The Sims 4 is a popular life simulator game that allows players to create their own characters (Sims) and have them live a virtual life. This includes many functions such as building/buying homes, decorating homes, cooking, going to school, getting a job, traveling, and even living through supernatural occurrences. The Sims has been a popular go-to franchise for gamers to unleash their creativity and allow their Sims to live the lives they want.
The original Sims hit the market in the year 2000 and The Sims 4 debuted in 2014. Despite Sims 4 getting ready to celebrate its 10th birthday, this game is still the most current and consistently updated game in the series. EA, Maxis, and The Sims Studio are working on a new Sims game. Currently, this unreleased game is referred to as The Sims: Project Rene. As it stands, this game is still in the early stages of development and likely won’t be released for at least a couple more years.
Even with The Sims: Project Rene in the works, EA has confirmed that it won’t replace The Sims 4. Both games will coexist alongside one another and will both continue to be worked on and updated simultaneously. Project Rene is meant to give players a new way to enjoy The Sims, but it won’t get rid of the years players sunk into The Sims 4.
The best part about The Sims 4 (and Project Rene when it finally releases) is that the base game is totally free to play. A little over a year ago, The Sims Studio hosted its first “Behind The Sims Summit Stream Event” where they discussed updates to The Sims 4, sneak peaks of Project Rene, and officially announced that The Sims 4 would be free to play across PC and consoles. Now players can enjoy the base game free of charge, but not everything in The Sims 4 is free.
In order to expand the content players have access to, they’ll need to invest in expansion packs for the game. There are many different types of packs that can be purchased to enhance the player’s experience, but each pack has an individual cost attached to it. Fortunately, these packs go on sale frequently, so patient Sims lovers can snag the packs they want for a great price.
What are The Sims 4 Extra Content Packs?
There are several types of packs for The Sims 4. These range from massive expansions that add a lot of playable value to the game to kits that just add a few new, usually small, features. Here’s a breakdown of everything a player can buy for The Sims 4.
- Expansion Packs – EA’s website describes these as, “Large packs that expand your game and take your Sims on new adventures.” These are the most expensive add-ons that players can buy since they are adding entirely new sections to the game. They usually run $39.99.
- Game Packs – EA’s website describes these as, “Medium-sized packs that add new experiences to play in new thematic ways.” These packs add things like vampires, werewolves, parenthood, and other ways that significantly impact a Sim’s life. These usually go for $19.99.
- Stuff Packs – EA’s website describes these as, “Smaller packs that add more to your Sims’ lives with fun objects and fashion.” These are relatively cheap packs that players can purchase to add more variety to their game. Each one usually costs $9.99.
- Kits – EA’s website describes these as, “Kits are mini-collections of content made to boost your playstyle with more choices—and more ways for you to Play With Life!” These packs usually contain small bundles of new furniture and clothing that give the player more options to choose from. These kits usually cost $4.99. Out of all the add-ons for The Sims 4, the kits go on sale the least frequently, likely due to how cheap they are already.
- Bundles – EA’s website describes these as, “With The Sims 4 Bundles, you can add more ways to play at a great price!” Bundles simply mean that the player can purchase multiple add-ons at one discounted price. These bundles usually include one expansion pack, one game pack, and one stuff pack. Bundles usually cost $49.99. When bought separately, all three included packs will cost almost $70, so the bundles do offer a great discounted value.
Every Content Pack Available for The Sims 4
The Sims 4 constantly releases new content for its game, meaning that players have loads of packs to choose from. The expansion packs alone, at full price, would cost a player $560. It’s important to remember that players don’t need every pack to enjoy The Sims 4. It’s all about preferences and what will enhance the player’s enjoyment of the game. That said, it can still be difficult to decide what to buy, so here’s a look at everything currently available through EA’s store.
Expansion Packs ($39.99 each):
- Horse Ranch (Friends & Family expansion)
- Growing Together (Friends & Family expansion)
- High School Years (Careers & Lifestyle expansion)
- Cottage Living (Careers & Lifestyle expansion)
- Snowy Escape (Outdoor Adventures expansion)
- Eco Lifestyle (Careers & Lifestyle expansion)
- Discover University (Careers & Lifestyle expansion)
- Island Living (Outdoor Adventures expansion)
- Get Famous (Careers & Lifestyle expansion)
- Seasons (Everyday Activities expansion)
- Cats & Dogs (Friends & Family expansion)
- City Living (Careers & Lifestyle expansion)
- Get Together (Careers & Lifestyle expansion)
- Get to Work (Careers & Lifestyle expansion)
Game Packs ($19.99 each):
- Werewolves (Supernatural & Fantasy game pack)
- My Wedding Stories (Family & Friends game pack)
- Dream Home Decorator (Architecture & Decor game pack)
- STAR WARS™: Journey to Batuu (Supernatural & Fantasy game pack)
- Realm of Magic (Supernatural & Fantasy game pack)
- StrangerVille (Supernatural & Fantasy game pack)
- Jungle Adventure (Outdoor Adventures game pack)
- Parenthood (Family & Friends game pack)
