- LevelSkip»
'Mods' short for modifications, are user-created files which modify or add more to the regular game. Since Sims 2 was released, fans have been creating mods and sharing them online.
The options for mods are pretty diverse. I've seen everything from one for The Sims 2 which added horses to the game (and yes, Sims could even ride them— and this was way before the Pets expansion pack added horses to The Sims 3), to one for The Sims 3 which added in a working ferris wheel. Some are much less complex, just restructuring the regular game files to add in or change things (like a Sims 3 mod which allows late night bars to stay open 24 hours instead of closing at 2 a.m., or the most famous mod of all, the one that removes the pixelation on nude Sims and replaces it with body parts).
Whether you're new to the modding world or can't run a Sims game without custom content (CC) and mods, here are some great Sims 4 mods that every Simmer will want to add to their game!
This article will be regularly updated to include the newest/coolest mods!
How to Install Mods in 'The Sims 4'
Before we get down to the nitty gritty, you should probably learn how to install a mod into your game.
The Sims 4 makes it easier than ever: simply download the mod in question, unzip the files (they will typically end in .package), and then drag and drop them into the 'Mods' folder, which is already located in your Sims files (navigate to Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Mods to locate).
Some mods have more complex instructions, so make sure to read the 'Installation Notes' when downloading.
If you're still stuck with installing mods or need help with troubleshooting, be sure to check out my article, How to Install Custom Content and Mods in The Sims 4 (PC & Mac).
Though all of these mods have been tested and should work functionally with your game, be aware that 3rd party content could potentially cause damage. Always download from trusted sites/users who have tested their content before sharing, and always be sure to backup your game files BEFORE installing mods and other CC. If you do run into any issues after installation, remove the mod from your game and consider informing its creator about the issue.
1. MC Command Center
I can't play my game without this one- and it's a BIG one in the Sims community. MC Command Center is what we used to know as 'story progression,' which wasn't included in The Sims 4. It allows your neighborhood to grow and thrive without your direct interaction. Download MC Command Centerso your Sims can get married, have children, find jobs, and basically live their lives, even if you aren't playing with them.
You can also add in additional modules which will allow the game to clean up your neighborhood by deleting homeless Sims and ghosts, allowing you to set default makeup and clothes on townies, allows you to delete all vampires or aliens, plus a whole bunch of other options.
A lot of Simmers live by this mod, and I can see why: the vanilla game can feel a bit static when the other Sims in your neighborhood don't do anything without you; with the MC Command Center, life goes on whether or not you play each individual household.
2. Go to School Mod
These first two require the Get to Work expansion pack, but both are well worth adding if you've bought the EP. Thanks to Sims 4 modder extraordinaire, Zerbu, there are now a lot of ways to enjoy working and going to school in The Sims 4, the first of which is the Go to School mod.
If you've ever wanted to go to school with your children and teen Sims, here's your chance. The Go to School mod allows you to follow your children or teens to elementary or high school. It works similar to the active careers brought into the game with the GTW EP; as your child/teen Sim, you have to complete a number of tasks each day (like painting, socializing with classmates, playing instruments, etc.) to get a gold medal at the end of the day. Your school performance plays a part in your overall grade, so make sure your Sims are working their hardest in class.
Don't worry, though— it's not all work and no play. The mod adds in random events, like field trips (your Sims will randomly be transported somewhere in town, like a museum or park, and have 'field trip' activities to do instead), and school dress-up day, where all your classmates come dressed in costumes. You can even choose to skip school and play hooky, if you want— there's now a 'hooky' skill that your Sim can work on to evade school with no negative effects.
Download the Go to School modhere and make sure you follow ALL the directions on Zerbu's page to get it to work correctly, and don't forget to download an elementary and high school for your town. You can also find my CC-free school creations under the gallery by searching 'brittpinkie' as well. This link will bring you to the newest version, V4, which includes new interactions, NPCs, a teaching career and a lot more :)
If you want to play without Zerbu's mod, read my article How to Make a Functioning School Using Get Together's Club System in The Sims 4.
Have you ever downloaded Mods into your Sims games?
Many of the previous games had the ability to add new food. Until recently, The Sims 4 modders hadn't figured it out, but now they have. Custom Food Interactions is the mod you need to add new foods to your game! With it, you can download a plethora of choices, like ramen or udon, mini pizzas, soups, dumplings, or breads.
