Recently, it was the 20th anniversary of The Sims franchise! The series is now in it’s fourth iteration and seems to have no intentions of slowing down. So, to celebrate the anniversary I thought I’d do a post ranking my top 5 Favorite Sims Packs from The Sims 4, the latest game in the series. The Sims 4 has 3 types of packs: Stuff packs, Game packs, and Expansion packs. The number of items you get goes up with each type of pack, with Expansion packs giving you the most content. If you’re new to the Sims and want to know where to start, hopefully this article will point you in the right direction!
(** This list only contains packs up until this posts written date of February 2020, any later packs will not be in this list)
Stuff Packs
5. Tiny Living Stuff
The most recent pack released as of writing this post is quite a decent one. The pack introduces some cool game play in the form of tiny houses. If you chose to create a tiny house lot, you only have a set number tiles you can build on, but in return you get some handy lot bonuses. This is great pack for fans of building, with some stunning build/buy items that will suit almost any build. The biggest disappointment with this this pack for me, is the Murphy Beds. They occupy the same amount of space as a normal bed so really saves no space. It would have made more sense to add bunk beds, which the community has been crying out for. On top of this, another community request, spiral stairs, would have been create for this pack also. So, the main reason this pack isn’t higher for me, is the potential it missed. There is also some nice clothing and hairs etc, but this pack is more for the builders out there.
4. Romantic Garden Stuff
This is another pack for the builders out there, mainly those who like me, enjoy landscaping. This pack comes with a stunning array of plants and items to suit all sorts of gardens. It also comes with a gorgeous fountain that your sims can actually interact with, as well as a functioning wishing well. There’s also a small collection of clothes and hairs etc. This pack will truly shine if you are a fan of designing gorgeous gardens, and if so, then this pack is perfect for you, otherwise there isn’t much else there.
3. Laundry Day Stuff
This pack was community chosen, and no surprise, it’s one of the better packs. It brings back laundry from The Sims 3, but in a similar vein, doesn’t force it upon you. If you put in a washing machine, then your sims will need laundry done. Otherwise, you can enjoy all the rest of the features of the pack without having to worry about it. On top of washing machines, dryers, clothes lines and hampers, there is a number of other cute items this pack. There are some stunning country, rustic looking build/buy items, as well as outfits and hairs. If you like realistic game play, or building cute country homes, this pack will suit you completely.
2. Perfect Patio Stuff
So once again, I enjoy building exteriors and that’s why this is so high on my light. Perfect Patio Stuff comes with some gorgeous outdoor décor, that can create some stunning spaces. It also reintroduces hot tubs, which are not in the main game. It also comes with an array of clothing and hair options, which I use very frequently. There really isn’t much else to say about this pack, other than if you don’t care for the outdoors, maybe give it a miss.
1. Movie Hangout Stuff
It was a bit of a fight for my top spot, but in the end, I went with the pack that I use the most. The overall style and vibe of this pack just really suits my building style, and I find the items so versatile. As the title suggests, this pack revolves around movies and hanging out with pals on the couch. It comes with a giant projector screen, a popcorn machine and even 10 new movies for your sims to watch. The CAS, build and buy items all have an overall bohemian style which I adore, but also meshes well with other packs. Overall, I just feel this is the pack I use in pretty much every build I’ve ever done, and 90% if my sims are wearing items from this pack. It is the 1 stuff pack I really can’t do without!
Game Packs
5. Jungle Adventure
I was initially hesitant about this pack, but after seeing all the build/buy items, I was converted. This pack comes with a new holiday neighborhood called Selvadorada, which you can holiday to for a certain amount of time. There are tourist destinations like a marketplace to visit, or you can go more off the beaten track and explore mysterious temples. The pack also comes with a new archeology skill, which can help you uncover ancient artifacts. There are also a ton of build and buy items which mostly have a stunning wooden look, and work beautifully in all sorts of homes. Jungle Adventure also comes with 2 new aspirations and lot traits. You can also find skeletons and make them into butlers, and even turn yourself into one!
