Paralives gameplay is finally on the horizon! In recent years, it seems like numerous companies are trying to compete directly with The Sims with their own brand of life simulation games. Unfortunately, we have yet to see most of those games see the light of day, with Paralives still being in early development after several years and Life by You’s early access release date being postponed… again. Will we ever get a good competitor to The Sims?
Tune in to see Paralives gameplay TOMORROW!
Well, according to Paralives, we might be closer than we think to seeing a decent competitor actually launch. The official Paralives account on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, just posted a teaser image with a big announcement regarding live mode!
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Paralives Gameplay Gets Unveiled at Last
If you’ve been waiting to see Paralives in action outside of build mode and character creation, you’re in for a treat! Read on to find out exactly when and where to see Paralives unveil its Live Mode for the first time!
Paralives announced on X that they will be hosting a showcase of Live Mode! This is exciting news because up until now, players really have not seen Live Mode at all. All the previews for the game have been build mode and character creation previews with very limited footage of anything outside of that. This has made a lot of players skeptical of the game, pointing out the lack of gameplay shown.
That could all change very soon, however! We’ll be getting an up close and personal look at Paralives gameplay very shortly and we’re sure many folks out there have high hopes for this upcoming showcase.
Where to Watch
Paralives will be hosting their Live Mode showcase on their YouTube channel. Make sure to tune in! You can watch it up above right here on our website or directly on YouTube.
If you want to be notified when the showcase starts, don’t forget to hit the notification bell icon on YouTube to be sent a reminder!
The Live Mode showcase is officially starting at 11AM (ET) on February 7th, 2024 (tomorrow!) so make sure to be online then if you want to catch the showcase immediately.
Don’t worry if you miss it! You can always catch the recap later on right here or on YouTube!
Want to learn about other highly anticipated life sim games making their way to us? Catch up on all the latest Life by You news!
Welcome to the first Sims Community Challenge for 2024! For this challenge, we will be taking a look at storytelling. Specifically, it will be aimed at creating a Sims 4 Romantic story in honour of the upcoming Love Day!
We will provide you with the scene and a household you can use to help you create the story!
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The Sims 4 Romantic Storytelling
This challenge aims to inspire your storytelling side. We will provide you with the backdrop scene that you can use to create your own romantic story.
The story itself can be anything from a few sentences to a maximum of three hundred words. It is truly up to you what it can be about, make sure it falls within the guidelines for the challenge that you can find below.
The focus is on Love Day however, you can create the story that you want using the tools provided in this challenge. Take inspiration from everyday interactions, a song, a movie scene, or anything that inspires you. Just ensure it keeps to the challenge guidelines that you’ll find below.
The Backdrop
While the backdrop itself is one shell, there are two parts to it. The first is an outside porch area. This could be the entrance to someone’s home or outside of a coffee shop. On the inside is a small cafe/bar space.
Challenge Guidelines
Create a short story (maximum of 300 words) using one of the three backdrops we have created.
No NSFW/18+ themes, content, imagery or language.
Use a maximum of four Sims of either your own creation or you can use our pre-made household.
Note: You can mention Woohoo but keep any mention in line with the game’s Teen Age rating and what you would see in The Sims 4 if you were to play without Mods and Custom Content.
Frequently Asked Questions
The shell must remain the same as when it was first downloaded however, you may add additional objects if it helps tell your story.
You may add/remove the roof/ceiling. The backdrop comes with a partial roof and no ceiling to start with.
You may add additional walls to enclose the space providing you use the same wall covering that was used in the original shell.
The is no budget aspect to this challenge so feel free to place the backdrop shell on any lot in any world.
You can use custom poses in this challenge and your Sims may also be wearing Custom Content.
Downloading The Backdrop
Want to know how to download the backdrop shell and our pre-made Sims? Well, head over to The Gallery to download this Sims 4 Romantic Story Shell!
Note: This has been uploaded as an individual lot therefore the following information reflects that on The Gallery listing. As mentioned in the FAQ this can be placed on any lot you wish in your game
Alec and Lacey have been together since their college days. Originally from a small town, are now starting their lives as an engaged couple in a new town and in their new home. Alec is atheltic and eager to get involved in the local sports scene whereas Lacey is a lover of books and can usually be found reading or writing her debut novel.
Tripp Household Description
This young adult household can also be downloaded from The Gallery and used in our The Sims 4 Romantic Story Challenge using the information below.
Once you’ve finished creating your story, you can share a link to your story in the comments section below or share your screenshots with added text over in our SC Challenges channel on our Discord Server.
Our Discord server is the best place to share your stories however, it is not compulsory to share it there. You can also share your stories on social media. Just make sure you use the #SCLoveStory tag!
Romantic Storytelling Showcase
Unlike previous Sims Community Challenges that we have run, we will be showcasing some of our favourite stories on social media and our Discord Server. This will be between the 10th – 14th of February 2024!
We can’t wait to see how you fix our build! Be sure to tag us on social media and use the #SCLoveStory tag, so we can see any videos or screenshots you share!
Note:This story challenge is a part of our Sims Community Challenges. To find out more about our original Sims Community Challenges, click here.
Are you looking for more ways to experience something different in The Sims 4? We’ve got you covered with more original Sims Community Challenges, Story Starter Kits and more right here on Sims Community!
What’s the best game pack for The Sims 4? That’s a pretty subjective question with many subjective answers but there are definitely some game packs that are more of a fan favourite than others. Sims Community periodically hosts these fun community polls to see which packs our readers love the most and with the dawn of a brand new year, it was time to revisit some of those polls. After all, a lot can change in a year! It just makes sense to see if popular opinion has changed in the span of a year.
Decide the best game pack for The Sims 4 in our latest poll!
Today, we’re finding out which game pack is the best game pack for The Sims 4, according to our readers. We’ve gotten some pretty unique game packs in recent years so it should be fun to see which ones our readers love the most… and the least! We definitely have our own favourites and our own predictions about which game packs will rein triumphant in this poll, but we don’t want to influence any of our readers so we’ll save our own thoughts about the best game pack for The Sims 4 for after the poll closes.
