Off
Enable Discovery Quests: Off
Scoring
+1 point for each bingo challenge completed, up to +25 points
+3 points for each complete row, column, or diagonal completed, up to +36 points
Why You Should Play The Sims Bingo
In my opinion, The Sims Bingo challenge adds a new layer to the gameplay and changes the way The Sims has been played. You can, of course, use aspirations as ‘goals’ to complete while playing The Sims, but The Sims Bingo adds new challenges that you might not necessarily complete during regular gameplay. The Sims Bingo challenges are quirky and represent the humor EA brings to The Sims, such as the Grilled Cheese Aspiration, Cowplants, and sitting on an oversized mushroom! The challenges may introduce you to new aspects of the game you weren’t aware existed before, like cheering up Tragic Clown or resurrecting a pet! I can’t say I ever attempted those challenges myself prior to The Sims Bingo.
The Sims Bingo is a fun way to challenge yourself to complete activities under a time limit if you’re feeling stuck with the same gameplay, introduce you to new adventures you’ve never tried before, or test your knowledge on The Sims! Do you actually know how to catch a batfish? Do you really know how to become a PlantSim?
If you answered no to either of those questions, keep reading to learn some tips!
Tips for getting Bingo
*Disclaimer: If you would rather fumble through these challenges and figure them out on your own, skip this section because there will be spoilers!
Traits and Lot Traits can give your Sim an advantage when completing Bingo challenges. Here are some I would recommend:
Home Studio Lot Trait: This trait increases the gain rate of both the Painting Skill and Writing Skill, it will also increase the quality of paintings created. This will help you create a Masterpiece and help your Sim reach level 3 of the Writing Skill and write a Playful Book.
Homey Lot Trait: This will help increase the gain rate of Cooking, Handiness, and Gardening Skills. This will help with all the gardening challenges, unlocking the Forgotten Grotto to catch a Batfish, and making Ambrosia to bring a Sim back to life.
Penny Pixies Lot Trait: This trait will randomly give your Sim small amounts of Simoleons, which will eventually help you reach §50,000.
Dog Lover Trait: Your Sim will gain relationship with dogs faster, which will help you when training dogs or adopting one as a stray.
Creative Trait: Your Sim will feel Creative more often which will help you paint a masterpiece.
You will need to be in a good mood to Try Cheer Up Tragic Clown. Having the Cheerful Trait will help your Sim feel happy, but you can also purchase a Happy Potion from the Rewards Store.
If you’re hoping to complete the bingo in under 2.5 hours, the best tip is to start with a strategy. A lot of the challenges can be completed faster in bunches, for example you can purchase animal clothing from the Creature Keeper and complete a Henford-on-Bagley errand from the Creature Keeper at the same time. While in Henford-on-Bagley, make sure to befriend a Flock of Birds and purchase an oversized mushroom seed and, if you’re lucky, you might find a rainbow treat from the market stalls.
I’d recommend starting by unlocking the Grilled Cheese Aspiration. Your Sim needs to eat three grilled cheese sandwiches in a row to unlock the aspiration. Before developing the cooking skill, cook three single servings of grilled cheese sandwiches and you have more chance of starting a fire! Once you’ve begun improving the cooking skill, there will be less chance to set fire to your cooking.
If you are keen to play the long game, I recommend focusing on Cooking, Handiness, and Gardening skills early on. You will need to reach level 10 in Handiness to catch a Batfish and you will need to reach level 10 in Gardening in order to become a PlantSim. Check out SnarkyWitch’s guide to PlantSims to find out how! There are a few gardening related challenges including growing an oversized mushroom (and sitting on it), growing a cowplant, and growing and harvesting a Death Flower which you can complete along the way to becoming a PlantSim.
You don’t need to grind the Fishing Skill as you only need to be at least level 2 to catch a Treefish, but it will increase your chances of catching rarer fish if you are a higher level.
A higher Painting Skill level will increase your chances of painting a masterpiece and increase the value of the painting. It helps to have the The Painter Extraordinaire aspiration which gives your Sim the Muser trait (in Create A Sim) which will help your Sim feel inspired.
The fastest way to resurrect a pet is to purchase an Ambrosia Treat from the vet and travel to the pet cemetery on Deadgrass Isle. Ghost pets will begin spawning around 10pm and feeding them an Ambrosia Treat will bring them back to life! This does add the pet to your household, but I wouldn’t consider this ‘Adopting a Stray’ unless the pet has the ‘Stray’ tag above their name. Although, you can find plenty of stray pets while you’re at the pet cemetery.
Alternate versions
Using a bingo board to complete Sims challenges is a fun and easily adaptable concept. James Turner has a few alternative bingo boards on his website, including: Woohoo Bingo, Death Bingo, Star Wars: Journey to Batuu Bingo, Enchanted by Nature Bingo, and more!
You can easily create a personal bingo board with your own set of rules and requirements. Here are some ideas I came up with:
Explore all hidden worlds Sylvan Glade (Base Game), The Forgotten Grotto (Base Game), The Deep Woods (Outdoor Retreat), Planet Sixam (Get to Work), Cave of Sulani (Island Living), The Magic Realm (Realm of Magic), Mt. Komorebi Upper Mountain (Snowy Escape)
Unlock hidden traits and skills Chopstick Savvy, Spice Hound, Rock Climbing skill, Ice Skating skill, Juice Pong skill, etc.
The Sims 4 Horse Ranch bingo Win the Ultimate Horse Championship, earn a gold medal on the Ranch Animal Day event, craft the Vitality Nectar, explore Dreadhorse Cavern, etc.
It has been summer for well over a month now in the Northern Hemisphere and I am certainly feeling it. In the UK, along with other regions, there have been multiple heatwaves and in my experience, the best way to deal with them is to have a nice dip in the pool. Now, while I don’t have the luxury of owning a pool (or living near one) I figured why inflict this on my sims. So, a pool is what they shall receive. Here are some Sims 4 Pool Designs and Tips:
The Sims 4 Pool Designs & Tips
The Idea
In Sims, I love going all out for the seasons. This includes jam packing the calendar full of different (occasionally made up) holidays for my sims to take part in.
Summer is no different and while in real life there aren’t any holidays that I celebrate, that won’t stop my sims from celebrating all manor of events. First day of summer check, middle of summer check, last day of summer check, you can imagine the rest.
Pools days are of course, no exception and my idea for this build came from a desire to build the perfect garden for a summers day. I am someone who struggles significantly with landscaping and designing gardens. It doesn’t come naturally to me but I can only hope that with practice it gets easier. There’s not time like the present!
My vision for this build meant I need a setting with a warm climate. Afterall, no point of having a pool if you don’t get the chance to use it. This lead me to Tartosa as I’ve never sucessfuly built a home but hopefully this idea could change that.
With Tartosa being the setting, I chose to lean into the Mediterranean architecture style including arches, tiled roofs and earthy colour pallete.
My plan was all coming together.
Designs and Tips
Now, before I get into the build, here are some tips on how to build pools.
To start, you must find the Pool & Fountains button.
Once you’ve clicked on that, you’ll be presented with a series of different tools and shapes of pools. You can draw out either a rectangular or square shape with the pool tool, a unique shape with the custom tool or just select a shape from the preexisitng pool shapes.
Then, you can navigate to pool trims. There is one from base game and a few others from DLC’s such as Jungle Adventure and Lovestruck.
After that, move to Outdoor Water Décor and pick a water style. Depending on the location and build type, it could be a mossy green or a sparkly aqua.
Then, I add pool objects. In base game, we have a few different items like the classic pool ladder that used to be oh so tempting to remove. Additions like a diving board or pool float come from DLC’s such as Get Together and Riviera Retreat.
With all of this customisation, it allows you to create many unique and different types of pools that can fit with a wealth of builds. Here are some examples of the type of creativing that is possible.
Finishing the Build
For the build, one of the two necessities that I had going into it were that I wanted an indoor courtyard that had a pool and an outdoor pool. I also wanted to use terrain manipulation so that the house could be split-level.
The final structure that I settled on was the third iteration. It was build on the 30×20 lot in the top left-hand corner of Tartosa called Rifugio dei Pirati.
Once I had the terrain the way I liked it, I built the house. However, I realised that it would be awesome if the outdoor pool was also split level. So, I built a rectangular pool on the upper level then a curved pool on the lower level. I then used the Grotto Cascade feature from the Riviera Retreat kit to make it look like the upper pool was flowing into the lower pool.
My main struggled was the house structure because the terrain manipualtion decreased the house footprint and also made it difficult for window placement as part of the house was in the hill. I ended up sacrificing a living room for the courtyard. I’m glad I chose to do that because I think it makes the build look so much better.
Once I had the structure it didn’t take long to finish off. I knew exactly what I wanted the exterior colour scheme to be. In Mediterranean architecture, earthy colours are typical so I wanted to pair the earthy-brown brick I went for with red bougainvillea to add pops of colour. The interior was more muted with cool browns and pale greens. My favourite part of the interior was the tile floors because that felt particularly realistic to warmer climates.
The Outcome
Overall, I think the build came out well. I really like how the landscaping turned out. While I don’t think it was as neat as it could have been I like how cohesive it felt. I’m very happy with how the pools turned out and experimenting with them was very enjoyable and I’m looking forward to seeing where my creativity can take me.
It’s time to get your friends together for a game night, because The Sims Board Game from Goliath Games is finally here! The Sims team teases on the back of the game’s box that we will be able to “Ignite rivalries, meet unforgettable Sims, and discover where choices take you”, so let’s take a look and see what all comes with the game.
Table of Contents
The Game Board
The Sims Board Game uses a game board made up of three separate pieces. Individually, the backs of each of these pieces are Plumbobs, but put them together and flip them over, and you’ll have your hexagonal game board. The game board features six spots for you to place Venue cards, and highlights some classic locations from The Sims 4, such as Copperdale High School from The Sims 4 High School Years.
Terms to Know for The Sims Board Game
The instruction manual explains The Sims Board Game setup and gameplay steps in great detail with graphics to match, but there are a few terms that would be helpful to know before giving it a read:
Card Hub: This describes the section next to your board, used to organize your Aspiration, Action, and Iconic Sims cards for the game.
Move In: The Sims Board Game uses this term to describe setting up each player’s own card station.
FULL: Maxed-out Needs will display a full green bar.
EMPTY: Depleted Needs will display a full red bar.