Note: You can browse ModTheSims for foods to add, but make sure you have the base mod, Custom Food Interactions, installed in your game FIRST, in order for it to work.
Continuing on with the food theme, it's definitely worth highlighting these two mods by the super-talented modder, icemunmun.
The first of the two is the Functional Canning Station. This mod adds in the Canning Station from the Sims 3 and gives your Sims the ability to can 15 different preserves (everything from honey spread to mango chutney), which give off some unique buffs when your Sims consume them! There's also a 10-level Canning Skill associated with the mod! This is a great mod for anyone who liked the Canning Station from The Sims 3 or who is looking for a new activity for their Sims to enjoy in the game.
icemunmun also brought back The Sims 3's cotton candy machine! This mod brings 10 new cotton candy flavours and buffs to go with all of them.
It's definitely worth checking out all of icemunmun's mods, as she does lots of nice food-related ones. You can never have enough food in the game!
All iterations of The Sims games have come with careers created by the fans, but The Sims 4 is finally getting a few custom careers of its own. We do have to thank the talented Neia for creating her modding tool, which has allowed modders to easily create customer careers of their own. Here are some of my favourite custom careers:
- Coolspear1 hasn't created completely new careers, but instead did a major reworking of both the Scientist and Doctor careers included with Get to Work. It's best to just read the descriptions for a full explanation of all the things that were changed, but it's mostly things that will make the careers feel more realistic and seamless during gameplay (like increasing the chance of emergencies in the Doctor career, or adding more co-workers to both careers).
- I love the work from home mods by NoelleBelleFleur! She's taken the work at home mechanism which comes with the City Living expansion pack and applied it to several base-game careers, including Astronaut, Tech Guru, Painter, Culinary, Entertainer, Business, Athlete, and Writer, so that your Sims can choose whether to go to work each day or stay home and complete tasks. Of course, City Living is required, but these are great additions to the game, especially for Sims who have children at home or other hobbies where they may need to have a more flexible home/work life.
- I have to mention Neia's career mods! She's created several new 'realistic' careers for the game, like Law Career, Education Career, Architect, Military and even a Self-Employment Career. These are some great options for players who enjoy more realistic game play, rather than having Sims who have the outlandish sort of jobs that come in the game (I mean, come on- not everyone grows up to be an astronaut or rock star!).
- More new careers are coming out each day! Check out ModTheSims for custom careers like Game Developer, Adventurer, Real Estate, Hacker, Nursing, Florist, and Tarot Card Reader! Meanwhile, don't forget checking out SSSVitlans' career tag on Tumblr; there's tons of cool careers there too from different modders, including Talk Show Host, Mortician, Dog Walker and Photographer!
AdBlocker Is Your Friend!
Modders and CC creators have increasingly begun to upload their content onto their own sites instead of ModTheSims (for many reasons, but that's another article). There's nothing wrong with that, but you need to be careful, as some creators hide their download links behind a thing called AdFly, or host their downloads on really spammy sites. The best thing is to use AdBlocker when downloading; it'll keep you safe from viruses or overly spammy AdFly pages!
6. Road to Fame Mod
Want to give your Sims the lifestyle of the rich and famous? Then try out Sacrificial Road to Fame mod! This mod adds tons of new gameplay, including skills (Simstagram Skill), fame levels, buffs, new interactions and animations, fans and paparazzi and more!
This mod is really fun and in-depth due to all the cool abilities Sacrificial created for it. It feels more like an official expansion pack due to the depth, and is definitely a good pack for anyone who misses the celebrity elements from The Sims 3. Sacrificial also updates the mod regularly (and if you subscribe to his Patreon page, you can get updates as soon as he releases them) and adds new, fun elements.
Are you frustrated that your cats and dogs aren't playable in The Sims 4? Well, you can download The Sims 4 Studio's Playable Pets Mod and play as your cat and dog! Of course, you'll need The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs expansion pack for this to work, but this mod unlocks the ability to select your cat or dog as a playable character in the game.
It does have some basic interactions that you can do as a pet, such as 'investigate' or 'perform routine', but I like this mod because it allows you to select your pet and stop them from doing certain interactions, force them do interactions (like eat, sleep, play, etc.), and you can actually look at their needs, which was previously locked without the mod.
This is a must-have mod for anyone with the Cats & Dogs EP!
If you miss the fairies from The Sims 3, don't worry- talented modder, Nyx has brought them back in a new and unique way with their Fairies mod! This mod adds the ability to play as a fairy in The Sims 4!