What’s the Best Game Pack for The Sims 4 as of 2024? You decide!
Down below is a poll that contains all 12 different Game Packs released for The Sims 4. Considering that the number of Game Packs is pretty big, we allow you to vote up to 3 favourite Game Packs! Don’t worry, the Poll Results will still show correct and rank the packs accordingly!
This is a fanmade community poll with no connection to Maxis or EA. The results of this poll won’t have any impact on future content for The Sims 4; it’s just for fun.
[totalpoll id=”151077″]
Want more opportunities to give your opinion? We have plenty more polls where this came from. Check them out!
With the new Sims 4 Castle Estate Kit now available, plenty of Simmers who’ve been building castles for years now have a good reason to renovate those old builds. Including me! I’ve built several castles over the years in The Sims 4 but one of the first ones I ever built was a build called Weselton Castle.
See how old castle builds can come to life again with The Sims 4 Castle Estate Kit!
At the time, I thought it was pretty impressive but it was built just before Vampires came out, then I updated it with the Vampires pack. Those who remember that far back will remember the limited build tools we had available to us at the time and the limited packs. I pretty much relied solely on Get Together and Vampires to put a castle together.
But with the Castle Estate Kit, I felt it was time to revisit this build and renovate the exterior. Of course, I couldn’t resist using a few other newer packs, too. So let’s get into how I renovated Weselton Castle!
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Updating Weselton Castle with The Sims 4 Castle Estate
Clearly, a seven year old castle build is going to need quite a few changes made to it to bring it into the year 2024. I couldn’t wait to get started but before I started repainting walls and updating exterior trims, I needed to take a few before pictures to show you what the original castle looked like.
The Before
This was the original Weselton Castle. Or rather, version two of Weselton Castle. As I mentioned, I updated it after the Vampires game pack came out. But still pretty darn old. It doesn’t look too shabby, right? I might be biased but I think it’s pretty good for something I built back in 2017 without the selection and advanced build tools The Sims 4 has now.
Here’s a couple more pictures of the exterior courtyard to give you a little more of a detailed view of the outside.
Obviously, I was manifesting Horse Ranch six years before Horse Ranch came out because you can see my makeshift stable I cobbled together in the courtyard way back when. It’s super cute but not functional for actual horses so I’ll definitely be giving this area an upgrade when I redo the rest of the exterior.
As for the garden area, it looks pretty nice as-is, and nothing in the Castle Estate Kit would really enhance it much. I suppose the garden could get a small makeover with Cottage Living but we’ll let that be a project for another day. The main focus is the castle itself today.
The Reveal!
Alright, you’ve seen the before pictures. Now it’s time to reveal what I did using The Sims 4 Castle Estate and some other newer packs!
Ta-Da! I hardly touched the architecture at all but it’s pretty amazing what some new walls, fencing, and exterior trims can do to transform a build, isn’t it?
Although this is a new renovation of Weselton Castle, the detailed textures of the stone walls make it look much older than the original, which is exactly what I wanted. I always disliked how new and shiny this medieval castle looked. I don’t know of a single medieval castle in the real world that didn’t look weathered and worn down over nearly a thousand years without a lot of modern intervention.
As you can see, I’ve replaced all the doors and windows with The Sims 4 Castle Estate items, as well as the walls, friezes, spandrels, columns, exterior trims, and fences. It looks a lot more authentic now than it did before and it wasn’t even that much work to make those changes. I also made the exterior courtyard a lot more secure with taller walls going all around the perimeter of the castle.
This angled shot of the exterior gives off a more detailed view of how drastically this build changed with The Sims 4 Castle Estate Kit. Almost nothing was done to change the structure. Essentially, it’s just a repaint, which is pretty cool to see. I love being able to alter the whole vibe of a place with minimal effort.
Of course, the biggest difference is the stable. Although my little makeshift one was adorable, it wasn’t usable by real horses and with the Seasons pack, I didn’t want the poor horses to be housed outside with nothing over their heads to protect them from the elements. I used a combination of The Sims 4 Castle Estate and Horse Ranch to make a real, functional stable for horses. No castle is complete without knights and no knight is complete without their noble steed, so a horse stable just makes sense.
What About the Interior?
You might be wondering if this huge castle is furnished. The answer? Yes, it absolutely is. It is furnished and decorated down to the last detail so it’s move-in ready for your royal Sims and their fleet of servants. It can house much more than 8 Sims, so with mods or the For Rent pack, you could have quite a few Sims living here at once.
However, I have yet to renovate the interior with newer packs… yet! It didn’t seem to fit into this article which focuses mostly on The Sims 4 Castle Estate Kit. This kit doesn’t really come with any Buy items at all. It’s all Build stuff. So I wouldn’t have much use for it inside other than for the walls and floors.
The good news is that I do plan to update the interior and when I do, it’ll be in a part two edition of this article! Make sure to check back to see the finished renovation and download version three of Weselton Castle when it’s ready!
Do you prefer the original Weselton Castle or its most recent renovation with The Sims 4 Castle Estate? Let us know in the comments and check out our Let’s Build category for more unique builds, many of them CC-free!
What’s better suited to the dead of winter than The Sims 4 Goth Galore kit? Nothing, that’s what. You know what that means; it’s time for a Goth Galore lookbook from SnarkyWitch and Krista!
As always, each of the looks featured in this lookbook are CC-free and feature clothing options from the Base Game, Goth Galore, and one additional pack. That way, players across all platforms can enjoy these looks and if you don’t own one of the packs mentioned, you can mix and match with the packs you own.
Get your goth on with these dark fashion looks!
To make things easy, we’ve listed everything for each of the looks below. So grab your leather combat boots and fingerless gloves and check out these goth fashions!
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The Sims 4 Goth Galore Lookbook
Not a Prep, Not Yet a Goth
We know the struggle. You’re a teenager wanting to express your own unique style but your school has a dress code and your parents think you’re too young for spikes and leather. So you’re forced to get creative and come up with something that still screams “I’M AN INDIVIDUAL” but won’t get you grounded or sent to the office for dress code violations. That’s why this Sims 4 Goth Galore look with a high-collared top paired and a schoolgirl skirt is the perfect balance. You might not look quite like a goth, but at least you don’t look like a total prep, either.
