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callunasims · 2 years ago

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Sims 4 Rankings | Expansion Packs

I've judged the expansion packs based on their game play, their BB and CAS items, their generality (meaning how well the pack fits with the other packs/worlds), and monetary value. Remember that this is all opinion based, and your opinion may differ!

12. Eco Living

This pack introduced new gameplay in which sims can produce their own electricity. How they choose to do this can impact the world of Evergreen Harbor. There is also craftables (juice fizzing, candle making), voting, dumpster diving, and a new career (Civil Designer). The pack also came with a world, Evergreen Harbor, but it is small with only 9 residential lots, two of which are apartments.

There are some nice build/buy and create-a-sim items, but they aren't items I use much in the game. The CAS items are a bit grungy (which may be your thing!) and the build/buy items are very contemporary/modern (also might be your thing!), neither of which are my favorite types of items to use.

Voting, crafting, dumpster diving and alternative energy production are all available in other Sims 4 worlds, and depending on your build style or favorite clothing styles, the BB and CAS items can fit into most builds outside of Evergreen Harbor nicely. However, a big contributor to the low score of this pack is that influencing the pollution level of the world is only tied to Evergreen Harbor, which means that aspect of the gameplay is limited. This may be a bug, but voting cannot seem to be turned off successfully, even when it is disabled in the game options menu.

I would wait to purchase this pack on sale, or skip it altogether. A big part of the gameplay selling point (the pollution) is tied to one world, the world is pretty small with few lots, the pack is bugged where voting cannot be disabled and... not gonna lie, the meat walls and the bug eating aspects are pretty disgusting.

11. Island Living

There was very little gameplay introduced in this pack as well. Canoeing, swimming in the ocean, and interactions with dolphins were added, but this was all tied to Sulani. There was one new career (conservationist) and 4 new jobs (fishing job, diving job, lifeguard job, and gig-style odd jobs). There were also pit barbecues and sunburns added, and some world-related folklore. There was a new occult added as well - mermaids - though they came with almost no lore in this pack and couldn't do... much of anything, aside from swim faster than other sims. The world is absolutely beautiful and comes with 11 residential lots.

The BB and CAS items were obviously quite themed, but they are done very well. The best part in my opinion was the addition of some more 3c/4a hairstyles! The game really lacks in 3b-3c hairstyles so these were some nice additions. I use the CAS items often for hot-weather wear and I love using the floaties in my sims pools. The sheer curtains add a nice, whimsical vibe to a lot of builds, and many of the build items are great for off-the-grid lots!

This pack received a low score because all the gameplay, aside from the new mermaid occult, are tied to this world. All of the events like turtle hatching (admittedly this does make sense!), ocean swimming, diving, and dolphin interactions are stuck to this island only. The lack of lore and gameplay for mermaids is disappointing for sims that like occult gameplay, as even the special interactions mermaids have with dolphins are stuck in Sulani, even if your mermaid sim lives elsewhere. This pack only received a higher score than eco living because I find that the create-a-sim items and build-buy items are things I use in almost all my saves for hot-weather or swim wear, and for patios and pools.

I would wait to purchase this pack on sale, or skip it altogether. For supernatural-loving simmers, a big selling point for this pack were the mermaids and they are lacking. They don't feel as fleshed out as other occults do, aside from probably the aliens (which are even worse). However, a lot of this world is based in Polynesian culture, especially Hawaii, so if that cultural aspect important to how you play, this pack is one you CAN'T miss! All-in-all, this pack is mostly only worth it for the world - Sulani is incredible!

10. Snowy Escape

Snowy Escape was a controversial pack on release for a lot of specific cultural reasons, though unlike with Island Living, the cultural aspects didn't seem to be the major selling point the sims team was going for with this pack. This pack did introduce quite a bit of gameplay, with skiing, snowboarding, hiking, rock climbing, and hot springs! They also FINALLY added the ability to take shoes off in the couch (which some may argue is cultural, but I would disagree) and also added lifestyles and sentiments to improve how relationships work between sims. The world is pretty unique, as the residential lots are in the valley of a mountain, but the world is pretty small with only 7 residential lots.

