Sims 4 doesn’t just have a host of expansion, game and stuff packs all designed to expand your gameplay and give you access to new experiences for your Sims. It also has a thriving modding community that offers players new content, cheats and shortcuts, and a whole bunch of experiences and playable encounters that Maxis hasn’t officially made accessible.
From utility and build mods to new ways to start a business, go to school, or vacation, and with a bit of the bad stuff in between, these are the best Sims 4 mods we’ve ever tested.
Though Maxis allows you to assign likes/dislikes and traits to your individual Sims, your Sims do still get predictable after awhile. It’s why we love the Slice of Life mods so much. Comprised of a base mod and five mod packs that add new dimensions to your Sims’ personality, social life, appearance, and memory, it makes things a lot more interesting by making your characters less computer generated and more like real people.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=wonderful-whims-sims-4-mods&captions=true"]
Dating and relationships in Sims 4 feels simulated, superficial and rudimentary so we’re thankful for Wonderful Whims adding complexities to it. This mod focuses on dating, relationships, and pregnancy, allowing you to set everything from the traits your Sims will find attractive to their sexual and dating preferences to birth control. With it, dating in Sims 4 will feel much more like real world dating (minus online dating).
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=go-to-school-sims-4-mod&captions=true"]
Finally, young Sims won’t just be sent off to some off-screen location and come back with homework to be done. The Go to School mod is decently involved. Much like the Get to Work expansion pack, you need to perform specific school-related tasks like asking questions and playing instruments to reach your performance “quota.” You can even choose your school buildings from the Gallery and make improvements the way you see fit.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=live-in-business-sims-4-mods&captions=true"]
If you’ve found the business aspect of Get to Work to be lacking, you’re not alone, which is why Live in Business might be our favorite work mod (although there are other awesome ones out there like the Work from Home mods). Although it could be a bit more complex, this mod allows you to set up shop at home, whether you’re starting a cafe, bar or club, or opening a daycare or a gym.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=the-explore-mod-sims-4-mod&captions=true"]
Going on vacation in Sims can be a lot more involved than you would like. So, if you want a more passive role in your characters’ trips, the Explore Mod is a nice little add-on. You can send them off to a nice cruise, a beach vacation, or a theme park trip, or make them get a driver’s license for quick jaunts around town during which they can watch a movie, go shopping, or eat out.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=better-buildbuy-sims-4-mod&captions=true"]
Better Build/Buy might be one of the slightly more involved mods to set up, but it’s worth the few extra steps. It makes building a lot easier, giving you access to hidden Sims 4 objects you’d normally have to work harder for or use a cheat to get. It comes loaded with other features as well, from expanding your build catalog from two rows to five, clone objects without restrictions, and find items easier thanks to their technical labels.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=playable-pets-sims-4-mod&captions=true"]
Maxis/EA has abandoned some of Sims 3: Pets’ more active features, but the Playable Pets is here to the rescue. It is one of the simpler mods on this list – in that, it does have less features – but it does succeed in what it’s set out to do: to make cats and dogs playable again so you can, to an extent, control what they do.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=mc-command-center-sims-4-mod&captions=true"]
The MC Command Center might just be the one most important Sims 4 mod there is. This mod gives you access to a new and respectably-sized settings menu where you can adjust and toggle everything from changing employment age and setting age groups to cleaning up loose ends, fine-tuning your Sims appearances, and even setting your days to be longer. In fact, if you’re a bit of a control freak, you’ll appreciate that you can pretty much control all the Sims, even the ones you’re not actually playing.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=meaningful-stories-sims-4-mod&captions=true"]
Life isn’t just about going to school, getting a job, getting married, and having kids. It’s all about the intricacies in between, and Meaningful Stories adds that dimension to the game. It will let you toggle emotion, happiness, and other indexes so you can make things more realistic, whether that means having your Sims mood to last longer or only achieve happiness when they experience things that are truly worth being happy about.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=life-tragedies-sims-4-mod&captions=true"]
Maxis/EA has significantly reduced the bad stuff in Sims 4. Perhaps that’s for good reason, as some of those things can be triggering to players. At the same time, it’s also made the game pretty vanilla. If you want to make things a lot more interesting, a touch of drama from the Life Tragedies mods should do the trick. Be careful though: beyond your Sims getting a fatal illness and getting hit by a car, you’ll find darker things on offer. Only commit if you can handle it.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Michelle Rae Uy is a freelance tech and travel writer, part-time production editor, and a full-time traveler from Los Angeles, California. She currently splits her time between Los Angeles, London and the rest of the world. Follow her on Instagram @straywithRae.
Continue reading...
From utility and build mods to new ways to start a business, go to school, or vacation, and with a bit of the bad stuff in between, these are the best Sims 4 mods we’ve ever tested.
