As someone who gets bored quite easily, I have never been one to play games without mods, and this is especially true for The Sims 4. Even with all of the Stuff and Expansion packs, I can only play for about an hour at a time. Two, if I’m feeling feisty that day. But gameplay mods created by the amazing community saved the game for me. They make it so that I play a little too much. If you also want to be saved, then here are 5 gameplay mods for The Sims 4.
Education Overhaul
School life for Sims is fine, but don’t you ever wish there was more? I’m here to tell you to wish no longer, because with the Education Overhaul mod, now there is! This mod brings so much to the game surrounding how and where your Sims learn, and even an overhaul to the education career path.
Toddlers are great and all, but sometimes they can be too much to handle. What if your Sim has triplets? What if they’re busy at work all day, and can’t afford a nanny? Then they can send them to preschool! At preschool, toddlers will have their needs met and they’ll learn all kinds of skills your Sim may not have time to teach them themselves. Another feature that’s there is for if you’re unsatisfied with the way the education career works—there’s a new branch for you to explore. This mod also brings some variety by offering different types of schools for children and teen Sims to attend, including private schools, boarding schools, and virtual schools if being in person just isn’t working out. Truly, you have so many options with this mod, including everything I mentioned and more, so be sure to check it out. It’s sure to add depth to your gameplay.
Wonderful Whims
If you’ve never heard of Wicked Whims, I’d be surprised. If you use it, great! If it’s a little (okay, a lot) too spicy for you but you’ve always been interested in everything else the mod has to offer, then try Wonderful Whims by the same creator. Wonderful Whims is a mod that’s much tamer than its predecessor, offering new systems to spice up your gameplay in a calmer way.
Sometimes I wish that Sims had preferences when seeking out lifelong or casual partners. The recently added base game feature of likes and dislikes is great for whether certain Sims may get along, but it still wasn’t enough for me. Wonderful Whims uses an in-depth attraction system where looks can matter, and Sims may fall in love at first sight. There are plenty of settings to explore, and you’re able to choose what your Sim may look for in another, or let fate decide.
Though the attraction system is the biggest feature in my eyes, there’s still more that Wonderful Whims will add to your game. There are personality types and compatibility, added menstrual cycles with hormonal effects and fertility, and many other smaller additions to make gameplay more fun.
Carl’s Gameplay Overhaul
If you’ve felt, for years, that The Sims 4 has been lacking, then you’re not alone. There are plenty of Simmers who can say that they’re disappointed in some of the features, and the lack of some others. There are bugs that were just never fixed, expected features that never came, and sometimes it’s way too easy. Carl’s Gameplay Overhaul gives you the option to fix any of these as, like many of these mods, it’s broken up into modules that you can download, and you can change many of the settings in-game.
Aside from the many bug fixes and mini-overhauls (fishing, gardening, food calories, metabolism, and more), this mod can make The Sims 4 as difficult as you want it to be. Cut down the income your Sims are bringing home and simultaneously increase the bills, make it harder to form and maintain friendships and relationships, don’t get promoted as fast, and make it so that the charisma and logic skills actually matter. Oh yeah—and it adds burglars, too.
Divergent Sims
Sims can have a variety of emotions from dealing with many stressors in their lives, but, as I’ve been saying throughout this whole article, I’m greedy—I want more, more, more! The Divergent Sims mod adds neurodiversity, self-esteem, and treatments to The Sims 4. This mod was well-researched and has 25 different health conditions. It will not start unless you manually assign or randomly assign conditions to Sims in-game, or you install the “Disorder Auto Assignments” part of the mod into your game. More details are available on the website.
Some people may not like the idea of adding mental health to The Sims, but the representation feels validating, and I love knowing my Sims can struggle with some of the same mental health issues some of my friends, family members, and I struggle with. It may seem silly to others, but to me, it’s so very important. I’m very grateful for this mod. Still, please read about this mod carefully and with caution. It does discuss disorders that may be triggering.
Lumpinou’s LGBTQIA+ Mod
Sims have never been tied down to heterosexuality, and that’s one of the many reasons that I love the series. But, say it with me now: I want more. Lumpinou’s LGBTQIA+/Gender and Orientation mod gives me so much more than I would have thought possible.
Lumpinou’s mod adds some of the most in-depth features when it comes to Sims’ lifestyles that I think I’ve ever seen. From gender identity to transitioning to coming out, there is so much that this mod will bring into your game. Do you want a queerplatonic relationship? Go for it! Do you want more pronoun options? Be my guest! There are options that stop your Sims from flirting with someone they know won’t be into them, and there’s an option to make sure that your Sims’ coming out won’t be perceived as something negative. I think I would be here all day if I tried to tell you about every single feature this mod adds, so I implore you to go check it out yourself. You will not be disappointed.
Do you feel saved yet? If not, you will once you download these mods. These are only five of my favorites, but I play with so many and there are always new amazing mods coming out every day. If you want to see another gameplay mod list for The Sims 4, let me know!
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