The BB and CAS items were again, quite themed, but there are some cute and useful items in the pack! I really enjoyed the clutter items added (the moss ball, the shampoo/conditioner holder, the plates), and I am OBSESSED with the little science table they added for kids - it looks a lot more 'sciency' than the potion table that game in basegame! As an antithesis to Island Living, I use the CAS items a LOT for COLD weather wear. I was so excite when I saw some REAL cold weather wear for toddlers added!

Obviously these items are quite stylized to fit the Asian-themed (originally I believe they were going mostly for Japan but there was some controversy around this) world in this pack. Most of the build/buy items work best within this world, but there are a handful of pieces that could work well just about anywhere! The sentiments and lifestyles added as gameplay are of course useful in any world, though in my opinion the frequent pop ups about earning lifestyles with no further information can be pretty annoying after a while. This pack is only at the bottom because I live in New England and I despise snow and would never subject my sim to skiing or snowboarding, so I don't use a lot of the gameplay that game with this pack. As with the other low-scoring packs, these gameplay additions are also specifically tied to this world - sims can't snowboard in other worlds, even if they do experience snow. The plus side to that is that this world comes with vacation lots, so your sims can go on a skiing/snowboarding/hot spring vacation if they'd like!

Unless you REALLY like snow and snow-based gameplay or really want an Asian-inspired world (it is a really cool world!), I'd wait for a sale on this, or skip it entirely. The world was really designed to be a vacation world, just like Outdoor Retreat, but came with the price tag of an expansion pack. Though this pack has wonderful CAS items for cold weather wear, the BB is so world-specific that it's often hard to use the items in builds in other worlds and have them fit in. And with the controversy surrounding the Japanese cultural aspects that the sims team tried to add, the cultural aspects were quite watered down, so I can't say that buying it for cultural additions makes a lot of sense, either. This pack would probably have made a better gamepack vacation world with how limited gameplay is outside of Mt. Komerebi.

9. Highschool Years

Putting Highschool Years so low on my list might get me some raised eyebrows. It's a good pack, but I also have some pretty good reasons for ranking it at #9.

The gameplay added in this pack was exactly what you'd want from a high school pack. Attending classes, doing homework, taking exams, going to prom, after school clubs, graduation... There was even the addition of a sneak-out window for rebellious teens, acne, and body hair (finally!). The new world, Copperdale, came with a carnival on the pier, and a new thrift store lot type was added where teens can make outfits to sell on Trendi. However, the world is small with only 6 residential lots, and the carnival isn't set up as a lot so traveling there is a pain.

I enjoy the build-buy items, especially the sneak out window where it adds some gameplay aspects. I use the beds and desks in a LOT of my builds. However, it was the create-a-sim items that disappointed me. For a pack called "Highschool YEARS", the clothing and hairstyles were very specific to Gen Z, which doesn't really suit 'years' at all. I personally think many of these items are cute, but for a game that has such a wide variety in their age demographic, it is lacking what I would expect to suit such a range of players. Mostly the issue with this is that the items in this pack will age quickly, so that's something to be aware of if you intend to purchase for CAS items. The build items make for some pretty cool teen rooms, and honestly, those trends never go out of style.

The build/buy items in this pack are amazing for teen rooms, and the gameplay IS fun. Aside from the likelihood of rapid aging, this is a wonderful pack! The big drawback is that class sizes in this game are small, and different sims show up to school every day which is pretty odd. You would expect to have the same classmates in the same courses every day in high school. In my opinion, if you're more CAS oriented than building or gameplay, I probably wouldn't purchase this pack.

If you like school gameplay, I'd recommend Discover University first, though I'd definitely recommend this pack on sale. Again, the build/buy items and the gameplay are great, but the CAS items aren't what I'd expect from something called highschool YEARS, and the world is pretty small (though the carnival is a really cool touch). The highschool gameplay is tied to the specific school in Copperdale. I also am not fond of them including the thrifting trend into the game because of my own personal feelings on resellers and their impact on others, and the gameplay does almost feel like a carbon copy of the university pack, but buggy.