SIMbol: The icons indicating various interests, hobbies, skills, etc. on the cards.
The Cards on The Table
The Sims Board Game comes with seven different types of cards, many of which you will add to your Card Hub near the game board. Keep reading to learn more about each card!
Action Cards
Action cards can be just about anything, and there are 115 of them! Action cards highlight social interactions, such as Go On a Fancy Date, items like the Rainbow Treat, and other interactions like Study Biology. Each of these cards has 1-4 SIMbols.
Many famous Sims have their own Action cards as well. For example:
“Watch Out! It’s Mrs. Crumplebottom!: You can take this card from any Venue! All players at a Venue of your choice lower 2 of their Needs, then discard this card.”
“Don Lothario Makes a Move: You can take this card from any Venue! Attach this card to an Iconic Sim on the board. They are permanently worth 1 point.”
“Grim Reaper Visits: You can take this card from any Venue! Discard any Iconic Sim, then discard this card.”
The Iconic Sims Move Action card is a special Action card. Drawing this card will make all Iconic Sims on the board Move. Every player picks up all of their Iconic Sims cards from their Home, and passes them to the left until the Iconic Sim finds a SIMbol that interests them.
Other Action cards include actions like:
Reset- Bottom: “Discard the bottom row of cards in the Card Hub, then replace them.”
Travel Again: “You may travel to another venue. (Lower the need, then take 1 card)”
Reset- Top: “Discard the top row of cards in the Card Hub, then replace them.”
Swap Cards: “Swap 1 of your Action cards with another player.”
Draw 2, Take 1!: “You may lower any need to look at the top 2 cards of the Action deck, take 1, and discard the other.”
Action cards with green Needs icons in the center of the card indicate that you can fill that specific Need on your Needs Tracker Board if you draw that card.
Aspiration Cards
Included in the new board game are 27 Aspiration cards to guide your gameplay. Similar to The Sims video games, Aspiration cards in The Sims Board Game can act as a measurement to determine if you’ve “won or lost the game”.
These aspirations mirror those found in the video game, including the following aspirations:
Aspiration
Description
SIMbols
Mansion Baron
“This Sim is all about owning the biggest, fanciest home!”
House, Simoleons
Joke Star
“This Sim wants to tell jokes and become a famous comedian!”
Business, Mischief
Master Maker
“This Sim wants to become an expert at Fabrication!”
Chair, Gear
Master Chef
“This Sim wants to master the culinary arts.”
Business, Cooking
Five-Star Property Owner
“This Sim wants to be the best property owner the world has ever seen!”
Chair, Simoleons
Eco Innovator
“This Sim wants to build a better, greener community.”
Nature, Gear
Friend of Animals
“This Sim wants to be BFFs with all of the animals.”
Animals, Sunny
Computer Whiz
“This Sim wants to know everything about computers.”
Creative, Gear
Country Caretaker
“This Sim wants to tend the countryside and befriend all animals and critters!”
Animals, Nature
Championship Rider
“This Sim wants to compete in competitions to become a world-renowned Horse Rider.”
Animals, Competition
Chief of Mischief
“This Sim is all about pranks and mayhem.”
Crime, Mischief
Big Happy Family
“This Sim wants to build a large, loving household!”
House, Romance
Bodybuilder
“This Sim wants to work out and become as strong as they possibly can be!”
Sunny, Competition
Expert Nectar Maker
“This Sim wants to master the art of Nectar Making.”
Cooking, Mischief
Fabulously Wealthy
“This Sim wants to get rich and have a successful career!”
Simoleons, Competition
Outdoor Enthusiast
“This Sim wants to experience everything nature has to offer!”
Werewolves, Sunny
Ghost Whisperer
“This Sim enjoys encountering all types of spirits, from crows to Grim.”
Creative, Elixirs
Public Enemy
“This Sim wants to make enemies and be a famous criminal!”
Crime, Werewolves
Purveyor of Potions
“This Sim wants to learn every potion’s recipe and craft each one!”
Elixirs, Cooking
Villainous Valentine
“This Sim wants to destroy the love lives of all Sims, including their own!”
Crime, Romance
The Curator
“This Sim wants to collect everything this world has to offer!”
Chair, Fashion
Serial Romantic
“This Sim wants to play the field and go on dates with all sorts of interesting people!”
Fashion, Romance
Spellcraft & Sorcery
“This Sim craves a deep knowledge of the arcane magical arts.”
Reading, Elixir
Best-Selling Author
“This Sim wants to write books and become a famous author!”
Reading, Creative
Academic
“This Sim wants to attend university and get a job!”
Reading, Werewolves
Freelance Botanist
“This Sim wants to grow plants and become an expert gardener!”
Business, Nature
Perfectly Pristine
“This Sim likes their home to be presentable and clean all the time.”
Fashion, House
The Sims Board Game Aspiration cards
Each of these cards in The Sims Board Game has two SIMbols.
Iconic Sims Cards
Iconic Sims cards invite Sims over to your Home, and they show off well-known Sims from different generations of The Sims video game. There are 18 Iconic Sims cards, and each card has one SIMbol that represents the Sims’ interests.
Home Cards
Your Home card is where you hold your collection of Aspiration, Action, and Iconic Sims cards when playing The Sims Board Game. There is also a section called Scored Aspirations, where you can place your completed Aspiration cards. There are 18 Home cards, and each player needs one. Home cards each have one SIMbol.
Venue Cards
The Sims Board Game includes six double-sided Venue cards, with three SIMbols on each side. These are placed on your game board in the designated areas and are the points of Travel for your game. Venue cards have their own traits that come into play during the game.
The Llama Lagoon and Willow Creek Picnic Spot Venue cards: Sunny, Animal Lover, and Nature Lover SIMbols
The Studio PBP and ThrifTEA Venue cards: Handiness, Fashion, and Simoleons SIMbols
The Foxbury Institute and University of Britechester Venue cards: Career, Reading, and Creative SIMbols
TheFutures Past Museum and Elixirs and Brews Venue card: Indoorsy lifestyle, Elixirs, and Midcentury Modern Decor SIMbols
The Blue Velvet and Solar Flare Lounge Venue cards: Romance, Mischief, and Crime SIMbols
The Pectoral Fitness and Burner’s and Builder’s Gym Venue cards: Competition, Werewolves, and Cooking SIMbols
Venue cards also have a red Needs icon in the left-hand corner. This indicates the Need you will need to lower when you visit this Venue.
Turn Order Cards
Every player needs a Turn Order card. Turn Order cards provide a step-by-step overview of The Sims Board Game and how to play for you to reference throughout the game. The game comes with five Turn Order cards, color-coded black, white, blue, pink, and purple.
Needs Tracker Boards
Like the Turn Order cards, every player needs a Needs Tracker Board. These are used to refill or drain your Needs throughout the game, and are color-coded as well. These replicate the Needs Panel found in The Sims video games.
Plumbob Movers & the Interaction Die
Are you ready to play with Plumbobs? With The Sims Board Game, we can finally get our hands on these shiny symbols in the form of Plumbob Movers and the Interaction Die. The game comes with five Plumbob Movers of the same color-coding used for the Turn Order cards and the Needs Tracker Boards. Each player needs to select a color to represent themself for the duration of the game.
The Interaction Die is an eight-sided Plumbob green game die. This is used when two or more players are at the same Venue. The die has the following interactions:
Symbol & Title
Action
Number of Occurrences
Awkward Interaction
Lower one of your Needs
3 sides
Good Interaction
Raise one of your Needs
3 sides
Learned Something New
Take one random Action card from another player
2 sides
The Sims Board Game Interaction Die actions
Quick Gameplay Overview
The goal of The Sims Board Game is to earn eight+ points in your turn by completing Aspiration cards and collecting Iconic Sims cards. To complete an Aspiration card, collect three SIMbols from Action cards, and any combination of these SIMbols will count towards the Aspiration card. If your Home card has a matching SIMbol, this can count toward your Aspiration card total. Completing an Aspiration card is worth three points. Iconic Sims cards with SIMbols matching the ones found on your Aspiration card can be added to your Home and your score for one point each.
The first player starts the game by Traveling to a Venue with SIMbols that match their Aspiration card. Then try to choose an Action card that has a matching SIMbol. If none are available, you still need to draw a card. Complete the action listed on the Action card. You may also invite Iconic Sims over to your Home at this stage, if they are interested.
As you Travel to different Venues, your Needs will decrease. To fill any EMPTY Needs, Go Home on your next turn. If you choose to Go Home instead of Travel, you can draw a new Aspiration card to change your aspiration, and refill two EMPTY Needs.
Maintain your Needs, earn eight points, and you’ve won the game! Congratulations!
Review of The Sims Board Game so Far
When I wanted to get started and use the “Learn to Play” QR codes on the box and instruction manual, I was a little disappointed. These QR codes take you to The Sims Board Game YouTube teaser. This doesn’t really provide any more detail on how to play the game, so I recommend sticking with the instruction manual or reading online guidesuntil those links are updated.
Using the Needs Tracker Board adds a feeling of immersion to the board game. You’ll quickly look down, see your Needs drained, and work to fill them up again, just like in the video game we all know and love. This feature could use a little more explaining, however. The instructions don’t call out how many Needs have to be EMPTY before you must Go Home and refill them, or be eliminated from the game.
The game board has a lovely design that intertwines the various worlds and neighborhoods in The Sims 4,with possible hints at new features. I also appreciate the fact that the backs of the three pieces are individual Plumbobs, and how they fold up nicely into triangles.
However, I don’t really feel like the game board is necessary to play the game. In my experience, it doesn’t really advance the game, and you can choose to go wherever you want on the board with minimal restriction. I would prefer a little more challenge in this aspect.
At the end of the day, the game is pretty fun. Playing with a mix of Simmers non-Simmers is a blast, too. Since each card reminds you of a household you’ve played, or a wild storyline you’ve concocted over the years of playing The Sims, they act almost like conversational prompts. Laugh over run-ins with Aliens with your Simmer friends, or fill your non-Simmer friends in on all of the Bella Goth lore. Whoever you decide to play with is sure to get a kick out of this game.
Now it’s your turn to play! What are your thoughts on The Sims Board Game? Share your reactions in the comments below!
Right now you can get The Sims Board Game in US online and retail stores like Target for $19.99USD. The UK / Europe and possibly rest of the world rollout is expected to start September 18th.
