What are the best Sims 4 expansion packs? The Sims 4 has graced our monitors since 2014, but it certainly hasn’t stopped growing its offering in the form of expansion packs. Though The Sims 5 might be on the horizon, its predecessor isn’t losing its shine and is still receiving regular new expansion packs.
If you’re eagerly awaiting more news about the Sims 5 release date, then these expansion packs should tide you over. You could also expand your experience with our Sims 4 CC creators and packs guide for the best custom content from community creators, as well as a guide to how to install CC in The Sims 4. Still, there is a ton of DLC available for the free PC game, and while it’s all personal preference, our list of the best Sims 4 expansion packs will point you in the right direction to bring a whole new dimension to your game.
The best Sims 4 expansion packs right now are:
- For Rent
- Horse Ranch
- Growing Together
- Snowy Escape
- Discover University
- Island Living
- Get Famous
- Seasons
- Get to Work
The Sims 4: For Rent
Bear with us on this one. If you’ve ever rented, you might be wondering why you’d ever want to step into the shoes of a despised landlord, earning money from a broken system that makes the rich richer and the poor poorer. Or maybe you want to see how the other half lives. Either way, there is some appeal to the controversial Sims 4 expansion pack: For Rent.
Most of it comes down to expanding upon what we actually love about The Sims. Instead of having one building housing your one family, you can now have multiple families living together in the same building, be it a six-family block of flats or a couple living in someone’s basement. Living in these close-knit communities, families can get more involved with each other than ever, providing even more entertainment and drama.
The Sims 4: Horse Ranch
In one of the most exciting additions to the Sims 4 catalog so far, Horse Ranch introduces horses to the simulation game. We also see new American South-West-inspired items for decorating your ranch, baby goats, and sheep to compliment and play with those adorable foals.
There’s even a thriving social scene where you can live out your rootin’, tootin’, Wild West cowboy fantasies with cookouts and line dancing. So, don your red sand-stained cowboy boots and stetson, and get ready to build your very own horse ranch.
Growing Together
One of the most important and popular aspects of The Sims 4 is family, parenthood, and social interaction. The Growing Together expansion pack, then, is one of the best as it takes these base game mechanics and takes them up a notch.
With the Growing Together pack, bonds between Sims are more complex than ever before, as emotions run high, new personality traits make considerable changes, and life milestones affect interactions. Your Sim’s family might ask to move in, they might struggle with a midlife crisis, and additional traits determine more specifically which Sims you like and don’t like.
The Sims 4: Snowy Escape
Chill out on the slopes or heat up in the hot springs, and look good while you’re doing either in the Sims 4 Snowy Escape expansion pack, which adds everything you need for a cool Japanese getaway.
With a combination of bamboo forests and snowy terrain to explore, this expansion pack really offers the best of both worlds – beautiful Japanese architecture to boot – and that influence can also be seen in the furniture items you unlock with the Snowy Escape pack.
The Sims 4: Discover University
Education and work have always been a huge part of The Sims franchise; the University Living expansion added during The Sims 3 was okay, but The Sims 4: Discover University is far superior. Never before have you been able to participate in the full university experience, and this expansion brings all of those memorable moments of university life to your Sims’ world.
There’s a choice between two different universities that you can attend, Foxbury Institute and the University of Britechester, and you can work your way to a degree either living on or off campus (we recommend living on campus!). There’s also the all-important choice of a degree, whether that is normal or ‘distinguished’, depending on the skills you’ve built up. But, as is true in real life, it’s not all about studying. You can attend the quad for various school events, throw parties, tutor students, head to guest lectures, and, of course, have fun with your roommates (if you decide to live on campus).
It’s got all the highs and lows of college life as you attempt to improve your GPA and juggle all of that homework, studying term papers, and presentations with the social side. This isn’t just for the young adult Sims out there, though; you can apply for university whenever you choose. Check out our Sims 4: Discover University review to delve more into university life.
The Sims 4: Island Living
Have you ever wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of the Sims world and head off to a tropical island? Well, in Island Living, you can wash up on the shores of the island of Sulani and enjoy the adventures of living it up on a beach.
You can go completely ‘Off-the-Grid’, become a mermaid, make friends with dolphins, and even get involved in the local island culture – or just do absolutely nothing at all and relax in the sun. In true Sims fashion, it also brings with it the realities of living this kind of lifestyle with unpredictable weather that could leave your Sims and their home slightly worse for wear. Honestly, it’s all part of the fun. Give our Sims 4 Island Living impressions piece a read to find out what you can expect from this unique expansion.
The Sims 4: Get Famous
With Get Famous, you’re offered the chance to do exactly that. This expansion pack brings with it the opportunity to become an incredibly famous Sim and get yourself noticed to the point you’ll have the paparazzi following you around and random fans asking for your autograph.
The social aspect in The Sims franchise has always been a huge part of the game, with your Sim’s overall mood greatly affected if you don’t get that all-important social interaction. But in Get Famous, you now have to really utilize that social ladder on your road to fame and fortune.
You’ll ultimately separate yourself from the ordinary Sims and claw your way to the top. You’ve got a new world with the Del Sol Valley and an all-new career with acting to attend auditions and turn up on set for your big gigs. If you fancy living it up as a celebrity, this one’s for you. Check out our interview with The Sims 4: Get Famous Devs to learn about the new careers you can opt for in this expansion.
The Sims 4: Seasons
The Sims 4: Seasons truly adds a whole new layer that will affect your gameplay all year round. This expansion pack offers a quality-of-life change that integrates into the whole game. You’ll almost forget what life was like before it. Major calendar events such as Winterfest, New Skills Day, and Love Day change how you play and ultimately affect your Sims’ mood, depending on how you celebrate them.
Much like the seasonal changes of the real world, though, you’ll also be able to celebrate Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter and the accompanying weather changes to either layer up or strip off with dynamic temperature. Unlike some of the other expansions, it doesn’t come with a new world to play in, but it’s got just about everything else, from rewards, career choices, objects, traits, and aspirations. Have you ever fancied being a gardener in The Sims 4? Well, now you can. You can read more about everything The Sims 4 Seasons features over at our handy guide.
The Sims 4: Get To Work
Finally, if you’re tired of whiling away the hours when your Sim heads off to work, in The Sims 4: Get To Work, you’re invited for the first time to go along with them. This expansion pack offers the chance to go and earn that promotion for yourself. Whether doctor, detective, or scientist, your playable Sim allows you to become the kind of worker you want to be – even if that, for you, is less work and more play.
You can even start your very own business by purchasing your own lot. Once again, The Sims 4 brings a well-thought-out concept to the workplace: work hard to make your business a success, from running the best advertising campaign to making sure your employees are happy and doing their job.
All The Sims 4 expansion packs
While those are the best of the best, that isn’t all there is on offer with The Sims 4 expansion packs. Here is every Sims 4 pack in order of release, the most recent first:
- The Sims 4: For Rent
- The Sims 4: Horse Ranch
- The Sims 4: Growing Together
- The Sims 4: High School Years
- The Sims 4: Cottage Living
- The Sims 4: Snowy Escape
- The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle
- The Sims 4: Discover University
- The Sims 4: Island Living
- The Sims 4: Get Famous
- The Sims 4: Seasons
- The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs
- The Sims 4: City Living
- The Sims 4: Get Together
- The Sims 4: Get To Work
So, whether it’s university or island life that’s calling your name, we hope this list will help you pick out the best Sims 4 expansion pack for you. Don’t forget to check out the best Sims 4 cheats if you want to live your luxurious life immediately. We’ve also got a guide to the best Sims 4 mods for players looking for experiences expansions cannot offer.