Hair: Short Spiky Bob (Realm of Magic)
Top: High-Collared Short Sleeve Shirt (Realm of Magic)
Bottom: Pleated Mini Skirt (Goth Galore)
Shoes: Buckled Leather Boots (Goth Galore)
Makeup: Eyeliner (Realm of Magic), Lipstick (Goth Galore)
Accessories: Bracelet (Realm of Magic), Nails (Base Game)
Other: Tattoo (Base Game)
Goth Glam Queen
When you want to look menacingly gorgeous, look no further than this studded leather ensemble with a touch of glam. With all those leather straps and metal plated boots, you’ll scare away the people you don’t want around you while that little touch of shimmer attracts the people you do want in your inner circle. With this outfit, you’ll be the one with all the power!
Hair: Sleek Ponytail (High School Years)
Top: Leather Strappy Corset with Fishnets (Goth Galore)
Bottom: Fitted Jeans with Studded Buckles (Goth Galore)
Shoes: Metal Plated Knee High Chunky Boots (Goth Galore)
Makeup: Eyeliner, Eyeshadow, and Blush (High School Years), Lipstick (Goth Galore), Highlight (Base Game)
Accessories: Fingerless Gloves, Bracelet, and Earrings (Goth Galore), Choker (High School Years), Nails (Base Game)
Elder Goth Days
His younger Goth days may be over but there’s still plenty of time to incorporate the style into everyday life! From spending his days working hard to retiring and residing in Henford-on-Bagley, this sophisticated Sims 4 Goth Galore-inspired look is excellent for any Elder Goth looking to keep in touch with their youth!
Hair: Curls on Top (Cottage Living)
Top: Leather Jacket & Tee Combo (Goth Galore)
Bottom: Straight Everyday Jeans (Base Game)
Shoes: Buckled Leather Boots (Goth Galore)
Accessories: Socks & Hat (Base Game)
Other: Eyeliner (Base Game)
Pastel Fashion Passion
Bob had a passion for fashion back in University days but also considered himself a bit of a goth, albeit a Pastel Goth. Mixing his passions together, this reminiscent look takes him back to growing up and getting into all kinds of mischief instead of honing his skills to be a world-famous Chef. Either way, Bob rocks not only these colours but also the look overall in our Sims 4 Goth Galore lookbook!
Hair: Classic Bob Pancakes Cut (Base Game)
Top: Layered Tee with Fishnet Sleeves (Goth Galore)
The Sims 4 For Rent has been out for just over six weeks and has been an interesting venture for many players.
With an expansion that allows players to be property owners and tenants, create multi-dwelling properties as well as being able to explore the wonders and secrets of Tomorang and their neighbours. Players can also get involved in various social events, collect collectables and try out the local cuisine.
Even though this expansion was highly anticipated by the player base since its reveal, The Sims 4 For Rent seems to have only been plagued with varying issues for players across PC, Mac, Xbox and PlayStation.
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A Rocky Start For The Sims 4 For Rent?
Why did The Sims 4 For Rent have such a rocky start?
From the launch, there were a number of issues identified with the new expansion pack. This included issues with slowness in Build Mode, rent prices literally being through the roof, Sims demanding constant showers when their needs are not low and the Free Real Estate cheat not working.
Luckily a small hotfix that was released a week after The Sims 4 For Rent’s releases seemed to address the initial issues players were experiencing.
Or so we thought.
The Community Speaks Up
Curious as to what players thought about their own experience with The Sims 4 For Rent got the better of us here at Sims Community.
We wanted to know what the players truly thought of their in-game experience with the expansion. Was it an overall positive gameplay experience or was it one with a few bumps along the way? Whatever the reason was or what platform players were using, we wanted to know.
There was a wide range of responses from players across PC, Mac, Xbox and PlayStation. Players who play with mods and custom content and those who don’t. Each member of the community voices similar themes and issues from their The Sims 4 For Rent experience.
However, what are the main issues that the community are experiencing? Here are some of the common issues players expressed when replying to our question.
Save files becoming corrupt (appears to be affecting both new saves and existing save files)
Rent amounts remain extremely high
Frequent game crashes
More noticeable game lag
Issues when trying to build Residential Rental lots
Build Mode glitches: not being able to place or remove objects as well as issues with moving walls
The Sims 4 For Rent not installing or not opening once the pack is installed
While these are just some of the many issues players have been experiencing with the latest expansion pack, there are still a number of other issues that seem to be having an impact on other The Sims 4 packs such as Cats & Dogs and Dine Out.
The Hot or Not Fix
As previously mentioned, a week after The Sims 4 For Rent launched, a hotfix patch was released. This addressed issues seen within build mode, a couple of in-game features and cheat functionality.
While the hotfix fixed issues for many players, as discussed in the previous segment, numerous players are still seeing these issues and more still happening in the game.
Mods and Custom Content
For players on PC and Mac who play using mods and custom content. There have been some issues since the launch of The Sims 4 For Rent. While some of this was expected, much like when we see any new pre-expansion patch, some mods have seen additional issues due to other unexpected circumstances.
Creators have kindly asked players to be patient while they work on ensuring their work is fully compatible with the expansion pack and forthcoming game updates. This for some has taken a little longer than usual but have reassured players they are working hard and as quickly as they can to ensure any issues are rectified.
EA Answers HQ
The normal process for reporting issues with The Sims 4 is via the EA Answers HQ. Likewise, since the release of The Sims 4 For Rent, players have posted about the issues they have been experiencing. While some initially found workarounds to improve their gameplay experience, many are still waiting to see fixes in an upcoming patch.
You can check out all of the current threads relating to The Sims 4 For Rent on the EA Answers HQ here. If there are any threads that you relate to, make sure you hit the “me too” button!
Our Own Experience
For the most part, our own experience here at Sims Community has had its ups and downs much like many other players. We’ve experimented with different save files, with and without mods and even replicating issues others have seen in their own game.
