The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies CAS Overview features all 160 Create-a-Sim assets, so you can either decide whether you want this Expansion Pack, or, if you already own it, discover and find exactly what you are looking for swiftly.
Out of the 160 items, 49 are tattoos and 12 are assets that are the same for adults, but resized for children and toddlers. 03 are recolors or variations of the same asset, leaving 96 unique items that are not tattoos. That is a fairly large amount. Swatches often don’t just add new shades, but different prints, patterns and textures. No of déjà vu here, they are not items that feel like repeats of other Packs. They follow current fashion trends and are specific to the location setting, Northern Europe. But we can delve into that more in the Conclusion. For now, the items!
The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies CAS Review
Tattoos (49)
Hairstyles (20)
Adult (14)
Feminine (01)
Unisex (13)
*One is a recolor.
*Recolor.
Child (06)
*They are adult hairstyles resized.
Resize.Resize.Resize.Resize.Resize.
Hats (07)
Adult (03)
Child (02)
*They are adult hats resized.
Resize.Resize.
Toddler (02)
*They are adult hats resized.
Resize.Resize.
Accessories (07)
Piercings (01)
Tagged Feminine.
Glasses (03)
*One is a recolor.
Recolor.
Necklaces (03)
Full Body Outfits (24)
Adult (15)
Female (09)
Male (02)
Unisex (04)
Child (04)
Female (02)
Unisex (02)
Infant (02)
Toddler (03)
Female (01)
It’s a child full-body outfit resized.
Resize.
Unisex (02)
*One is a child full-body outfit resized.
Resize.
Tops (28)
Adult (25)
Female (05)
Male (12)
Unisex (08)
Child (03)
Bottoms (15)
Adult
Female (03)
*One is a small variation of the same item.
Variation (visible thong strings).
Male (05)
Unisex (06)
Child (01)
Accessories – Bracelets (04)
Female (02)
Male (02)
Shoes (06)
Female (01)
Male (01)
Unisex (04)
Styled Looks (03)
Female (02)
Male (01)
Our Review
The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies CAS Overview shows that there’s more balance than usual in this Expansion Pack. A lot of masculine content doesn’t feel like unisex outfits that men also get, but, instead, specifically designed for their frame, highlighting current trends in men’s fashion. They really needed new shoes and got five gorgeous pairs. All life stages are included and there is more for children than usual. Plus, the Infant looks are adorable!
Feminine choices are plentiful, still. There’s a lot of elegant clothing and the feel of fit, patterns and materials is upscale, with a strong European flair. Shades and styles are specifically Nordic and, while some Sims DLC seem to echo and repurpose what is already in the game, these offerings don’t. They are fresh and exciting.
Given the Expansion features, we get many tattoos of all kinds and it will be a lot easier to express visually who your sims are through body art. The hats have a more snuggle and flattering fit than usual and accessories give old money. Some of the hairstyles are outstanding, but others are a bit baffling… It seems that in the urge of give us novelty they overshot and a few cuts are too out there.
Overall, this Expansion Pack seemed to try to fill gaps and fufill fan requests and delivered when it comes to Create-a-Sim. It’s also noticeable how the textures have more wrinkles, shadows and subtle wear-and-tear. Not in a way that makes the clothing look old or in poor condition, but, instead, taking away any glossy, plasticky impression and resembling fabric with realism.
Which items were you favorite? And which you didn’t like? Let us know in the comments below or in our Socials. And check us out on the daily, because your hobby is our business! If you are curious about the Buy/Build for Businesses & Hobbies, we have our overview.
The Dreamer and Schemer business alignments from The Sims 4 Businesses and Hobbies Expansion Pack help Sims align their Small Business values with their personal values, no matter how…shifty they may be.
With the Small Business Alignments from The Sims 4 Businesses and Hobbies Expansion Pack, Sims can align their Small Business values with their personal values, no matter how…shifty they may be. Whether it is opening up a mom-and-pop candy shop or running yoga classes at your very own yoga studio, owning a Small Business is something many Sims have always dreamed of doing, but have you ever wondered what kind of Business Owner your Sim would be?
The Sims 4 Small Business Alignments Guide
Get Aligned with the New Small Business Alignments
After your Sim becomes a Small Business Owner, it’s time to consider their business values. Do they want to inspire the community by running an honest and reliable business, or are they planning on separating Sims from their Simoleons through more mischievous actions? Both are possible through the three levels of the Dreamer and Schemer introduced by The Sims 4 Small Business Alignments, but your Sims’ success in their alignment could be influenced their personality traits and way of living.
Dreamer Alignment Path
Through The Sims 4 Small Business Alignments, your Sim can progress through the three levels of the Dreamer Alignment: Lawful, Scrupulous, and Virtuous. These levels each come with their own benefits and drawbacks.
The Sims 4 Small Business Alignments: Lawful
As a kind, but new, pillar of the community, their Small Business will start attracting more Dreamer customers. By greeting customers with the Welcome to Business social interaction, they will get an extra boost in building a customer relationship.
The Sims 4 Small Business Alignments: Scrupulous
At this level, your Sim’s Small Business will have more Happy customers when they provide a great experience. Your Sim can achieve this by having positive social interactions with customers, ensuring there are activities readily available for customers, and curating an aesthetically pleasing environment. Happy customers tend to bring a good mood, often pay more, and will leave positive Customer Reviews.
Your Sim will get invited to join inspirational seminars, plus see an even bigger increase of Dreamers at their Small Business. Sim’s at this level may also start having to make important business decisions that will impact their alignment for the better or worse, so be careful what you pick.
The Sims 4 Small Business Alignments: Virtuous
Once this level is reached, Sims with the Dreamer Alignment will start experiencing some ups mixed with downs having served by the rules for this long. Your Sim will be hit by a surprise due to previous actions they made, and customers will express their opinions on how your Sim has chosen to run their business. By unlocking the Utopian Advocate reward trait, your Sim may feel satisfied or conflicted depending on how their Personality Traits align with running a Dreamer Small Business. Sims with Personality Traits such as Idealist and Good will get along well with Dreamers.
Those close to your Sim may feel ashamed or have a sense of pride, and customers either praise or argue with your Sim. This trait remains after selling their Small Business but disappears if they decide to Rebrand their Small business or run a Schemer Small Business.
There is a chance of your Sim developing a new Fear, making conversations with Schemers slightly uncomfortable.
Fear of Being Judged: Your Sim feels like all eyes are on them, and judging them.
Schemer Alignment Path
Your Sim can progress through the three levels of the Schemer Alignment through the Sims 4 Small Business Alignments: Illicit, Underground, and Nefarious. As with the Dreamer Alignment, these levels each have their own benefits and drawbacks.
The Sims 4 Small Business Alignments: Illicit
That’s the thing about Illicit Alignments: They start attracting more Schemer customers! Make sure to take advantage of this opportunity. Greeting customers with the Welcome to Business social interaction will give them an extra boost in building a customer relationship.
The Sims 4 Small Business Alignments: Underground
Now that their sense of wrong is way down under the ground, your Sim’s Small Business will start getting Happy customers when offering a great experience. These customers bring a good mood, and often pay more than regular customers. They can also count on customers leaving positive Customer Reviews, getting invited to join secret missions, and seeing an even bigger increase of Schemer customers at their Small Business.
Your Sim may also start running into business scenarios that will impact their alignment, so choose wisely.
The Sims 4 Small Business Alignments: Nefarious
Your Sim will start experiencing some ups mixed with downs having run schemes for this long. By unlocking the Supreme Trickster reward trait, your Sim may feel satisfied or conflicted depending on how their Personality Traits align with running a Schemer Small Business. Your Sim will get along with similar Personality Traits like Shady and Kleptomaniac. Those close to your Sim may feel ashamed or have a sense of pride, and customers either praise or argue with your Sim depending on their own values. This trait remains after selling their Small Business but disappears if they decide to Rebrand their Small business or run a Dreamer Small Business.
There is a chance of your Sim developing a new Fear, making conversations with Dreamers a bit awkward and leaving an uneasy feeling when hanging out around them.
Fear of Being Exposed: Running schemes can only go unnoticed for so long. Your Sim is starting to sense that others may be keeping an extra eye on their Small Business. Will they find out? Your Sim suspects those whispers seem to be about them and feels uneasy about it!
Unlocking the Dreamer & Schemer Small Business Alignments
The Sims 4 Small Business Alignments are unlocked as your Sim moves up the perk track as a Small Business owner. Unlocking the dreamer and schemer alignments can be done in a few different ways.
The Dreamer and Schemer Alignments can be unlocked through the following Computer interactions:
Reply to Customer Feedback (Dreamer Alignment)
Post Fake Endorsements (Schemer Alignment)
Competitors:
Tattle on Another Business (Dreamer Alignment)
Steal Ideas from Another Business (Schemer Alignment)
The Dreamer Alignment can also be unlocked through the Share Small Business Tips social interaction under the Small Business interaction menu.