TL;DR – These are the Best Sims 4 Mods
- Slice of Life
- Wonderful Whims
- Go to School
- Live In Business
- The Explore Mod
- Better Build/Buy
- Playable Pets
- MC Command Center
- Meaningful Stories
- Life Tragedies
Best Sims 4 Personality Mod: Slice of Life
Though Maxis allows you to assign likes/dislikes and traits to your individual Sims, your Sims do still get predictable after awhile. It’s why we love the Slice of Life mods so much. Comprised of a base mod and five mod packs that add new dimensions to your Sims’ personality, social life, appearance, and memory, it makes things a lot more interesting by making your characters less computer generated and more like real people.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=wonderful-whims-sims-4-mods&captions=true"]
Best Sims 4 Social/Relationships Mod: Wonderful Whims
Dating and relationships in Sims 4 feels simulated, superficial and rudimentary so we’re thankful for Wonderful Whims adding complexities to it. This mod focuses on dating, relationships, and pregnancy, allowing you to set everything from the traits your Sims will find attractive to their sexual and dating preferences to birth control. With it, dating in Sims 4 will feel much more like real world dating (minus online dating).
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=go-to-school-sims-4-mod&captions=true"]
Best Sims 4 School Mod: Go to School
Finally, young Sims won’t just be sent off to some off-screen location and come back with homework to be done. The Go to School mod is decently involved. Much like the Get to Work expansion pack, you need to perform specific school-related tasks like asking questions and playing instruments to reach your performance “quota.” You can even choose your school buildings from the Gallery and make improvements the way you see fit.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=live-in-business-sims-4-mods&captions=true"]
Best Sims 4 Work Mod: Live In Business
If you’ve found the business aspect of Get to Work to be lacking, you’re not alone, which is why Live in Business might be our favorite work mod (although there are other awesome ones out there like the Work from Home mods). Although it could be a bit more complex, this mod allows you to set up shop at home, whether you’re starting a cafe, bar or club, or opening a daycare or a gym.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=the-explore-mod-sims-4-mod&captions=true"]
Best Sims 4 Activities Mod: The Explore Mod
Going on vacation in Sims can be a lot more involved than you would like. So, if you want a more passive role in your characters’ trips, the Explore Mod is a nice little add-on. You can send them off to a nice cruise, a beach vacation, or a theme park trip, or make them get a driver’s license for quick jaunts around town during which they can watch a movie, go shopping, or eat out.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=better-buildbuy-sims-4-mod&captions=true"]
Best Sims 4 Build Mod: Better Build/Buy
Better Build/Buy might be one of the slightly more involved mods to set up, but it’s worth the few extra steps. It makes building a lot easier, giving you access to hidden Sims 4 objects you’d normally have to work harder for or use a cheat to get. It comes loaded with other features as well, from expanding your build catalog from two rows to five, clone objects without restrictions, and find items easier thanks to their technical labels.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=playable-pets-sims-4-mod&captions=true"]
Best Sims 4 Pets Mod: Playable Pets
Maxis/EA has abandoned some of Sims 3: Pets’ more active features, but the Playable Pets is here to the rescue. It is one of the simpler mods on this list – in that, it does have less features – but it does succeed in what it’s set out to do: to make cats and dogs playable again so you can, to an extent, control what they do.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=mc-command-center-sims-4-mod&captions=true"]
Best Sims 4 Utility Mod: MC Command Center
The MC Command Center might just be the one most important Sims 4 mod there is. This mod gives you access to a new and respectably-sized settings menu where you can adjust and toggle everything from changing employment age and setting age groups to cleaning up loose ends, fine-tuning your Sims appearances, and even setting your days to be longer. In fact, if you’re a bit of a control freak, you’ll appreciate that you can pretty much control all the Sims, even the ones you’re not actually playing.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=meaningful-stories-sims-4-mod&captions=true"]
Best Sims 4 Life Mod: Meaningful Stories
Life isn’t just about going to school, getting a job, getting married, and having kids. It’s all about the intricacies in between, and Meaningful Stories adds that dimension to the game. It will let you toggle emotion, happiness, and other indexes so you can make things more realistic, whether that means having your Sims mood to last longer or only achieve happiness when they experience things that are truly worth being happy about.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=life-tragedies-sims-4-mod&captions=true"]
Best Sims 4 Bad Stuff Mod: Life Tragedies
Maxis/EA has significantly reduced the bad stuff in Sims 4. Perhaps that’s for good reason, as some of those things can be triggering to players. At the same time, it’s also made the game pretty vanilla. If you want to make things a lot more interesting, a touch of drama from the Life Tragedies mods should do the trick. Be careful though: beyond your Sims getting a fatal illness and getting hit by a car, you’ll find darker things on offer. Only commit if you can handle it.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Michelle Rae Uy is a freelance tech and travel writer, part-time production editor, and a full-time traveler from Los Angeles, California. She currently splits her time between Los Angeles, London and the rest of the world. Follow her on Instagram @straywithRae.
Continue reading...