You can have wings of different colors, can cast magic auras, meditate, 'fly', and more! Nyx worked really hard on this mod and it shows- there's tons of buffs, new interactions, abilities and fun elements which makes it feel like an exciting addition to the game.
If you're looking for another supernatural-themed mod, then you should definitely try out the Become a Sorcerer Mod by Triplis!
This mod allows your Sims to become a sorcerer (either good or bad!), and gives them the ability to cast spells! You can manipulate the freewill of other Sims, work on the Black Arts Skill or the White Arts Skill, choose to devote yourself to the Light or Dark side, have a magical connection between other Sims, and even Teleport!
This is another really well developed mod with tons of abilities, traits, skills, and more that'll give you hours of additional game play!
I don't know about you, but I've been dying for The Sims 4 to create a beach vacation world. Thankfully, while we wait for the official beach world to come out (if it ever does), we can play with Nandos and SimsFans' Tropical Getaway Mod!
This mod needs The Sims 4 Outdoor Retreat game pack to work, and once you install it, it'll transform Granite Falls into Granite Beach! The mod replaces the woodsy exterior of Granite Falls into a tropical destination, with beaches, waterfalls and volcanoes in the distance, sand on the ground, and even new beach-themed lots. Zerbu (the above creator of the Go To School mod) also made new traits for this mod ('Relaxer' and 'Beach Junkie'), and there's even new CAS clothing that will look great on your beach-going Sims.
I really love this mod! I don't keep it in my game all the time, but I love putting it in when my Sims want to take a tropical vacation and relax on the beach!
*Please note that while the mod's download page is in German, the mod itself is in English!
Sims 4 modders have been creating custom traits and aspirations for quite some time now, and there are TONS out there. You can browse the traits and aspirations tags on ModTheSims or SSSVitlans' Tumblr, but here are some of my favourite custom traits and aspirations, that I think are worth a mention:
- For some reason, Get To Work didn't include any aspirations to go with its new careers, but uber-talented modder, Konansock fixes that with his Get to Work Active Career Aspirations Mod! This mod adds 4 new aspirations to the game, which go with the Get to Work careers, Detective, Doctor and Scientist, and a bonus Frankenstein aspiration. All of these aspirations come with new interactions and buffs, and really add some new elements and fun to the Go to Work careers!
- Maybe this isn't a very 'glamourous' one, but it definitely adds realism: the Acne Prone Trait! This mod/trait gives your Sims acne breakouts, and the ability to bathe to remove them. I think this is a great one for teen Sims, and it's just a really fun, realistic detail for the game.
- jackboog1 recreated several different aspirations from The Sims 2 to the Sims 4, including the Romance, Knowledge, Family and Grow Up Aspirations! These are great new aspirations to add to your game, especially for any Sims 2 fans who miss the aspirations from The Sims 2.
- Piebaldfawn created an Autism Spectrum Disorder trait! As someone who has worked in the Autism community for years, this is one that's near and dear to my heart. It gives your sims different buffs (like 'sensory overload' and 'enjoying routine') and it takes these Sims longer to form friendships. They will also have special whims that sometimes people with ASD might have, like 'be alone' or 'question emotion.' This is a really special trait, and I particularly love the thought that went into it.
- Finally, while the Random Traits & Aspirations mod by graycurse doesn't add any NEW mods or aspirations to the game, it does add the ability to randomize traits and aspirations when creating Sims. This is great for someone who has a hard time picking and choosing aspirations or traits to give their Sims, or for those of us (like myself) who just use the same traits over and over again, essentially recreating the same Sims with each new game play.
This one doesn't add to the actual game play, but it's definitely a must-have if you're a generations-type player, or anyone who plays the game for more than a few days.
Here's the thing: The Sims 4 has a huge glitch in it, where it culls (deletes) Sims from your neighborhood bin. This happens after an in-game week, or when your population reaches over 200. The game does this to keep things running smoothly, which seems great in theory, but the problem comes with whom it chooses to cull— anyone your Sims haven't interacted with lately— so that might be old friends, old family, or even ghosts. This causes a bunch of problems; relationships already decay quickly in the game, so that best friend you haven't called in a few weeks? Well, she's deleted now. Oh, and that ghost in your family tree? Well, now it's been culled from the game and that spot in your family tree is vacant :(
The No Culling Mod (again, by the talented Neia) does exactly what it says, and it's essential for anyone who wants to keep their family trees intact and play with all the Sims they've created or befriended. You can easily do your own culling by periodically going through the neighborhood menu and deleting Sims manually (and you can keep an eye on your population by downloading this small Get Town Population mod). This is a must-have for any player, in my opinion!