To unlock the first level of the Schemer Alignment, your Sim can also use the Share Small Business Rumor social interaction under the Small Business interaction menu. Your Sim can gain points towards the Schemer Alignment by purchasing the Business Fee Reimbursement Form from Trashley Reelpearson, as well.
This is automatically used from your Sims’ inventory upon opening their Small Business for the day. If approved, your Sim will not have to pay the regular Opening Fee of 75 Simoleons and will earn points towards the next level of the Schemer Alignment. If denied the form will be shredded, but don’t worry. Your Sim can try again the next time they open up shop!
Navigate to the Small Business section of your Sims’ Owned Businesses tab to view their business alignment progress.
Small Business Perks
The Sims 4 Businesses and Hobbies Expansion Pack introduces five Small Business levels available to all Sims: Hopeful Hustle, Striving Startup, Neighborhood Gem, Community Staple, and Local Legend. As your Sim increases their Small Business renown level, they earn Perk Points, which can be used to purchase Small Business Perks and unlock special interactions for the Dreamer and Schemer Small Business Alignments.
Hopeful Hustle Perks
Dreamers can share their Small Business journey to inspire other Sims and strengthen their relationships through the Inspiring Business Story active perk.
Schemers gain the ability to persuade customers to buy any items set out for sale on Retail Displays through the Sway to Buy active perk. Your Sim can also use this interaction to persuade customers to purchase tickets via the Electrono Ticket Kiosk4.0 or the Ingenious Ingvar Ticket Kiosk.
Striving Startup Perks
They say, “You catch more flies with honey…”, and Dreamers truly agree. At this level, Sims with the Dreamer Small Business Alignment can now give Bonuses to their employees. If successful, the employee’s needs will be fulfilled based on the amount of the bonus through the Employee Bonus active perk.
Schemers, on the other hand, gain the dexterity to use image-editing software, allowing them to fake payments for household bills and employee salaries with the Fake Payment active perk.
Neighborhood Gem Perks
Dreamers unlock the Chug the WUTANT active perk, letting your Sim drink a special, off-market energy drink that grants your Sim a much-needed boost, making them highly energized while their needs drain slower for a day, with a guaranteed consequence.
Schemers gain the ability to swipe objects regardless of skills and traits and enter restricted business areas with the White-Collar Robbery active perk. A helpful perk if your Sim is trying to take down a rival business. Sims with this perk can still get caught, so we recommend swiping objects when no other Sim is around.
Community Staple Perks
Dreamers can purchase the Customer Appreciation Day active perk, allowing your Sim to open their Business and set all goods, services, and Entrance Fees to FREE. With this Event, customers are guaranteed to leave Happy after a great customer experience. These can not be held multiple days in a row.
Fraudulent Schemer Sims are now able to “accidentally” start fires on their lot objects and will receive increased payouts on lots where their business can be opened. Your Sim can also start fires on other lots for the fun of it with the Fire Starter active perk. Be careful, though. Once the fire starts, your Sim won’t be able to Extinguish the fire and will have to let it burn for a bit (or call the Fire Department, but that is way less dramatic). If your Sim gets caught starting the fire, make sure they are ready to put up a fight.
Local Legend Perks
Dreamers unlock the Bartering passive perk, allowing customers to offer to pay with rare collectible items from around the Sims world instead of Simoleons. This can be activated and deactivated at a Business Sign, Ticket Kiosk, or Computer.
While their business is open, Schemer Sims at this level will carry around a hidden device that regularly plays a high-pitched noise, forcing some customers nearby to leave after paying the Entrance Fee. New customers will come in, paying the Entrance Fee as well and increasing turnover! The Ultrasonic Whistle is a passive perk that can be deactivated at a Small Business Sign, Ticket Machine, or Computer. This will conflict with the Irresistible Scent perk.
Esteemed Entrepreneur Aspiration
The Sims 4 Businesses and Hobbies Expansion Pack added the Esteemed Entrepreneur Aspiration: a four-level aspiration that brings your Sim on a new business owner’s journey. To excel in this aspiration, your Sim will need to choose their Small Business Alignment. This aspiration unlocks the Beloved Brand Reward Trait. Your Sim will be successful in just about any Small Business venture they try, with guaranteed Happy customers leaving positive reviews. If your Sim is interested in becoming a Dreamer or Schemer, they should check out this aspiration!
Rebrand a Small Business Alignment
If your Sim decides that the Schemer or Dreamer way of life isn’t for them along the way, or if they’ve reached the top and are curious about what the other side is like, they can rebrand their Small Business. This is done by selecting the Rebrand Small Business interaction on the Computer, with a fee of 275 Simoleons, of course.
After rebranding your Sims’ Small Business, the business will return to a Neutral Alignment. Your Sim will be able to rebrand their business again after a short amount of time. The interactions available through purchased Perks will still be available to your Sim.
Pssst…did you also know that you can quickly manipulate The Sims 4 Small Business Reputation using cheats? Click here to learn more!
Have your Sims started down the wrong path and chosen to Rebrand their Small Business? Are they using their Small Business Alignment Perks for good or for evil? Let us know what your Sims are up to and what you think of the new Sims 4 Dreamer and Schemer Small Business Alignments in the comments below!
While the Sims and InZOI are now competitors after the recent launch of InZOI’s Early Access Build, that doesn’t mean they can’t be friends! While the Sims Franchise VP Lyndsay PearsonandInZOI’s Producer and Director Hyungjun “Kjun” Kim have both expressed their excitement to be competitors and the appreciation for each franchise in the past, many fans weren’t expecting congratulations to be shared with the InZOI Early Access Launch that just happened.
InZOI Announces Launch of Early Access Build on X
Just minutes after their launch at 8PM EST on March 27th, InZOI tweeted to announce the availability of their Early Access Build on Steam, celebrating this milestone for the franchise and the genre itself.
This release marks a true competitor entering the genre against The Sims, which has held its place as a truly unique game in the life simulation genre for 25 years. The two will now be competing for space in the genre, with Paralives also planning to make its way in later on this year.
The Sims was not far behind with the Welcome Wagon to congratulate InZOI on their official Early Access Build release and to share some of their famous fruitcake! The Sims Official X account replied just an hour later;
“Sul Sul! We brought fruitcake!”
The fruitcake was welcome and in the early hours of March 28th, InZOI replied back, welcoming the Sims to their celebration and showing off a feast of their own. The Official InZOI X account replied;
“The table was waiting for that final touch. 🍰 Welcome!”
InZOI’s Early Access Build AVAILABLE NOW
InZOI’s Early Access Build is NOW AVAILABLE on Steam for $39.99, with plans in the future for console releases on Xbox and Playstation.
InZOI has higher system requirements than The Sims 4 and previous Sims entries, and you can review the requirements for the game here, as well as the requirements specifically to use SmartZOI, a feature in the game that enables a unique artificial intelligence technology to give ZOI’s more autonomy across their entire city.
What are your thoughts on InZOI’s early access build? You can read both our previous and our upcoming articles regarding InZOI here!
Okay, I’ll just say it – InZOI Creative Studio is addicting. I downloaded the demo thinking, ‘I’ll just check it and mess around for an hour max’. Suddenly, it is 800 hours later (Well, it at least felt like it). If you are curious about what inZOI has in store for creating your dream characters and building dream spaces, this is a black hole of fun, and you will definitely get sucked in.
InZOI Creative Studio Review
Character Creation: The Ultimate Design Playground
Let’s get into the Character studio within the InZOI Creative Studio first because I was honestly speechless. I am a big lover of life simulation and games where I can just be creative, but this one? Speechless. Even though you can choose from plenty of presets, you can do so much more than that. You can sculpt and fine-tune, and your control over every single feature can be overwhelming, but it takes you into a new world.
You have a lot to play around with by freeing your creations. Although, I have already seen someone create a minion, which was quite… Spooky, to say the least. The hairstyles, with their movement, variation and texture, felt like a new level of a game.
The outfit options were endless with many styles, colours and laying possibilities as you can mix and match with everything. It felt liberating to explore the different choices.
Blueprint Studio: Say Goodbye to Your Free Time
Once I was able to finally pull myself away from creating my characters, I dived into the Blueprint Studio, where you design and build your dream place. It was truly immersive and you’ll definitely have some fun with this.
I started off simple with a modern loft, nothing too crazy but I didn’t realise how deep the options go. I went from a loft to designing a luxury villa with a vast living room and a fully decorated garden. I would never leave the perfect paradise.
