5 Creative Ways to Use The Move Objects Cheat in Sims 4

The Sims 4 is one of the most popular life simulator games. The game first debuted on September 2nd, 2014, and since its release, it has received multiple updates and expansions. Maxis developed The Sims 4, and Electronic Arts published it for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Mac operating systems, and Microsoft Windows. Last year (2022) Maxis released the base game as a free-to-play game. Anyone interested in diving into the world of The Sims 4 can now do so free of charge. That said, the game features many expansion packs and other buyable content to give players more ways to play. While these packs do cost money, they go on sale quite often. Be sure to check The Sims 4 store frequently for awesome discounts. EA is running a holiday sale now, so stock up on those packs!

The Sims 4 has a lot to offer. Players get to create custom Sims and design every aspect of their lives, from their homes to the careers they take to the friends they make along the way. There are hundreds of ways to play The Sims 4. That said, there’s no doubt that one of the most popular features is the build mode. Players have complete control over how they want to build and design their characters’ homes. This is one aspect of the game that allows players’ creativity to shine. The sky’s the limit in The Sims 4 and some players achieve extraordinary masterpieces.

One of the easiest ways to build and decorate a beautiful home (or any other type of space) is to take advantage of cheats and mods. Unfortunately, only computer gamers can utilize mods, giving them access to way more customization than console players. Fortunately, Maxis built in plenty of cheats that can be used in every version of the game. As long as the player knows how to input the cheats, they’ll have the same access to the features as anyone else. One of the most popular cheats for building is, of course, the Move Objects cheat.

The Move Objects Cheat & How to Use It

The Move Objects cheat is a simple Sims 4 cheat that allows players to freely move items while in build mode. This may not sound all that special, but it bypasses many restrictions that The Sims 4 build mode has. For example, players can overlap items that normally couldn’t interact with one another. Items can be placed in areas where they shouldn’t be able to exist. It also ignores The Sims 4 grid, so players have more control over the exact placement of each item. No more worrying about that piece of furniture snapping to the grid and refusing to sit in the center of a designated area.

The good news is, the Move Objects cheat can be used on PC, Mac, and console. Any Sims 4 player can take advantage of this incredibly helpful cheat to make their dream home come to life.

How to Input Cheat Codes for The Sims 4:

• PC: Hold CTRL and Shift, then press C
• Mac: Hold Command and Shift, then press C
• PlayStation: Hold the four shoulder buttons at the same time (L1 + L2 + R1 + R2)
• Xbox: Hold the four shoulder buttons at the same time (LB + LT + RB + RT)

With the cheat code menu now open on their preferred device, players can input a wide range of cheats. For Move Objects, players will type “bb.moveobjects” into the menu to activate the cheat. This cheat can be utilized as often as the player wants, so they can build to their heart’s content.

1. Use ‘alt’ to Freely Place Objects

One of the most annoying things about The Sims 4 build mode is the grid. This grid forces objects to snap into unnatural arrangements. This often results in nightstands being too far away from the bed, furniture and decor sitting at odd angles because it can’t rotate properly, or large gaps between items that don’t need all that space. This is where the Move Objects function shines because it allows players to completely ignore the limitations of the grid and freely place objects.

To Freely Place Objects:

• PC: With Move Objects activated, hold down the ALT key while moving an item
• MAC: With Move Objects activated, hold down the option key while moving an item
• PlayStation: With Move Objects activated, hold down L2 while moving an item
• Xbox: With Move Objects activated, hold down LT while moving an item

This allows players to move the item wherever they want regardless of the grid. The item won’t snap to the grid while using this technique. This also allows for free rotation, so players can place their items in any orientation they want. This technique also lets players move items off of the grid entirely. Traditionally the grid is the area of space players have to work with. They can’t build or decorate outside the grid’s borders. With Move Object’s free object placement, players can place items anywhere in any configuration, on or off the grid.

2. Overlap Objects to Maximize Design

With Move Objects, players can overlap items to make a more engaging and realistic design. Without the cheat active, The Sims 4 is extremely picky about what can overlap and sit on top of something else. Only items programmed to sit on tables, counters, or other surfaces will be able to. If an object is already filling a place on the grid, another object can’t exist in that grid space unless it can sit on top of the item already there. This limits placing decor and Sims’ necessities and makes it difficult to create a cohesive space that looks lived in.