Currently, we’ve mainly been playing without mods and custom content. Slowly adding in mods one by one and testing to ensure there are no problems before continuing with our saves. Most notably, we’ve been seeing issues with Residential Rental Lots not working as intended, slowness in Build Mode and high rent prices still existing for some Sims.
Hope For The Next Patch?
With the holidays now over and reality slowly returning to normal, players were hopeful that some of the lingering issues would be addressed in the new update. Even though a new update has been released and targets the Legacy Bug Fixes for the game.
Naturally, players were disappointed that this was the only thing investigated when it came to the game’s latest expansion pack. We as a community don’t know for certain why that was the only issue addressed this time around. In the meantime, as a community, we hope the next Laundry List and patch will fix many of the current bugs and glitches.
Moving Forward
It’s safe to say that many players are hoping that the next patch will tackle any outstanding game bugs for not only The Sims 4 For Rent but also issues that have occurred since the pre-release patch. It’s clear players want to be able to fully enjoy what The Sims 4 For Rent has to offer yet with the current difficulties players are having, it’s been more challenging than usual.
Your Thoughts
The Sims 4 For Rent in essence is an expansion that opens up more gameplay, building and storytelling opportunities for players. The expansion does have a lot of potential. However, it has been overshadowed by the current issues many players across PC, Mac and Console have been experiencing. Despite this, the community has been doing its upmost to enjoy the new expansion experience as best as they can.
Have you been experiencing any issues with The Sims 4 For Rent since its launch? Let us know in the comments section below or over on social media.
Looking to find out more about the features of The Sims 4 For Rent? We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know here on Sims Community.
The long wait for last year’s community voted kits is finally over! The Sims 4 Castle Estate Kit and the Goth Galore Kit are finally here! Go back in time to a world of kings and queens, knights, and courtly love with the Castle Estate Build Kit! Fans of The Sims Medieval will no doubt have an interest in this one!
Build stately medieval castles with new architectural pieces!
The Castle Estate Kit comes with a total of 25 Build/Buy items with a very heavy focus on the Build side. It also contains one styled room in three colour styles. Almost all of the pieces that come with this kit are located in the Build section of Build/Buy. New items include friezes, spandrels, exterior trims, windows, doors, wall covering, floor covering, stairs, and fencing.
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The Sims 4 Castle Estate Overview
We’ve taken the liberty of cataloguing every piece in the Sims 4 Castle Estate Kit for you, complete with catalogue entries and in-game previews of every swatch. We hope this detailed item overview will help you decide if you’d like to add this kit to your collection.
Catalogue Previews
Here are the catalogue previews of all the items that come in the Castle Estate Kit. You can see the cost of each item, the item description, and any environment buffs of each piece below.
Swatch Previews
Here are all of the in-game previews of each item in the Castle Estate Kit in all available swatches. Most of the items come in 13 swatches so there is quite a decent variety of colours and textures for each object.
Styled Room
Below are the three colour themes available for the styled room that comes with this kit.
Our Review of The Sims 4 Castle Estate Kit
Personally, I was ecstatic when I found out that the Sims 4 Castle Estate Kit had won the community vote last year. That was kit I voted for so I couldn’t wait to see what the kit would actually bring when it arrived. After looking through all of the items, I’m not upset… but I’m not necessarily impressed, either.
While the kit does provide a lot of unique architectural pieces, I was still hoping for more of a balance between Build and Buy items. Having a beautiful castle exterior is all well and good but players are going to struggle to furnish the inside of those castles without resorting to custom content, which is not available on all platforms. If the kit had 30 items (which is not an unreasonable amount for a kit; previous kits have come with 30 items) and those last 5 items were a medieval bed, fireplace, loveseat, table, and dining chair, that alone would have made a huge difference and given players more interior versatility.
Still, it’s not all negative. The pieces that do come with this kit are absolutely stunning, especially the doors and windows. The detail of the textures are gorgeous; I really feel like I could reach out and feel that rough stone texture with my fingers if I were to touch my computer screen.
There’s also a variety of swatches that allow you to build a brand new stone structure, an old crumbling structure, or an overgrown one. I really love the stone floor swatch with the greenery growing in between the stones. And, as previously mentioned, there are a lot of unique pieces here that we don’t get in Build/Buy kits very often. I love when a Build/Buy kit comes with new spandrels and friezes.
All in all, this kit does exterior architecture extremely well but unfortunately, its lack of interior objects still makes building and furnishing a medieval castle a challenge. If you are more of an architect in The Sims, you’ll find a lot of use for this kit. However, interior decorators really don’t have much to work with here. It still gets a thumbs up from me for doing Build Mode so well but it would have been even better if they had paid a little more attention to Buy Mode, too.
Love The Sims 4 Castle Estate Kit? Why not make a gothic castle with the Goth Galore Kit?
A new year means a new roadmap to cover us to the end of the current financial year. However, it also means a new wave of exciting new content for players!
To kick start this new wave of content, The Sims and EA are releasing the much anticipated, community-voted stuff packs, Castle Estate and The Sims 4 Goth Galore. For this article, we’ll look at everything included in this new Create A Sim Kit!
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A Quick Recap
The Sims 4 Goth Galore is one of two Kits voted for by the community. The voting process for the themes of these kits was to vote between two different themes. One Kit would be focused on a building whereas the other is purely aimed at Create A Sim. In the case of this Kit, the community could vote between a Rainbow Fashion-inspired Kit or the Gothic fashion style. Of course, this is now known as The Sims 4 Goth Galore which was the winning Kit.
Earlier this week, amongst the official announcement of the two Kits, The Sims Team shared a preview of all the new Create A Sim assets that would be coming in the new Kit. From a variety of new clothing options to accessories, shoes and make-up, the Kit was already the talk of the community.
We will take a more in-depth look at each of the new items, as well as three of the stand-out swatches of each item. This will give you a better idea of the different looks you can create with these items, however, most come with between eight and twelve swatches!
Let’s take a look at the new Female additions to The Sims 4 in Goth Galore featuring Cassandra Goth as our wonderful model!