The controls are intuitive, making it easy for the player to place their furniture exactly how you want it. There are many options for furniture, from grand ornate styles to minimalist Scandinavian designs. You can also customise everything, such as colour, material and texture. If you want a velvet couch with a blue trim, then go for it. A concrete bed? It might be horrible to sleep on, but you go for it. Your only limit is your imagination (also needing the strength to stop changing things all the time).
The Little Details That Make a Big Difference
The little things I noticed really meant something to me as I could tell they paid attention to detail. The lighting system took me some getting used to. It depends on where you place windows, but the way the light hits different textures changes in real time, enhancing the experience. Additionally, the user interface (UI) was easy to navigate and clean, I thought it would be overwhelming but everything is designed to be accessible. It doesn’t matter if you’re a casual player or someone who’s very experienced; anyone can just jump in.
Completely Addictive – Consider Yourself Warned
I hope our readers don’t have other responsibilities because it is easy to fall into this rabbit hole of “Just one more change”; that’s how I fell into Wonderland. If it’s hard now, just imagine how hard it will be when the game is released on early access on March 28th. I am excited to see everyone’s creations and builds, as I am already loving how the community is inspiring and thriving.
Performance: Worth It, But Be Ready
Although I am a big fan of the demo so far, I do have to mention performance, as the demo runs beautifully on high-end PCS; here is the list of requirements in order to run the game:
It is important to remember that the game has a high system requirement, but it is to be expected with a very ambitious game. However, users can play using GeForce Now once the game is released on early access.
Final Verdict: A Must-Try for Creative Souls
Should you try the inZOI Creative Studio? Absolutely! I would highly recommend trying it before the game is released on early access. It gives you the freedom to go above and beyond, and the demo is free for all to download and play until the early access is released. Give it a try; what are you waiting for? The game has big plans for the future, so stay tuned for more news regarding inZOI.
For smarter autonomy you’ll need a pricier graphics card!
The new InZOI Smart ZOI Feature is going to require higher system specifications than what was originally suggested with InZOI Early Access requirements.
The Smart ZOI Feature is an optional, work in progress technology which gives unique autonomy to all Zois across the city. There are different levels to managing the Smart ZOI Feature and choosing which ranges of the City you’re playing should have the feature enabled.
What’s interesting is that the system requirements for the InZOI Smart ZOI feature are very high up there. So high that the highest performance for the Smart ZOI feature will require you to have a Nvidia RTX 5070Ti graphics card. Whose 5000 Graphics card series just released last month!
Find the latest information about the Smart ZOI System Requirements in the official requirements release notes from Krafton:
InZOI Smart ZOI Official Statement
Hello, Creators!
We’re excited to introduce Smart Zoi, an experimental feature that makes Zois more autonomous and intelligent.
Powered by enhanced AI, this feature allows Zois to interact with the world with personality and realism, allowing you to experience simulations of unprecedented quality.
The Smart Zoi feature is still in development, and we plan on further expanding its capabilities.
If you’re interested in being among the first to experience this groundbreaking feature, please refer to the guide below.
Minimum, Medium, Recommended, and High System Requirements for Enabling the Smart Zoi Feature
Our team is continuously working to optimize and improve the game’s performance to allow more players to enjoy Smart Zoi smoothly.
We are also actively exploring ways to lower the minimum system requirements while maintaining a stable gameplay experience.
However, please note that Smart Zoi is still an experimental feature with high system requirements.
As such, we recommend carefully checking your system specifications to ensure the best possible experience.
We will continue to optimize and improve upon this feature to help more players experience its full potential.
Enabling the Smart Zoi Feature
To help players eager to try out Smart Zoi firsthand, we’ve prepared a detailed guide with instructions on how to enable the feature.
Please follow the steps listed below to enable the Smart Zoi feature.
We recommend keeping all other settings unchanged.
Game Options > Gameplay > Enable Smart Zoi > On
Currently Known Issues
To showcase its potential, we are currently offering Smart Zoi as an experimental feature.
To use this feature, you’ll need to enter a prompt using the Zoi Pen, which currently only supports English.
As this feature is still in development, please note that you may also encounter the following issues.
New schedule items may fail to be created if your Zoi goes to bed late.
Creating new journal entries and editing schedule items is temporarily disabled when playback speed is at 5x or higher.
A Zoi’s Inner Thoughts may disappear very quickly during conversations with other Zois.
Having many sleepy Zois (up to five) on-screen after 11 p.m. may cause the game to lag.
Conclusion
Our team remains committed to continuously improving inZOI based on your valuable feedback.
We sincerely appreciate your patience and support and hope you’ll continue to follow inZOI as it continues to grow and evolve.
Thank you again for your continued support.
We look forward to bringing you even more content and improvements throughout Early Access!
Best regards,
The inZOI team
Are you looking forward to playing with the InZOI Smart ZOI features this weekend? InZOI Early Access is set to release on March 28th, 2025. Find out when it’s coming in your area right here!
Stay tuned on Sims Community for all the latest news and information on InZOI’s early access release. We’re just getting started with fresh new coverage!
There are 210 The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies objects featuring the clean, streamlined style of Nordic architecture and interior design, with a touch of Jazz inspiration for select assets and we are going to showcase each of them below, with a Table of Contents, in case you want to jump to something specific.
The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies Objects Catalogue Preview
Buy
Comfort
Living Chairs
Dining Chairs
Loveseats
Beds
Miscellaneous
Surfaces
Coffee Tables
Dining Tables
Accent Tables
Displays
Desks
Plumbing
Sinks
Toilets
Tubs
Activities & Skills
Knowledge
Creative
Outdoor Activites
Miscellaneous
Decorations
Indoor Plants
Paintings and Posters
Mirrors
Window Coverings
Sculptures
Rugs
Fireplaces
Wall Decorations
Clutter
Miscellaneous
Kids
Toys
Kid’s Activities
Lighting
Table Lamps
Floor Lamps
Wall Lights
Ceiling Lamps
Electronics
Computers
Appliances
Kitchen Appliances
Miscellaneous
Storage
Bookshelves
Dressers
Transportation
Small Business
Build
Outdoor Plants
Trees
Stairs
Stair Railings
Fences
Gates
Columns
Spandrels
Wall Sculptures
Windows
Tall
Medium
Short
Doors
Medium
Short
Friezes
Roof Trims
Roof Patterns
Roof Sculptures
Floor and Celing Patterns
Wall Patterns
Styled Rooms
Conclusion
If you love the Ikea style, this is the Pack for you. Lots of wood, simple lines, soft edges and objects feature neutral, pastel and even a few bold swatches, with fun surprises. There are plenty of functional objects and Build mode has enough for you to pull off both classic and modern Nordic homes.
On the business side, the variety and flexibility of signage will make it easy for you to create any establishment you want. If anything is missing would be a bit of more landscaping, since we get a single tree. Other than that, people who like understated elegance and Minimalism will be pleased.
If you want more opinions, check the community reactions. Make sure to add your own to the comment section below or react on our socials. We want to know what are your favorite objects and if the Ikea style is one you like!
Sound effects can often make or break a game which often goes unnoticed by various players, yet it plays a crucial role in making a game world feel immersive and realistic, even if it’s subconscious. Sound effects contribute to a games atmosphere, bringing it to life. Paralives, an upcoming life simulation game, is no exception.
Table of Contents
In a recent TikTok posted by @paralivesgame, fans got a behind the scenes look at how the game’s sound effects are being crafted. Unlike big budget games with large audio teams, Paralives takes a more personal approach. Andrei Castanon is single handedly creating sound effects using a mix of everyday objects he aquired from the dollar store and creative recording techniques.
This look into the sound design process has us appreciate the dedication and thoughtfulness required to produce satisfying audio effects. The techniques used are not just fascinating but also demonstrate how sound engineers can transform ordinary items into essential audio components.
Bringing Paralives to Life with Sound Effects
Every action in a game requires an appropriate sound to make the world feel believable. Instead of relying on generic sound libraries, Paralives aims for originality by recording custom effects that match the game’s unique, cartoony style. The TikTok video shows us some of the innovative ways sound is being captured for the game.
1. Leather Jacket as Terrain Manipulation Sound Effects
One of the most interesting techniques involves using a leather jacket and drumsticks to create the sound effect for terrain manipulation. By lightly tapping the leather with the drumsticks, Andrei Castanon produces a sound that corresponds to the movement of the ground being manupulated in game. This super cool method ensures that the terrain sounds in Paralives have a satisfying, natural quality rather than sounding artificial.
Making of Sound Effects via @paralivesgame on TikTok
2. Fishbowl Rocks and Metal Takeout Tins for Path Creation Sound Effects
Another unique approach involves using fishbowl rocks and dirt inside a metal takeout tin to replicate the sound of paths being created in the game. In combination with the aquarium rocks and dirt, a hammer is also used against a microphone with a cover, which is then fine tuned, layered and mixed to compliment in game pathmaking. Andrei meticulously tests these sounds, adjusting them as needed to ensure they blend seamlessly with the in game visuals.