..well, you asked for it. I've finally added one of the most popular, albeit risque mods for the Sims 4 to this page- turbodriver's Wicked Whims. I'll be completely honest with you- I do not use this mod in my game (woohoo under the covers is just fine with me, haha), but if you want to have more fully animated X-rated options for woohoo in the game, this is the mod for you.
Note: You must be 18 and older to visit the site!
Retired Mods
As I update this page, I'll be 'retiring mods' from the list. That doesn't mean that they're not still worth downloading or that they're broken; it simply means that there are newer, cooler mods to download at the moment. Here's some of the mods that I once featured here, which are still worth adding to your game:
Teen/YA Romance: This one adds the ability for teens and young adults to have romances and unlocks all the teen romance options for teens/young adults in relationships. There's no Woo Hoo or Try For Baby, but you can still Mess Around or Exchange Promise Rings.
No Mosaic/Censor: Just as the name implies, this one takes away the blur/censor which appears whenever your Sims shower, use the toilet, breastfeed, or streak. It doesn't alter gameplay, except cosmetically.
If you're looking to add realistic genitals to your Sims, I recommend these:
- is there a dog walker that can be hired to walk your dogs regularly in The Sims 4?Yes, there sure is. Check out this Dog Walker & Dog Jogger mod by LittleMsSam: littlemssam.de/dogwalker/.57
- How do I download the Sims 4 mods in Origin?You don't download them in Origin! Please check out my other article, How to Download and Install Mods in The Sims 4 to find out how to download mods if you don't know how.35
- Why isn’t the Sims 4 online multiplayer mod included here?Sims 4 online multiplay is fairly new and I haven't tried it yet myself to call it a 'must-have' mod!31
- Where can I get a mod for teen pregnancy in the Sims 4?MC Command Center, and specifically MC WooHoo allows you to enable teen (and even elder) pregnancy.5
- Are these SIMS 4 mods only available for PC/MAC or will they work on an XBox too?For the time-being, these mods are only for computers.7
© 2014 Brittany Brown
- I am so excited!! I was a avid Sims 2 player back in the day!! My game was filled with custom content which I loved!! I never got into Sims 3 because I didn’t wanna give up Sims 2..I had some awesome stuff in that game. Well I’m ready to try Sims 4-especially since I found your page! My daughter plays it & it looks really interesting! I’m gonna miss my Sims having their own cars but there are some other pretty cool things in Sims 4 that might make up for it!! Thanks for explaining everything & I look forward to playing again!!!
- I remember downloading a free trial of Sims 4 and being really disappointed with it. Some of the mods sound like they should be included in the game already, such as the MC Command Center. However, reading this has gotten me all nostalgic for the older games, so I might give Sims 4 a try and keep these mods bookmarked to add after playing the original version for a bit. Thanks for the information.
- You going to have to school me back into the game cousin.. I stopped playing mid Sims ..
- Are all the links safe here? Or are anyone of them known to have viruses or Malware?
- Dang, and here I thought I already had all the must-have mods. Great list, I'm off to try those I don't yet have (which is all of yours and a couple more). I don't think I'd know how to play without MCCmdCtr anymore.
- I would really like some more custom careers or the ability where you can make your own job in-game
- Not about the page. Just, I though YA/Teen was teen pregnancy! I need to read more.
- WTH? Im trying to download MC Command Center and it leads me to an error 403 page that asks you to sign in and when I did, it gives me the same prompt. I JUST want the sims I'm not actively playing to PROGRESS!!!
- Very interesting article on Sims 4 game play. I never heard of these games. Your article provides me some wonderful information about these virtual video games. Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge.
- I really want a mod where you can put up children for adoption, and a mod where children can live on their own without adults or teens. Anyone know where any are?
- Any teen pregnancy mods? Or something of the sort
- This was really helpful! Most of the mods you've listed are very good. I thank you so very much for this. Keep up the good work!
- I totally agree with Muir, kind of like in Freeplay
- Do you know what would make a GREAT mod? A TODDLER! A little human being who crawls and make little cute laughters. I dont make mods myself, but hope that this could inspire some of you who does :)X drive windows 10. What is this X: drive and why is it listed and not C. When you boot into safe mode (or use CMD) the drive is labeled 'X'. What are you trying to do? When I log on normally, the X: is C:windowssystem 32. To know a drive's letter in Advanced Startup Options in Windows 10. I went into the command prompt, and noticed that instead of showing the drive as c: it shows it as x. I was able to change to the c: drive by using.
