The Sims 4: Game Packs Overview
One interesting thing about The Sims is that you don’t get a full rounded experience when you’re playing if you don’t purchase DLC. You can have fun with just the base game, but you aren’t going to get all the smaller experiences with things like vampires, or camping.
There are four types of packs for you to explore and the game packs are the second largest with them being very niche packs focused on a specific theme like magic. These packs are some of the favourites of players because they’re usually really well done.
What Are Game Packs?
Game packs for The Sims 4 are the middle child of the original 3 pack types with stuff packs being smaller than these and expansion packs being larger. In recent years the team has also added a new smaller pack type called kits that are super small and even more niche than ever before.
Game packs are interesting because they focus on an extremely specific theme for the pack unlike expansions that focus on more broad ideas like city living or cottage living. These are awesome because you can pick and choose the types of gameplay you need to have in your game.
Dream Home Decorator
Dream Home Decorator is a pack entirely focused on a gig system where your sims will go to another sim’s house and be able to redecorate parts of their homes to their specifications. With this pack we got a base game update for preferences so your sims can decorate based on a sim’s favourite colours and design styles to make sure it is up to their tastes.
This pack also features a bunch of really beautiful furniture and modular items that will change your sim’s homes. You’ll find beautiful sectional couches that are entirely customizable as well as gorgeous shelving units that you can mix and match for the perfect look. Plus, the clutter objects in this pack are great for making your sim’s homes feel lived in and beautiful.
Journey to Batuu
It wouldn’t be The Sims without some controversy and Journey to Batuu may have caused the biggest pack controversy for The Sims franchise of all time. This pack takes your sims to an in-game replica of the Disney theme park for Star Wars which isn’t’ something that many players thought we needed in the game.
Journey to Batuu had a bunch of gameplay where you’ll get to join a group and fight for them, meet a bunch of interesting characters from Star Wars in The Sims 4 which is an interesting experience. The furniture and decor is all very industrial and interesting to add to a nice industrial loft.
Realm of Magic
Magic has been in The Sims since The Sims: Makin’ Magic in the early 2000s so Realm of Magic was a long awaited experience for The Sims 4. Simmers love to make magic and this pack has so many fun aspects of magic for your sims to explore. You can take a special portal or a glilmmerstone to a magical realm where your sims can duel, buy magical items and hangout with other spellcasters.
You’ll be able to learn three types of magic: practical, untamed, and mischief magic and you can be taught this by specific Sages that hangout in the magic HQ. You can learn spells, make potions, and fly around on a broom with your magical familiar hanging out along the way.
Strangerville
Most packs in The Sims 4 are very open ended and let you do pretty much whatever you want, The Sims 4: Strangerville was completely different and brought a storyline to a specific world in the game. You’ll start living in this world only to see sims acting very weird and weird plants being all around.
On your first day in Strangerville the welcome wagon will leave something odd in your fridge and sims in suits will come on over and confiscate your entire fridge. Weird, right? It’s up to you to solve the mystery and figure out what is actually going on at the Secret Lab.
Jungle Adventure
Jungle Adventure is a really fun and interesting pack for the game that adds the world of Selvadorada. In this world your sims are going to get the chance to explore a jungle, meet other sims and learn so much about Selvadoradian Culture, and get to have all new experiences.,
Just be careful when making your way through the jungle as there is a poison death type that can take your sims if you are unable to find the antidote. The best way to stay safe is to make sure you’re prepared with sprays and tools to make your time in the jungle easier to control.
Parenthood
Since The Sims is a life simulator a huge part of this is Parenthood and raising your kids into wonderful humans. This pack adds so much gameplay for your little ones to experience and makes it so much more meaning to raise kids by adding the parenting skill to the game. Your sims can even become a super parent and have the potential to enter full parent mode which is amazing for getting stuff done.
There are even all new traits for your sims kids to earn through the character values system where each and every thing your sims do will impact who they become in the future. Do your homework? Gain responsibility. Burp too much? Lose your manners. There are so many interesting things to explore in this one!
Vampires
We’ve been getting vampires in The Sims for many years and The Sims 4: Vampires added the most interesting and in-depth version of these characters of all time. The vampires in this pack have an entire tree of choices you can make that will allow you to have new interesting skills and abilities for your vampires including things like sun resistance that can let you go outside without risk of death.
Your sims can learn the vampire lore skill by reading vampiric encyclopedia’s and choose to become a good vampire or a master vampire and even raise an entire family of vampires. There are so many options in this pack and you will find it so much fun.
Dine Out
Restaurants are a really fun place to go in every day life and now your sims can hangout at a restaurant or even own one with The Sims 4: Dine Out. Your sims are able to take dates to restaurants, have experiences with their entire families and really enjoy interesting food choices that came with this pack.
This pack added owning of restaurants to the game with the same system as owning a retail location in Get to Work. You get to decide who works for you, how to train them, what they’ll be doing, and what foods will be served. You can just own it and never go there and just let it run itself, or go ahead and actively work there yourself.
Spa Day
If you want to have your sims experience true peace, Spa Day is the pack for that! With this pack you’re going to get the ability for your sims to go and get massages, use saunas (with a chance of death) and learn the wellness skill.
With the refresh of Spa Day a few years after release we got a whole new system for adding nail polish to your sims fingers and toes, as well as the ability to run yoga or meditation classes in public and just have the best time ever.
Outdoor Retreat
The first ever game pack for The Sims 4 was Outdoor Retreat which allows your sims to go to Granite Falls and go camping with all their besties. This pack brings in fun things like tents, bonfires, and a bunch of new bugs and collectibles.
You can even push yourself through the forest until you find the deep woods where you’ll find a whole hidden world with the Hermit character where you’ll find new plants and friendship. This pack is so fun for playing outdoors and having a whole new experience with your sims.