In life simulation games, footsteps play a significant role in creating an immersive experience. A large spectrum of shoes need to be represented to fit with all of the in game shoe options. To achieve this, Andrei wears different types of shoes such as high heels, socks, sneakers, and even goes barefoot while walking on various surfaces. While recording each of the various differences between materials, ensuring that the sounds match the environment :
Sneakers to create a soft rubbery squeak on smooth floors as a para comes home from work.
Barefoot steps have a more muted, natural pad like sound for a para walking around a pool.
Heels produce sharp, distinct clicks on hard surfaces for a para on a night in the town.
Socks create a muffled, almost silent footstep for a para going for a midnight snack.
Capturing Authentic Door Sound Effects
Another small yet crucial detail in Paralives’ sound design is the sound of doors opening and closing. Instead of using pre made sound effects which can be found in any sound library, Andrei records real doors to ensure authenticity. The creak of various doors in Andrei’s house the game world feel real.
Why Sound Effects Matter in Paralives
Many players focus on visuals or live / build mode mechanics which we have covered here, but audio plays an equally vital role in shaping the gaming experience. Without proper sound design, a game can feel lifeless and disconnected. Paralives took a handcrafted approach, ensuring that every sound effect is tailored to match the game’s cartoonish aesthetic and mechanics.
What makes this process even more impressive is that it’s being handled and mixed by Andrei in his house! While larger game studios have entire teams dedicated to audio design, Paralives relies on a small and passionate team, proving that creativity and attention to detail will make all the difference.
This look behind the scenes highlights the dedication and creativity involved in Paralives’ development. With a small number of people creating subtle yet important effects, it’s impressive to see how much care goes into making every detail sound just right.
Unlike its competitors, The Sims 4 and the upcoming inZOI, Paralives has a uniquely personal connection with its developers. As an indie game, it relies on it’s team that engages directly with fans via their Discord which can be found on their website, shaping the game based on community feedback. This community driven approach makes players even more excited for its early access release in 2025 which we covered in this article, knowing they are part of something built with genuine passion and creativity.
With the release of InZOI’s Early Access Build less than two days away, a Steam forum post drew up concerns regarding the usage of an Anti-Tamper program in the build.
Moderator of the Denuvo Games group lukaself expressed concerns on March 24th, indicating that the build was using Denuvo Anti-Tamper without disclosure on the Steam page, noting that not disclosing it violated regulations in multiple countries regarding the disclosure of Denuvo and similar technologies. The moderator discovered this as the build attempted to connect to an IP associated with Denuvo.
The usage of Denuvo Anti-Tamper undisclosed, as it originally was not listed on InZOI’s Steam page, violates regulations like California’s AB-2426, which protects against false advertising to consumers in regards to digital products.
Shortly thereafter, on March 26th, the producer and director of InZOI Hyungjun “Kjun” Kim released an announcement on the official InZOI discord.
Hello, This is Kjun, Producer & Director of inZOI.
Recently, we’ve seen growing concern around the implementation of the Denuvo anti-tamper solution in inZOI. While we wanted to respond as quickly as possible, we also felt it was important to approach the issue with care—consulting with teams from around the world to make a thoughtful and informed decision. We sincerely apologize for the delay in providing this official response.
To address the most important point: We have decided to remove Denuvo from the Early Access build of inZOI.
We initially chose to implement Denuvo as a way to protect the game from illegal distribution. At the time, we believed this would help ensure fairness for players who had properly purchased the game. However, after taking a closer look at community feedback, we quickly realized that this approach did not align with what our players wanted. Our initial application of Denuvo on our main development build made it so that the inZOI: Creative Studio demo build, a branch from the main build, was also applied with the same anti-tamper. Unfortunately, we failed to properly inform our players of this application during the demo period, and we sincerely apologize for that oversight. We understand that removing Denuvo increases the risk of the game being cracked and illegally distributed after release. At the same time, we believe it opens up a valuable opportunity: it allows inZOI to become more freely configurable—unlocking new ways for players to shape new experiences for other players. We believe enabling this freedom from the very beginning will lead to innovative and long-lasting enjoyment for the community. As I mentioned during the Online Showcase, we are committed to making inZOI a highly moddable game. Our first stage of official mod support will launch in May, allowing players to use tools like Maya and Blender to create custom content. But this is only the beginning. Over time, we plan to expand mod support across more areas of the game, so you can customize and enhance your experience in many different ways. With the removal of Denuvo, we hope to foster an even more open environment for modders to create and share unique experiences for other players. (More information on modding will be shared in a separate post.) Throughout this process, we’ve come to understand that Denuvo could negatively impact the player experience far more than we originally anticipated. As a development team committed to putting players first, the decision to remove the anti-tamper solution became a clear one. We will continue to prioritize your feedback and make well-informed decisions throughout our Early Access development. We want to sincerely apologize for not aligning more closely with player expectations on this sensitive issue. We regret the concern and confusion this has caused within the community, and we’re committed to rebuilding your trust as we move forward in developing the best possible experience. Thank you so much for your continued love and support. Please keep sharing your feedback, as it truly helps us make inZOI better for everyone.
Sincerely, Kjun
What do you think of the usage of Denuvo Anti-Tamper and other anti-cheat programs in video games?
Going into its 11th year, The Sims 4 has released 18 Expansions, 12 Game Packs, 20 Stuff Packs and 40 Kits, totaling 90 (!) available DLCs. With so much, going back a whole decade, it’s easy for a few gems to get buried. But fret not, because we have gone through all of them and present you the 7 most underrated The Sims 4 DLCs!
Find out which are the The 7 Most Underrated The Sims 4 DLCs you might be sleeping on. We tell you how this Expansion, Game and Stuff Packs and Kits are the most bang for your buck.
Most Underrated The Sims 4 DLCs
The Most Underrated Buy Kit
1920s meet 2020s in Modern Luxe (full review), which updates Art Deco to current times. Opulent golden accents combined with earthier tones, harsh straight lines mixed with freely designed curves and metal frames covered in plush materials. Jazz and Hip Hop remixed into the perfect bedroom!
Most kits do not contain new gameplay, but Modern Luxe features a vanity table, with new animations and make-up interactions. They were introduced in the Vintage Glamour Stuff Pack and are also included in the Secret Sanctuary Kit, but, if you don’t have those, this Kit adds that extra gameplay value.
Creator Xureila partnered with The Sims for this Kit and made sure to deliver on community requests, like decorative pillows, a glass shelf that slots bigger items than most shelves, a decorative purse and its contents, curtains with different heights and a separate rod, inclusive art and an exquisite light fixture. Everything to make the space feel cozy and lived-in.
The Most Underrated Stuff Pack
The Moschino Stuff Pack collaboration (full review) might have been scoffed at, but it added one of the most useful tools to capture images in-game. Your sims have a variety of poses for either individual or group photo shoots, including different ages, in many moods. There are plenty of backdrops and an array of very good lighting fixtures to achieve a professional look. You can take several staged pictures for family portraits, wedding albums or simply to showcase your favorite sims. Whether cool, sexy, sad, goofy or smoldering, that perfect photograph is just a few easy clicks away.
And, while that is the big selling point, it is a solid Stuff Pack overall. The photographer freelance gigs are fun. The furniture and decór have a strong identity and a good mix of swatches, from bold, graphic and plaid patterns to neutrals, within a British Alt-Rock aesthetic. Industrial loft windows and doors are stand-outs. The hairstyles are slick and, of you play with colors and swatches, the feminine fashion can result in catwalk-ready looks. The only real misfire is that the masculine clothing isn’t at the same level, although the boots are to die for.
The Most Underrated Hybrid Kit
There are only two Kits that combine Buid/Buy and Create-a-Sim, therefore, it’s, at first, strange to justify this category. But don’t sleep on the Don Lothario-inspired Kit, Casanova Cave (full review), because it delivers in a area The Sims 4 really struggles with: masculine clothing. Usually, most CAS offering are heavily feminine-focused, with a lot of the masculine clothing just being gender-neutral. The only other kit focused on masculine fashion, Modern Menswear Kit, also featured gender-bending items.
Not Casanova Cove, with options for everyday, formal, athletic, party and sleep wear, including shoes and accessories decidedly traditionally masculine, just out of a James Bond film, with a few bolder swatches here and there for the Don Lothario flair.
The Build/Buy is also inspired, with a giant projector TV – beautifully animated – a mini-fridge, a game table, one of the best bars we’ve seen and lots of Mid-Century Modern items for that bachelor pad. You get enough bang for your buck for what is just a Kit.