Select Expansion Packs, Game Packs, and Stuff Packs are on sale for a limited time!
EA just announced The Sims 4 Mid-Summer Sale! If you’re feeling a sense of Déjà vu, don’t be alarmed. We all are.
Yes, The Sims 4 packs are on sale once again. Yes, that one just ended on the 10th of this month. Yes, they even used the same render as the last sale. Yes, these prices should just be permanent at this point.
But I digress. Here’s all of the sales information you know and love.
The sale this time runs from July 28th to August 11th.
NOTE:
The banner for the Sims 4 Mid-Summer Sale says “save up to 60% on packs today” but the biggest discount, unlike the last sale, is actually 50%. Either the banner is wrong or the sale prices are currently wrong.
Update: The banner now states up to 50% off, so the 60% to match the previous summer sale was a mistake.
Sims 4 Mid-Summer Sale For Desktop and Console
Sims 4 Mid-Summer Sale on EA App/Steam/Epic Games
If you’re a PC Simmer you’re in luck because the best sales are for you! Expansion Packs are on sale up to 50% off depending when they were released while all Game Packs and Stuff Packs 30% off. The sale is consistent across the board between the EA App, Steam, and Epic Games.
As Enchanted by Nature has recently released, it is naturally not part of the Sims 4 Mid-Summer Sale. As usual, kits are also not included in this sale either.
Expansion Pack Deals
Expansion Sales Rundown:
Businesses & Hobbies – 20% off
Life & Death – 38% off
Everything else – 50% off
Game Pack Deals
All Game Packs no matter when they released are all 30% off during the Sims 4 Summer Sale.
Stuff Pack Deals
Like the Game Pack sale, all Stuff Packs are 30% off during the Sims 4 Summer Sale no matter when they released.
Sims 4 Mid-Summer Sale on Xbox
Fortunately for Xbox Simmers, the sales on the Xbox Store are almost identical to that of the EA App and Steam. The most minor or differences is that Life & Death is 35% off, not 38% like the desktop equivalent. Aside from that, all of the deals are the same across the board; expansion packs, game packs, and stuff packs.
Sims 4 Mid-Summer Sale on Playstation
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for Playstation Store players as their sale is much more limited on which packs are on sale. Fortunately, the packs currently on sale differ from the ones on sale during the Summer Sale.
Expansion Packs
Businesses & Hobbies – 20% off
LoveStruck – 50% off
High School Years – 50% off
Horse Ranch – 50% off
Get Famous – 50% off
Discover University – 50% off
Get Together – 50% off
Snowy Escape – 50% off
Game Packs
Vampires – 30% off
Realm of Magic – 30% off
Werewolves – 30% off
Spa Day – 30% off
Dream Home Decorator – 30% off
Jungle Adventure – 30$ off
Stuff Packs
Paranormal – 30% off
Crystal Creations – 30% off
Toddler Stuff – 30% off
Tiny Living – 30% off
Bowling Night – 30% off
Perfect Patio – 30%off
Backyard Stuff – 30% off
Spooky Stuff – 30% off
Sadly, not nearly the amount of packs on sale for Playstation as there are elsewhere.
We’ll keep this list updated if any changes are made to different store fronts during the sale such as more being added to the Playstation Store for the Sims 4 Mid-Summer Sale of prices being updated to match the 60% noted in the sale banner. Read our ideas for great companion packs to buy during the sale to prepare for the release of the Enchanted by Nature expansion pack.
Keep in mind that the Sims 4 Mid-Summer Sale ends August 11th!
Behind on gardening? Low on emotional force? We’ve got you covered!
With the Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature Pack being released for about two weeks, there has been a flood of information about in-game features, cross-pack compatibility, secrets, and so much more that it has been a bit difficult to absorb. Learning the ropes of being a fairy, naturopath, or living off the land can be a bit difficult, but here we have a good list of Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature tips to help you get your footing!
The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature Tips & Tricks
Tip #1: How To Find The Three New Plants (Moody Bush, Lighting Root, and Aura Blossom)
Struggling to gather all the new plants for your Naturopath’s garden, or just wanting to complete your perfect garden collection? A good way to get all your needs fulfilled in one go is to head over to the neighborhood of Sprucederry Grove for Clover’s Seeds and Supplies, a gardening shop that sells everything you could need to grow your green thumb! This includes individual seeds, seed packets, planters, and more.
These seeds are also found through foraging at or after Level 7 in the Natural Living Skill, and also found in pre-determined locations growing throughout the neighborhood of Everdew! Trading with and seeking Fable NPCs can also provide these plants.
Tip #2: Make it easier to browse the variety of Live House Plants!
When initially browsing Build & Buy Mode for the new live houseplants, I found the amount provided almost underwhelming. It may be an issue with sorting and categorizing, but it initially looks like there are very few options, and comparing them to pick the perfect one is kind of tedious. However, if you purchase or create a houseplant pot and place it in your world, you can actually click on it to purchase a live houseplant for §240 and get the whole menu of available plants and their variants!
Tip #3: Keep your favorite crops anywhere you please!
Houseplants seem fun, but they really aren’t for everybody. However, if you’re looking to use the feature but bring in a bit more functionality and benefit, you can plant certain existing outdoor plants in the houseplant pots! They will often grow a slightly shrunken version of the same plant, provide the same harvestables, and functionally work the same without the negative influences of the outdoors like bugs and seasonal changes.
It is a bit tricky figuring out which seeds work and which seeds do not work for houseplant pots. After placing seeds and your sim attempting to plant them, any that do not work will give a notification stating that they “Failed to Germinate”, meaning that they did not have enough space. This can also be found when planting large plants too close together, planting potted plants on crowded surfaces, or too close to other objects.
Tip #4: Ailments aren’t just due to bad luck and curses!
Feeling like ailments are taking over your sims lives? Especially working as a Naturopath, I felt like my sim came down with something just about every other day. While it may seem like its a real streak of bad luck (since those directly cause ailments), it isn’t the only reason! Even sims who are balanced can come down with ailments because they’re contagious! While they may not directly cause the exact same ailment, they seem to function similarly to the Get to Work illness system.
Naturopath sims may come down with ailments more often than most since they are consistently seeing patients who almost all have ailments (though some just need a sympathetic hug!). Make sure to browse our Apothecary and Ailments guide to assist with any tricky bugs that enter your sims’ system!
Tip #5: Gnomes and You!
Gnomes have been expanded upon using a similar system to appeasing gnomes from the Seasons holiday traditions. Now you can bring gnomes to life using magic if your sim is a fairy, appeasing them and asking them to assist with certain tasks like gardening, cleaning, repairing, or protection.
However, fairies aren’t the only ones who can do this! As long as your sim has access to fairy dust, they can sprinkle a bit over nearby gnomes to bring them to life and ask them to do their bidding! Certain ways to obtain fairy dust include asking fairies for it, heading to the Mossveil Fairy Hub and collecting a daily fairy dust ration, collecting it when nearby fairies as they shed it naturally, and shaking fairy houses for it!
Tip #6: The Lunar Cycle and How it Influences Fairies
The Lunar Cycle system was added prior to the release of The Sims 4: Werewolves, and largely does not influence the game if you don’t play with Werewolves. However, it does heavily influence fairies. Depending on the current moon cycle, it typically influences Emotional Force (The fairies life source). For example, a Full Moon rejuvenates fairies, allowing them to use less emotional force per ability and it naturally depletes slower over time. However, New Moons can be more strenuous and do the exact opposite, so be prepared with some bottled emotions or a nearby fairy house to rest up! Otherwise…
Tip #7: Easy Hack for Leveling Up Natural Living
Does leveling up natural living feel like a constant grind of foraging and sleeping on the ground? Do you just want your sim to be a master of it without wasting their life away and digging through the dirt? Eat some veggies! Eating harvestables, both those found in foraging, purchased, or grown to fulfill your sims needs will net you a small amount of progress for the Natural Living skill. Combining this with other activities allows you to quickly build the skill, and can be especially helpful when combined with other skill buffs, such as the Tiny Home buffs, mood buffs, etc.
Tip #8: Growing Plants Out of Season
Started your new save in a less than ideal season, or finally tracked down a seed for a special project, but you have to wait until spring to plant it? If you’re a fairy, there’s no need to fear! Using the “Enchant Plant” action from the fairy skill tree, plants become enchanted and have tons of benefits. These benefits include…
Retaining Water
Not Growing Weeds
Not Being Infested With Bugs
Growing Year-Round!
To test this, in the Summer in my save, I used two mushrooms which can normally only grow in the Spring and Fall. When enchanted, they sprouted with perfect health and had an additional buff for three days while they’re enchanted!
Tip #9: Sell Your Old Books & Buy Discounted Ones
Feeling like you have more skill books than you know what to do with, or just looking to feel more immersed than having books magically appear in your sims bookshelf? Head over to Sprucederry Grove for Devlin’s Books, a quaint red shop that allows you to purchase and donate books. The cost of books are slightly reduced, and can save you a quick buck if you’re on a budget!
Tip #10: Make Some Extra Simoleons for Great or Excellent Fish
If you’re visiting the Coast of Adhmor and soaking up the sun and sea, some fishing may be in order! If you need a fish for a certain potion or recipe, or you’re looking to offload your large amount of fish in your sims inventory, swing by the Captain’s Quarters! A small shop at the end of a dock near the Wreck of The Callyoch, your sim can buy and sell fish here, but you get a few extra simoleons thrown your way when selling Great or Excellent quality fish! It may not mean much with one fish, but a few extra bucks can add up over time!
Are there any other tips or tricks you’ve learned while exploring Innisgreen and all The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature has to offer! Leave it down below! Make sure to follow The Sims Community for more updated guides to The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature!
Let’s be honest—Enchanted by Nature had big dreams. Fairies fluttering around, magical plants whispering secrets, auras pulsing with mood… and then your Sim sneezes once and spirals into a full-blown magical flu because they hugged their spouse. The vibes? Immaculate. The ailments? Less so.
Luckily for us players, modders have come to the rescue with a collection of Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature Mods through thoughtful fixes, tweaks, and reimaginings. All to help you shape your enchanted experience into something a little more playable—and a lot more magical.