8. Get Famous

This pack is really unique in what it is, and it's a LOT of fun to play through! This pack added celebrities with fame perks and quirks, a new influencer career, and the new media production skill! I like that just about anything can get your sim fame points, so it isn't tied specifically to the acting career or media production - writers, painters, photographers, and other sim hobbies can make your sim famous, too! However, this pack is only at #8 despite how cool this concept is because of the bugs (always the bugs). When a famous sim visits a lot (especially a retail lot, restaurant, or veterinary clinic), sims working at those lots cannot interact with them correctly, which can get quite annoying. Celebrities also get a special 'fame' walk, which sometimes doesn't turn off when it's disabled, or if it does, they still have the annoying 'fame glow' around them.

The CAS items are SO cool - there are a lot of specific costumes for acting gigs, and useful formal wear for men and women, and some cool streetwear, too! There's also a new makeup chair and a closet stand for sims to give each other makeovers with. The build/buy items are either mid-century modern or very over-the-top extravagant verging on tacky, so they're great for both average homes and for the biggest, most dramatic mansion you could ever build in the sims. The ONE CAS item that has issues is the dress they included in the trailer and on the cover art. In the picture, it looks gold and sheer, but in game the 'gold' parts are actually a bright yellow, and the sheer parts are more dark brown/black and don't actually look sheer at all. That dress was the main CAS item I wanted in this pack, so that was pretty disappointing.

Sims can get fame points for SO many things, so the fame system isn't tied specifically to Del Sol Valley OR to the acting career, which makes it pretty versatile! I do think the items are pretty stylized but there are plenty of other packs (tiny living, dream home decorator; luxury party, vintage glamor) that have similar mid-century modern or luxury style items in there that it does fit in well with other packs. They aren't WORLD specific items, so they can be useful in a lot of places, especially your very fancy fancy mansions.

With this pack, I'd wait for a sale just because of all the annoying little bugs in this pack. The items are amazing, and the acting career and media production skills are SO fun, but because of the issues included in this pack (not surprising honestly) it's just not WORTH full price.

7. Get to Work

It is IMPRESSIVE for the very first gamepack in the game to continue to rank this high. They set the bar here for themselves when this was released, and this pack CONTINUES to hold up. This pack game with three playable careers (doctor, scientist, and detective), introduced the retail system, AND added the photography and baking skills. The world it game with was small (Magnolia Promenade, 4 lots with 3 pre-built retail stores), but I think the amount of gameplay in this pack makes up for that tiny world well.

Most of the build/buy and CAS items are pretty specific to the three careers introduced to this game, though I think that is to be expected when this expansion pack was mostly about gameplay rather than a specific world or theme. I do use the jail cells a lot (everyone needs a basement jail... right? riGHT?) and I LOVE the elephant necklace that game with this game - it fits in really well with a lot of the city living objects! The photography studio is a lot of fun to play with as well, especially for aspiring photographer sims or just to take family photos, and there are quite a few clutter items that are pretty useful, especially in a home office! My favorite item is the standard black trash bin with the clear trash bag. It's the little things.

With how basic most of these clothing options are, they can really be used in just about any world. Again, the build/buy items are mostly based on the careers (a lot of them are unlockables!), but the careers can be given to any sim, and can be done in any world as evidenced by the detective career, which makes it a pretty versatile and useful pack!

This is one pack I always recommend because the careers are so much fun - I like playable careers rather than watching my lot on superspeed until the sim suddenly warps back into the lot because we don't have cars or carpools or an open world... or many sims that walk by... it removes the 'dead world' feeling that I get while waiting for my sim to return. I like that the retail lots can be built up depending on how successful you are at them, and these careers add a bit more challenge to promotions than the non-playable careers. With the small world and very specific build/buy items, it might be better to wait for a sale but I do think this one is worth full price if you're interested in all aspects of the pack.

6. Discover University

We're at the halfway point, and the Sims team ALWAYS manages to rock their university packs! The gameplay here is quite similar to Highschool Years with the classes, graduation, the clubs, studying in the commons or library, spirit events... etc. There was also the addition of bikes in this packs, which is one reason it stands out from the highschool years pack (not to mention it came first), along with dorm games like juice pong and soccer. It also introduced servos, which your engineering-inclined sims can build in the labs at school and can become playable sims! The dorms and dorm parties add some cool interactions between sims and their study habits, and most importantly, graduation can actually give sims job perks in that they start working in their field a few levels up.