The Most Underrated Game Pack
Compared to other Game Packs, Jungle Adventure (full review) feels like an Expansion. Selvadorada is an immersive world, where sims can roam large areas without a loading screen, exploring the wild, crossing rope-bridges over cliffs, with beautiful waterfalls, rivers and ancient ruins. All sorts of critters and animals, like snakes, are in their natural habitat.
While you look for, collect and deal ancient artifacts through digging dirt piles and finding treasure chests, you advance the Archeology Skill. It will come in handy when you can come across hidden temples, full of traps and danger. Unlike Strangerville, that once completed, there’s little incentive to try again, every visit to Selvadorada resets and changes pathways and a total of five different temples may be found, one per trip.
As you gather relics, you can fuse them with refined crystals and forge Mystic Relics, unleashing blessing and curses. And the supernatural goes further, as you might bump into Skeletons, a new life state. Don’t be scared. They can help out with housework and looking after the children and, as you master Mystic relics, you might even turn yourself or other into Skeletons for a few days and get rid of those pesky needs, like hygiene, hunger, energy or bladder, that bother the living.
However, even if you are just looking for rest and relaxation, Selvadorada is a vacation world, where you can go to take a break and the grind can hit pause. New music and food compliment the exotic environment and will suit a honeymoon, a family vacation or just a change of pace from work and house chores. Learn the Selvadoradian Culture Skill, salute like a local, discover local myths, access secret food and drinks and master a new Dance, Rumbasim!
Build/Buy is gorgeous, colorful and elaborate and the same attention was paid when crafting Create-a-Sim, featuring options across genders and ages, celebrating Latin-American culture. Hand-painted details adorn every aspect of this pack, infused with culture and heritage.
The Most Underrated Build Kit
The Castle Estate (full review) kit contains no Buy objects and is solely focused on building. Still, as you can see in the picture above, for what is just a Kit, you can fairly simply construct you dream Medieval Castle. Doors, exterior trims, fencing, floor covering, friezes, spandrels, stairs, wall covering and windows come together beautifully and there is a lot of variety in swatches so your castle can look brand-new or weathered by the centuries.
It includes traditional fairy-tale aesthetics and darker, Gothic palettes, suiting different moods. Regardless if you want to live in a Royal home, create a museum or wedding venue, it’s impressive that a single kit was able to put together everything you need to erect a magnificent estate.
The Most Underrated Create-A-Sim Kit
Out of the 40 Kits released so far, only one contains clothing and accessories for both children and adults: Throwback Fit (complete overview). Children are really underserved, and the only other Kit featuring Create-a-Sim items for kids is First Fits, which most don’t think is underrated. The very first CAS kit, Throwback Fit, has a great variety of clothing, not only age-wise, but in styles.
While primarely a workout clothing collection, many items are exactly that kind of elevated sportswear taking the fashion trends by storm right now, in all sorts of social settings. Think of Zendaya in the Challengers press tour. The swatches go from extremely saturated to pastels and neutrals, with different prints and patterns for each asset, allowing for maximum versatily.
The Most Underrated Expansion Pack
While Expansion Packs like Cats & Dogs, Seasons or Business & Hobbies are easy to understand, Get Together (full review) isn’t. Marred by a confusing marketing campaign, most players do not realize it is one that has the most to offer and really adds a lot of flexibility and gameplay. Your sims can learn the Dance skill and dominate the dancefloor, performing show-off moves, entering dance battles or presenting elaborate group routines. They can also learn to DJ and have that side hustle. If clubbing isn’t your scene, you can go to a cozy coffee shop and order treats or meet up at a pub for beers, where you can play foosball, darts, Don’t Wake The Llama or challenge someone at the arcade machine.
Met that someone special? Take it to the closet, for one of the top woo-hoo animations or keep it down-low, doing it in the bushes. With so much to do, you’ll need to unwind, perhaps at the natural pools. Once you get your energy back up again, climb on the diving board and try out several kinds of jumps. And, as the party starts back up, people cuddle and play around the bonfire, even performing fire tricks.
It’s a lot and we have not even mentioned the main feature of the Expansion yet. Clubs. And while it’s fun to unlock perks, learn handshakes, cultivate rivalries and coordinate outfits, Clubs make gameplay so much more fun! Having trouble meeting that someone new? Why not create a Club full of single sims interested in romance? Family gatherings including different households? Easy and fun with clubs. Your house is dirty? Create a club to clean it. For free! School friends, co-workers, gym buddies.
There are no limits to how flexible it is and the options are always updated to add activities from new Packs. You can tell sims what do do and that makes any gathering practical. It is probably one of the expansions that changes the game at the most fundamental level.
Moreover, Winderburg, the German-inspired world, is one of the largest and most beautiful, offering three distinctive neighborhoods: a modern downtown area, the quaint countryside and a ready-for-rave island. Build and Buy are vast, with ultra-modern neon glass and steal aesthetics on one hand and traditional European architecture and interior design on another.
Finally, Create-a-Sim also offers a lot, both for masculine and feminine fashion preferences, with several unique items for each. Children also get quite a bit, including exclusive hairstyles that are not repeats of the adult versions. Either you want fresh, sexy club attire or posh, old money ensembles, Get Together got you covered, with many of the styles from a decade ago back in fashion again.
Well, that is our list. Comment below or in our Socials if there are other The Sims 4 DLCs you find underrated.
Now that we get to enjoy The Sims 4: Businesses and Hobbies, The Sims 4’s newest expansion pack, there’s tons of innovative ways to design tattoos. In addition to all the ways our blog has previously mentioned, there is a great, innovative new way to create and design tattoos with The Sims 4 on iPad! I was really excited to hear from social media posts (which will be shared below) that using an iPad and Apple Pencil, Simmers’ can enjoy designing tattoos from their iPad. I am going to be breaking down how to do this, what’s required in order to do this, and how it went when I tried it. Let’s get into it!
I will say, there is quite a few hefty requirements that require devices not everybody who regularly plays The Sims 4 has if you want to use an Apple Device. With this being said, I will share a variety of ways as they come out to try and make this accessible to more people by attempting to use other ways to do this other than just Apple Devices. Not everybody has an apple device, and that’s okay!
Stated below is the list of requirements needed to achieve this:
An Apple Device that has MacOS
An iPad with Apple Pencil compatibility
Apple Pencil
Note: If you are interestedin purchasing an Apple Device specifically for this purpose, I have seen some very good deals at the Apple Refurbished Store/Website.
Apple Device Instructions
Courtesy of ropesimmer via X, we found the idea of using an iPad to design tattoos in The Sims 4. Thank you ropesimmer for your work, we appreciate your discovery.
Omg I synchronized my Ipad pro to my laptop and now I can draw on sims with my Apple Pencil 😭🤍 pic.twitter.com/nWDUT3ykCj
Note: You will need to have an iPad and MacOS device that meet the requirements of this method.
How to connect The Sims 4 with iPad
Launch The Sims 4, go to Create A Sim (CAS), and get into the tattoo editor.
Get out your fully charged iPad, and get out your MacOS Device, powering it on!
Go to your Control Center via MacOS, and select “Screen Mirroring”
Once you click “Screen Mirroring”, select your iPad.
Once you select your iPad as a device, ensure that the mode is set to “Screen Mirroring”
There you have it! It’s pretty simple. If you have any additional concerns or need any general advice, please comment below and we will get back to you.
Testing the Ropes: My Initial Thoughts
I tested this method the other night and it honestly went pretty well, all things considered. I did experience some bugs launching The Sims 4 with my iPad already connected as I launched the game via my MacBook. So I decided to screen mirror once I was already in Create A Sim and in the tattoo mode.
Additionally, I experienced some bugs with the Apple Pencil not knowing whether or not it should click the screen, causing my Sim to spin frequently if I did not draw very carefully. Other than that, these were the only two things I personally noticed.
My Final Thoughts
If you are genuinely interested in designing tattoos in The Sims 4 on iPad, and you already have the equipment for it, I would say definitely go for this option! It’s fun, clever, and opens the door for a lot of opportunity for potential. I recommend this for Simmers like this, but if you are looking to purchase the equipment for this specific reason, I personally wouldn’t recommend it. At this current time, unless someone finds a super good deal, or a hand-me-down computer, I am not sure if it is worth it. But, the choice is always yours.
If you are looking for The Sims 4 Businesses and Hobbies content, check out our other articles!
Have you ever felt that your sims accomplish their aspirations too quickly, leaving them without purpose midway through their lives? I know I have. There’s something deeply unsatisfying about watching your Sim reach their ‘lifetime’ goal before they’ve even had their first grey hair. If your’e nodding along, I’ve got some fantastic news for you!
