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Looking for all the expansion packs in The Sims 4 and what they are? EA consistently keeps gamers satisfied with tons of new playable content, including the largest additions to the game, expansion packs.
However, there are tons of expansion packs to choose from. From the recent For Rent expansion pack to fan favorites like Seasons and Get To Work, it can be a lot to take in. Before we jump into all the expansions, be sure to check out how to move items freely in Sims 4. Now, let’s check out all the expansions in The Sims 4, explained.
What Are The Sims 4 Expansion Packs?
The Sims 4 expansion packs are a separate downloadable package that enhances your game. Each expansion pack has a different theme and changes the way that your The Sims 4 game runs.
Many expansion packs add new items, interactions, locations, and even skills. Every expansion pack differs, so it’s a good idea to pick the ones that are most appealing to you, or you might not get your money’s worth.
Every The Sims 4 Expansion Pack Explained
Here’s a list of every expansion pack currently available for The Sims 4. This list is a perfect reference if you’re ever stuck on what expansion for The Sims 4 to buy.
Island Living
Everyone deserves a tropical getaway- especially your hard-working sims. Island living allows you to explore the tropical Island of Sulani, which is the perfect destination for a long holiday, or a quick break from work.
With the Island Living expansion installed, you’ll be able to spend each day getting a tan, eating Barbecue food, or even going for a swim in the ocean. Swimming will give you the chance to meet a mermaid, which is a very interesting experience!
On top of this, Island Living will add a whole host of themed clothing and furniture items, allowing you to bring back the summer vibes to your home. If you love the tropical lifestyle, Island Living is the perfect expansion.
Get Together
Finding time to hang out with your sims friends can be hard, especially when you’re preoccupied with a family and a busy job. If your sims are stuck in this predicament, then the Get Together expansion might just be what you need. It allows you to socialize with your friends in new ways and is all-around one of the most enjoyable expansion packs to play.
The Get Together expansion adds a new destination to your world, called Widenburg. It’s a place full of exciting activities, like hedge mazes and vibrant nightclubs. It makes for the perfect destination to socialize and get to know all of your sim friends even better.
The highlight of this expansion pack is the addition of nightclubs. Going to a club allows you to spend quality time with your friends, and get to know new sims. You might even find your next sim crush! And, if it turns out that your sim isn’t a fan of the nightlife, they can always open up a nightclub business!
So, if you’re looking for something lighthearted and fun, the Get Together expansion might just be what you’ve been searching for.
Eco Lifestyle
Eco Lifestyle is the perfect expansion pack for any avid gardener or environment-lover. The expansion pack allows you to become more environmentally aware in the game, with new features such as recycling and renewable energy sources.
Eco lifestyle also gives you the option to conduct ‘community action plans, which are tasks every member of the community will work towards. The more tasks you fulfill, the greener your world will become. But, become complacent, and you’ll start finding rubbish everywhere you step.
Eco Lifestyle certainly isn’t for everyone. It requires a decent amount of engagement and can take you off track of your other goals. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a real challenge, Eco Lifestyle is one of the best expansions to go for.
Get Famous
In case you hadn’t already guessed, the Get Famous expansion pack allows your Sim to well, Get Famous! If the glitz and glam lifestyle is for you, you won’t want to pass up on this expansion.
Get Famous allows your Sim to pursue an acting or influencer career. These are some of the hardest careers to master in the game, but over time, you will build up a huge fan base. Your Sim will be so popular in fact, that other Sims will become starstruck when they see you!
Although, aside from this feature, the Get Famous expansion does feel a little light on content. So, if you’re looking for something to keep you entertained for weeks, Get Famous might not be for you.
Discover University
Discover University allows your Sim to study a range of subjects in a whole new town called Britechester. Within this town, there are two different universities- The Foxbury Institute and the University of Britechester.