- Are there any MODs that allow tragic life events? Gameplay can get a little boring without unforeseen tragedy.
- If I could make a mod, I'd definately make the mod that Nicoxman is kind of suggesting. Either that or just unlock simple romantic actions (flirt, kiss, etc etc) for children.. dunno why?
- I'd like to see a child romance mod where children can have boyfriends or girlfriends. They can't go on dates or anything but they can kiss (peck on lips), embrace, or cuddle on the couch. That'd be fun!
- LOVED this article. This was very helpful for someone who plays the Sims 4 a lot. Thanks!Kayluna.blogspot.com
Sims 4 Game Help Categories: | |
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Custom Content | Installation | Gameplay Guides | Technical & Graphics Issues |Miscellaneous Issues | |
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Installing Sims 4 CC
In general, most modifications in The Sims 4 will be delivered as .package files. These usually have a '.package'- extension and are often packed with a compression tool. Therefore, the downloads have often he ZIP or RAR format. While you can open ZIP-Files without problems with the built-in Zip-Extractor of Windows 7/8/8.1, you have to download additional software for RAR-Files.
Sims 4 How To Enable Script Mods Download
Installing Sims 4 Package Files
Extracting ZIP/RAR Files
Once you've downloaded the compressed modification, you have to extract the containing package-files. To do this simply use the right click menu. Perform a right click on the compressed file, goto '7-Zip' and select 'Extract Here'. Awakened dream nail hollow knight. That's it, you have now the package-file.
Installing Package Files
Cut and paste the file(s) into your Mods folder:
- Windows XP: Documents and Settings(Current User Account)My DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 4Mods
- Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/OS X: Users(Current User Account)DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 4Mods
Installing Game Mods (.pyo/.py)
Script and Core mods modify game files by custom python scripts. These do NOT get unzipped!
Cut and paste the ZIP or RAR into your Mods folder:
- Windows XP: Documents and Settings(Current User Account)My DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 4Mods
- Windows Vista/7/8/8.1: Users(Current User Account)DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 4Mods
Playing The Sims 4
If you have completed all these steps, you can now start the game. Now a popup window will appear with all loaded modifications, categorized by NON-SCRIPT-MODS and SCRIPT-MODS. If you don't want to see this window again, you just need to uncheck 'View at game start'.
- To activate Script-Mods, you have to check 'Script-Mods:' in the game options.
Retrieved from 'http://simswiki.info/index.php?title=Game_Help:Installing_Sims_4_Package_Files&oldid=69478'
I was having problems getting script zipped files to work, with some testing I figured out why.
First thing is you have to turn on script mods. You do this by going into the game then go to Game Options then to Other and turn on (check mark) Script Mods. Then push apply, log all the way out of game to desktop. Next time you go into the game any script files you have placed in the Mods folder should work.
Next thing I found is I am really OCD and like everything very organized so I break things up into sets, sites, creator, item. With script zipped files you can't do this. You have to place the script zip file directly into the mods folder. I also found you can go one more folder deep, but that is it. For example how I have place the scripted zip file is Mods>Scripts.
I am guessing this is only for scripts that you do not have to extract from the zip file. From what I can tell the creators will tell you in the description if the zip file needs to be extracted or not.
I hope that helps anyone having problems and makes sense. :p
First thing is you have to turn on script mods. You do this by going into the game then go to Game Options then to Other and turn on (check mark) Script Mods. Then push apply, log all the way out of game to desktop. Next time you go into the game any script files you have placed in the Mods folder should work.
Next thing I found is I am really OCD and like everything very organized so I break things up into sets, sites, creator, item. With script zipped files you can't do this. You have to place the script zip file directly into the mods folder. I also found you can go one more folder deep, but that is it. For example how I have place the scripted zip file is Mods>Scripts.
I am guessing this is only for scripts that you do not have to extract from the zip file. From what I can tell the creators will tell you in the description if the zip file needs to be extracted or not.
I hope that helps anyone having problems and makes sense. :p
- LevelSkip»
Installing custom content and mods in your Sims 4 game can be a bit confusing! From knowing where to place the items, to figuring out what to do when your CC doesn't work- there's a lot to know and it can be tricky, especially if you're a beginner. This guide will teach you all you need to know about downloading, installing, and troubleshooting custom content and mods for the Sims 4!