The ‘Lifetime Aspirations Reworked’ mod by NeedCoffee4That (NC4T) is about to revolutionize the way you play The Sims 4. This brilliant mod transforms aspirations into genuine lifetime goals that will keep your Sims striving and thriving throughout their entire adult lives.
Let’s dive into what makes this mod a game-changer for Sims 4 enthusiasts like us!
The Sims 4 Mod: Lifetime Aspirations Reworked Walkthrough
What are Lifetime Aspirations
The vanilla Sims 4 aspiration system is fun, but let’s be honest – it’s a bit too easy. Complete a few simple tasks, and suddenly your Sim has achieved their life’s dream before they’ve even paid off their starter home. Not exactly the gameplay experience we’re looking for, right?
NC4T’s mod flips this concept by introducing true Lifetime Aspirations. These aren’t your typical tiered goals that can be knocked out in a couple of Sim weeks. Instead, they’re substantial, single-goal aspirations designed to take most of your Sim’s adult life to complete.
The Sims 4 Mod Key Features That Will Transform Your Gameplay
Substantial Single Goal Aspirations:
Gone are the days of tiered goals that feel like a checklist. The Lifetime Aspirations Reworked mod replaces them with one major, challenging goal that requires dedication and persistence.
For example, instead of becoming a ‘Friend of the World’ by making a handful of friends, your Sim might need to form 30 friendships throughout their lifetime – a goal that is genuinely worthy of the term ‘lifetime aspiration.’
The rewards? A whopping 5,000 satisfaction points, and the ‘fulfilled’ trait, which gives your Sim a permanent happy moodlet. Now that’s what I call a reward worth working for!
Impressive Variety Of Aspirations:
One of the most remarkable aspects of this mod is the sheer volume of aspirations available. According to the Sims After Dark website, there are a staggering 192 different lifetime aspirations to choose from! This incredible variety ensures that no matter what kind of Sim you’re playing or what storyline you’re crafting, there’s a perfect aspiration to match.
These aspirations are thoughtfully organized into categories that cover every aspect of Sim life:
Nature: For Sims who love the outdoors, fishing, collecting, and herbalism.
Popular: For social butterflies seeking fame, friendship, and romance
Fortune: For ambitious Sims focused on wealth and career success
Knowledge: For bookworms and intellectuals pursuing academic excellence
Athletic: For sports enthusiasts and physical fitness devotees
Deviance: For mischievous Sims who like to bend the rules
Family: For Sims who prioritize raising children and building a legacy
Food: For culinary experts and wellness gurus
Creativity: For artists, writers, and performers
Occult: For supernatural Sims with extraordinary abilities.
Love: For hopeless romantics and soulmates seeking long-lasting relationships
Animal: For animal enthusiasts dedicated to nurturing animals and raising livestock
Location: For Sims aspiring to embrace the culture, lifestyle, and uniqueness of their chosen home
Wellness: For Sims dedicated to inner peace, mindfulness, and self-care
Teen: For younger Sims navigating adolescence and finding their identity
Elder: For seasoned Sims reflecting on their legacy and enjoying retirement
Ghost: For Sims who have passed on and now embrace life beyond the living
For the complete list of all 192 aspirations and goals, check out the detailed compilation at Sims After Dark.
Elder Specific Goals
Let’s talk about something that’s always bothered me – the lack of purpose for Elderly Sims. Once they retire, what’s left for them to do besides wait for the Grim Reaper?
NC4T’s mod brilliantly addresses this with a new ‘Elder’ category featuring aspirations specifically tailored for your senior Sims. These goals are perfectly suited to this life stage and give your older Sims meaningful objectives to pursue.
Complete an Elder aspiration, and your Sim earns 2,000 satisfaction points plus the ‘Young At Heart’ trait. This fantastic trait reduces exhaustion and lowers the chance of death from overexertion – perfect for those active seniors!
Even better, if your Elder Sim already completed a Lifetime Aspiration, they’ll receive the ‘Fulfilled Life’ trait, giving them peace with their mortality. It’s these thoughtful touches that make this mod so special.
Ghost Aspirations (Yes, You Read That Right!)
Death is no longer the end of aspirations in your Sims’ world. The mod introduces and ‘Ghost’ category with aspirations specifically for Ghost Sims.
These spectral goals reward 2,000 satisfaction points and contribute to a ‘Souls Journey,’ adding a whole new dimension to afterlife gameplay. I’ve personally found this feature adds an unexpected layer of storytelling possibilities to my game.
How Does This Mod Enhance Long-Term Gameplay?
The vanilla Sims 4 aspiration system sometimes feels like it was designed for short gameplay sessions rather than the long, multi-generational stories many of us love to create. NC4T’s mod fixes this issue by:
Encouraging long-term planning – You’ll find yourself mapping out your Sims entire life rather than just their next few days.
Adding genuine challenge – These aspirations can’t be completed in a single sitting, making achievements feel more rewarding.
Creating more realistic life paths – Real-life aspirations take years to achieve; now your Sims’ goals reflect that reality.
Providing purpose at every life stage – From young adults to elders and even ghosts, every Sim has meaningful goals to pursue.
Why This Mod Is A Gamechanger
I’ve been playing with this mod for ages and I can honestly say it’s transformed my Sims 4 experience. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching my Sims work toward meaningful goals throughout their lives rather than hopping from one quick aspiration to another.
The Elder aspirations have been particularly impactful. My senior Sims now have purpose beyond just visiting their grandchildren and gardening. They’re completing their bucket lists, mentoring younger Sims and truly making the most of their golden years.
And don’t get me started on the Ghost aspirations! Who knew death could be just another chapter in your Sims story? The ability to continue pursuing goals beyond the grave adds an unexpected depth to gameplay that I never knew I needed.
Final Thoughts: Is This Mod Worth It
If you’re looking to breathe new life into your Sims 4 experience, the Lifetime Aspirations Reworked mod by NC4T is absolutely worth downloading. It addresses one of the game’s shortcomings – the lack of truly challenging, long-term goals – and does so with creativity and attention to detail.
Whether you’re a legacy player who loves multi-generational storytelling or someone who simply wants more challenging gameplay, this mod delivers! The thoughtful additions for Elders, Ghosts, and Occult Sims make it clear that NC4T understands what players want from The Sims 4.
So, what are you waiting for? Give your Sims the gift of purpose with this amazing mod. Your virtual families will thank you!
There has been much talk recently of cars in The Sims 4. They’ve been a requested feature since release, but the vocal outcry for their return seems to have reached a fever pitch recently. It makes sense. Over the past decade we’ve seen all kinds of content come to the game, both old and new concepts, but cars have remained set dressing. Something that is a part of our everyday lives still has yet to be featured in the game. It’s a massive part of realism that is sorely missing.
Any time someone mentions wanting cars in The Sims 4, one of the first responses is along the lines of, “how would they even work since the game isn’t open world?” To answer that question, we simply need to look into the past. Follow me on this journey looking at the history of cars in The Sims franchise.
Table of Contents
Cars in The Sims
The first series of the game featured vehicles, but not in any ownable capacity. In the base game, they solely existed as a carpool to ferry your sims to and from work or school. It wasn’t until the third expansion pack, Hot Date, that they added a different type of vehicle, the taxicab.
This expansion added community lots to the series, so for the first time ever, your sims needed a way to travel to other lots. A nice detail was that each following expansion added a different vehicle depending where you were traveling.
Overall, the vehicles in The Sims were minor and only used for realism purposes. Instead of having your sims walk off lot and disappear to the places they were going, the vehicles acted as visual vessels to make it feel more real. They were also one of the more annoying parts of The Sims. Whenever someone blocked the road the cars would honk… and honk… and honk until the sim finally moved.
Not the greatest example of cars in The Sims, but still better than what we have currently in The Sims 4.
Cars in The Sims 2
This is where cars in the Sims get interesting. The jump from what we had in The Sims to what he had in The Sims 2 was tremendous. The base game included the same carpool/school bus system as the original game. The biggest difference was that NPC characters also had unique vehicles that they would arrive to your lot with. Firetrucks, ambulances, grocery delivery trucks, maid vans, etc. There was quite the variety, but like before, these were just visual vessels to increase the realism and had no impact on gameplay.
That all changed with the second expansion pack, Nightlife. This was the grand introduction of ownable cars in The Sims. The biggest benefit was faster travel–no longer waiting for a taxi to arrive. Not only that, but they were also fully interactive and offered new gameplay as well. We’re only at the second game in the series, but this iteration of cars in The Sims is actually the best they’ve ever been. In a closed world, single lot system, no less. So no, you don’t need an open world for cars in The Sims to work.
Gameplay Features
You could have your sims ‘take a spin’ which would increase their energy, comfort, and fun needs. They would disappear off the lot with the car only to arrive a little while later, no need to actually travel to another lot.