Of course, studying is a big part of the Discover University expansion pack. Your sim will have to attend multiple lectures and revise for exams. But, once you’re finished studying, you’ll be able to let off some steam with house parties and nighttime events.
Discover University does suffer the same flaws as Get Famous. At times, gameplay can feel repetitive, and even a little boring. This expansion pack only affects young adult sims too, which is a major disadvantage if all of your sims are older.
Cats and Dogs
Who doesn’t want their sim to have a pet companion to accompany them in their adventure of life? Well, the Cats and Dogs expansion brings just this into The Sims 4, and became a success overnight!
Cats and Dogs is one of the most refined The Sims 4 expansions ever released. There are dozens of breeds to choose from. If you’re lucky, you can even breed a red panda or fox! This customization allows every player to choose their dream pet, getting them one step closer to their dream sim world.
On top of dozens of breeds of cats and dogs, this expansion adds a new world, called Brindleton Bay to the game. You’ll also be able to pursue a new career as a vet. Finally, there are plenty of themed clothing and furniture items.
So, if you’re an animal lover, Cats and Dogs is a must-have expansion. It’s surprising how much a few pets can impact the way you play The Sims 4.
Get to Work
If you’re looking for a more interesting career path for your Sim, Get to Work is one of the best expansion packs. Get to Work adds several new careers to choose from, each with its unique features, perks, and entry requirements.
Looking to start a retail business? Or perhaps become a detective or even a scientist? All of these careers become available with the Get to Work expansion pack. And you can spend weeks exploring every career without getting bored.
Being a detective, or a doctor will make you a legend in your town. Conversely, building a business will require endless hours of planning your shop, and a great deal of the process is surprisingly realistic.
Get to Work is one of the best expansion packs in terms of replayability. It’ll take you a long time to get through all of the careers included in the expansion, and even when you’ve got through them all, you’ll probably want to play them all again!
Get to Work is also the perfect expansion if your sim hasn’t yet started a family. This is because your new career will require a lot of office hours. So, it’s a great way to build your work life, before settling down with a family of sims.
High School Years
Everyone remembers their high school years- for better or for worse! And with the High School Years expansion, you’ll be able to give your sims those memories too. This expansion has quickly become one of the most popular, and for good reason.
The High School Years expansion adds a new destination called Copperdale, which is a town including a high school, a sports field, and a bubble tea and thrift shop. Your young sim will spend most of their days in high school, before winding down with some sports, or time with their family.
High School years is great in terms of theme and content, but it has been a little buggy. Hopefully, these glitches will get fixed over time, but the jittery gameplay can take away from what is otherwise an excellent expansion to play.
City Living
The normal The Sims 4 world is nice, but it can feel a little baron and empty. If you’re looking to switch things up, the City Living expansion pack is a great choice. You’ll be able to move your sim to a big city, where there are skyscrapers around every corner and a whole new host of opportunities.
Within the city, there are plenty of different things to do. If you’re pursuing a career, head to the Uptown district. Or, if you’re looking for something to cook for dinner, head to the Spice market.
Ultimately, the City Living Expansion is one of the biggest, and best expansions for The Sims 4.
Cottage Living
If you’re not a fan of City Living, Cottage Living might just be the perfect counterpart. Instead of living in a bustling environment, the Cottage Living expansion pack will allow you to build a life in the countryside, surrounded by wildlife and nature.
The cottage Living Expansion allows you to choose how in touch with nature you want to be. You’ll be able to raise your own animals, like cows, llamas, and chickens. But, if you’re simply after a quiet family home, you’ll still be able to fulfill your dreams.
So, if city living isn’t for you, make sure to pick up the Cottage Living expansion pack.
Snowy Escape
Snowy Escape brings cold weather activities to The Sims 4. With the expansion pack installed, you’ll be able to spend your days learning how to ski and snowboard, before finishing off the day by relaxing in a hot spring or two.
Snowy Escape also brings snowy-themed furniture and clothing to the game. It’s a perfect expansion to get around Christmastime, or if you’re looking for something both cosy and adventurous.
