The Sims 4

The Sims 4
File:The Sims 4 Box Art.png Original Box Art
Developer(s)	Maxis
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Producer(s)	Kevin Gibson Grant Rodiek Ryan Michael Vaughan
Designer(s)	Eric Holmberg-Weidler Matt Yang
Artist(s)	Magnus Hollmo Samantha Miceli Steven Ross
Writer(s)	Danielle von Mayrhauser
Composer(s)	Ilan Eshkeri
Series	The Sims
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows macOS PlayStation 4 Xbox One
Release	Microsoft Windows NA: September 2, 2014 AU: September 4, 2014 EU: September 4, 2014 UK: September 5, 2014 macOS WW: February 17, 2015 PlayStation 4, Xbox One WW: November 14, 2017
Genre(s)	Simulation
Mode(s)	Single-player

The Sims 4 is a 2014 life simulation video game developed by the Redwood Shores studio of Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the fourth major title in The Sims series and was originally announced on May 6, 2013, and was released in North America on September 2, 2014 for Microsoft Windows. A Mac compatible version of the game was released on February 17, 2015. The Sims 4 is the first PC game to top all-format charts in two years. The game has received mixed reviews since its release, with the majority of criticism directed towards its lack of content.

Eight expansion packs have been released. The most recent is Discover University, which was released on November 15, 2019. There have also been several "stuff packs" and "game packs" released, as well as free updates that include major changes such as the addition of a toddler life stage.

Gameplay

The Sims 4 is a life simulation game, similar to its predecessors. Players create a Sim character and control their life to explore different personalities which change the way the game plays out. Sims can multitask. Sims' moodlets change the gameplay by influencing the sims' emotional state, introducing new interaction options.

Similar to previous Sims games, player-created challenges abound. One of the most prevalent is the Legacy Challenge, in which players create a single Sim and try to make its family line last for ten generations.

Create a Sim

One major change to Create A Sim functionality is that sliders have been replaced by direct mouse manipulation. By clicking, dragging, and pulling with the mouse, players may directly manipulate the facial features of a Sim. Players can directly manipulate any body part including the abdomen, chest, legs, arms and feet. In previous Sims games, only the fitness and fatness can be manipulated on a Sims body; however, fitness and fatness levels may still be adjusted in The Sims 4 with sliders as in previous games. The base game comes with over 40 hairstyles for both men and women. There are up to 18 hair color options per hairstyle. Selections of premade designs of Sims are available to choose from, which range in body shape and ethnicity.

Seven life stages are available including baby, toddler, child, teenager, young adult, adult and elder. The baby life stage is accessible only through the birth of a Sim and not available in Create A Sim. Toddlers were initially absent from the original game release, but were added in the January 2017 patch.

Each Sim has three traits and an aspiration containing its own hidden trait.

Compared to previous Sims games where everyday, formal, sleepwear, athletic, party and swimwear outfits were restricted to having their own clothing options, all clothing options are available across all outfits and players are allowed up to 5 outfits per category. There is a filter panel where clothing options can be sorted by color, material, outfit category, fashion choice, style, content and packs.

In a summer 2016 update, gender options were expanded in the game, allowing any gender expression. With this update, haircuts and outfits can be worn by any Sim of any gender, and pregnancy can become a possibility regardless of the gender.

Build/Buy mode

In The Sims 4, build and buy modes have been combined and is treated as a single feature.

A detailed build-and-buy system is included along with neighborhoods and landscaping. Some locked buy mode items may be unlocked through the progression of career levels. Entire buildings and rooms can be moved across a lot. There is a search option to search for build and buy mode options. There are premade rooms that can be placed instantly. Wall heights can be adjusted. There is a pool tool feature with triangular, square and octagonal pool tools. There are build mode cheats such as "motherlode", which enables the player to automatically gain §50,000 (simoleons) added to a Sim's household.

The Gallery

The Sims 4 includes social features, such as importing Sims, lots, and rooms other players have made from The Gallery into the player's game. Players may publish their creations into The Gallery for other players to download into their game instantly.

On January 9, 2015, EA released a version of The Gallery for iOS and Android devices.