The build/buy items can be pretty dorm specific, but this pack also introduced laptops (previously only came with strangerville), and a lot of the CAS items are more general than the items that came with Highschool Years, so they suit a larger variety of players. This also came with new piercings and tattoos (eco living also had some nice piercings!), the bike, and every builder's favorite item, the STAND ALONE SHOWER!! It still gets me excited - custom showers! We love those! The toilet stalls were pretty exciting too, for many public lot builds. For all of us bibliophiles out there, the bookshelves included in this pack are absolutely beautiful for all your library building needs, and the desks were general enough that they can be used just about anywhere.

The build/buy items ARE pretty specific to the dormitory lots with the exception of the plants and the bikes, but they could also be used for other public lots or home offices fairly easily. The windows and doors included in this pack do have a pretty specific 'university town' look to them, so those are less usable in other worlds.

If you like the school gameplay, THIS is the pack I would recommend, especially if you're choosing between this or highschool years. Of course if you're more of a builder, or you prefer CAS, this still comes down to personal taste, but I do find that these items are useful in more scenarios outside of the university gameplay. If you don't care about any of that, this is an easy pack to skip because the school gameplay IS tied to Brichester.

5. City Living

This pack was exciting on release due to the addition of apartments! Unlike Eco Living, these apartments are teeming with life - nosey neighbors, loud music at late hours, 'woohoo' noises, petty arguments... a lot of gameplay just within the building! Many of the apartments come with different lot traits that can't be removed, from 'haunted' to 'needs TLC'. There are always different festivals going on, and a new lot type with the karaoke bars. Basketball and murals and selling tables were added, and several new careers (politician, food/art critics, social media). The world is smaller than you'd expect for a city, but it's very dense with lots to do all the time. There are 12 apartment lots to choose from with varying numbers of apartments per building. There's also a lot of really cool open space to explore while walking around.

My absolute favorite items are the four poster bed and the kitty dress! I use these all the time. The build/buy and clothing options in this pack add so much color and variety to the sims, but there are plenty that can be used in other more subdued builds as well. I loved the addition of 'used' furniture items that were cheaper - it added a bit of apartment realism and 'grimey' items for rags-to-riches type gameplay. The keyboard was also a fun addition, and fun for teen rooms or for sims that want to play piano but can't afford/fit a grand piano.

The apartment gameplay is unfortunately tied to San Myshuno, but the world itself is amazing and, though your sims have to travel to the city for festivals, any sim can go to the festivals if they want to (unlike in Sulani, where the event pop ups only show up for sims IN Sulani). The items are great for contemporary or modern builds, or for boho builds, or for artsy sims... there's a lot of variety! There were also some cultural foods and clothing items added to this pack, and a lot of unique but very cute CAS items that suit quirky sims.

Amazing build/buy items, really cool CAS items and an amazing world make this pack a win for me! The downside is that you can't build your apartments in other worlds or include apartment gameplay in other worlds. Of course the value depends on the aspects of gameplay that you care about if you'd want to pay full price, but I think this pack is worth it!

4. Cottage Living

Cottage Living was probably the pack simmers looked forward to the most! This pack is at number 4 in my ranking because personally the farm life, cottage core thing is not my favorite aesthetic, but the gameplay involved in this pack is amazing. I loved the addition of livestock, especially since they weren't playable sims and were confined to their little barn items. Some people may not like this, but I feel like it diminishes the bugs that we ran into in the Sims 3 with the horses, making them more usable overall. I add chickens to EVERY build now, because... well, I like chickens.

I also loved the new garden beds that were added, where they were in the ground rather than raised beds, and the giant crops with all the festivals. The mushroom foraging is fun, and I love that the wild animals (rabbits, birds and foxes) can help in the garden, too. There was also the addition of the simple living lot challenge, which can really add a lot for simmers who like to play through generations in different time periods. There is a new skill - cross stitching - and the picnic baskets are SO CUTE. I enjoy the local pub and the shop stands, and the community feel this world has. That being said, the world is cool but it doesn't have as many lots as you'd expect from a world this size, with only 9 residential lots.