The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature Mods
The Ailment Situation: Let’s Dial It Back
Ailments were meant to add realism, but they can start to feel like that one friend who overstays their welcome. If you’re constantly battling mysterious coughs or your fairy Sim won’t stop glowing green, these mods will feel like fresh air:
Small Ailments Overhaul – No Skin Overlay (LittleMsSam): Say goodbye to splotchy skin overlays. Your Sim can still be sick, but won’t look like they caught the plague.
If you’d rather just opt out of the whole ailment drama entirely, Lunar Britney offers two versions of her Less or No Chance of Ailments mod—one makes them rare, the other eliminates them altogether—peace at last.
Fairies are fun—until you’re micromanaging their Emotional Force bar every five minutes. If you’re tired of treating fairies like overworked interns, try these Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature Mods:
Fairy Emotional Force Slower Decay (LittleMsSam): Less babysitting, more magic.
Feeling overpowered? Fairy Duplicate Harvestables Nerf introduces limits, and Fae Fed By The Moon changes how magic costs fluctuate with lunar phases—a beautifully atmospheric touch.
Gnomes Upgrades Restriction: If you’d rather keep some gnomes but want them to mind their business around composters and fuel cells, this one’s for you.
A few traits and mechanics got a little unhinged in the pack’s base form. These Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature mods help them feel like features—not punishments.
Better Plant Lover / Mystical / Disruptive Traits (BossLadyTV): Makes these traits useful without going overboard.
If you have found yourself wanting a more polished experience, No Ailment Visuals removes all the flashy, glowing effects that are tied to ailments—without changing the actual mechanics.
Builder’s Corner: Subtle but Powerful Changes
For those who love building and storytelling, a few mods can add clarity without changing the soul of the game:
Smaller Aura Blossom Aura: Makes magical blossoms feel less overpowering—and more valuable.
Enchanted by Nature opened the door to one of the most unique life states we’ve had in The Sims 4. But as with any grand magical experiment, it came with quirks. Thankfully, the modding community has stepped in—not just to fix bugs, but to give us the tools to make the experience truly ours.
Whether you want a grounded, soft-magical realism save or a full-on whimsical fae kingdom, these Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature mods help tune the chaos, soften the edges, and keep the magic where it belongs: in your hands.
Players Have Noticed That the Quality of The Sims 4 Seasons Has Been Lacking in Newer Worlds
So, has EA been lowering the quality of Sims 4 Seasons over the past few years? Recently, a tweet from @lunar-britney highlighted a simple yet frustrating observation: Seasons, one of the most impactful Expansion Packs for The Sims 4, is causing some glaring visual issues in the new world of Innisgreen from The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature.
The rivers don’t freeze, and much of the new foliage around both Sprucederry Grove and the Coast of Adhmor neighbourhoods doesn’t shed its leaves and die in the Winter.
seasons looks dreadful in the newest worlds. i hateeeeeeeeeee it water doesn't freeze, half the new foliage stays green and full. MESSS pic.twitter.com/ovJ7oxGUEO
So what is going on? Some players have noticed that seasonal effects in more recent worlds have been lacking, with the community being split over a “design decision” with Ravenwood that came with The Sims 4 Life & Death. Are they really getting worse? Let’s take a look
Table of Contents
The Issue
The Sims 4 Seasons Expansion Pack was released on June 22nd 2018, being the fifth Expansion Pack for The Sims 4. Until that point, we had 10 worlds total in-game, 8 residential, and two as vacation-only destinations. The team had to go back and optimise each world for the new seasonal changes based on the weather in the locations that inspired each world. As of June 2025, we have 28 total worlds, 3 being vacation only. That is a lot of worlds; however, more recently, the quality seems to suffer. Both images below were taken during Winter after a blizzard.
Willow Creek – 2014Innisgreen – 2025
How Seasonal Objects Work
So it seems the quality has suffered, but Seasons offers so much more than visual effects to the game. World files in The Sims 4 contain something called “Conditional Layers”, these tell the game what non-permenants gameplay objects to spawn and when. For example, the Spice District in San Myshuno has conditional layers for both the Spice Festival and the Flea Market, as well as other days of the week when different food stands spawn in. Seasons also introduced conditional layers to worlds that didn’t have them previously. For example, the Crawdad Quarter has conditional layers telling the game to spawn a roller rink in the summer, seasonal drink stands, and a variety of other seasonal objects. Worlds such as San Myshuno and Nordhaven don’t, as they have daily festivals/meetups spawn in.
Innisgreen seems to have done a pretty good job at this; however, they seemed to have stopped short of having any form of seasonal drink stands, yet there is the opportunity to ice skate in the Winter.
Sunrise & Sunset Times
Something you may never have noticed in The Sims 4 is that the sun rises and sets at different times depending on the season. For example, in Winter, Windenburg has shorter days than it does during the Summer. Take a look below at each worlds sunrise and sunset time.
And which one remains unchanged? Innisgreen. Both Copperdale and Chestnut Ridge suffer from teh same lack of attention, both of which were developed by the same team as Enchanted by Nature. This further adds to concerns of recent worlds not being updated for Seasons.
Old Worlds vs New
Take a look at some comparison screenshots of older worlds during Winter versus newer worlds.
Brindleton Bay (2017)Innisgreen (2025)San Myshuno (2016)Nordhaven (2025)
The images on the right of the newer worlds of Innisgreen and Nordhaven both have foliage unaffected by seasonal changes, despite the option being available in Sims4Studio to change these.
Improvements Via Modding
LunarBritney has helpfully shared a mod via ModTheSims that fixes seasons for almost all worlds. Check it out below!
Seasons used to be what I would consider a crowning achievement for The Sims 4. But as new worlds such as Innisgreen roll out, it’s becoming clear that support for the Expansion Pack is slipping. Whether it’s due to development trade-offs or overlooked asset tagging, players are noticing it.
As @lunar_britney put it best: it’s a MESS. And for a game that sells itself on interconnected systems and legacy improvements, this kind of mess matters.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned to Sims Community for all the latest on The Sims 4.
EA and Maxis wants to know your opinions about The Sims 4 Animations.
It seems that The Sims Studio is ready to finally tackle the big question of animations quality and variety in The Sims 4. Or lack thereof in some cases. The first Sims 4 Animations Survey is here, lead by The Sims Labs team who worked on some of the other Base Game improvements.
The Sims Labs wants to know how impactful are animations in The Sims 4 for the average player. And what they think of the given ten Base Game animations. Including detailed ratings for each one that the survey taker will have to give.
The Sims 4 Animations Survey is currently live. You can take it through the button linked down below!
The Sims 4 Animations Survey Overview
We appreciate your honest and actionable feedback to help improve our game so don’t be afraid to share with us your thoughts and opinions! Responses you leave in this survey will be anonymized and will not be shared with any parties outside of EA.
Please note, this survey will contain various elements that are not optimized for mobile devices like phones and tablets.
We highly recommend you take this survey on a PC or Laptop for a smoother experience.
Play History
Have you played The Sims 4 in the last year? This introductory question wants to see the experience of the Simmer taking the survey. Be honest with your answer!
About this Survey
For this survey we ask that you provide feedback on various animations used in The Sims 4. You’ll be presented with questions and asked to complete various thought exercises to help us best understand what matters to you, the player!
Ultimately, your input will help determine what is most important and what could be improved, etc.
Giving your Feedback
Please rate these animations based on what you personally feel and think about them in the context of The Sims 4. What’s most important for us is to understand your unique experienceand reasoning behind your answers and/or ratings to create actionable feedback.
Actionable feedback helps us build a better game– its good for us to understand if you like or dislike something, but more importantly we need to knowwhy you like or dislike it and/or how you would prefer or expect it to be improved in the future.
Example
Basic Feedback “I do not like the wallpapers provided”
Actionable Feedback Example “I do not like the wallpapers provided because the colors do not match the furniture options. I would prefer if the wallpaper could be color customized to match.”
Introduction
Overall, how satisfied are you with the animations in The Sims 4?
Overall, how well do animations reflect the unique personalities of your Sims?
In a sentence or two, what changes to animations in The Sims 4 could make them feel more modern and authentic?
What are your most memorable or favorite Sim animations in The Sims 4? (You can share up to 3 animations)
Animation Exploration
You will now be presented with various animations from The Sims 4.
Please view each animation thoroughly and make sure you provide your feedback focused on what’s most important to you as a player for The Sims 4! ——————— Please note: You’ll be shown a random selection of animations each labeled with a unique name (e.g., Zano, Kira, Velo, Juno, etc.). These names are just for reference and have nothing to do with the animation itself.
Animation “Velo”
Animation Description: “Sim is very embarrassed”
Animation “Enoa”
Animation Description: “Sim is cleaning a sink with a sponge”
Animation “Nemo”
Animation Description: “Sim washes their hands”
Animation “Havi”
Animation Description: “Sim is responding to something slightly sad”
Animation “Kari”
Animation Description: “Sim is slightly angry”
Animation “Tali”
Animation Description: “Sim is asking someone or something to go away”
Animation “Lumo”
Animation Description: “Sim is using a phone”
Animation “Nalo”
Animation Description: “Sim is talking to someone on the phone”
Animation “Kira”
Animation Description: “Sim’s energy motive fails and Sim collapses on the floor and naps”
Animation “Nari”
Animation Description: “Sim flirts with the other Sim by complimenting their body”
Specific Ratings for Each Animation Type
After giving a varied response for each of the animation in The Sims 4 Animations Survey, you’ll then be presented with a wide list of ratings that you need to give out for each animation type. Ranging from Unrealistic to Authentic, Artificial to Genuine and around 15 checkboxes in total for each animation type. Vote carefully!
Overall Thoughts
The final questions for The Sims 4 Animations Survey include your general opinions about The Sims 4 Animations. Their impact on storytelling and your constructive criticism towards what could be improved.
Here are the final questions you’ll be met with:
Take the Survey!
The official Sims 4 Animations Survey is currently available to take for all players. Simply click the button below to be forwarded to the official EA Survey page where you can start sharing your feedback and thoughts.
What are your thoughts on the possible improvements we could get as a product of this survey? Share your opinions in the comments down below and stay tuned on Sims Community for the latest Sims 4 News!
Expect Ailment improvements for the latest Expansion, as well as general fixes.
The Sims Team has made a public announcement last night that they’ve prepared a new Sims 4 Update ready to roll out for next week, starting July 28th.