Worlds

The Sims 4 originally shipped with two worlds: Willow Creek and Oasis Springs. Both worlds contain five neighborhoods and a total of 21 lots. With the release of Outdoor Retreat and Jungle Adventure, the worlds Granite Falls and Selvadorada, respectively, became available for visiting on outdoor vacations. Newcrest became available with a free update, having three neighborhoods with five empty lots in each, for a total of 15 lots. Magnolia Promenade came with the Get to Work Expansion Pack, and Windenburg was introduced in the Get Together Expansion Pack. The City Living Expansion Pack, released in November 2016, introduced the new city of San Myshuno. The Vampires Game Pack added the neighborhood Forgotten Hollow. In November 2017, the seaside town of Brindleton Bay was added in the Cats and Dogs Expansion Pack. In November 2018, the town of Del Sol Valley was added with the Get Famous Expansion Pack. In February 2019, the desert town of Strangerville was added with the release of the Strangerville game pack.In June 2019, the Island Living expansion pack introduced a new tropical-island-based world, Sulani. In September 2019, the world of Glimmerbrook and its magic realm counterpart (which is accessed via portal) were included with the release of the Realm of Magic game pack. In November 2019, the college town of Britechester was released with the Discover University Expansion Pack.

Development

The Sims 4 is a single-player game and does not require a constant Internet connection to play. Players need an Origin account and internet access during the initial installation process for game activation. Ilan Eshkeri serves as the composer for the game's orchestral soundtrack, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and performed by the London Metropolitan Orchestra.

On April 25, 2013, several screenshots from mock-up flash videos of the user interface were leaked online. On May 3, 2013, Electronic Arts sent out an e-mail to several fansites stating that there would be a big announcement on May 6, 2013, which many speculated would be The Sims 4.

On August 20, 2013, The Sims 4 was revealed via gameplay demo and release trailer at Gamescom. Previews of the building and character creation systems debuted earlier in 2014. Additional game footage and the release date were revealed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo on June 9, 2014.

Gameplay was unveiled during Gamescom 2013. Unveiled features focused on the improved Create-a-Sim with an all-new click-and-drag feature, omitting the use of sliders, and the addition of emotions for sims. Select players called Yibsims who mostly manage fan sites and YouTube videos were invited to Sims Camp to see the game before the public and press. Consequently, the game received minimal coverage outside fansites. Maxis stated the game would run better on lower-end PCs than The Sims 3, which was plagued with performance issues.

It was suspected that The Sims 4 was scheduled to be released in early 2014, but it was later revealed to be released September 2, 2014.

On May 14, 2014, producer Ryan Vaughan unveiled another Create-a-Sim trailer on The Sims YouTube channel. This included a preview of what the pre-made sims Bella Goth and Mortimer Goth would look like in The Sims 4. The development team unveiled another trailer on May 28, 2014 that showcased the new Build Mode features. Players can choose between three different wall heights and adjust the location of a window on a wall, as well as be able to move an entire room from one position to another.

EA unveiled another gameplay trailer including more gameplay footage and announced the release date of the game, September 2, 2014, during a press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo on June 9, 2014. The Sims 4 was released on September 2 in North America and September 4 in European Union, Australia and Brazil.

On June 28, 2014, a video was released showing the "originality" of each sim and their emotions.

In January 2015, Maxis announced Outdoor Retreat, the first paid downloadable content (DLC) for The Sims 4. The DLC focuses on outdoor activities in the national park.

Until mid-2017, there were no plans for a console release; however, versions of the game for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were confirmed for release on November 17, 2017.

In June 2018, it was announced that The Sims 4 will continue to produce new content through 2021.

On September 26, 2018, plans were announced to add mouse and keyboard support to the console version of the game.

In October 2018 a live stream was held by Maxis Monthly announcing new features such as terrain manipulation and the Style Influencer career. It was announced that The Sims 4 will be upgraded from Python 3.3.5 to 3.7.0, which will result in script mods no longer working.

Mac development

Upon first announcement, EA stated that The Sims 4 was in development for both Mac and Windows, both to be released in 2014; however, closer to release date, the company stated that they were "focused [on] Windows" and had "no updates on the Mac at this time". In October 2014 further information was disclosed suggesting the future release of a Mac version. Vaughn told International Business Times that the team was "working on a Mac version right now." On January 13, 2015, EA confirmed the release of the Mac version to be February 2015. On February 2, they announced via The Sims Twitter feed that the Mac version of The Sims 4 would be released on February 17, 2015.