Female Tops (6)
Female Full Body (2)
Female Bottoms (5)
Accessories (2)
Styled Looks Female (1)
Next up, we have Mortimer Goth modelling the new Male additions to Create A Sim that come with the Sims 4 Goth Galore Kit!
Male Styled Look (1)
Male Tops (5)
Male Bottoms (3)
Unisex Extras
It’s important to note that some of the new Create A Sim additions are unisex and will work well for both Male and Female Sims. This includes the shoes, make-up and jewellery.
Shoes (2)
Jewellery (2)
Makeup (3)
Goth Galore Kit Review
The long-awaited return of community-vote content for The Sims 4 is here!
Firstly, out of the two themes for the Create A Sim Kits, this was the one I voted for. Even though I loved the Rainbow Core theme, I felt at the time of the vote coming out, we were missing some fresh dark, grungey, gothic clothing options for our Sims. Naturally, we did have The Sims 4 Grunge Revival Kit released since the vote but something felt as though it was still missing.
Between the winning theme being revealed and the release, I remained optimistic that we would get a good variety of gothic-inspired clothing and accessories for our Sims. A Kit that would work well alongside existing additional content such as The Sims 4 Vampires, Werewolves, Grunge Revival and Spooky Stuff, to name a few Kits.
With the pre-release previews out, I have to be honest, I felt a little uncertain. Of course, you can only see one swatch from all the items and it can be difficult to get a real feel for the new items. Some of the previews felt too similar to some that we’ve seen in either the Base Game or other packs. It felt too familiar but I didn’t want to hold my overall thoughts about the Kit, just on these previews.
With The Sims 4 Goth Galore now out, I remained open as to what my overall thoughts on the Kit could be. At first glance, I was pleasantly surprised but I still needed to dive deeper into the Kit. The range of new Create A Sim options for a Kit is good. The number of swatches, while varying from each Create A Sim type was also promising. While yes, when you think of Goth, you think dark, spooky and mysterious but I love how the team also included some pastel swatches throughout the Kit for those who like a more Pastel Goth style.
For the most part, I am happy with the Kit and it will fit my playstyle and the way I create my Sims. The Sims 4 Goth Galore is definitely one to consider if you like the gothic fashion style or looking to expand your Sims fashion options.
However, I do feel that there is a small degree of the Kit that misses the mark for me personally but let me explain.
Fashion trends come and go and we are forever seeing ones make their way back to being popular. I feel that The Sims 4 Goth Galore is inspired more by the current/more recent Goth fashion style to a point but still includes many stand-out and memorable pieces at the same time.
While I love the theme of this Kit, there are some options that I feel are missing. Floor-length dark leather-look trenchcoats, goth fashion-inspired hair, more unique male clothing options and maybe even an option or two for either younger or elder Sims! Maybe this comes from being a longtime Simmer or my knowledge of goth fashion however, I wouldn’t let this stop either myself or anyone considering the Kit stop me.
The Sims 4 Goth Galore is a welcomed addition to the Create A Sim experience and overall for a Kit is pretty good and offers even more customization options for players.
Either way, it was never a phase!
Keep your eyes peeled for our Castle Estate Kit overview coming soon! In the meantime, why not check out our in-depth Ultimate Kits Guide?
As always, stay tuned to Sims Community for all the latest from The Sims franchise and more!
EA releases two new Kits for The Sims 4 – priced at around 5USD each.
In a surprise announcement from The Sims Team this Tuesday, the development studio fully revealed two community-voted Sims 4 Kits. One titled The Sims 4 Goth Galore, which won the CAS Kit popular vote, as well as Castle Estate which dominated the Build Kit results.
Well, both Kits are available now on select platforms! Let us walk you through each recommended online retailer and how you can get the new Kits:
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The Sims 4 Goth Galore Kit
Looking to accessorize your CAS with dark fantasy fashion? The latest Sims 4 Kit titled Goth Galore gives you a unique set of new makeup, accessories and clothing for Sims primarily teen and up.
Looking to get Sims 4 Goth Galore? Check out our list of recommended sites:
*The Eneba Store listing is an affiliate link done in partnership with the platform. Sims Community may earn a percentage of revenue from this deal.
The Sims 4 Castle Estate Kit
Builders who miss playing with exterior building blocks will be happy to know that one of the new Sims 4 Kits solves this!
The Castle Estate Build Kit will take you back to medieval days with open doorways, stained glass and rough architecture.
Want to get The Sims 4 Castle Estate for your Sims collection? You can do so for $4.99USD – or a price equivalent to your country, from the following recommended stores:
If you’re a Simmer who likes to play with families, the in-game selection of kids items can seem lacking. Luckily, Sims 4 nursery CC can come to the rescue! Syboulette makes some incredible Maxis-Mix custom content for The Sims 4, including several nursery and children’s bedroom sets. Her latest nursery set is called Enchanted Dreams and it’s aptly named because it is definitely an enchanting dream!
This whimsical nursery set will elevate your little Sims’ bedrooms!
What is Maxis-Mix CC, you ask? Basically, Maxis-Mix means custom content that almost matches The Sims 4’s art style but has a touch more realism to it, too. Maxis-Mix items stand out amongst the basic EA selection but don’t look so out of place that they’re jarring to look at. Many players love Maxis-Mix CC for its skillful balance between stylised and realistic.
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Enchanted Dreams Sims 4 Nursery CC
The Enchanted Dreams nursery set comes with plenty of new items (both functional and decorative) for infants, toddlers, and children. The theme of the set is a rustic, woodsy nature vibe and we can’t get enough of it. Any kid would be lucky to have a bedroom like this. We had so much fun putting together a quick little bedroom setup using this set, as you can see in the example above and below.
Almost every item in the set comes in 8 or more swatches, ranging from a light green to pastel blues, pinks, reds, yellows, and even black, so there’s a good variety of styles to suit any taste and any bedroom. We were really impressed by how customisable so many of the pieces are and how many of these items are functional. The baby stroller can actually have infants placed in it like a crib, and it’s portable so it can be dragged around anywhere in Live Mode!