Although they haven’t specified the exact release time, it’s expected that it’ll come delivered together for Desktop and Console players. With tweaks to Ailments from The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature Expansion, as well as several other bug fixes.
Here’s what the team has stated in a message across several channels:
Incoming Sims 4 Update Next Week!
Next week’s patch brings a round of improvements based on your feedback:
In Enchanted by Nature, Ailment frequency will be reduced by up to 75% and improvements to Balance will also reduce Ailments further.
Additional info will be shared about how Ailments work and when Fairy Wings should be visible.
Plus, we’re looking to address a few top community-reported concerns, including the missing Werewolf nose colors.
Thanks for all your support and feedback! Please continue to utilize the forums via EA Forums to upvote, report, and share saves for any issues you’re seeing, it really helps our development team.
We’ll make sure to keep you posted as soon as the new Sims 4 Update drops right here on Sims Community!
This Is Your beginner’s Call! Time To Check Out The Best Of The Sims 4 Broadway CC.
As a fan of theatre and all things musical, I wanted to add some theatrical CC to my game; however, items inspired by musicals or perfect for theatre fans can be hard to come by. I have collated a huge list of various pieces of CC perfect for recreating looks from your favourite shows. I’ve split this list into two sections: one for stage show looks and one for movie musicals. Let’s take a look!
This collection of The Sims 4 Broadway CC by MakeSims is perfect for any theatre mega-fan! The ‘Pinned Playbills’ can be combined with the ‘Daydream Photo Collection’ and ‘Photo Clip Fairy Light’ from Myla’s ‘Pufferhead’ fan-made Stuff Pack. The playbill covers feature a variety of shows and can all be snapped to points on the fairy lights for your Broadway-obsessed Sims to display proudly. The set includes Simlish posters for the following shows:
Also from MakeSims is their collection of Broadway Shirts. These t-shirts come in all 18 variants seen on the playbills and posters, and are available for both Male and Female frames. Check them out below, along with MakeSims’ Anastasia-themed CC.
To make this collection more navigable, I have split the following into two sections. For fans of stage musicals, you are in the right place! For fans of looks inspired by musicals known better for their movie adaptations, scroll down or use the table of contents.
Cabaret – Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome
One of my favourite musicals of all time, and fitting for the current political climate. Cabaret tells the story of Sally Bowles, a nightclub singer in 1930s Berlin, and her new lover, Clifford Bradshaw. I wanted to recreate Liza Minnelli’s iconic look worn during the song ‘Mein Herr’. I have also created a few poses myself to capture the sleek Fosse look.
The hair is a classic 1920s bob by Lonelyboy, the garters by Blue Craving, and the choker by Quirky_Introvert. Also by Lonelyboy, the iconic bowler hat. Sally Bowles wouldn’t be complete without the iconic hat!
After the 2001 movie Moulin Rouge was released, it wouldn’t be another 17 years until the musical made its way to the Broadway stage. The show follows Christian, a young composer, who falls in love with a star of the Moulin Rouge show in Paris, set to the music of various popular artists. These two outfits by MakeSims replicate the outfits worn by Santiago and Nini in the stage adaptation. Check them out below.
Unless you have been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen videos of Rachel Zegler belting for her life off the balcony of the London Palladium, where she plays the role of former first lady of Argentina, Eva Peron. Eva (knicknamed Evita) was known for her philanthropy and beauty, so let’s take a look at some CC to recreate the iconic balcony scene.
This beautiful strapless dress is by Five5Cats on The Sims Resource, emulating the iconic scene from the musical. Pair this with DelcoWebney’s Elegant bun, and you have yourself a philanthropic first lady. As an added bonus, I included the flag of Argentina found in DazzaJay’s Mega Country Flag Pack.
Hey, Nicki Blonsky from the movie Hairspray! Talk about an iconic look, Tracy Turnblad ran the streets of Baltimore like it was the Navy with that hair-do. The ‘Tracy Hair + Headband’ by Twentiethcenturysims was quite literally made for her. Pair this with the ‘Open Collar Blouse’ by Waxesnostalgic and you have a perfcet recreation. Take a look at them using the links below!
One of the most influential pieces of theatre of the 21st century! Hamilton tells the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton to a score influenced by rap, R&B, and hip-hop. The ‘Angelica Gown’ by Revolution Sims recreates the dress worn by Angelica Schuyler in Act 1 of Hamilton. It even comes in 12 swatches that include colours similar to those of Eliza “and Peggy”!
Also by Revolution Sims is the ‘George Washington ‘Washington’s Uniform’, similar to the one worn by Hamilton and other characters in Act 1 of the show. You can find the links to both of these below.
I couldn’t make a list of Sims 4 Broadway CC without including some Sondheim. Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, tells the story of an ex-convict barber who has a passion for murder and reuniting with his daughter. I found this amazing hair with a streak accessory by Tricoufamily. The streak can be found in the rings category and can be added in any number of combinations.
Sweeney’s lover, Mrs Lovett, spends her time in her pie shop below the barbers where she bakes and serves her pies filled with suspicious meat that eventually get dubbed as the best pies in London. Tekri’s ‘Pepper Loops’ fit prefectly with Mrs Lovetts deranged attitude to life and death. I paired this with the ‘Rather Ravishing Skirt’ and ‘Perfectly Plain Blouse’ by GildenGhosts to finsih the look.
While some of the above have had movies made of their stage counterparts, the following collection is from musicals better known from movies.
Wonka – Well There’s Chocolate
2023’s Wonka starred Timothee Chalamet in the titular role, having previously starred Gene Wilder in the original movie in 1971, in turn based on the book by Roald Dahl. The movie follows a young Willy as he battes his industry rivals as he enters the world of chocolate making.
Willy Wonka’s look is a difficult one to replicate as it is so eccentric and unique. However, the ‘Thein Suit’ by BeckySims paired with the trosuers also included in the set makes for an almost-perfect Willy Wonka recreation.
West Side Story is a (for the time) modern re-telling of Romeo & Juliet. Instead of the Montagues and Capulets, it’s the Jets and the Sharks, rival gangs in Manhattan’s West Side. Anita, a Puerto Rican immigrant, close friend and confidant of Maria, the movie’s version of Juliet.
This version is based on Ariana DeBose’s portrayal in the 2021 adaptation of the musical. For Anita’s retro style, the ‘Carol Dress’ by Sifix over on The Sims Resource felt like the closest match. Topped off with ‘Curbs 88’ by Dallasgirl, and you have yourself a Maria fit for the West Side. Make sure to download the required mesh for the hair linked below.
Try saying that backwards. Mary Poppins is based on the original novel by P.L. Travers and starred Julie Andrews as the magical nanny herself. Mary Poppins only appears when she is needed, and she is certainly needed by the Banks family.
Being set in 1910, it is imperitive to get the look period accurate. I found the ‘Edwardian Coat’ by HistroicalSimsLife that exudes Mary Poppins enegry. In the movie, Julie Andrews dons a flower hat, thankfully this has been recretated for The Sims 4 by Birksche. Find them linked below!
Nellie Forbush in Rogers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific rocks some gorgeous vintage swimwear in the 1958 movie. Set during World War 2 in the Pacific theatre of war, South Pacific tells a romantic story of a French planter and a US Navy Nurse.
While we do have some great swimwear sets in The Sims 4’s various Packs and Kits, nothing came quite close enough for my liking. Colores Urbano’s ‘Pin Up Swimwear’ fits perfectly with the 1940s vibe I was going for. The hairstyle is Feral Poodles’ ‘Elizabeth Hair’. The vintage pin curls were essential for the look, after all, Queen Elizabeth was a driver during the Second World War.
I had to save the best for last. Judy Garland’s iconic portrayal of Dorothy Gale in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz is one for the history books. Everything about her look had to be perfect. Thankfully, creator Casssgoths has created the ‘Dorothy Dress’ to help us recreate the look. It also comes in a variety of other swatches!
And who could forget the ruby slippers? One of the most recognisable pieces of costume in cinema history. The ‘Ruby Slippers’ by Umemaru comes in five different swatches, including the signature red. If you want to recreate Dorothy in the upcoming Wicked: For Good, then try out the silver swatch. (Fun Fact: The slippers were silver in the book, and only made red for the movie to showcase the colour technology)
From Castaways to Celebrity Wellness Centres: Here’s 7 Unique Ideas For The Natural Living Skill
Besides Fairies, one of the standout features in The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature is the new Natural Living Skill and its associated features. There’s the obvious live in Innisgreen and make Elixirs gameplay, but what if you looked at it from a new angle? From foraging the shores of Sulani, to roleplaying as an Anthropologist from Sixam, here are 7 unique gameplay ideas to spice up your gameplay!
Table of Contents
Urban Nomad – A Different Kind Of Jungle
The topic of homelessness is a tough one; it’s a real issue that affects many. A popular challenge in The Sims 4 is the Rags to Riches challenge, which tasks players with starting with §0 and working their way up the ladder of success. Of course, it isn’t that easy in real life. In my home city of London, an estimated 11,000 people are sleeping rough, a staggering number. I have decided to frame this gameplay as living as a Natural Nomad, a Sim who, instead of living in the wilderness, lives in the jungle instead.
Living in the wilderness poses significant challenges; however, with San Myshuno at your Sims’ disposal, the possibilities are vast. The lack of green space makes foraging a challenge, and making money even harder. Locations such as the Skye Fitness offer a place to exercise and shower, Planet Honey Pop karaoke lounge provides entertainment, and San Myshuno’s very own slice of greenery comes in the form of Myshuno Meadows. Players with packs such as Snowy Escape or Outdoor Living may find using a tent a little more enjoyable when dealing with the elements.
Worlds such as San Myshuno and Mt Komorebi have the added bonus of off-lot festivals. Try your hand at haggling at the flea market, or perhaps enter the Hackathon at Geek Con to earn some extra simoleons! Playing with the Natural Living skill in an urban environment is a game changer. While there are some benefits of living in the big smoke, there are added challenges.
Castaway – Stranded And Alone
Long-time players of The Sims will be more than well aware of some of the best spin-off games the franchise has ever seen: The Sims 2 Castaway and The Sims Castaway Stories. Many players, myself included, yearn for the return of a fully fledged Castaway experience. The Natural Living skill makes this style of gameplay somewhat possible, and what better place to stand my Sim than Sulani!