Controversy

Earlier in the development process, a fan-site interview with a producer had revealed Create-a-Style, a customization feature introduced in the previous Sims game, would not be added to The Sims 4 in lieu of other features. The developers announced through a series of tweets that the game would ship with a "stripped-down" version of story-progression (a gameplay mechanic controlling neighborhood autonomy), and that basements, grocery stores, and school and work locations would not be featured in the game. While careers and schools would still be featured, they would be represented differently from The Sims 3, more akin to the way they were featured in The Sims 2.

These announcements sparked criticism among many fans who speculated that the exclusion of arguably core features were intended by the developers or parent company to be left out for later paid content, or in order to make rushed deadlines. A petition was launched by some fans to have the features restored for the initial release, even if the release date were to be pushed back.

Maxis contended that it was not possible to include every feature in the new game that had been added over time in the six years The Sims 3 was in development, and that these could always be added at a later date, although they did not confirm exactly how this would be done, or whether it would be free or at a cost. Some speculated that many new features would be released through paid expansion packs, but others speculated that some of the more "basic, core" content (i.e. pools, toddlers) would be released as free patch updates, similar to how some new features were patched free into The Sims 3, such as basement features.

Questioned as to why some features, such as a cupcake machine, were implemented over what many viewed as key gameplay, Maxis and The Sims producer Graham Nardone attributed the sacrifice to time constraints, the workload and distribution of developers (and the comparative lack of available developers to some areas of production to other areas), as well as risk factors.

Maxis and The Sims producer Rachel Rubin Franklin later elaborated in an official blog post, acknowledging the concerns of fans, and explained the issue on the developer's focus on The Sims 4's new core game engine technologies, and that the sacrifices the team had to make were a "hard pill to swallow". Franklin stated new features such as Sim emotions, advanced Sim animation, interaction and behaviors, as well as the new Create-a-Sim and build mode tools as a large part of the reason that detracted focus from features such as swimming pools and the toddler life stage.

On October 1, 2014, Maxis confirmed that one of its missing features (swimming pools), along with other new updates and features, would be added into the game for free in November, and this happened in the form of a game patch. Other features like basements have later been added in subsequent patches, and the missing "toddler" life stage was eventually added for free in a patch released on January 12, 2017.