Use the Table of Contents below to easily skip to the section you're interested in:
Table of Contents:
Make Sure Your Game Is Patched
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeBefore you get started with downloading and installing custom content, you'll need to make to make sure your Sims 4 game is up-to-date with all recent patches.
Make sure you are connected to the internet, then open Origin, go to The Sims 4 in your Game Library, click on the Settings tab, and then click on the Update Game button. If your game does need any updates, Origin will automatically download and install them. If your game is already fully updated, you'll get a notification telling you so.
Download an extraction tool
When you start downloading CC, you'll notice that many of the files end in names like .zip, .rar, .7s, and so on. These files have been compressed by the custom content creator so you can download them and put them into your game. However, you can't just place a .rar or .zip file straight into your Sims 4 game. Therefore, you'll need a tool to extract these files.
I recommend using Winrar (which, despite the name, can be used in both Windows and Mac) to extract your files. You can download it here. Once you've finished downloading it, install it on your computer and move on to the next step!
By default, The Sims 4 has an option to disable mods in the game. Before you get started with playing with mods and custom content, you'll need to start up your Sims 4 game and turn mods on (you'll also need to do this after each patch that is released, as the game options default back to mods being turned off).
To do this, start the game, click on the Menu button (the three buttons on the top right corner), Game Options, Other and then tick the Enable Custom Content and Mods box. Then hit the Apply Changes button and restart your game. The next time you start it up, your settings will be saved and you'll be able to play with mods!
Now that your game is patched and you've got a proper extraction tool on your computer, it's time to download some custom content or mods that you'd like to use in your game! If you don't already have one in mind, I've written some articles on some great custom content sites and mods for the Sims 4. Feel free to browse those articles to find something of your liking!
Once you've found the content you want to add to your game, click on the download button on the website.
If you're using Google Chrome as your Internet browser, you'll see the item downloading at the bottom of the screen. Once it's done downloading, you can right-click on the little arrow, and then choose to go to the folder it's downloaded to. Typically, your downloaded items will go into your Downloads folder on your computer.
Open up the Downloads folder and then right-click on the content you've just downloaded. If you're using WinRar, you'll see an icon that looks like a stack of books. Click on the option that says, 'Extract to (mod name)'. The file will then extract into a folder.
Open up the folder and check the contents inside. Usually, you'll just see files that end with .package. This is the file-type used for Sims 4 mods and custom content. You might see some other file types too. Some creators include images of their CC or .txt ('read me') files. These can be safely discarded. If you see file types ending in .ts4script, .bpi, .blueprint or .trayitem- these are also Sims 4 file types, and I'll tell you how to install those below. Do not delete them!
Sims 4 How To Enable Script Mods Download
Highlight (use your cursor to draw a box around) the .package files in the folder and then right-click on them and select 'cut'. Now you'll need to navigate to your Sims 4 Mods folder.
To do this, go to Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Mods. Once you're in that folder, simply right-click anywhere and then select 'Paste.' You'll then see the .package files you've downloaded appear!
When you start up your game, the mod or CC you've installed should be there and working perfectly!
Lots are the name for houses or any types of venues that your Sims can visit in the game. You can also download custom lots to add to your game on various Sims CC websites.
Installing and downloading lots is basically the same process as above, except you place these files in a place in your Sims 4 folder.
Follow all the instructions above, but once you extract your files, paste them into Documents > Electronics Arts > The Sims 4 > Tray. Any download that ends in .bpi, .blueprint or .trayitem belongs in the Tray folder ONLY.
When you open up your game, you'll need to go the Gallery (click on the icon of the photos in the top right corner), then click on My Library. There, you'll find the lot you've downloaded.
If the lot also included custom content, make sure you click on the Advanced option in the Gallery and tick 'Include Custom Content' for the lot to show up.
Now you can place the lot somewhere in your game!
Script mods are ones which change and add-on to the scripting of the game. Things like custom careers, custom animations/interactions, and popular mods like McCommand Center and WickedWhims are all script mods.
Installing script mods is again, pretty similar to installing the other mods listed above. The main difference, however, is that the file type will end in .ts4script. For these kind of mods, you'll still put them into your Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Mods folder, but you'll also need to make sure in your game settings that you have Script Mods enabled.