Sulani has everything your Sims ned to survive. Water for bathing, fishing spots for food, and plenty of open jungle to forage for your next meal. Throwing in a few Lot Challenges makes this experience even more enjoyable! Try out the Creepy Crawlies lot challenge to have your Sim constantly bothered by pests, or maybe Volcanic Activity, as after all your Sim is living next to the very much active volcano of Mua Pel’am!
Starting with only the bare necessities is challenging, but build your Natural living skill to level 5 and your Sims will be able to forage for collectables that can be easily sold off for a few “Simoleons”. Perhaps look at Simoleons more like resource points from The Sims Castaway Stories and use them to build a small hut or a massive waterside mansion, the choice is all yours!
Alien Anthropologist – A New Planet To Explore
Aliens are out there! It’s true, well, for owners of The Sims 4 Get To Work. Aliens were the first occult to be introduced in The Sims 4. Although they may lack a skill tree and other features we have grown to expect from occults, playing as one is still a blast. For this story, your Alien crashed their ship deep in the wilderness on their way back to Sixam. With the Off-the-Grid lot challenge, the spaceship is out of action, so why not take this opportunity to find out everything you can about SimNations’ life forms without arousing suspicion?
Aliens are able to don a human disguise to trick Sims into believing they are one of them. This is handy for heading into populated areas and foraging for frogs and insects to take back to your ship, and hopefully one day return home. The Sims 4 features many collections, so perhaps your mission is to complete every single one! You can keep track of all collections by heading to your Sim’s inventory and clicking the diamond icon in the top right.
While you’re on your quest for all things alien (to your Alien that is), why not join the Scientist career and work your way up the career ladder until you’re able to construct the portal back to Sixam to reunite with your Alien friends and family.
The Middle Ages – Between The Early And Late Ages I Suppose
The History and Decades challenges are popular challenges within The Sims 4 community. The aim is to recreate history within your game with accurate rules for each period/decade, and live as our ancestors did. The Sims Medieval gave us just a glimpse as to what it’s like to play as Sims in an era different to our own. The Natural Living skill adds a few new options for historical gameplay. Let’s take a look at playing as a Sim ‘outatime’!
For this style of gameplay, you can either follow the official rules or play your own way as you roleplay your way through the Middle Ages. Life was simple back then, no TV, no phone, no computer, or refrigerator, or even electricity! That all adds to the fun of this gameplay style. Why not create a whole medieval society on The Crumbling Isle in Windenburg? Craft elixirs and cures for ailed townsfolk, or play as a spellcaster, keeping their powers hidden from the human Sims in their village. Or keep it simple and raise livestock and cultivate plants. For an added challenge, try playing with the Simple Living lot challenge from The Sims 4 Cottage Living Expansion Pack, which requires all food to be prepared with sourced ingredients either from gardening or foraging.
Religion was central to the way of life in the Middle Ages. While The Sims has shied away from including religious beliefs (with The Sims Medieval including The Watcher followed by both Jacoban and Peteran sects), that doesn’t mean you have to. Modders such as Lumpinou with their Rambunctious Religions mod have added forms of religion and religious beliefs into the game. If you are a console player or prefer to play without mods, then a good solution is creating a holiday via the calendar with the ‘Attend Holiday Ceremony’ tradition to simulate sending your Sims off to church.
The Medieval Era, as with many others until the late 20th to 21st century, was not a pleasant place for many people. Not just because of the constant plagues and wars, but because of class, race, and sexual oppression, for women especially. While activities for life were restricted for women who had to live with less agency, that doesn’t mean you have to play that way, too. The rules are completely optional in The Sims, so have fun roleplaying your Medieval fantasy.
Celebrity Wellness Centre – Remember You Are One
The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature brings with it a brand new semi-active career that allows your Sim to become a Lifestylke Coach or an Apothe-Curist. Who says those jobs have to be reserved for forest-dwelling Nomads and Pixies? Why not bring the holistic approach to medicine to Del Sol Valley’s rich and famous? Utilising the Small Business Venues lot type from The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies to open your very own wellness centre for the rich and famous is a great way to rake in the simoleons.
The ability to have a small business venue open while also taking in clients daily is a big money maker. While your Naturopath Sims coaches and cures ailed Sims, your employees can tend to customers at the massage chair or table, teach yoga classes or tend to a coffee bar for those Sims needing an energy boost after a tough workout.
You can take this concept a step further by opening an elixir and cure store attached to your wellness centre. Unfortunately, you can’t instruct employees to create apothecary items, but by the time your Sim reaches the Lifestyle Coaching branch, they are likely to have accrued many concoctions from levelling up their Apothecary skill.
Post-Apocalyptic Gameplay – Crawl Out Through The Fallout
Unlike medieval gameplay, post-apocalyptic gameplay is something we have yet to see in The Sims franchise. Whether you’re playing in a wasteland scenario or using Sacrificial’s Zombie Apocalypse mod, your Sim can rely on foraging, brewing natural elixirs, and crafting supplies to stay alive when traditional infrastructure collapses.
Without access to shops, electricity, or plumbing, survival becomes about working with what the land provides. Your Sim can scavenge for wild ingredients in remote areas nd create makeshift living spaces with limited resources. Pairing Natural Living with the Off-the-Grid and Simple Living lot challenges makes every meal feel like a hard won victory.
If you’re using the Zombie Apocalypse mod, Natural Living adds an extra layer of strategy. You can venture into the zombie-ridden wastes to forage for resources, or take a risky bath in the local river. Their growing knowledge of the natural world becomes their biggest asset and maybe even their only hope for survival.
Combine with rugged clothing, broken-down lots, and scavenging-focused aspirations to complete the survival fantasy. It’s a great challenge for players who want to test their Sims’ limits and their storytelling skills.
The Sims 4 Jungle Adventure Game Pack is all about exploration, danger, and discovery, but it can also be punishing if your Sim isn’t well prepared. Venomous bites, swarms of bugs, poison darts, and sheer exhaustion can quickly turn a promising expedition into a holiday from hell. That’s where the Natural Living skill steps in, offering a grounded, resourceful way to make jungle survival more manageable and immersive.
Sims with a high Natural Living skill are better equipped to live off the environment in practical, low-tech ways. When far from civilisation, they can keep clean by bathing in natural bodies of water, making use of ponds and swamps to stay hygienic without the need for plumbing. It’s essential when you’re deep in the jungle with no facilities nearby.
Foraging also becomes a core survival tactic. Your Sim can search the jungle floor for edible plants, berries, and other natural foods to keep their hunger at bay. This reduces the need to carry supplies or return to your Vacation rental for a snack, and it makes every expedition feel more self sufficient. Food doesn’t come from a fridge; it comes from the land.
And when night falls and there’s no bed in sight? With the Natural Living skill, Sims can sleep directly on the ground, turning any safe clearing into a makeshift campsite. It’s a small touch, but it reinforces the idea of truly roughing it. These abilities transform Salvadorada from a holiday destination into a survival scenario. Some players may find it makes the experience easier, but all Natural Living interactions are optional.
Do you have any other suggestion for Natural Living gameplay? Let us know in the commenst below, and stay tuned to Sims Community for all updates on The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature.
The Sims 4 has long teased players with its quirky, supernatural life states—from vampires and mermaids to spellcasters and aliens. But one occult type has always felt like an afterthought: the PlantSim. That is, until now. Thanks to the Expanded PlantSims Mod by SpinningPlumbobs, leafy Sims finally get the glow-up they deserve.
The Sims 4 Expanded PlantSims Mod Walkthrough
A Real Occult, Not Just a Timed Gimmick
In vanilla Sims 4, becoming a PlantSim was a limited-time event, locked behind a five-day lifespan and a single transformation method. The Expanded PlantSims Mod ditches those constraints entirely. Once your Sim becomes a PlantSim, it’s permanent—like any other occult form. You can even create them directly in CAS, with a selection of five leafy Plumbob designs to choose from: Vine, Flower, Mushroom, Branch, and Bizarre.
Getting Started: How to Become a PlantSim
There are multiple transformation routes available now, offering variety and integration with different gameplay styles:
Classic Method: Use the Magic Beans and Forbidden Fruit, just like the old challenge.
Grow One: Plant a Baby PlantSim seed and raise it to maturity.
Magna Flora: Befriend a massive flower and earn your transformation through nature’s grace.
Eat a Magic Mushroom: This unlocks the fungal Myconid form.
Consume Bizarre Fruit: For players with StrangerVille, this unlocks a blue-toned Bizarre PlantSim with unique behaviours.
Powers, Skills, and Progression
PlantSims now comes with a dedicated skill tree: PlantSim Form. As you level up, you unlock powerful nature-based perks like:
Florakinesis: Control plants and encourage faster growth.
Chloroblast: Send out a burst of energy to revive nearby plants.
Spriggan Form: Morph into a seasonal guardian with weather-altering powers.
Sunlight Charge: Restore your needs by basking in the sun.
Subterranean Travel: Zip around the world through root systems.
Need meters are adjusted as well—PlantSims no longer eat but rely on water and sunlight. You can absorb puddles, sunbathe in soil, or commune with Mother Nature herself.
New Forms & Variants
Beyond the base PlantSim, the mod introduces several subtypes, each with its own flair:
Spriggan: A tree guardian tied to seasonal energy and weather.
Myconid: A fungal hybrid born from spores and mushrooms.
Bizarre PlantSim: A StrangerVille-flavoured version that avoids sunlight and spreads spores.
Satyr: Unlocked via perks; these wild, nature-bound creatures play pan flutes and thrive in forests.
Nature Interactions and Quests
The mod adds more than just powers. You can plant and raise Magna Flora, a towering flower that becomes your leafy companion. Or grow a Giant Beanstalk and climb it to uncover hidden treasures. Even Mother Nature herself can be summoned and befriended, rewarding eco-conscious Sims with powerful traits and blessings.
Gameplay Integration
The Expanded PlantSims Mod is impressively well-integrated with the base game and expansion content:
Compatible with Eco Lifestyle, gardening systems, and weather mechanics.
Introduces a new aspiration: Friend of Nature, with a trait that enhances plant interactions.
Doesn’t require DLC (except StrangerVille for the bizarre variant).