There are a lot of cute build/buy and create a sim items in this pack. They're obviously very stylized, with the rural, country feel that was popular for quite a while. If you, like me, are someone who doesn't cares about the 'cottage core aesthetic', I do think a lot of the CAS items are quite useful for elder sims. There were also a lot of nice pieces for toddlers, and for cold weather wear. My absolute favorite CAS items are the earrings, especially the llamas. I use the cottage living fireplaces in a lot of my builds - they're nice for traditional or craftsman style homes - and the basket blanket is such a cute clutter item for the living room.

I do think that this pack lacks some generality, in that most of the items really only suit Henford-on-Bagley. However, aside from mushroom foraging, the new gameplay can be used anywhere, which helps increase its score in the ranking. I could see these items working for a grandparent sims closet/house in any world, but the items are quite stylized to fit a certain aesthetic which can limit use, in my opinion.

Overall, this is a great pack! If you like the cottage core vibes, this pack is FOR YOU. I personally purchased this for the new gameplay rather than the build/buy or create-a-sim items, but even with the gameplay alone it ranked at number 4 for me, so... this pack is worth it, full price if you just can't wait! (I'll never say NOT to wait for a sale because... everyone loves a sale!)

3. Get Together

I suspect ranking this above cottage living will get some gasps and some astonishment. This pack has a VERY good reason for being ranked this high, though.

Get Together introduced the club system. I know a lot of simmers think the club system isn't that great, but I'm not convinced that they're using it to the best of its abilities. The club system can be used to make little cliques (hello, tie in to high school years, anyone??) or friend groups of course. They can also be used for skillbuilding and completing aspirations. If you have a goal to get your sim to max out a skill level or complete an aspiration? Clubs really can be the way to go for that. They are useful for SO many things, even boosting student sims grades if their club is a study group! They're so general that you can make a club for anything - the only limit to them is what you can imagine them being useful for!

I also really enjoyed the addition of more games, like darts, don't wake the llama, and foosball. They're supposed to be pub-style games, but they can also add a lot of family game play if that's your preferred playing style. The kids 'don't wake the llama' game comes with a cute pastel table, and foosball can be used for teen or college sims at their highschool or dorm parties. The pack added big bonfires that sims can dance around or change the color off, diving platforms for pools and the new dance and dj skills. There are two new lot types, cafes and clubs. The best part, the reason this is ranked number three, is the world of Windenburg. This is the largest world in the game and comes with 14 residential lots.

I will say I find the create-a-sim items a little bit lacking for what I prefer to use, but there are a lot of cute items in there as well. It also added some decent masculine formal wear, which is pretty lacking in this game. The build/buy items are Tudor-styled, which is pretty specific to this world, but the new cafes and clubs can be used in any world, as you can build your own to suit whatever style you want! I also think that the outdoor decor items (not building exterior items, I'm talking landscaping) are pretty general as well, and I'll admit the flower boxes. the trellis, and the sundial are some of my favorite items to add to a garden or a park.

The club system, cafes, and club lots can be used in any world you may want to place one, which makes this pack gameplay usable in any world you choose to play in. I also find that the CAS items are pretty general too, so the outfits you can create don't stand out or look strange in other worlds. The build/buy items are Tudor style, so in terms of building exterior decor they may stand out, but the landscaping items, the diving boards, the bonfires, and the furniture can fit in well just about anywhere, too!

This pack is worth it for the world alone. Windenburg is unarguably the best world in the game. The build/buy items are nice, too, especially with the new game tables, and CAS has some great pieces, especially for masculine formal wear or even just masculine basics that look nice. If you aren't interested in utilizing the club system at all this pack may be one to buy on sale, but if you ARE interested in that aspect, this pack is one you should run out and get ASAP!

2. Cats and Dogs

Let me just say, when this pack trailer released, I almost screamed. An animal pack with a New England themed world AND the first 3b/3c curly hair in the game?! It's like they made a pack with all of my interests out of nowhere. It's still my absolute favorite pack, and I think it always will be.