4. Strangerville
This pack beats Jungle Adventure purely because of nostalgia. The new neighborhood you get in this pack, the titular Strangerville, is heavily influenced by The Sims 2’s Strangetown. On top of this, Strangerville has some of the best build/buy items in the game, re-introducing laptops, lava laps and overall having a very grungy, and lived in feel. I love this look, because in my opinion, the items in The Sims 4 are almost too clean, making all your homes slightly look like museums. It also comes with a new trait, Paranoid, and lets be honest, this game needs all the traits it can get! It also brings back the military career from previous Sims games, which is also another positive for me. There is a bit of a “story” to this expansion, with a mystery to solve in the town. But honestly, the story is quite short and underwhelming.
3. Vampires
The main thing I got this pack for was the build items, wanting to recreate the old Goth house from The Sims 2. However, I actually was very impressed with this pack. On top of an array of creepy, old school style build/buy items, the vampires themselves are surprisingly fun. I don’t enjoy occult Sims packs all that much, but boy did The Sims 4 do a good job with Vampires! In fact, I’d go as far to say their vampires were the best of all the occult packs thus far. This pack also introduces a new small neighborhood called Forgotten Hollow, which is all kinds of spooky. So, if you like vampires and Gothic designed houses, then this is a must!
2. Dine Out
While this doesn’t work as great as it could, Dine Out for me is a must have game pack. There is nothing like going out to a restaurant for a date or for a family night out, and it does worlds for game play and immersion. The only draw back is it does take quite a while, with most of my sims spending upwards of 4 hours there before finishing their meals. So, as you can probably guess this pack brings in restaurants, with your sims able to go and have a meal as a customer or run one themselves. The build/ buy items are also really impressive. The items are clean and modern looking and very versatile. Overall, this pack has some fun game play elements and really helps specifically with immersive game play.
1. Parenthood
This is without a doubt the number one game pack in the game by a mile! Not only does it have some super adorable build/buy/CAS items, but it adds much needed FAMILY game play! This pack firstly adds character values to your teenage and child sims, such as Empathy and Manners. These are affected based on how your parent sims raise them, so punishing messiness will increase responsibility, and praising them for setting the table helps with manners. With this comes the new parenting skill which will help with these situations. All these little details just add so much to the game and makes family game play so much more rewarding. There is also a new aspiration called Super Parent, all based around raising children. If any of your sims will EVER have children in The Sims 4, then you NEED this pack! It makes the fairly bare bones parenting of the vanilla game so much more nuanced and worthwhile.
Expansion Packs
5. Discover University
I had high hopes for this pack because The Sims 2: University was one of my favorite packs in the past. But, believe it or not, this pack delivers. Discover University introduces, you guessed it, University to your Sims world, available for young adults and above. The new world Britechester offers two university campuses, Britechester University and Foxbury Institute. Both universities offer the same topics, however Britescher offers higher degrees in humanities, and Foxbury for science and math subjects. The build/buy/CAS items in this pack are also phenomenal. The areas in which this pack falls down for me though is just how long it takes to get a degree. If you start your degree as a young adult, you can sometimes find that your sim doesn’t graduate until they are almost an elder. Trying to take 4 classes as well is also incredibly painful, so doing that doesn’t even aid you all that much. Also, unlike previous university packs, there is nothing really that tells you how you’re performing. Overall, it left a lot to be desired, but is still a pretty enjoyable pack. The pack also introduced 3 new careers: lawyer, engineer, and teacher. There is also a new university based aspiration, Academic.
4. Cats & Dogs
The reason this pack isn’t higher is because small pets were absolutely ignored in this pack! Cats & Dogs reintroduces, as the title would suggest, cats and dogs. It also introduces a new world Brindleton Bay, which is one of my favorite worlds in the game. The dogs and cats look amazing in this game, and come in tons of shapes, sizes and breeds. You can either create a pet in CAS or adopt one either via an adoption agency, or by befriend a stray on the street. The pack also comes with a variety of build/buy/CAS items, all with a very rustic, country type theme which is very unique to this pack. I find the pets fun, however I don’t tend to play with pets all too often, as they grow quite draining after a while. Additionally, the lack of smaller pets like birds, hamsters etc. in this pack was very disappointing – especially when hamsters came in a separate stuff pack just to rub salt in the wounds. This pack was fine, and really only got this high because I enjoy the world and the items so much. Having pets also adds a layer of realism to the game play if you are a realistic type player. The pack also comes with a new business you can open, a Vet clinic. After owning this pack since it came out, I legitimately have still never done this as I hate owning businesses. So, it’s kind of sad there isn’t a option for a vet career just being an inactive job. There is also some new traits about being dog or cat lovers, and a new aspiration, Friend of the Animals.