If you didn’t want your sim’s carpool to arrive every day, you could set your sim as the owner of the car, and they would drive themselves to work. You could have them drive their kids to school as well.
As cars are an expensive object, they were big hits for burglars. To protect yourself, you could have a car alarm installed. This alarm would trigger any time a burglar was near the car automatically alerting the police.
Sims had the ability to sit in the car, and while doing so, they had a few options. They could play with the lights, listen to the stereo, socialize with others inside, or even woohoo.
The seventh expansion pack, FreeTime, added even more gameplay to cars by introducing the junker. This was a broken down, rusted, torn apart hunk of junk that your sims could restore. The best part is that two sims could work on it together as there were two options; work on engine or work on body. Once the car was fully restored, you then chose a color scheme to paint it.
Minor Details
In the last expansion for Sims 2, Apartment Life, you had the option to buy a helicopter. The functionality was the same, but you would need a Helipad instead of a driveway. The purpose was to show the incredible wealth of your sims.
Another important thing to note about cars in The Sims 2 is just how detailed they were. Aside from everything previously mentioned, the animations were exquisite. Sims would actually open the doors and get in or out. They would open doors for pets to get in and out as well. The car would actually drive in and out of the driveway before driving down the street. It was a level of detail that won’t be seen again in the next game.
Cars in The Sims 3
Open world. All lots loaded at once. Traveling anywhere at any time. This should have been the height of cars in The Sims, but it really isn’t. While cars were a lot more necessary in The Sims 3 to get from place to place quickly, they paled in comparison to what was previously available in The Sims 2. Almost all gameplay from them was removed.
Removed Features
Sims could no longer sit in the vehicle when it was parked. No more listening to the stereo, socializing in a car, playing with the lights, or…. Woohoo. No. More. Car. Woohoo. It was a travesty.
You couldn’t take a car for a spin to increase motives. Setting the owner of the car wouldn’t prevent the carpool from arriving. You could no longer install an alarm in the car either. To prevent a car from being stolen, you needed to install security alarms around your house instead.
There really was zero gameplay involved with cars in The Sims 3 aside from a sim driving from lot to lot. Even then, I found this to be a net negative because in a closed world setting like Sims 2, your sim would travel from lot to lot and not lose any time. In Sims 3 you’d sometimes waste several in-game hours waiting for your sim to drive between lots.
Gameplay Features
The first bit of gameplay involving cars came in the second stuff pack, Fast Lane Stuff. This stuff pack was focused fully on motor heads and introduced twelve new cars. The only bit of new gameplay, however, was the new Vehicle Enthusiast Trait (which was eventually added into a patch and not limited to pack owners.) This trait added very little gameplay. It mostly just made it easier to build relationship with vehicles–because yes, that was something that existed in The Sims 3.
The fourth expansion pack, Generations, added another minor morsel of gameplay involving cars. With this pack installed, adult sims were able to teach teen sims how to drive. They would take them for a drive a few times, and then the teens were able to drive on their own.
It wasn’t until the very end of support for this series that cars in The Sims 3 finally had some gameplay added to them. And I mean the very tail end for The Sims 3. Roaring Heights, the final world released in The Sims 3 Store, released around seven months after the announcement of The Sims 4. Each world came with at least one new gameplay item, and for Roaring Heights it was a fixer-upper car with identical restoration gameplay from The Sims 2 FreeTime. Once the car was restored, it also reintroduced several gameplay aspects from the cars in The Sims 2.
With this restored car–and only in this restored car–sims could sit in it and socialize, listen to the radio, watch the stars, make out, and woohoo. But again, it was only with this car. None of that gameplay was retroactively added to any other car in the game.
Minor Details
There was a huge variety of cars to choose from in The Sims 3 from motorcycles to hovercars to moving trucks. You could unlock your own fire truck or police cruiser through different careers as well. They were vastly different in looks, but all functioned exactly the same. Here is a picture of some, but not all, of the cars in The Sims 3.
The animations with cars in The Sims 3 were also massively downgraded. Sims no longer opened the doors to get in or out, they teleported. The car no longer drove down the driveway to get to the road, it teleported. Cars in The Sims 2 also teleported at times. For instance, if the driveway didn’t connect to the road, then the car would teleport to it. In Sims 3, however, the car always teleported to the road no matter what. Cars in The Sims 3 never reached anywhere near the level of quality of the cars in The Sims 2.
Moral of the story, cars don’t need an open world to be worthwhile.
Cars in The Sims 4
We’re now back to having closed worlds with single lots loaded at one time. The way things were when cars in The Sims were at their best. However, unlike The Sims 2, The Sims 4 has open world style public areas surrounding each lot. With the way they’ve designed the open neighborhoods, there are quite a few lots that are not connected to any type of road system. There are entire neighborhoods that lack any roads at all.
It is most likely this reason that cars in The Sims 4 are just set dressing thus far. Neighborhoods that have roads will sometimes have various vehicles driving along them. Cars will frequently be parked along the curb or in decorative parking lots around the world. They’ve even gone so far as creating exhaust coming from some of the decorative cars as they drive by. Even so, ownable cars are not a feature in The Sims 4.
But are they coming?
It’s a feature that has been largely asked for since the game launched. We’ve had a ton of concepts from past games return while also having a lot of new concepts introduced as well. Being over a decade into the game, it’s hard to imagine how many new or returning concepts they can introduce before they run out of ideas and need to turn to cars for inspiration.
The Future
We’ve seen recently through various pack concept surveys that cars in The Sims 4 are something they are heavily considering in various ways. It seems a good bet that they’re coming, it’s just a matter of how soon and in what capacity. Based on the various survey concepts, it seems they’re going to be a lot more involved than they’ve ever been before. However, based on the nature of animations in The Sims 4, I think we can all safely assume they’ll have the same teleporting factor from The Sims 3.
So, what do you think? Will we be seeing cars in The Sims 4 sometime soon?
With the release of the Businesses and Hobbies expansion pack for the Sims 4, a whole world of possibilities has been opened for entrepreneurial Sims everywhere! From Sulani to Del Sol Valley, any sim with a dream (and a few simoleons in the bank) can make their small business idea a reality. This guide will walk you through the process of how to open and run a small business in the Sims 4.
Guide Contents
Coming up with a Business Idea
Starting a business can be a lot of work for your sim, so why not help motivate them by making it something they’re passionate about? For example, an animal enthusiast sim might enjoy running a cat café or petting zoo, whilst an athlete may have more enthusiasm for opening a gym.
There’ an abundance’s a lot of cross-pack compatibility within the options for small businesses, so there’s plenty of scope to be creative with your ideas.
Creating a Small Business Venue
Once you have finalised your business idea, it’s time to set up the perfect venue. Businesses can be run on community lots, small business venue lots, or your sim’s own residential lot. These can be bought through the phone or computer, or you can simply move a sim to a new lot through the ‘manage worlds’ menu.
Your sim’s venue will need to contain all the objects and different areas they need to carry out all their business activities, as well as other amenities that make the space nicer, and perhaps offer more variation for customers.
For example, my sim Athena has created a space for their bookshop on a residential business lot. Their flat is located on the first floor, with the ground floor offering a space for a variety of activities that they want to offer. This includes an area to browse/buy books, a space for mentoring sims who want to learn to write their own books, a little coffee area to sit, read and drink coffee, as well as a bathroom so sims can stay for as long as they like without their needs decaying too much.
Once your venue is set up, you can zone each area to control who can access it. Athena’s lot, being a residential business lot, needs separate zones for their flat, the bookshop, and behind the counter at the café. Their flat is, of course, residential, the main shop area is public, and behind the counter is employee-only.
Finally, you must make sure you place a ticket kiosk near the door so customers have somewhere to pay!
Registering your Small Business
Finally, your business is ready to open! Registering your business will require a one-time fee of §750. You can find the option to pay this either under the ‘business’ tab in your sim’s phone, the ‘small business’ tab on the computer, by clicking on the ticket kiosk in the business venue, or in the ‘owned businesses’ tab at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
This will take you to a screen where you will get to assign your business name, logo, activities, price, and target customers.
When selecting activities, try to be diverse! Customers are more likely to come if there are a few different options of things to do. If you want to sell craftables or other items, select ‘browse and buy items’ as one of the activities, and place items on the business racks, shelves and pedestals that come as part of the expansion pack. These can be found under the ‘small business’ category in the build menu.
Entrance fees can be set to one-time, hourly, or disabled altogether. Consider the sort of business you have and what would suit it best. You can also modify the price higher or lower, from -50% to +100%. Setting the modifier higher will earn you more simoleons, but could deter customers who don’t want to pay so high a price.