Significant features added via free game patches

Patch release date	Significant features added
October 1, 2014	Ghost, a new type of sim that is an optional addition to the game, the Deathflower plant, and the "Ambrosia" cooking recipe; Star Wars costumes: Yoda, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader.
November 4, 2014	Swimming pools; various swimwear.
December 16, 2014	Two new active careers: Business and Athletic; Paid Time Off and Family Leave options.
February 3, 2015	Genealogy panel, displaying a Sim's family tree.
March 26, 2015	Basements, down to two levels down, and an additional above ground floor, bringing the total floors available to six; the Notebook feature on the phone, which catalogs a Sim's gardening or fishing discoveries; Paint by Reference option on the easel.
May 4, 2015	New Star Wars costumes: Boba Fett, Darth Maul, and Aayla Secura; Revamped the loading screen.
June 11, 2015	Newcrest, a new world containing fifteen empty lots within three new neighborhoods; the Welcome Wagon from new neighbors; the Custom Room Tool.
July 9, 2015	Half walls; locked doors; King's and Queen's Door, which allow only just the men or women to pass through it, respectively; towel full body outfits.
August 6, 2015	A dishwasher is added to the appliances, which needs to be slotted into an existing non-island counter.
September 24, 2015	New Trait: Jealous; Limited Interaction Trick or Treat; Claiming beds; Resizeable rugs; Underground Saunas.
November 3, 2015	New Hire Service: Repair Man.
December 4, 2015	64-bit executable; Automatically disable mods after patch; Change in Sims groups; New NPC Interaction; Fire and Death Reaction Systems; New Venue Type: Pool and New Option to color water; World maps updated; Put grills in inventory.
February 4, 2016	New Trait: Kleptomaniac; New Hire Service: Gardener; New Aspiration; New Content in Build Mode.
April 21, 2016	Returning NPC: Tragic Clown.
June 3, 2016	All Create-a-Sim content is available to both sexes, as well as gender customization.
June 23, 2016	Child Sims can now experience a 'Monster-Under-The-Bed', appearing as tentacles which children can either befriend or ask Adults to Spray. Adults cannot see this Monster, however. A light for warding away the Monster has also been added, which features an image of the new character 'Coolala'. This character appears in the new Kids Room Stuff as well, released June 28, 2016.
July 14, 2016	Nannies have been added, and the ability to adjust all lights in a room in one go has been introduced.
August 18, 2016	Sim Cell Phone covers can be customized.
September 27, 2016	Mexican 'Day of the Dead' CAS Items are added; A Mexican dish, Pan De Muerto, is added to the cooking recipes.
October 27, 2016	Eight new lot traits have been added to the base game; A copy paste function for build mode has been added.
January 12, 2017	The Toddler age group, along with unique Toddler traits, skills, outfits, objects and the ability to customize your sims teeth (includes the other life stages), have been added with a free game update.
February 2, 2017	Redesigned the Main Menu.
May 25, 2017	Updated the Load / Save menu.
November 11, 2017	Four new roofs are added in Build Mode: Pentagonal, Hexagonal, Octagonal, and Round Roofs; Advanced roof curvature mode and additional manipulation points to Gabled and Hipped roofs; Photography is made available to all players; A new Maximum Sim Count option in Gameplay Options; Objects can be shrunk using the Size Down cheat.
February 6, 2018	New female hairstyle and ten new skin tones were added in addition to an anniversary T-shirt.
June 19, 2018	Added glass roofs, cold and hot weather outfit categories to CAS in preparation for the Seasons expansion pack, a swimwear category for toddlers, and revamped the Gardening skill.
August 16, 2018	Caribbean-Inspired Content. New hair styles, clothing, sliding doors, and ceiling fan.
November 13, 2018	Added terrain tools, a first person camera, as well as the Style Influencer and Self-Employment careers.
February 5, 2019	Lunar New Year content, including recipes, clothing, and Build mode items.
April 16, 2019	Freelancer career, new Build mode items, and new clothing items.
June 18, 2019	Pride month content, 350 door color swatches, Off-the-grid and Clothing Optional lot traits, Part-Time jobs for Adult, 1 lounge chair, Stilt Foundations, Fishing update.
July 16, 2019	Main menu update, icons update, updated Create a Sim interface with Create a Sim story mode now available for creation of new characters. New clothing items.
August 8, 2019	Additional photo and display options for photos taken by photographer Sims.
September 5, 2019	Middle Eastern clothing, build mode items, and configurable stairs allowing for them to go in different directions.
October 3, 2019	Robot costumes.
November 12, 2019	New clothing, multi story columns, and 4K user interface scaling.
November 25, 2019	Legacy Edition for 32 bit PC support and Mac Lion support introduced.
December 12, 2019	Additional Simlish music added to Alternative in-game station.
January 16, 2020	Support for Simplified Chinese added.
February 4, 2020	Birthday/Sims anniversary plumbob hot tub added, new music tracks added.

Marketing and release

SteelSeries and Electronic Arts announced a series of themed peripherals to promote The Sims 4, including a pair of headphones, a computer mouse that lights up in accordance with Sims' in-game emotional states, and a mousepad featuring a render of various Sim groups.

A demo was released to the public displaying the new Create a Sim partition of the game in which is supplied, free of charge to anyone. TV spots were also produced narrated by actor Charlie Day.

In April 2019, EA announced a collaboration between the game and Italian designer Moschino. The collaboration will include a capsule collection featuring pixelated clothing inspired by the game.

From May 21 until May 28, 2019, the game was given away to Origin users for free on PC and Mac.

Ratings

On May 9, 2014, it was reported that The Sims 4 has been rated "18+ (prohibited for children)" by Russia. This decision was based on the game's portrayal of same-sex relationships contravening the Russian LGBT propaganda law that prohibits portrayal "of non-traditional sexual relationships" to children (see also LGBT rights in Russia). Previous entries in The Sims series have routinely been rated as suitable for lower ages; for instance, The Sims 3 was considered suitable for ages 6 and up in Germany, The Sims 4 is suitable for ages 6 and up in Germany as well. In Japan, The Sims 4 is rated CERO "C", ages 15 and up, same as in South Korea. In many European countries, like Spain, the UK, France, Poland, and the Czech Republic, the game is rated PEGI 12, ages 12 and up.