Seasons
There’s no doubt that the Seasons expansion pack is one of the most refined expansions for The Sims 4. It’s also great value for money and adds seemingly endless amounts of content to the game.
In case you haven’t guessed, the season’s expansion pack brings Summer, Spring, Fall, and Winter to your The Sims 4 game. You can customize how long these seasons last, but they generally stick around for about a week.
As the seasons change, you’ll have access to new holidays, like Thanksgiving and Halloween. All of these events are well-refined, and very enjoyable, for both you and your sim!
This expansion also adds a whole host of seasonal clothing and furniture, allowing you to dress for any occasion.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for an expansion that will enhance the realism in your The Sims 4 world, the Seasons expansion is probably the best expansion pack to go for.
Seasons is the best
Seasons expansion packs have been the favorite of fans since the first Seasons expansion was released for The Sims 2 all the way back in 2007. They are highly regarded for the way the content affects everything your sims do.
Growing Together
For those who love generations challenges and families, Growing Together is the pack for you. Released alongside the infant update, this pack focuses on raising families and family dynamics.
New planned events such as sleepovers and baby showers are now available to you. It also gives you endless build and buy modes for infants, the newest life stage in Sims 4. Reach milestones with your baby such as rolling over and laughing for the first time. Infants aren’t the only ones getting milestones, though – your adult sims can have a midlife crisis now.
It also introduces the world of San Sequoia for your families to enjoy. This San Francisco-inspired town has a rec center for your sims to enjoy, as well as a library.
Horse Ranch
Horses are now a part of the sim world once again with the Horse Ranch expansion. While many fans were hoping for them to come with a pet expansion, Horse Ranch has deeper interactions with horses than ever before seen in the franchise.
Adopt your own horse and train them to be the best at the Ultimate Horse Championship. You can ride your horse through the new western-themed world of New Appaloosa, or take good care of them at home on your very own ranch.
Horses aren’t all that’s new in this expansion, as goats were introduced alongside them. Raise baby goats on your ranch alongside your foals for a more realistic farm than ever before.
Cowboy-inspired clothes are also found in this pack, with plenty of ways to decorate your home and sim to look straight out of a John Wayne film.
For Rent
If you’re in the mood to be a nosy neighbor in your rental complex, For Rent is the pack you need. Apartments are more in-depth with this pack, letting you become a landlord or a tenant while controlling all the households that live in them.
Dive into the world of Tomarang, which features a beautiful Night Market to purchase food and ingredients from, as well as the Animal Sanctuary where you can donate to keep tigers thriving in the Sims world.
Purchase a rental complex and become the best (or worst) landlord sims have ever seen. Or, rent out a space for your sims on a budget to live in the close community of the Southeast Asian-inspired world of Tomarang. Just make sure not to get caught breaking into other sims’ apartments!
How Much Do The Sims 4 Expansion Packs Cost?
Each expansion costs $40. However, these packs regularly go on sale, so keep a lookout for deals. You can also bundle expansion packs together with smaller DLC like game packs and stuff packs.
In total, there are 15 full expansion packs, putting the price to buy all of them at an eye-watering $600. And that doesn’t even include the smaller DLC.
That’s everything you need to know about all the expansions in The Sims 4. Be sure to check out how to edit sims in CAS and all the worlds in Sims 4 so you can know more about the most famous life simulation game around.
Sims 4 All Expansions FAQs
How many expansions are there for Sims 4?
There are a total of 15 full expansion packs for the game as of 2024, with more expansions planned to be released.
How much do expansion packs cost?
Each expansion pack costs $40 to purchase and download. However, EA often has sales on expansion packs and allows you to bundle them for cheaper.
What is the best Sims 4 expansion pack?
The best pack is entirely up to personal preference, however if you’re just starting out most veteran players recommend either the Seasons expansion or Get To Work expansion.