Why It’s a Must-Have
PlantSims has always had potential, but EA never fully leaned into it. This mod transforms them into a viable, engaging life state with deep mechanics, customisation, and narrative opportunities. Whether you want to live off the land, nurture mystical gardens, or join an underground root network, the Expanded PlantSims Mod gives you the tools to do so—and makes it fun.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever felt like The Sims 4’s supernatural side needed more variety—or if you just like the idea of turning your Sim into a nature-powered forest spirit—this mod is a game-changer. It’s visually stunning, functionally rich, and incredibly well-made. It doesn’t just expand gameplay—it transforms it.
The forest is calling. Time to touch the grass.
Download Info
You can download The Sims 4 Expanded PlantSims Mod by clicking the download button below. All the mod package contents should be pasted into Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Mods folder, with Mods & CC enabled in your game options.
The Sims 4 Fairies are finally here with the newest Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature expansion! Now your Sim can fly through their world and live the enchanting lifestyle of their dreams, leaving puffs of Fairy Dust as they go.
For more information about additional Sims 4 Fairies features that you get through Skill Progression and Occult Mastery, check out our dedicated Guide!
The Sims 4 Fairies Care Guide
Becoming a Fairy
Turn into a Fairy
There are a few different ways to embark on the magical journey of the Sims 4 Fairies. To become a Fairy, your Sim will need to acquire a Fairy Seedling. Try Foraging around, completing Fables, ordering from the computer, or asking a Fairy directly to find this magical seed. Then, plant the seed to Summon Mother Nature and begin the Fairy transformation. Use the Ask for Mother Nature’s Charm interaction to get the necessary charm, and then head over to Moondrop Springs to complete the transition with the Become a Fairy interaction. Your Sim will start their new life as a Fairy, and be gifted the Fae Fan Bell flower.
Sims can also be turned into a Fairy by Radiant Fairies who have unlocked the Transform into Fairy ability. This interaction is not available with other Occult Sims.
Being Born into Magic
Some Sims work hard to earn their wings, while others are born with this privilege. Sims born from Fairy parents will have the High Fae Lineage Personality Trait, and sprout their wings once they become a Teen. Teens also get an update to their Needs with the addition of Emotional Force.
You can see the ring around your Sim’s Plumbob that signifies they are an Occult Sim, and the High Fae Lineage Personality Trait among their traits for Sims ages Infant and up. Newborn, Infant, and Toddler Sims do not have any Fairy interactions, and older Sims are not able to use any Fairy interactions on them.
As young Sims 4 Fairies, Toddlers and Children are prone to feeling strong emotions. They may have sudden bursts of anger, causing nearby objects to break. Older Fairies can help manage their emotions, which will help young Fairies learn Emotional Stability over time.
Fairy Kid Sims can use the Ask to Absorb Emotion, What’s Your Favorite Place to Sleep?, Discuss Wing Coloration, and Laugh about Flight Fumbles Fairy social interactions.
Create a Fairy in Create a Sim
To create your Sims 4 Fairies, launch Create a Sim and get to work, just make sure to take your time. Occult Sims can have entirely different appearances when it comes to their Normie-self and Occult-self by using the Link Features option.
Clicking the Link icon “breaks” the link and allows you to customize which feature you would like to change when your Occult Sim transforms. If you would like them to stay the exact same in both forms, just make sure the Link icon is “locked”.
Create a Sims gives you the option to Link or Unlink the following features:
All
Body Shape
Face
Skin Tone
Hair
Voice
Clothing
Makeup
I recommend checking that your Link selections haven’t changed for your Sim prior to making any changes through the Plan Outfit or Change Appearance interactions.
You can use Create a Sim or the in-game Plan Outfit and Change Appearance interactions to adjust your Sim’s fairy wings. These can be customized, or you can choose the pre-existing color swatch options.
Fairy Interactions
Fairies ages Kids and up have inherent Fairy interactions. Kids have specific social interactions, as mentioned earlier, but once they reach their Teenage years, they unlock so much more. As Faint Fairies in The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature, all Fairies are able to Detect and Absorb Emotions, Conceal Fairy Form, Regenerate Emotional Force, and Brush Off Fairy Dust, and, of course, Fly around.
The Fairy Skill Tree expands these interactions, unlocking new Fairy Abilities as your Sim reaches each level. Fairy Sims can Project Emotion, use the Bloom self-interaction to bring a plant to a harvestable state, Sway Emotions of other Sims, Enchant plants, Apply and Cure Ailments, Turn Sims into Fairies, and more.
Fairy Abilities can be for the better or worse of society, and may have some consequences. Fairies need to be careful using Fairy Abilities in the Coast of Adhmor neighborhood from The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature. Due to some past political and cultural tensions, using Fairy Abilities in that neighborhood is frowned upon by the Fairy Council.
If your Sim is witnessed using Fairy Abilities, they will get a warning from the Fairy Council. If they continue, they will lose their Daily Fairy Dust Ration privilege at the Mossveil Fairy Hub. Your Sim will then be labeled a Problem Fairy, earning the Problem Fairy Trait, and will need to either meet with Care Ren or visit the Court at Mossveil Fairy Hub. Don’t worry, though, the unfortunate trait can be removed by the council, and you will be able to collect Fairy Dust again.
To rid themself of this negative trait, your Sim will need to use the Appeal Problem Fairy Status at Fairy Court interaction and pay a fine, or find Care Ren and use the Pay Restitution interaction. If you choose to Discuss Fairy Behavior with Care Ren, you will have to spend some time in nature and be given a packet of seeds to plant.
Needs and Emotional Force
Similar to other occults, Sims 4 Fairies have different needs. While fairies no longer have to worry about Hunger and Bladder anymore, a new Fairy-specific Need is introduced, known as Emotional Force. Emotional Force is consumed when performing Fairy Abilities, and running out entirely will put your Fairy Sim in serious danger! When this Need starts to run out, your Sim will become Emotionally Starving.
They can recover Emotional Force in various ways. Fairy Sims can use the Absorb Emotion interaction to absorb other Sims’ emotions, use the Regenerate Emotional Force self-interaction, drink Emotion Potions, Swim in the Moondrop Springs, or use a Fairy Home to fill up their Emotional Force bar.
Your Sim will also need to be wary of absorbing emotions that are too powerful. That can lead to Overload, which will do some serious Emotional Force damage!
Fairies and Other Occults
The Sims 4 Fairies live in harmony with the other mystical Occults. When your Fairy Sim meets Werewolves and other Occult Sims, you’ll notice they start out with a good relationship since their occults are on good terms. Rumor has it, if a Fairy and a Werewolf Sim Try for a Baby, they’ll wind up with a set of twins!
Fairy Sims will get requests from other Occult Sims to aid them with their Fairy Abilities, and your Sim can choose to help out or send them on their way. Fairy Sims also have the ability to Cure Vampirism.
The Fairy Aspiration & Magical Traits
The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature introduces the Fairy Aspiration, allowing your Sim to choose a path of harmony or disruption. Choosing this Aspiration in Create a Sim or when aging up from Teen to Young Adult will grant your Sim the Fairy Influence Trait, making their relationships fluctuate more when socializing with Fairy Sims and Gnomes, for the better or worse.
Reaching level three of the aspiration earns your Sim the Into the Everdew Trait, which lets your Sim gain Fairy Ability Points faster and have fun doing it! Completing the Harmonious Fairy Path adds the Happily Harmonious Personality Trait, gaining your Sim an increased relationship with Sims 4 Fairies and more Fun when guiding others down their Fairy Journey. Completing the Discordant Fairy Path unlocks the Delightfully Discordant Reward Trait, letting your Sim gain Balance and Fun when using malicious Fairy Abilities.
The Mystical Personality Trait helps your Fairy Sim live harmoniously with others and allows them to Grant a Sacred Blessing. Another helpful Trait for Fairy Sims!
Get Rid of your Fairy Essence with Mother Nature
If your Sim is ready to leave their Fairy life behind them and embrace their next chapter, they’ll need to contact the Sim who started it all. According to local legend, “The history of Everdew began after Mother Nature used the full moon’s powers to pour her emotions into Moondrop Springs and the spring was left forever enchanted with a mind of its own. From there, the Moondrop Springs served as the birthplace of Fairies, whereby the raw Emotions of Mother Nature, the springs, and the fairies in tandem naturally evolved into the fantastical forest seen today.”
Visit the Mossveil Fairy Hub or use a bookcase to Research How to Become Non-Occult, Ask How to Become Non-Occult social interaction. Your Sim will need to acquire a Magical Seed to Summon Mother Nature. They can get these from other Fairy Sims with the Ask for Fairy Seedling social interaction, Foraging, or at a Fairy Ring after completing the Rise and Shine Fable. Plant the seed, and Mother Nature will appear, giving you the option to Ask to Remove Fairy Essence. Their essence will be poured back into the Moondrop Spring, where it will stay until the next Sim wants it.
How do you feel about the new Occult Sims 4 Fairies? Let us know what you think about these Sims and other new features from The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature in the comments below!
These are the top 10 Sims 4 quality of life updates we want to see come to the game. And by we, I mean me. If you disagree–leave it in the comments.
The Sims 4 Quality of Life Updates
Deactivate Event Notifications by Type
No, my childless adult sim that has been out of high school for years does not care that it’s Football or Cheerleading Team Sports Day. Yes, my ‘Hates Children’ sim attending the Festival of Youth in Mt. Komorebi sounds like their personal nightmare.
Three event notifications in a row on one day is too much.
Not every event will appeal to every sim. Not every event will appeal to every player. And let’s be real, the festivals don’t have THAT much going on during them that players are chomping at the bit to attend them every time they’re in town. The constant festival notifications are one of the biggest annoyances for players in Sims 4 and they have been for years.
The aforementioned High School Years Team Sports Day notifications are the worst offender, by far. These events are incredibly niche ones that players will rarely ever want to attend or even have teenager sims in their household to attend. However, these notifications still appear even if the household lacks a relevant teenager sim.
The worst part is, these notifications are aggressively loud. Much louder than any other part of the game. It’s reminiscent to how the volume of commercials blast through the TV compared to the volume of the show you’re watching.
These notifications are the bane of my existence.
Players have been begging for EA to remove these events for years, or at the very least quiet the sound effect for them. Yet they persist. As does our annoyance. Why EA? Why must we suffer so?
Thankfully, the Businesses and Hobbies meetup events don’t give you a notification by default. You must go to the sign board and enable notifications for each specific meetup type and it’s setup per household.
This is how all events in the game should be. With the calendar system now being a part of the base game, this would be easier than ever. We could opt in and out of event notifications right in the calendar as it’s displaying every event already anyway.