Expansions, add-ons and editions

Expansion packs

Code	Name	Release date	Description
EP01	Get to Work	PC: NA: March 31, 2015 EU: April 2, 2015 Console: WW: March 20, 2018	The first expansion pack adds three new playable, active careers: Doctor, Detective and Scientist. Get to Work also gives the opportunity to build a retail store and start a business. The expansion pack also adds a new neighborhood called Magnolia Promenade, and planet Sixam, an alien home world, as well as playable alien Sims. It also adds two new skills (Baking and Photography), new objects and clothing.
EP02	Get Together	PC: NA: December 8, 2015 EU: December 10, 2015 Console: WW: September 11, 2018	Get Together is the second expansion pack for The Sims 4, which was announced on August 5, 2015 at Gamescom. The main new feature of this expansion pack is Clubs. The player can create and join Clubs with distinct interests, personalities, and styles where the player can set the rules, define their look, and customize their hangouts. Furthermore, there are brand new activities such as foosball, darts, Don't Wake The Llama and arcade machine. There are also all new DJ and Dancing skills. This expansion pack features a new world of called Windenburg, with scenic neighborhoods and picturesque landmarks, including the sprawling hedge maze at the Von Haunt Estate, the alluring pools along the bluffs, and the mysterious ancient ruins. Other new features include: emotional texts, natural pool colours, new foods and drinks, barista and DJ NPCs, and new Closet WooHoo and Bush WooHoo.
EP03	City Living	PC: NA: November 1, 2016 EU: November 3, 2016 Console: WW: November 14, 2017	The third expansion pack features a new city called San Myshuno with four unique neighborhoods. City Living introduces new careers reflective of our time including the returning politician career and two new brand new fields never seen in the franchise: social media and critic. The expansion pack focuses on city life and reintroduces apartments into the city, ranging from fixer-uppers to penthouses. There are many new lots and activities for Sims to explore such the Spice Market, Karaoke Bar, Geek Con with video game competitions, the Spice Festival with curry eating contests and a Romance Festival for love-seeking Sims. Apartments will feature lot traits which can be assigned to any lot. The new lot traits are available via patch to players who do not purchase the expansion.
EP04	Cats & Dogs	PC: WW: November 10, 2017 Console: WW: July 31, 2018	The fourth expansion pack introduces creation of pets such as cats, dogs, and items catered to Sims' furry friends (similar to The Sims 2: Pets, The Sims 3: Pets and The Sims: Unleashed). This also allows players to pursue a veterinary career and create their own veterinary practice.
EP05	Seasons	PC: WW: June 22, 2018 Console: WW: November 13, 2018	The fifth expansion pack introduces new weather and seasons systems similar to the systems found in The Sims 2: Seasons and The Sims 3: Seasons, which allow Sims to experience winter, spring, summer, and fall. The pack also introduces new outfits as well as a new career, the Botanist.
EP06	Get Famous	PC: WW: November 16, 2018 Console: WW: February 12, 2019	The sixth expansion pack allows sims to become famous (similar to The Sims: Superstar) through the addition of an acting active career or a social media influencer. A variety of expensive objects are added to create luxury mansions, in the brand new world of Del Sol Valley.
EP07	Island Living	PC: WW: June 21, 2019 Console: WW: July 16, 2019	The seventh expansion pack focuses on sims living in a tropical paradise world called Sulani (in a similar vein to that of The Sims 3: Island Paradise). Other features include the conservationist, diving, fishing and lifeguard careers, playable mermaids, boats and the island locals.
EP08	Discover University	PC: WW: November 15, 2019 Console: WW: December 17, 2019	The eighth expansion pack introduces your sims to the life of university (similar to The Sims 2: University and The Sims 3: University Life). There is a new world, Britechester, which has two universities, "University of Britechester" and "Foxbury Institute". It also adds the possibility of riding a bike.

