The Cottage Living expansion is on the way for The Sims 4, making the already chill game even chiller by encouraging you to go off the grid and live closer to nature. However, that expansion will be arriving around the same time as a significant update for all Sims 4 players, whether or not they buy the new DLC. The free update includes some new features that are sure to come in handy no matter how cottagey your Sims’ home might be.
First off, you’ll be able to organise events using the calendar feature introduced in (and up until now, exclusive to) the Seasons expansion. That will be handy for setting up parties around your new backyard water feature, because the free update also is adding the water tool to Build Mode. This means you’ll be able to dig holes and fill them with water, which is how ponds are made.
Once you’ve got a nice pond up and running, you can fill it with hand-picked fish varieties. These can then be fished at designated spots along the shoreline – you can mark a fishing location using a fishing sign. Alternatively, you can leave the poor fish alone, since they’ve already suffered enough.
It sounds like a substantial free upgrade, and the fact that you won’t need the Cottage Living expansion to enjoy it is helpful. But on the other hand, Cottage Living sure has its appeal:
Cross-stitching with alpaca wool, making pumpkin jam fresh from the garden, and chatting with the local foxes? That all sounds simply delightful.
We’ll have a review ready closer to when the Cottage Living release date arrives July 22. In the meantime, check out our Cottage Living preview, which makes it sound like one of the more substantial expansions in recent memory.