They have the ability to favorite festivals and events in the calendar, just tie the notifications to that feature. As it is now, the favoriting system only lets you filter events visually, not their notifications.
Sims 4 Needs an Ad Blocker
EA, I promise you, we know ThrifTea exists. We do. We know Cupid’s Corner is a great place to find love. You don’t need to remind us every day. My sims who are in amazing relationships don’t care that there are tons of singles in their area looking for love.
Can I get an ad blocker?
It’s at the point where it feels as though I need to install an ad blocker because these fake ads are more annoying than real ones.
The Social Bunny notifications are also terrible. Every time a sim does something slightly interesting or new it constantly bombards you with notifications about posting them to Social Bunny. I don’t use social media in real life because it’s exhausting, so I’m not about to impose that lifestyle on my sims.
The true MVP for allowing us to disable them.
But those notifications are optional, as they all should be! You can go to your sim’s Social Bunny account and disable notifications. Why can we not do the same for Cupid’s Corner, which is also an app on our sim’s phone?
I get that ThrifTea isn’t an app on the phone to disable notifications, but we should need to go into the store and sign up for their newsletter or something.
Stop Congratulating My Sims
Do not call my sims to congratulate them on becoming friends with their husband. Do not call my sims to congratulate them on their promotion they got a week ago. Stop calling. Stop texting. Delete my number.
I have never once called a person in real life to say anything along the lines of “I heard you and so-and-so became friends and that’s so totally cool and just needed to call and let you know I think that’s great.”
If they made these calls more personal, such as having an actual friend–not a literal stranger–call and congratulate my sim on their promotion and ask them out for drinks to celebrate, that would be great. If a sim called and said something along the lines of “So-and-so said you two hit it off and we wanted to invite you to a hangout with us,” that would be splendid.
But these random calls are incredibly shallow, impersonal, and oftentimes don’t even make sense. “I heard you and your husband that you’ve been happily married to for years became friends!”
The Endless Cycle of Grief Must End
To quote Keke Palmer, “I hate to say it, I hope I don’t sound ridiculous… I don’t know who this man is. I mean, he could be walking down the street, I wouldn’t know a thing. Sorry to this man.”
This monologue runs through my head 99% of the time my sim receives a phone call about a sim that has died.
My sim’s friend from high school who she hasn’t talked to since and she’s about to be an elder
My sims do not need to be in a constant state of grief because their waiter from several weeks ago, that they talked to once while ordering, has died. They shouldn’t care that the sim they asked “what fairies do you believe in” for a quest, and then never associated with ever again, has passed away.
This issue is exacerbated by how incredibly easy it is for sims to get to know someone else. I mean… townies are always butting in on conversations my sim is having. I don’t WANT my sim to know them, but it just happens because the townies force themselves to be relevant.
I’m lumping in the “[Sim Name]’s spirit is fading away” notifications into this conversation as well. They too need to stop. Just cross over already, I don’t care. I don’t know you.
I’ve never seen this dog in my life. Who are you?
I’m sorry to that sim, but I don’t care that they passed. And neither should my sims.
When a sim that my sim knows dies, they should only receive a phone call under certain circumstances. Is my sim related to the dead sim? If so, yes, call them to let them know. Is my sim incredibly close with them where they were best friends, they have a key to my house, they were a roommate, etc.? Sure, call away.
But for the love of The Watcher (shoutout to all you Sims Medieval fans out there) please stop calling me to tell me a sim that my sim talked to once weeks ago has passed. They’re irrelevant to the plot.
She’s so irrelevant to the plot that they didn’t even give her a name.
How Many Skills is Too Many?
I don’t have an exact number, but the limit was reached years ago. The Skills Tab is a mess. Sims 4 made it so the second your sim does an action related to a skill, they immediately gain the first level. It’s convenient, but also a bit much.
Have you looked at your sim’s Skill Tab recently? It’s overwhelming.
There absolutely needs to be some organization and some optimization done to this panel. Give us the ability to favorite skills and then keep unfavorited skills in a separate tab. Or allow us to filter based on different skill categories like knowledge, creative, etc.
Also, please give the Skill Mastery Perk its own separate tab instead of plopping it directly at the top. I don’t know how often people are checking which Skill Mastery Perks their sims have, but it’s not often enough to be sitting there.
Simology Tab, Point Blank
The Simology Tab exhausts me so much that I can’t be bothered to come up with a clever title for this section. Please, EA, I’m begging–we’re begging–please just clean it up.
We’re at the point in Sims 4 where the Simology Tab now has ten separate sections. If that alone isn’t bad enough, on top it also shows the sim’s age and includes two buttons to view their genealogy and their stats.
It’s information overload. It’s crowded. It’s overwhelming. It’s too much!
Yes, there is a mod that organizes this tab with buttons leading to different sections and moving things around. But not everyone can, or wants, to use mods, so this isn’t a solution for most people. I know they can clean this up because they just updated the Inventory Tab, Collection UI, and Notebook UI. It can be done. It absolutely should be done.
Side Note: Why is the Neighborhood Action Plan section in the Simology Tab to begin with?
You don’t even go here.
Let’s Get Baked
The baking skill needs to be made base game. Controversial, I know.
Some people don’t like the concept of paid content coming to base game years later, but I think this is more than necessary. Since it’s not a base game skill, having come with the Get to Work expansion pack, the Sims Team will not add, update, or change anything with the Baking Skill.
Any new food items that should technically be considered baked goods are instead placed under the generic cooking skill. It’s the same reason that you won’t find birthday and wedding cakes under Baking, but instead the Cooking menu. This is also the reason why they never made a smaller Cupcake Machine even though fans have been begging for one since Get to Work’s launch in 2015.
In this home we don’t bake cakes, we cook them.
While they eventually updated the baking skill so you can make some of the items in a regular oven, a lot of baked goods are still locked away in the eyesore cupcake machine.
Forever locked away behind that ugly eyesore
Making the Baking Skill a base game skill would clean up a lot of cooking confusion. A lot of items under the “Cook” menu could be added to “Bake” instead, thereby cleaning up some confusion of which items are found where. It would finally allow them to make a smaller, nicer cupcake machine, or allow us to bake anything in the oven instead of needing a cupcake machine in the first place. It would also increase the chances of more baked goods being added to the game.
Remember me?
It’s a necessary change no matter if it upsets a select few people. It’s also something they’ve done before, so it’s not unheard of. The Photography Skill, which also debuted in Get to Work, was eventually added to the base game so they could improve it and add more features later on down the line like they did with the Moschino Stuff Pack.
Can You Give Me a Moment?
Let me preface this section by saying I love having townies invite my sims places. I think it adds a lot of realism and life to the game. I don’t want this to go away.
However! Can you give me a single moment to prepare myself? Yes, I want to go to the Flea Market with you, but not right this second. Yes, I want to come see your new baby, just not right now. I’m in the middle of something, but if you give me five minutes I’ll be ready to go.
As it is now, if a sim invites your sim somewhere and you say yes, you travel there instantly. I’ve found myself wanting to say yes to a sim, but I was in the middle of something important, so I had to say no instead. I would love the option to say yes, but choose when to go instead.
Another option I think should be added is saying yes but not traveling with the sim. Sometimes a sim will ask someone in my household to go somewhere when I’m not currently focusing on that sim. It would be a great addition to the game if I could send that sim to the hangout by themselves without needing to go with them so I could continue focus on a different sim.
Let Us Make Our Own Stories
When you kick up Create-A-Sim it asks if you want to “create my story.” This feature is a questionnaire that then creates a sim based on your responses. The created sim will have a preset aspiration, traits, career, skills, and starting household funds. This is all well and good, if not feeling a bit completely random.
However, give us the ability to create our own stories. Why can we not, right in Create-A-Sim, choose our sim’s career, starting skills, and funds? It doesn’t have to be anything too crazy and could be limited. I’m not asking to start with every skill already at level 10 and a finished career from the jump.
Instead, I think we should be given a few skill points that we can assign to our sim so that they don’t feel so displaced from the world once in game. It would help with creating backstory for the sim or sims.
It could be like the personality point distribution in past Sims games where you only have a certain amount to distribute, so you have to use them wisely. If they’re worried about the game being too easy (which shouldn’t matter since you make the game as easy or difficult as you want) they can even limit how many points you can put in one skill.
The most important part of this, though, is the starting funds. Listen, we all cheat. Freerealestate all day, every day. If we want our sims to live in a specific house, we’re going to do it no matter how much money EA has them start with.
Can You Hair Me?
I know this will never happen, but it’s by far the weakest part of Create-A-Sim and still needs mentioned. Hair color. The system is bleak.
The lack of hair color options is really disheartening. We keep getting all of these great, super detailed additions to Create-A-Sim. The makeup sliders, incredibly in-depth tattoo system, the pet fur system, and now fairy wings. All of these fantastic additions just make the lack of hair color options even worse.
EA has added a couple of hair color swatches in the past, most specifically they added six new color options in 2021. They also added twenty-four new colors… to only two specific hair styles back in 2024. That’s not the level of the Sims 4 quality of life updates we want.
As it stands, we only have twenty-four hair colors that can be applied to all hair styles. Even worse, children and younger only have fifteen colors available to them. Why? Apparently, EA thinks children shouldn’t have unnatural hair colors in a game of make believe (except for in specific hair styles for some reason). Make it make sense, EA. Give us our creative freedom. Free the hair colors for children!
Unnatural hair color on a child!? Scandalous!
It’s also worth noting that even though we have these twenty-four base colors, a lot of the swatches actually have multiple colors in them. This is a nice change of pace, but also incredibly difficult because you have no idea what swatches actually house which colors. It’s daunting for sure.
How is anyone to know what the highlight color is per swatch?
I know all of this is wishful thinking. The hair colors we have now are the hair colors we’ll always have in Sims 4. At this point there are too many hair swatches in the game that they would need to make compatible for more color swatches or a color wheel that it’s just not worth their time or energy.
It’s grim and bleak and the reality we live in. Sims 4 quality of life updates are always coming, but most likely not to this scale.
But hey, they could always surprise us, right? Right…?
And there you have it. My list of the top ten Sims 4 quality of life updates I’d love to see come to the game. Do you agree? Disagree? Have another you’d add to the list? If so, leave it in the comments!
Awkward Interaction