Game packs

Code	Name	Release date	Description
GP01	Outdoor Retreat	PC: WW: January 13, 2015 Console: WW: December 4, 2018	Adds a new world called Granite Falls. Within the new world Sims can vacation outdoors in a national park. This pack also adds a new skill (Herbalism); a new collectable (insects); and several new Sims traits, achievements, aspirations, outfits, objects, and game interactions related to outdoor activities.
GP02	Spa Day	PC: WW: July 14, 2015 Console: WW: April 18, 2019	Adds a new building type, the spa. This pack also includes a new skill (Wellness) as well as several new outfits, objects and game interactions related to the typical features in a spa like massages, meditation, mud baths, saunas and yoga.
GP03	Dine Out	PC: WW: June 7, 2016 Console: WW: January 8, 2018	Allows Sims to visit restaurants, as well as build and run their own restaurant. Those that own restaurants can experiment with new foods, employ staff and succeed in cooking. This pack also comes with a variety of items in Create a Sim.
GP04	Vampires	PC: WW: January 24, 2017 Console: WW: November 14, 2017	Allows Sims to become Vampires with different powers and weaknesses. A new residential world with five lots, Forgotten Hollow, is also introduced. The pack also comes with a new aspiration, new lot traits and numerous CAS and Build mode items that fit the darker Vampire theme.
GP05	Parenthood	PC: WW: May 30, 2017 Console: WW: June 19, 2018	Allows adult Sims to control and shape their child or teen's life. New features like cursing, acne, school related projects, and many more. Toddlers, children, and teens can now be rebellious to their parents and other siblings. Parents can treat this new behavior by being strict, or they could be nurturing and hope that good things will come.
GP06	Jungle Adventure	PC: WW: February 27, 2018 Console: WW: December 4, 2018	Adds a new destination world called Selvadorada. New food, dance moves and music are added. Ancient artifacts and mysterious relics can be excavated and examined.
GP07	StrangerVille	PC: WW: February 26, 2019 Console: WW: May 14, 2019	Adds a new residential world named StrangerVille with a mystery to be solved. A new aspiration, build mode items, and CAS items were also included.
GP08	Realm of Magic	PC: WW: September 10, 2019 Console: WW: October 15, 2019	Adds two new worlds, Glimmerbrook and the Magical Realm. Adds Spellcasters and magical gameplay as well as Art Nouveau style build mode items and three different styles of Spellcaster CAS items.

Stuff packs

Code	Name	Release date	Description
SP01	Luxury Party Stuff	PC: WW: May 19, 2015 Console: WW: December 5, 2017	Includes several luxury party outfits and items, including buffet tables and a table-top cheese/chocolate/drinking fountain.
SP02	Perfect Patio Stuff	PC: WW: June 16, 2015 Console: WW: November 17, 2017	Includes patio furniture, including hot tubs, as well as new outfits.
SP03	Cool Kitchen Stuff	PC: WW: August 11, 2015 Console: WW: December 5, 2017	Includes kitchen counters, cabinets and appliances, such as an Ice Cream Maker with over 30 different flavors.
SP04	Spooky Stuff	PC: WW: September 29, 2015 Console: WW: October 2, 2018	Includes Halloween-related costumes, items including spider webs and a pumpkin carving station, and a new spooky-themed party that Sims can throw.
SP05	Movie Hangout Stuff	PC: WW: January 12, 2016 Console: WW: February 19, 2019	Includes Bohemian-styled clothing, home theaters, and items such as the Popcorn Maker.
SP06	Romantic Garden Stuff	PC: WW: February 9, 2016 Console: WW: February 6, 2018	Includes garden objects, new outfits, and new gameplay modes.
SP07	Kids Room Stuff	PC: WW: June 28, 2016 Console: WW: June 19, 2018	Includes items for children's rooms, including new beds, a puppetry, a new game, and new hair and clothes for children.
SP08	Backyard Stuff	PC: WW: July 19, 2016 Console: WW: May 22, 2018	Includes items for the backyard such as slip 'n' slide and bird feeders, and new hair and clothes.
SP09	Vintage Glamour Stuff	PC: WW: December 6, 2016 Console: WW: November 14, 2017	Includes vintage style items such as a vanity table, new Old Hollywood inspired clothes and hair and the ability to hire a butler.
SP10	Bowling Night Stuff	PC: WW: March 29, 2017 Console: WW: March 12, 2019	Includes items such as bowling lanes allowing players to build their own bowling hangout(s) for their Sims to visit. A new five level bowling skill, new themed clothing items, furniture, wallpapers and floorings are also included.
SP11	Fitness Stuff	PC: WW: June 20, 2017 Console: WW: March 12, 2019	Includes new items such as the rock climbing treadmill, workout videos and earbuds. Also included are more fitness apparel.
SP12	Toddler Stuff	PC: WW: August 24, 2017 Console: WW: May 22, 2018	Includes new playground equipments for toddlers to use.
SP13	Laundry Day Stuff	PC: WW: January 16, 2018 Console: WW: August 14, 2018	Includes new home technologies to help your Sim with domestic responsibilities and live an eco-friendly life. Marks of the return of laundry, washing machines and other laundry related items.
SP14	My First Pet Stuff	PC: WW: March 13, 2018 Console: WW: March 31, 2020	Includes hamster, rat, pygmy hedgehog, or miniature bubalus as new pets. It requires the Cats & Dogs expansion pack, and is the first stuff pack to require another piece of Downloadable Content.
SP15	Moschino Stuff	PC: WW: August 13, 2019 Console: WW: September 3, 2019	New clothing and décor from Moschino and Freelance Fashion Photographer career.
SP16	Tiny Living Stuff	PC: WW: January 21, 2020 Console: WW: February 4, 2020	Includes new home technologies to help your Sim with living a smaller lifestyle and reducing his/her carbon footprint., including carbon neutral tiles and Murphy beds.