To do so, click on the Menu (the three buttons on the top right corner), Game Options, Other, and then tick the Script Mods Allowed button. You'll see a warning about script mods. Click OK, Apply Changes, then restart your game.
Your script mod will then be working the next time you play!
If you've installed the CC or mod exactly as describe above, it should all work just fine. However, if it doesn't show up in your game, or doesn't work for some reason, you might need to do some troubleshooting. Here's a list of things to check and try when you run into problems:
- As described above, make sure you have custom content and script mods turned on in your game.
- If you can't find a particular item in Buy Mode (this is where your custom objects go), go into Buy Mode (by clicking on the tools icon or F2). Click on the Filter Items tab, select Content, then tick the Custom Content button and you'll see all your custom content. You should see the items you downloaded there.
- You can also double-check that your custom content is installed by clicking on the View Custom Content button in the Options menu (go to Options > Other and click on the View Custom Content button). Look at the files listed there and you should see the content you've downloaded listed.
- Open up your Mods folder, and make sure you've placed the CC correctly. Remember, you should only see files ending in .package or .ts4script in your mods folder. If the files are ending in .zip, .rar., or any other file type, they won't work in your game!
- While you're online, go into Origin and repair your game. You can do this by clicking on The Sims 4 in your library, selecting the Settings button, and then clicking on Repair Game (please note that you must not be playing the game when you select this option). The game will then repair itself and basically do a fresh install of the files needed to run The Sims 4. It won't damage your save game, and this has actually fixed broken CC (particularly issues with script mods) for me in the past.
- Try deleting your .cache files. To do this, go into Documents > Electronics Arts > The Sims 4 folder. You can delete the localthumbscache.package file in this directory. You'll also see a folder titled cache and one titled cachestr. You can delete everything in these folders, but not the folder themselves. You may also safely delete the entire onlinethumbnailcache folder, if present. Deleting cache files allows the game to 'fix' itself in a way, and can be done as a first resort before repairing your entire game.
- Re-download the mod and start over. Sometimes, download can be corrupted upon downloading them, so just in case, you can delete the files your first downloaded, download them again, and put them into your mods folder and see if it works.
- Check that the mod itself is up-to-date. With the Sims 4, nearly every time a patch comes out, it breaks a variety of mods. Usually, the mod's creator will be aware of this and will update his or her website to notify players of this. Check the page you downloaded the mod from and then delete and reinstall the new version, if necessary. Sims websites like SimsVIP also keep a running tab of incompatible mods and CC after patches.
- Remember that game mods and custom content are designed to work with genuine versions of The Sims 4. There is no guarantee that they will work with pirated versions of the game, so if you do have a pirated version and a mod isn't working, that could be why. The only way to fix this would be to buy a copy of The Sims 4 directly from Origin, where you can ensure the game will be patched regularly and compatible with all mods and custom content.
If you've tried all the troubleshooting methods and the mod/custom content still won't work, the best thing to do is contact the original creator and let them know. Give them a detailed example of what's happening in the game (i.e. 'Whenever I place down the couch I downloaded, an error message comes up and says 'script call failed'). Hopefully they'll get back to you with an updated version of the content or a way to work around the error. If not, you may just need to uninstall the file from your game.
Uninstalling CC and Mods is as simple as going to your Mods folder and deleting them. Right-click on whichever file you want to get rid of, select Delete, and then the next time you start up the game, that custom content or mod will no longer be in your game.
Hopefully this will never happen to you, but there's always the risk of running into broken or corrupt custom content or mods, while modding your game. If you have issues with your game freezing, crashing, generating 'LastException' files while playing, or other major issues after downloading CC or mods, more than likely, the mod or CC you've installed is corrupted.
Backup Your Saves
Before you start deleting mods and testing them, backup your save game.
Go to your Sims 4 folder, right-click on the folder titled 'Saves' and then copy it. Paste your Saves folder somewhere else on your computer, like your desktop. That way you'll have a 'safe' version of your saved game in case anything goes wrong while testing.
Test Your Game Without Any Mods
Go to your Mods folder and right-click it. Again, copy it to your Desktop. Once you're sure you have a copy of your Mods folder on your Desktop, go ahead and delete the copy in your Sims 4 folder. Restart your game and play it for a few minutes. If you game runs without crashing or having errors, you know the issue is with one of your Mods. If it doesn't, you'll need to go out and repair your game (and the issue is something within your Sims 4 game itself).