We also can’t get enough of the stunning wallpaper that comes with this Sims 4 nursery CC. There are so many swatches and each swatch paints a beautiful forest scene in your child’s bedroom in all seasons. It’s absolutely breathtaking and we can see ourselves using it everywhere, not just in a baby nursery. We also love that Syboulette has made the infant crib and curtain over it as two separate pieces, so you can choose whether you want the curtain or not. The curtain and ceiling lights also come in all three wall heights!
The rustic science table is super adorable, and we appreciate Syboulette giving us as much gameplay with this pack as possible. The lunch box is usable, the stroller is usable, the infant playmat is usable, the decorative books can be stacked on top of each other, and the dresser comes both on its own and as a changing table. It’s clear that a lot of love, thought, and attention to detail went into creating this Sims 4 nursery CC.
Object Previews
If you want a close up look at every item in this Sims 4 nursery CC set in every swatch, we have the in-game previews right here!
WallpaperChild BedToddler BedInfant PlaymatInfant Stroller (Portable Crib)Infant CribInfant Crib Curtain (3 Wall Heights)Flower RugDresser (Comes with and without Changing Table)Science TableStuffed AnimalFloor LampNightstandDeskTrash Bin (Can snap to Changing Table)Desk ChairDuck Toy (Deco)Ceiling Light (3 Wall Heights)Mushroom LampStorybooks (Stackable)Training PottyLunch Box (Functional)Tree DecalComputer
Download the Enchanted Dreams Nursery
This Sims 4 nursery CC is absolutely incredible and definitely staying in our game for good. The Enchanted Dreams Nursery is base game compatible; however, the changing table and infant playmat require Growing Together in order to be functional. They are just decoration if Growing Together is not installed.
You can download this set for free right now on Syboulette’s website. Just click the button below to be taken right to the download page!
The Sims team just dropped the first roadmap for 2024 and the last for this current financial year. It truly is a glistening teaser of upcoming content for January through to April!
Of course, this Sims 4 sensational roadmap is jam-packed and full of exciting glimpses of what players can expect to see in the coming months!
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A Sims 4 Sensational Roadmap
Did you miss the reveal of the new roadmap? Fear not, as we have you covered with everything you need to know and a full breakdown as to what is coming, based on what we know so far by clicking the image below!
As detailed in there are a total of four Kits coming between now and April. These, we are led to believe are the community-voted Medieval and Goth Fashion inspired Kits. A leak earlier this week via the EA App itself confirmed that one of the new Kits coming soon is the, now appropriately named The Sims 4 Castle Estate Kit.
Concept Art for the Goth Fashion KitConcept Art for the Medieval Build Kit
Other than that, the rest of this Sims 4 Sensational Roadmap is open to player and community interpretation.
It’s also important to note that this is the last roadmap and wave of content for the current 2023/2024 financial year. It truly has been a year jam-packed full of content with two Expansion Packs, the return of Stuff Packs, multiple Kits as well as game updates and a variety of Sims Delivery Express drops. It does make you wonder what the new financial year has in store for the franchise. However, that is a thought for another day.
The Upcoming Content
Here are the confirmed content types that we will see during the next few months:
Two Highly Anticipated Kits
One Beautiful SDX Drop
One Sparkling Stuff Pack
One Celebratory Build Kit
One Co-Created Style Kit
Speculation and Hints?
We all know that the hints are usually right before our eyes, and this is where we begin to speculate about the themes of the upcoming content.
Throughout the short video, you can see a variety of different decorative pieces scattered amongst the jewellery box.
From familiar features in The Sims such as the Grilled Cheese, Freezer Bunny and the infamous Eye Ball Ring on the right-hand side.
However, if you take a look at the main section of the jewellery box, starting from the top left box, you’ll see some objects that link to the two Community-Voted Kits. Moving across we have some items that are linked to the upcoming SDX drop. This could mean we are getting some new formal outfit choices, maybe some jewellery and maybe even some new hairstyles. Again, only time will tell!
The second row of the Sims 4 Sensational jewellery box we know relates to a Sparkling Stuff Pack and Celebratory Build Kit. A first thought is that the Stuff Pack may link into an Arts & Crafts theme. Potentially it could be jewellery making or maybe even Glass Fabrication. Again, this is purely speculation on our part for the time being.
Could jewellery-making or glass fabrication be making it’s way into The Sims 4?
As for the Build Kit, maybe some objects are themed around discos and parts but expand on the object choices we already have in the game.
The third and final row of the jewellery box seems to hint at the Co-created Style Kit which, in itself raises numerous questions. Who is it in collaboration with? Is it a brand or a creator? If so, which brand or creator? With so many questions relating to just this Kit alone, we will have to wait and see!
Community Thoughts
We wanted to hear your thoughts on the latest The Sims 4 Sensational roadmap. Anything from your own speculation on the themes of the upcoming content to your overall thoughts and opinions on the latest roadmap.
We reached out on Twitter and started the conversation in our Discord to discover what the community thinks of this latest Sims 4 Sensational roadmap.
Here’s our original question that we proposed to the community:
The community had a lot to say regarding the latest Sims 4 Sensational roadmap. Overall there was a mixture of responses. Some players welcomed the news and were excited to see what is to come whereas others felt that it was somewhat underwhelming and slightly confusing based on previous content releases.
Even over in our Discord Server, we had very similar conversations—everything from excitement for the content coming over the next few months as well as some concerns. Most of these echoed the general themes and topics that numerous players across social media shared.
This is a completely normal feeling for the game’s community when a new teaser or roadmap is released and rightly so. Even though we are coming to the end of this current financial year, some players were hoping to see the return of Game Packs. Something that we haven’t seen since The Sims 4 Werewolves was released back on 16th, June 2022, so just over eighteen months now.
However, some players remained hopeful for when the next Roadmap rolls around. Despite that being a few months away, we don’t know what the Team are currently working on. The next roadmap will be released in the new financial year and maybe it could follow a similar content release pattern that we’ve seen for this year. There’s no denying that 2023 was a good year for The Sims but will it follow suit and be another Sims 4 Sensational year just like the current roadmap is themed about? Only time will tell!
Keep the Conversation Going!
What do you think of this Sims 4 Sensational roadmap? Is it what you expected to see round off this current financial year? What were you hoping to see?