Additional downloadable content

Except for Holiday Celebration Pack, all these DLC are locked content of the base game.

Name		Release date	Description
Rewards		PC: NA: September 2, 2014 EU: September 4, 2014	Bonus content for the owners of The Sims 3 Expansion Packs.
Digital Deluxe Upgrade	Life of the Party	PC: NA: September 2, 2014 EU: September 4, 2014 Console: WW: November 17, 2017	Included in the Limited Edition and up. Adds the Flaming Tiki Bar and additional outfits.
	Awesome Animal Hats		Included in the Digital Deluxe Edition and up. Adds a collection of animal hats.
	Up All Night		Included in the Digital Deluxe Edition and up. Adds the Laser Light show, face paint, additional party decorations and outfits, two new party types, and new cooking recipes.
Holiday Celebration Pack		WW: December 16, 2014	A free downloadable content pack. Adds winter holiday decorations and outfits. New content is added every year since 2015.
Grim's Ghoulish Guitar		WW: August 17, 2016	Bonus content for signing up to the newsletter. The icon is visible on the main menu only if this item was unlocked.
Family Portrait		WW: April 17, 2018	Bonus content for signing up in The Sims Mobile at the launch day. The icon is visible on the main menu only if this item was unlocked.

Editions

Features		Standard	Limited Edition	Digital Deluxe	Premium Edition	Collector's Edition
		In-store or Origin download		Origin download only	In store only	Int. Release
Core game
Additional downloadable content (DLC)	Life of the Party
	Awesome Animal Hats
	Up All Night
Digital Soundtrack
Creators' guide book
USB interactive Plumbob by SteelSeries

Name	Release date	Includes
The Sims 4 Premier Edition	PC: WW: July 30, 2018	Digital Deluxe, Dine Out, and Kids Room Stuff. (Origin Access Premier membership only)

Expansion-only compilations

Compilations of expansion packs, game packs and stuff packs without the core game have also been released.

Name	Release date	Includes
The Sims 4 Bundle: Get To Work	PC: WW: November 15, 2016	Get to Work, Outdoor Retreat, and Luxury Party Stuff.
	Console: WW: April 24, 2018	Get to Work, Dine Out, and Cool Kitchen Stuff.
The Sims 4 Bundle: Get Together	PC: WW: December 13, 2016	Get Together, Spa Day, and Movie Hangout Stuff.
The Sims 4 Bundle: City Living	PC: WW: August 15, 2017	City Living, Dine Out, and Bowling Night Stuff.
	Console: WW: November 14, 2017	City Living, Vampires, and Vintage Glamour Stuff.
The Sims 4 Bundle: Cats & Dogs	Console: WW: October 2, 2018	Cats & Dogs, Parenthood, and Toddler Stuff.
The Sims 4 Bundle: Seasons	Console: WW: January 22, 2019	Seasons, Jungle Adventure, and Spooky Stuff.
The Sims 4 Back to School Bundle	Console: WW: August 6, 2019	Get Together, Romantic Garden Stuff, Bowling Night Stuff, and Fitness Stuff.
The Sims 4 Live Lavishly Bundle	Console: WW: November 5, 2019	Get Famous, Spa Day, Luxury Party Stuff, and Movie Hangout Stuff.