- Vampires (Supernatural & Fantasy game pack)
- Dine Out (Everyday Activities game pack)
- Spa Day (Everyday Activities game pack)
- Outdoor Retreat (Outdoor Adventures game pack)
Stuff Packs ($9.99 each):
- Home Chef Hustle (Careers & Lifestyle stuff pack)
- Paranormal (Supernatural & Fantasy stuff pack)
- Nifty Knitting (Everyday Activities stuff pack)
- Tiny Living (Careers & Lifestyle stuff pack)
- Moschino (Fashion & Style stuff pack)
- My First Pet (Everyday Activities stuff pack)
- Laundry Day (Everyday Activities stuff pack)
- Toddler (Family & Friends stuff pack)
- Fitness (Everyday Activities stuff pack)
- Bowling Night (Family & Friends stuff pack)
- Vintage Glamour (Architecture & Decor stuff pack)
- Backyard (Architecture & Decor stuff pack)
- Kids Room (Family & Friends stuff pack)
- Romantic Garden (Family & Friends stuff pack)
- Movie Hangout (Family & Friends stuff pack)
- Spooky (Supernatural & Fantasy stuff pack)
- Cool Kitchen (Everyday Activities stuff pack)
- Perfect Patio (Architecture & Decor stuff pack)
- Luxury Party (Everyday Activities stuff pack)
Kits ($4.99 each):
- Modern Luxe (Architecture & Decor kit)
- Poolside Splash (Fashion & Style kit)
- Book Nook (Architecture & Decor kit)
- Grunge Revival (Fashion & Style kit)
- Basement Treasures (Architecture & Decor kit)
- Greenhouse Haven (Architecture & Decor kit)
- Bathroom Clutter (Architecture & Decor kit)
- Simtimates Collection (Fashion & Style kit)
- Everyday Clutter (Architecture & Decor kit)
- Pastel Pop (Architecture & Decor kit)
- Desert Luxe (Architecture & Decor kit)
- First Fits (Fashion & Style kit)
- Little Campers (Outdoor Adventures kit)
- Moonlight Chic (Fashion & Style kit)
- Decor to the Max (Architecture & Decor kit)
- Carnaval Streetwear (Fashion & Style kit)
- Modern Menswear (Fashion & Style kit)
- Blooming Rooms (Architecture & Decor kit)
- Fashion Street (Fashion & Style kit)
- Incheon Arrivals (Fashion & Style kit)
- Industrial Loft (Architecture & Decor kit)
- Courtyard Oasis (Architecture & Decor kit)
- Bust the Dust (Everyday Activities kit)
- Country Kitchen (Architecture & Decor kit)
- Throwback Fit (Fashion & Style kit)
Bundles ($49.99 each):
- Decorate’s Dream Bundle: Includes Cottage Living Careers & Lifestyle expansion pack, Dream Home Decorator Architecture & Decor game pack, and Tiny Living Careers & Lifestyle stuff pack
- Everyday Essentials Bundle: Includes Seasons Everyday Activities expansion pack, Parenthood Family & Friends game pack, and Laundry Day Everyday Activities stuff pack
- Pet Lovers Bundle: Includes Cats & Dogs Family & Friends expansion pack, Parenthood Family & Friends game pack, and My First Pet Everyday Activities stuff pack
How Often Do The Sims 4 Extra Content Packs Go On Sale?
In order for a player to own every bit of The Sims 4 content, it would be extremely expensive, especially at full price. Fortunately, The Sims 4 does keep this in mind. In addition to making the base game completely free to play, they’ve also made sure that their players don’t need these add-ons to play and enjoy their game. While yes, a player won’t have access to nearly as much variety if they don’t invest in some of these packs, they don’t need to buy a single one to enjoy The Sims 4.
Making the base game free isn’t the only thing that EA and Maxis do in order to make their games accessible though. The Sims 4 extra content packs go on sale relatively frequently. While there isn’t an exact formula for calculating when a sale will happen, the content typically goes on sale every 2-3 months. This means that there are usually 4 to 6 sales per year. Players who are interested in obtaining more additions to their Sims experience should check the store frequently.
Times The Sims 4 content usually goes on sale:
- When a new pack is released, many of the older packs are offered at a discount
- Holiday sales, especially around preparations for Christmas
- Post-holiday sales, when gamers are spending holiday money
- Seasonal sales, meaning there will usually be at least one major sale per season, such as the summer sale
When Will the Next Sale Happen?
Right now! Currently, EA’s store is running a sale that offers 20% – 50% off most packs. This sale applies to giant expansion packs, bundles, game packs, and stuff packs. Now is the perfect time for players to snag that bundle they’ve been keeping an eye on.
Everything on sale:
- Most Expansion Packs – Almost all of the expansion packs are included in the sale from anywhere between 25% and 50% off. The older the expansion, the more discounted they are.
- All Game Packs – Every game pack is currently included in the sale. These discounts range from 25% to 30% off.
- Most Stuff Packs – Almost all of the stuff packs are included with 30% discounts.
- All Bundles – Each bundle contains an expansion pack, a game pack, and a stuff pack, for a value of nearly $70. Bundles usually sell for $49.99, which is a pretty big discount already, but the current sale has taken another 20% off, making each bundle $39.99.
Exclusions from the sale:
- The Sims 4 Horse Ranch Expansion Pack – This expansion pack came out on July 23, 2023. As the newest expansion pack currently available for The Sims 4, it’s excluded from the sale. To get this pack, players will need to spend the full price to get it, $39.99.
- The Sims 4 Home Chef Hustle Stuff Pack – This stuff pack was released on September 28, 2023. Since this stuff pack came out less than a month ago, players will need to pay full price for it, $9.99.
- Kits – Kits are the $4.99 packs that usually contain furniture and/or clothing. The kits rarely go on sale and are not part of the current discounts.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©The Sims / Electronic Arts / Maxis.