Join the conversation in the comments section below or over on our Discord!
To find out more about what’s to come in this The Sims 4 Sensational roadmap, stay tuned right-here on Sims Community!
To our great shock and sadness, Grant Rodiek has decided to leave Maxis and EA. This news comes from Grant’s LinkedIn profile and explains the reasoning behind this decision. While we wish Grant all the best in his future endeavours and thank him for his work on our favourite game since 2005, we can’t help but feel sad about his departure.
Grant was a Game Director at Maxis and EA
After almost 20 years, Grant Rodiek Leaves EA
Grant has worked on The Sims franchise since 2005 and his influence can be seen in The Sims 3, The Sims 4, and Project Rene (colloquially known as The Sims 5). It’s hard to imagine where The Sims would be today without his creative influence.
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Who Is Grant Rodiek?
An interview with Grant on Behind The Sims
Grant, formerly a Senior Producer on The Sims 4, has a very long and colourful history with The Sims franchise. He has worked on The Sims 3, The Sims 4, and Project Rene/The Sims 5. Many of The Sims 4’s current features are directly thanks to Grant’s influence on the game. For example, he was the driving force behind changing some of the insensitive terminology in the game, such as rewording the Insane trait to Erratic.
His influence can be seen in The Sims 3 as well, even to this day. There are two books named after him; Point Farmer: the Story of Grant Rodiek, and the sequel, Point Farmer No More: The Downfall of Grant Rodiek. He also has an asteroid in the game named after him, the Unusual Rodiekceous.
During his time at EA, Grant’s been known to speak his mind and not shy away from confrontation, especially during The Sims 4’s more rocky periods over its 8 year lifespan. While some didn’t care for his bluntness, others appreciated his direct, no-nonsense attitude and saw it as breath of fresh air amidst uncomfortable silence and empty platitudes from the rest of The Sims Team at the time.
One thing is for certain; The Sims will be forever changed by his absence.
Grant’s Role on Project Rene
Grant on Behind The Sims
In January of 2023, Grant was introduced as a Game Director on Project Rene during a Behind The Sims episode. He was interviewed by Mersea about the state of Project Rene, where Grant talked extensively about his experiences with early playtests and developing the next generation Sims game hand-in-hand with players.
More specifically, he discussed a recent playtest where they had a small group of players explore what he called “apartment customisation,” otherwise known as Build/Buy to current Sims 4 players. He talked about Create-A-Style tools returning from The Sims 3. For those unfamiliar with The Sims 3, this essentially means being able to customise the colours and patterns of individual objects via a colour wheel and extensive pattern swatches rather than just a set number of standard colours like The Sims 4 has now.
He also talked about being able to do this in multiplayer with friends, upload the creations, and being able to switch between playing on PC and playing on your mobile phone.
SimGuru No More: The Downfall of Grant Rodiek?
Grant comically dropping a mug full of markers on Behind The Sims
Just last night, Grant made a post on his LinkedIn account, announcing his departure from Maxis and Electronic Arts. His reasons seem to be motivated by wanting a bigger challenge in the gaming world and wanting to better support his family.
Here is Grant’s full LinkedIn statement:
I’ve decided to leave Maxis and EA.
There is always another milestone to hit. A feature you want to deliver to players. Co-workers you can’t imagine not working with. A recession. My kids who need to eat.
I realized there was never going to be a perfect moment to part, but I knew it was time to change, so I’m taking the jump.
There are so many cool things happening in games right now: AI, new social experiences, UGC, amazing narrative, and frankly I think there is so much we can still do with simulation.
My hope is to find a new place that challenges me, allows me to dabble in some of these exciting areas, and continue to delight in making games. After all, I still really, really, really love games.
The job search is on. If you know a team that needs a producer/game director type product nerd, I’d love to hear from you. It’s a tough market and we can all use the help.
Thank you to Maxis for the career, letting me do so many different things, promoting me into incredible leadership roles, and for letting me work with so many people I’ll miss terribly.
We hope that, unlike the book named after him in The Sims 3, this is not the downfall of Grant Rodiek, but a new and exciting beginning for him in the world of simulation games. We wish him all the best in his job search and can’t wait to see what new and exciting projects he’ll be a part of in the future!
Dag-dag, Grant! The Sims fandom won’t ever forget you.
Curious about Project Rene? We have all the latest Sims 5 news for you right here on our website!
The Sims Team has been getting better and better with cross-pack integration in recent years and the Sims 4 Pet Adoption Drive event is a perfect example of that. While the For Rent expansion pack focuses on relationships between humans living in close quarters and therefore does not include any pets, it’s hard to imagine life without pets, whether in an apartment or… pretty much anywhere else. They’re as much a part of our lives as our friends and neighbours are.
Help boost your unit rating and make friends with cute animals at the same time!
Players who own both the For Rent expansion and the Cats & Dogsexpansion will enjoy some extra gameplay connected with living on a Residential Rental property. Along with a No Pets tenant rule landlords can enforce for their owned units, there is also a Pet Adoption Drive event that can happen spontaneously on Residential Rental lots.
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Sims 4 Pet Adoption Drive Event Guide
Learn all about how the Sims 4 Pet Adoption Drive works in For Rent. When it happens, the goals you need to complete, and the rewards for having a great Pet Adoption Drive!
Start a Pet Adoption Drive
If you were hoping to just pull out your cell phone and throw a Pet Adoption Drive social event, sorry to disappoint you but you won’t be able to host a Pet Adoption Drive at will whenever you want. Pet Adoption Drives are a random event that can happen on Residential Rental properties if the player owns both For Rent and Cats and Dogs. If you don’t have the Cats and Dogs expansion pack, you won’t see this event happen on your Residential Rental lots.
You’ll know when a Sims 4 Pet Adoption Drive is starting on your Residential Rental when you see a Pet Adoption Drive popup in the top right hand corner while in Live Mode. This will start a timed event with a main goal to complete before the timer runs out.