3. City Living
The main reason this pack gets so high on my list is I really enjoy the world and the reintroduction of Apartments. San Myshuno is a stunning city world, which is divided into 4 distinct sections: the Spice Market, Arts Quarter, Fashion District and Uptown. All these regions have a unique style and feel, and it really helps to bring the city to life, unlike other worlds which feel somewhat stagnant. The CAS is absolutely stunning in this pack, and the Build and Buy items are also amazing, with styles inspired from the four regions of the city. The apartments are the biggest let down for me though, mainly because I loved The Sims 2’s apartments so much. In The Sims 4, much like The Sims 3, you can only really see your own floor, unlike in The Sims 2 where the apartments were smaller but felt more realistic. In this you often get no more than one or two neighbors, and you end up feeling like you live entirely alone in this massive building. It also comes with 3 new careers, Politician, Critic and Social Media. As well as a new aspiration, City Native.
2. Get Together
Get Together’s world Windenburg is easily my favorite world in the entire game. Additionally, the build/buy/CAS items are literally irreplaceable in my games, with so many of my sims using these items. On top of this, the pack introduces clubs. These clubs usually bond over certain activities, and if you run a club you can do everything from choosing club clothing, to banning certain activities. The clubs feature is super usable, and an unobtrusive way to add some clique like groups to your game. You also get 2 new skills, dancing and DJ Mixing. The new aspiration in this pack is, Leader of the pack, which refers to running a club. There is also 2 new traits relating to the new skills. At the heart of this pack though to me, is the world, and Windenburg alone is worth getting this pack for. The city is divided into four sections. One is heavily based on central and southern Germany, with gorgeous timber framed houses. Another near the bottom is more modern and surrounded by water. The third is 2 separate islands off the main area, once with fancy, big houses and another small island which has Gothic ruins over it. The world just feels to alive and unique, and is still my favorite world to live in.
1. Seasons
There was no competition with this pack. This is, in my opinion the most essential pack in The Sims 4, hands down. If you must get just one pack, this is the one. Without it, your world just feels so stagnant. The Sims 4 Seasons does exactly what the title would suggest, reintroduces Seasons. But this pack actually does a lot more than previous ones did. On top of the seasons, it adds a calendar, as well as seasonal holidays. There are a few pre-made seasonal holidays based off of real-life holidays (Such as Winterfest = Christmas), however they are tweaked slightly. On top of this you can create your own holidays, with tons of holiday themed items based off of real-life holidays you can recreate. There is really no limit to what holidays you can create, especially with additional mods and CC. The Build/Buy/CAS items are mostly themed around the new seasons, including summer and winter clothing specific outfits. There is also lots seasonal themed buy items, such Christmas trees, a thermostat and swings. This also comes with a new death; you can freeze or overheat to death if you spend too much time in the elements in the wrong clothing. You can also die by Lightning and inhaling a toxic flower scent. The latter comes courtesy of a new skill, flower arranging. There is also a skating skill, both ice and roller. There is 1 new career, Gardener, and a beekeeping box so your sim can now keep bees! Honestly, the game play and build/buy/CAS items are just so diverse and nuanced that this pack is basically a must have! You get so much content from one pack alone and it just adds a richness to the world that it feels so empty without.
So, those were my favorite Sims packs from the Sims 4!
At the end of the day though, everyone plays The Sims differently, so pick the packs that suit your play style the most. And Happy birthday The Sims! Here’s to 20 more years! Sul sul!
Check out more list posts here, or head over and watch some videos on our YouTube channel!