Obviously the big point to this pack were the addition of household pets, in the form of dogs and cats. The dogs and cats could be customized by breed, but you can also customize them further just like with the regular sims with coat length, color, patterns... and a custom color wheel that allows you to paint details directly on your pet, which can create some WILD (pun intended) looking animals. There is a new pet training skill in this pack, and a new playable career where sims can buy a veterinary clinic and work as a veterinarian!

The world in this pack, Brindleton Bay, is a New England themed world, and it's pretty accurate to the real thing (I would know ;]). There are ocean-front mansions, and smaller more modest homes in other neighborhoods, and even a neighborhood on/by the pier. I also love (and simultaneously hate because it's a bit sad) the stray animals wandering the world that your sims can adopt. Mayor Whiskers is my absolute favorite, and he deserves all the love and fish he can get.

I LOVE the build/buy items in this pack, and a lot of the create-a-sim items are nice, too. There are a lot of CAS items that can suit spring/fall weather in New England, and there's a lot of layering going on which really speaks to the weird, fluctuating weather the northeast is known for. They're also pretty basic pieces, so they tend to work just about anywhere. This pack also came with my other favorite fireplace, a beautiful aquarium that puts the other in-game aquariums to shame, and the dining table I use in just about every build. The bathroom set is pretty amazing with a full soaking tub for your sim to relax in, and of course, LOTS of pet items for your new furry friends. The best part is the FIRST TYPE 3 CURLY HAIR IN THE GAME. Previously we only had type 2 waves, type 4 afros/braids, and straight hair, so this was pretty exciting for those of us with curls which have been sorely lacking in every iteration of the Sims.

The build/buy items, including the exterior decor, suit the traditional home style. These fit in with just about any world, and especially work well in combination with the Seasons build/buy items in my opinion. I also love the create-a-sim items for more male fashion basics, and some really nice options for female sims, too. Since the CAS items are also mostly basics, all of these items can be used just about anywhere and fit in nicely.

This is my all time favorite pack. You get a lot of items for the price, especially with wall decor and the new playable career on top of the regular expansion pack BB/CAS items and... who doesn't like pets? Who? WHO? In my opinion, this pack is a MUST.

1. Seasons

Lets be honest - who would expect anything less but Seasons to be at #1?

This pack, of course, introduced seasonal play! There is weather, from rain and thunderstorms, to sun and heatwaves, clouds, and snow. There's rollerskating and ice skating, playing in mud puddles, new animations with slipping on ice, playing in the snow or leaves during winter and fall. This pack also improved the gardening system and added the honey box so the bees can help level up your garden. For kids, there were seasonal crafts, too. The best part is the holiday gameplay, where not only can you play through pre-made holidays, but you can actually create your own with their own traditions. There's also a new skill of flower arranging, and the changing temperatures WILL have an effect on your sims, from sunburns, death by heat, or freezing to death.

For Build/Buy items, there was SO much included in this pack, with the holiday decor, the windows and doors sets, the plants and gardening items, and all the new bed and couch options. Create-a-sim was updated with cold weather and hot weather wear categories, and this pack included options for both with winter coats, boots, hats, and gloves, and light summerwear to keep your sims cool. They even automatically change outfits on their own (currently a bug which isn't great) in changing weather to prevent heat/cold related deaths. Even better? This pack game with THE SECOND 3B/3C TYPE HAIRSTYLE! There's a half-up style with a bun that's super cute on both male and female sims, and is an amazing addition to the minimal curly hairs in this game.

The weather gameplay affects ALL worlds, and weather often suits each world type and varies from world to world. The desert worlds (Oasis Springs, Strangerville, Del Sol Valley) will not get snow, but may get occasional rain. Brindleton Bay, Windenburg, Henford-On-Bagley, Mt. Komerebi, and other northern-based worlds will get all four seasons, and the tropical island worlds (Sulani, Tartosa) will get sun, but can also get thunderstorms and clouds on stormy days. This expansion takes inter-pack usefulness to a whole new level.

This pack has so much gameplay, and so many useful items. It is the first pack I think any new simmer should get because it adds so much gameplay and is so versatile to every world and subsequent pack. Seriously, go get it! Get it!!!!!!!

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