Complete the Pet Adoption Drive Goal
As soon as the event starts, cats and dogs will start spawning on the Residential Rental lot. Be aware that the cats and dogs will waltz uninvited into your unit unless you have your doors locked to pets, so make sure you do that if you don’t wish to have your unit overrun by fuzzy critters. Personally, that sounds like heaven on earth to me, but hey, you do you.
The Sims 4 Pet Adoption Drive event is thankfully very easy to complete. All you have to do is pet cats and/or dogs 5 times and your Residential Rental lot will be full of cats and dogs to pet! You should have plenty of time to finish this event and its one singular main goal.
You can befriend any pets that are on your Residential Rental during the event but Sims and pets cannot be added to the active household with an event running. This means that you won’t have the option to actually adopt any of the pets during the Sims 4 Pet Adoption Drive. However, once the event ends, you will be able to call any befriended pets back to the lot via the relationship panel and adopt them then.
Pet Adoption Drive Rewards
When the event ends, all the pets on the lot will leave. If you completed the goal of petting the cats and/or dogs 5 times during the event, you’ll be rewarded with a significant boost to your unit rating!
There are no object rewards for completing this event but you will get the heartwarming satisfaction of knowing you helped spur interest in adopting shelter animals and you might even get a new furry family member of your own in your household!
Loved our Sims 4 Pet Adoption Drive guide? Before you go adopting a pet in a Residential Unit, make sure you know the tenant rules! Brush up on how to be a good tenant in our guide!
EA and Maxis have just dropped a brand new update for The Sims 4 across Desktop and Console platforms. The update comes just two days away from the upcoming Goth Galore and Castle Estate Kit releases.
Take a look at everything fixed in the latest Sims 4 Update:
The First 2024 Bug Fix Update
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Installing the New Update
ou can get the latest 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. Or Origin if you play on Mac. 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.
In case you have Mods or Custom Content, the game will automatically disable them for you after first launching The Sims 4 after the update. To re-enable all your Mods and Custom Content, select the Settings option in the Menu and select Settings. Under the ”Other” section you’ll find an option to enable CC / Mods. Do note that you’ll have to reinstall your game after applying this setting!
The Sims 4 Patch Notes
Sims 4 Update 1/16/2024
PC: 1.104.58.1030 / Mac: 1.104.58.1230
Console: 1.86
Sul Sul Simmers!
The time has finally come to unveil our long-awaited Community Voted Kits! We can’t wait to see the many stories you’ll tell with them! In fact, we were so excited that we added some additional Legacy Bug Fixes for good measure!
– The Sims Team
Bug Fixes
Base Game
The Base Game’s loading screen tip about making cupcakes has been updated to reflect our recently Freed Cupcakes! We all know how eager the Landgraabs are for a bit of dough, but after a productive conference with The Landgraab Power Company, we are pleased to share that power will no longer be shut off early if a bill is not paid within the first 48 hours. Artists and Authors fear not! Masterpiece Paintings and Best-Selling Books will no longer change to “Excellent Quality” after saving and reloading. Phew! To prevent confusion, we’ve updated some error text to mention EA app instead of Origin if you are playing The Sims 4through the EA app.
Seasons
We’ve fixed an issue where Sims could not gift honey to wild animals. Now, you may gift out honey to your heart’s content! Your Sims will no longer get Canning-related sentiments when Father Winter gives them a gift unrelated to canning. Don’t worry; you’ll always be jamtastic!
Island Living
Body scars will now appear on your Sims’ Mermaid Forms.
Discover University
Juice Pong and Keg activities now count as Pub Games during Club Activities. The ‘Start Fizzing’ interaction will now be correctly displayed at the Fizzing Station.
Eco Lifestyle
Sims will no longer have difficulty putting Dye Objects discovered from the dumpster into their inventory.
For Rent
The Main Menu screenshots for this pack have been updated to the proper resolution.
Poolside Splash Kit
Our stunning Poolside Nails no longer leave a texture artifact on the open button-up shirt that comes with this Kit.
We’ll keep you posted on everything new in The Sims 4’s latest update right here on Sims Community!
Maxis has officially announced Community Voted Kits, releasing January 18th!
New Sims 4 Kits are finally coming out this week, as first teased by the official Sims 4 Roadmap for 2024.
The newest Kits are titled Goth Galore (CAS Kit) and Castle Estate (Build Kit). Along with the official announcement The Sims Team also included a sneak overview of the objects catalogue for both Kits.
Take a look at the official assets, screens and information about the new Sims 4 Kits releasing January 18th, 2024 across PC, Mac, Xbox and Playstation consoles.
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The Sims 4 Goth Galore CAS Kit
One of the new Sims 4 Kits releasing this week is titled Goth Galore. Bringing dark, goth fashion to Create A Sim. The Kit draws inspiration with leather materials, moody makeup and sleek fashion that will fulfill any Goth Sim’s need!
Take a look at the objects preview and official screenshot:
CAS Items Preview
Take an items preview of all the new Create A Sim additions you should expect with this $5USD Kit:
All items included within The Sims 4 Goth Galore Kit
This $4.99USD Kit is delivering new medieval exterior architecture, stained glass and entry doors that will elevate your royal Sims experience.
With The Sims 4 Castle Estate, your Sim can create the most majestic of castles. Gothic arches, portcullis, grand entry doors, stackable ornate windows and grand staircases allow your Sim to descend into the past and embrace the medieval architecture of centuries ago.
Just like Goth Galore, the new Castle Estate also got a full look into its Build Objects catalogue. Here’s everything you should expect within this Build Kit:
New Sims 4 Kits Release Info
Both The Sims 4 Goth Galore and Castle Estate Kits are set to release on the same day – January 18th, 2024 at 10AM CET / 7PM CET / 6PM BT.
To make things easier for you we’ve added a handy countdown below. As soon as the timer turns zero you’ll be able to find Goth Galore and Castle Estate Kits on official platforms such as Steam, EA App, Playstation and more.
New Sims 4 Kits Countdown: Goth Galore and Castle Estate
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We’ll update the post with sources to online store pages as they surface online.
Stay tuned on Sims Community for the latest info on The Sims 4 Kits and beyond! We might expect a new Sims 4 Update coming very soon…