Finally, set your target customers. This will effect who visits your business, and can be a really useful step in shaping a business to be exactly how you want it, but can also limit your customer base too much if you’re not careful! Customer criteria can be required or optional, and include financial status, career, and skill level.
As Athena wants a wide customer base for their bookshop, the only criteria I selected was the trait ‘bookworm’, set as not required. Other businesses, such as a werewolf fight club or a nightclub would function better with required criteria such as occult or age.
After registering your business, you’re ready to open! Select ‘open’ from the business management menu at the bottom of your screen, or by clicking on the ticket kiosk.
Growing Your Business
Now your business is open, it’s time to start earning simoleons and working towards improving your business. This can be done by ensuring customers are happy, increasing your business renown and obtaining small business perks.
Customer Reviews
Customer satisfaction is key in increasing your business renown! Items such as fireplaces and speakers can create a cosy, welcoming atmosphere, as well as welcoming customers as they arrive. Ensuring your venue is nicely decorated, clean, tidy, and free from broken items also helps to ensure customers leave with a smile on their face and a plan to return again!
Throughout the time it’s open, your business will receive customer reviews. These can be seen above customers in live mode, and can be positive, negative, or neutral. Pay attention to what they’re indicating, and make changes accordingly. When the business closes, you will be able to see more in-depth customer reviews that may offer more actionable suggestions to improve your business.
Business Alignment
As your sim’s business builds renown, they will be presented with options that allow them to choose between the path of ‘dreamer’ or ‘schemer’. Dreamer options are marked with a dove, whilst Schemer options are labelled with a raccoon.
Depending on how your sim chooses to gain renown, they will appeal to or deter customers based on their personality traits.
Small Business Perks
As your business gains renown, your sim will earn perk points to spend on small business perks. These will help improve your business, and can also influence your business’ alignment. They can be accessed through the business management menu at the bottom of your screen.
Hiring Employees
Managing a business is a lot of work for one sim! If they can afford it, it’s a good idea to hire an employee or two to delegate some responsibilities to.
This is done through the business management menu at the bottom of your screen. Select ‘manage employees’, and select a sim to hire. Consider their traits and skills, and ensure they’re a good fit for your business! Once hired, you can set the employee’s salary to either low, average or high. It may be tempting to save some simoleons by underpaying your employees, but beware, this could lead to a bitter sentiment over time and cause your employees to quit! High pay, on the other hand, will foster a positive relationship between your sim and their employees.
Your sim can only hire someone they know, so this is a good incentive to get networking and socialising with customers and the community!
Employee tasks can be managed through the business management menu – select ‘manage employee tasks’. Here, you can see your employees, their skills, and assign tasks accordingly. You can also set tasks for your business owner, to ensure they maintain their business autonomously.
Selling Your Business
Perhaps your sim has grown tired of the responsibilities that come with owning a small business, or maybe they have become so successful they have decided it’s time to retire or move onto something new! If your sim wishes to, they can see their small business.
This can be done from the business management menu or a computer. You will be told how much your sim’s business is worth, and if you’re sure you want to go through with selling it! Be careful, as it cannot be undone!
Whatever small business venture your sim chooses, we wish them the best of luck! And if you want to play with Athena and their bookshop, they can be downloaded from the gallery, and only use the Businesses and Hobbies expansion pack and the Book Nook Kit.
A new hotfix patch for The Sims 4 has just been released.
There’s a new The Sims 4 Update across PC, Mac and Console platforms Xbox and Playstation. The latest patch addresses several bugs and issues that players have reported. Here’s to hoping that the Save Game corruption issue is finally a thing of the past in the new Sims 4 Update.
Find out what’s been improved and changed in the official patch notes below:
The 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.
Unlike previous Content Updates, this one is not expected to automatically disable Mods / CC considering it’s a hotfix without any new features.
We’ve pulled together a series of fixes and adjustments based on your feedback to make sure everything is running smoothly.
Thank you for your reports on the EA Forums and we hope you are enjoying Businesses & Hobbies!
-The Sims 4 Team
Bug Fixes
Base Game / Multipack
[EA Forums] Sims will now be paid hourly based on their Skill Level for offering Paid Mentoring, regardless of which packs you own.
[EA Forums] The locked camera position has been removed from the Bracelet category of Accessories in Create a Sim, now you can zoom in and out with ease.
We have advised the Burglar to avoid stealing certain objects which can’t be added back into household inventories. Your toilet stalls (and more) are now safe from being irretrievably stolen.
Cats & Dogs / Horse Ranch
The buttons to change position in Pelt Paint Mode for Cats, Dogs, and Horses are back. Your Pets can again strike a pose while you paint their harder-to-reach spots.
Businesses & Hobbies
[EA Forums] Customer Sims will now water any plants which need watering when the “Tend Garden” or “Tend and Harvest Garden” Business Activities are set, even those which are placed in planters.
[EA Forums] Employees will no longer remove paintings which are displayed on walls when the “Scrap Crafts” Employee Task is set.
[EA Forums] Ghosts will no longer attend Small Businesses unless they are set as Preferred or Required customers under the Occult Target Customer category.
[EA Forums] Fixed an issue where Group Meals were being listed for sale at the same price as Single Meals. The price for selling food on Retail Displays will now reflect the number of servings.
The projections created by the “Skillful Sleep” Skill Mastery Perk have been instructed to get back to work building skills on appropriate objects.
Fixed an issue where Classes set for employees on the Hobby Whiteboard were being reset after traveling, saving, or loading.
Sims will no longer be able to enter a Small Business lot after closing time. They don’t have to go home, but they can’t stay here.
Adjusted the cost to prepare and sell prices of some Candy Recipes to make them more profitable for sale on Retail Displays in Small Businesses.
Tattoos that contain Custom Content now have the ‘Modded’ indicator in the in-game Gallery to prevent confusion.
Pack Settings are now available for players who own only Base Game and Businesses & Hobbies, allowing you to Enable or Disable Small Business Events.
Notifications about Inaccessible Ticket Kiosks will no longer trigger on lots which aren’t assigned to the Small Business.
Creating a Preset Small Business when buying a Small Business Venue will now show the correct Small Business name in all notifications.
Fixed an issue where the Employee section of the Career Panel did not shrink down correctly when minimized.
The source of the unexplained glowing lights around Nordhaven Train Station has been identified and contained.
Fixed an issue with the Mikro’s Ribbon Mic microphone stand disappearing when zooming out.
Resolved an issue with a pair of trousers (ymBottom_EP18Chain) expanding in unexpected areas when the stomach body slider was adjusted.
What’s your experience been like downloading the latest Sims 4 Update? Join the comments below!
For 40USD you get access to Early Access launch + additional free updates and DLC this year!
Video game publisher Krafton has announced yesterday during their Creative Showcase livestream about their plans for the future of InZOI Release. Including the InZOI Roadmap for 2025 and the Early Access purchase price. Which is going to be 40USD on Steam – or a price equivalent to your local currency.
We’ve included a handy recap of all the important details about InZOI content releases and updates. Take a look:
Table of Contents
InZOI Price Plans
The first InZOI Early Access release is going to be retailed at 39.99USD. This includes both the first version of InZOI base game launching on March 28th and additional Free DLC and Content Updates. Planned to release until the Early Access period of the game ends and the game is finalized.
The developers promise a long InZOI Roadmap of new content to make up for the price. Which you can check out below:
InZOI Roadmap for This Year
The Krafton team has revealed the exciting InZOI Roadmap for 2025. Including Free Base Game Updates for InZOI and the first ever World DLC release coming this Summer. All for free for those who purchase InZOI Early Access!
Here’s the full official InZOI Roadmap for 2025:
May 2025 – InZOI Update #1
InZOI Mod Kit (Maya, Blender)
Changes to Weight, Muscle Adjustment
In-game Cheat Codes
Relationship Improvements
Adoption System
Build Mode improvements & New Furniture
Create a Zoi Improvements
Outfit Updates
August 2025 – InZOI Update #2
Ghost Play
Swimming & Pools
More Resources for Edit City
AI Build Mode
Freelancer Jobs
Improvements to Text Messages & Skills
Parenting Improvements
NEW DLC Release: Kucingku, The Cat Island World
Southeast Asian-inspired New City
October 2025 – InZOI Update #3
Family Tree
Hotkey Customization
Build Mode – Adjust Object Size
New Furniture
Moving Homes User Experience (UX) Improvements
Create A Zoi Improvements
Mod Updates
December 2025 – InZOI Update #4
Memory System
Move Cities
Interaction Responses Based on Traits
Build Mode Improvements & New Furniture
Create A Zoi Improvements
Mod Updates
New Outfits
Indoor Temperature
What are your thoughts on the official InZOI Roadmap for 2025? Do you plan on purchasing the game when it comes out later this month? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned for all the latest InZOI News!