Reception

Reviews

Aggregate scores

Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	69%
Metacritic	70/100

Review scores

Publication	Score
Eurogamer	7/10
Game Informer	6.75/10
GameRevolution
GameSpot	6/10
GamesRadar+
GameTrailers	6.5/10
IGN	7.5/10
Joystiq
Maximum PC	8/10
PC Gamer (US)	79/100
Polygon	6.5/10
Hardcore Gamer	2.5/5

EA did not provide review copies of the game until September 1, meaning that critics were unable to review the game before release. In the absence of initial reviews it was indicated that players were generally dissatisfied with the game, especially the ones who were familiar with the previous games in the franchise.

At the aggregator site Metacritic, The Sims 4 received a score of 70 based on 74 reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reception.

Hardcore Gamer gave The Sims 4 a 2.5 score out of 5 and commented "it's a half-hearted experience wrapped in a neat and pretty package that beams a potential to both fulfill and crush your inner-Sims’ dreams." They criticized the game for the lack of content and having many bugs.

Jim Sterling of The Escapist, in a mixed review of the game, found there to be an "overall lack of engagement." Although he noted some positive changes, he was critical of the game in comparison to previous entries in the series, declaring that "The Sims 4 is basically The Sims 3, but shrunken and sterile;" he recommended that game be played instead. He also complained of being "harassed" by tutorial messages. His final score for the game was 2.5 out of 5 stars.

ABCNews.com's reviewer Derrik J. Lang praised the game for being "remarkably more intuitive at the start," stating that the Sims are now smarter than before, have emotions that affect their moods, and are able to multi-task. Despite the praise, Lang awarded the game with two stars stating that he encountered annoying glitches and that he misses content from previous games, like dishwashers.

Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot gave this game a 6 out of 10. Despite praising the visuals, audio, and the new multi-tasking and moods system, he states that he misses the two main features of The Sims 3: "Create-a-Style" and the open world. His conclusion is: "The Sims 4's biggest problem is that The Sims 3 exists".

Other reviews were more favorable. CraveOnline.co.uk mentioned in an article that "the awful user reviews indicate a strong backlash;" however, the website added that "Sims fans who haven't paid much attention to the ongoing controversy surrounding the game may look at those Amazon review scores and, without knowing that many are immediately dismissing the game due to its cut content, decide that they won't purchase it."

Kallie Plagge of IGN gave The Sims 4 a 7.5 out of 10. She was disappointed by the lack of content from previous games, and the lack of "cool" objects that could adequately replace them; and the too frequent, albeit short, loading screens. The score she gave is relatively high, though, because "The Sims 4 does succeed in being a deep and complex game when it comes to Sim interactions, with lots of entertaining emotional potential [...] Plus, excellent building tools make architecture more fun than ever". Her conclusion is that "it's a good start to what may eventually be expanded into a great Sims game, but it's not there yet".

The Independent's Jack Fleming praised the game for "The Gallery" feature that allows users to showcase their creations easily, the new multitasking system, the visual design, the personalities and emotions, the unusual careers (that, for example, allow the sim to travel into space), and the new build mode. On the other hand, he voiced his frustration with the loading screens, the new camera controls (while noting they can be reverted to The Sims 3 style), and noted the lack of content from previous installments (such as swimming pools and toddlers) made many fans upset. In conclusion he writes: "The Sims 4 is an easy game to get into (though the constant tutorial-ising at the start can actually get a bit frustrating) and the reasons that people love this series are still present. The game's creators have tried to make the appeal as diverse as possible and have in most ways succeeded; however, I couldn't help but wish I could actually go to space and drive that spaceship around..."

Nick Tan of Game Revolution states that the game is a case study for loss aversion. He explains that the reason for Sims fans expressing so much anger and dissatisfaction with it is because people "strongly prefer avoiding losses than acquiring gains". That, combined with the hatred for Electronic Arts that greatly intensified after the release of the latest SimCity game, resulted in such a backlash. Tan gave The Sims 4 a 3.5/5, calling it "woefully incomplete, despite being unexpectedly solid and entertaining in its current state".

External links

• Official website