Fortunately, Move Objects fixes this issue entirely. Players can overlap anything they want, which makes decorating a lot easier. A flower pot that could only sit on the floor can now sit in the center of a table, for example. This allows players to decorate their surfaces by putting any decor they want on top of them. That’s not all, though. With Move Objects’ free object placement, players can fit more on their surfaces as well. Since these objects will sit on the desired surface and ignore the grid, players can clutter up their spaces as much or as little as they want.

For example, say there’s a kitchen sink with an extended counter to the right of the sink. Typically, players may only be able to fit a few items on the surface due to the grid snap mechanic. This might allow for a roll of paper towels, some soap, and a toaster, but not much else. It will also be nearly impossible to sit anything close to the sink due to how far away the grid will keep the nearest object. With the Move Objects cheats, players can sit soap and a roll of paper towels right next to the sink, freeing up plenty of space for other objects. They could put a cookbook, plates, and several appliances down if they wanted.

3. Decorate the Perimeter of the House

Curb appeal is an important part of any home. When trying to sell a home in real life, relators spruce up the yard and add a little pizzazz to show off the house’s potential. What a house’s exterior looks like often draws in potential buyers. A beautiful home is more likely to get viewers than an average or rundown home, no matter how nice the interior is. The same can be said for The Sims 4. It doesn’t matter how beautifully decorated the interior is, the builder will never be happy unless to exterior matches.

Fortunately, with Move Objects active, decorating the exterior of the home becomes a lot simpler. Any experienced Sims builder will tell newcomers how annoying the grid is around the perimeter of their build. That’s because, traditionally, once a structure is standing, there’s always a little bit of space around the exterior where nothing can be placed. In older Sims games, like The Sims 2, players covered up these exposed areas with hedges at the front of the base of the build. In The Sims 4, builders can get a little more creative.

The Move Objects cheat allows players to ignore that natural border around the exterior of a build. They can overlap objects around the home’s foundation line with all sorts of objects and items to disguise the base of the house and make it look more attractive. In the screenshot above, the builder decided to fill this area with beautiful foliage. Without the Move Objects cheat, they never would have been able to create such an eye-catching layout. This technique helps the build come together with some seriously impressive curb appeal.

4. Pools & Water Features

Pools are a desired feature that often represents a family’s wealth. Building pools is an expensive endeavor. Maintaining pools is a timely chore that costs more money over the course of the pool’s lifespan. This makes a pool a desirable feature, both in real life and in life simulators. Not to mention, swimming is a fun and refreshing form of exercise and relaxation, so plenty of people (and Sims) get their use out of a pool.

Fortunately, The Sims 4 does feature several styles of pools that come in a multitude of shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, despite the stylization, they often just look like giant holes in the backyard that are hard to decorate. The same can be said for fountains and other water features. They might be beautiful, but they’re difficult to design around. With Move Objects, a pool, fountain, or other water feature can become a beautiful focal point of any outdoor area.

With Move Objects active, players can overlap items in and around the pool and/or water feature. This allows players to put water features inside their pools, overlap items around the exterior to jazz up the aesthetic of the pool, or even make the pool serve multiple functions. For example, the screenshot above features a pool with a bar in the center. Sims can swim around in the pool. When they want a drink or snack, they can swim up to the bar, have a seat, and get their refreshments. This is a fun function to build into a pool and it’s not even unrealistic. Plenty of pools, commercial and privately owned, feature this sort of setup. Without Move Objects, though, players wouldn’t be able to achieve a build like this.

5. Overlapping Wall Decor and Building Elements

One of the more artistic ways to utilize Move Objects is to overlap art and building elements to create something unique. For example, players can layer windows to create custom window layouts. This allows them to make windows that are as large or as small as they want, in addition to giving them a unique design. This technique gives the appearance of custom windows built specifically to fit this house and this house alone. No other house will ever have those exact windows.

This technique can be applied to all sorts of things. Layering individual items on top of and/or around each other to give them a unique shape and appearance is a fun and interesting way to give a build dimension. In addition to windows, players can do this with wall art. Stacking paintings and other wall decorations on top of and around each other can create a unique wall feature that stands out as a focal point. Players can even use this method on furniture. Overlapping multiple pieces of furniture can create new pieces that don’t exist in the game. For example, overlapping two or more couches can create an attractive sectional.

Another interesting and creative way to utilize this method is to inlay items into walls. In this Mita Sims video, the builder uses a technique where they put in a window and then use Move Objects to move the window out of the way. Once the window is out of sight, they use the opening to inlay two bookshelves to give the appearance of built-in units.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©IGN / Maxis / Electronic Arts.