Delete Script Mods
Sims 4 Mods
Because Script mods do the most changing in the game, they are the most likely to cause major game play errors if they're broken or out of date. Go back to your Sims 4 folder and take out any script mods (custom careers, WickedWhims, McCommand Centre, etc.) and then test your game without them. If the errors are gone, you know that one of your script mods is broken and needs to be fixed or updated.
Delete Recently Added Mods
Identifying the problematic mod can be as easy as deleting the last mod you've downloaded, if the problem cropped up after that. Paste your Mods folder back into your Sims 4 folder and then sort your files by Date Modified. Delete the most recent mod/CC and restart your game, play for a few minutes and see if your game works. If so, you've found the problem mod.
The 50/50 Method
This is pretty simple to do. Make a new folder on your desktop and just call it 'Test Mods' or something similar. Take half of the items you have in your Mods folder and paste them into this folder. Test your game and see if the problem persists. If not, you know the problem content is in that other batch of mods. If so, the trouble mod is still in your game, and you'll need to repeat the process again.
This can be a bit tedious and time-consuming, but sometimes, it's the easiest way to identify troublesome mods when you have a big folder worth of content.
If you're having trouble understanding how the 50/50 method works, view this flowchart from The Sims Wiki.
There's several ways you can organize your Mods folder. I like to do mine by categories, as seen in the picture above. This doesn't really do anything special during the gameplay, but it allows me to easily find content in my folders, install new content, and delete or update old content.
You can organise your Mods folder in any way which makes the most sense to you! You can do it by creator, by categories (like shoes, clothes, hair, etc.), or functionality (buy mode, script mods, etc.).
Keeping your Mods folder organised is highly recommended, just for easier installation/un-installation of Mods as you play The Sims 4.
Rename files to speed up your game
I believe it was back in The Sims 2 when users began noticing that if you have files in your mods folder with special characters (like @ $ # , etc.) in their name, it would slow down the game's loading screen. This still happens in The Sims 4, so the easiest way to avoid long loading times when downloading mods, is to rename any files and delete any special characters in the title.
Just right-click on the file, select rename, and then delete any special characters and spaces. Make sure you don't change the extension type (it should still end in .package).
If you have too many files to do this all manually, there's a great program called the Bulk Rename Utility which will help you rename your files easily.
How to Use the Bulk Rename Utility
Download and install the free program from here.
Once you've finished installing it, go to your Documents > Electronic Arts > Sims 4 folder and right-click on the Mods folder. Click the option that says Bulk Rename Here.
The program will open up and you'll see your Mods folder there. Highlight everything in the folder, and then go to the section that says Replace (3), just below the Mods window. In the Replace box, enter your cursor and just hit the space bar once. This will delete any spaces in the file names.
Now go to the section that says Remove (5). Tick the 'Sym.' box. This will delete any symbols.
The Mods window will illustrate what the files will look like once you're done; all spaces and special characters should be gone. Hit the Rename button on the bottom right hand corner, hit yes to all the warning boxes, and you will have succesfully renamed all your CC/Mods!
If you have sub-folders, you'll have to click into each of them individually to rename the files inside. Follow the same method described above.
Merge custom content for faster loading
This method is a bit risky, and one I only recommend to experienced modders of The Sims. Merging files really can speed up your loading time, but it can also cause issues, as there's no way to 'un-merge' files once you merge them, and if one of the files breaks within your merged file, you'll have to delete everything merged with it to get rid of the problematic file.
However, merging files can be a great way to speed up your game and organise your game even more; for example, you can merge files by creator, by date, by item type (i.e. you can merge all your custom clothes together, or all your custom hair, etc.) or whatever you like.
Warning: DO NOT MERGE .ts4script, tray files or anything but basic .package files together!
How to Use The Sims 4 Studio to Merge Files
First, you'll need to register for a free account and download the Sims 4 Studio program. The Sims 4 Studio is a free-fan made program for both Windows and Mac users.
Once you've downloaded and installed The Sims 4 Studio program on your computer, open it up and click on Tools > Merge Packages.
A window will open up. Click on the Add button and then navigate to your Mods folder in the window. Highlight all the mods you want to merge together, and select open. Click on the Merge button. The program will prompt you to rename your new merged .package file. Give it a unique name and select Save.
Once the status bar finishes (it will take longer if you have a lot of files to merge), a pop-up will appear saying you've merged the packages successfully.
The program will automatically open up to your Mods folder when done and you'll see both your newly merged .package file as well as your un-merged ones. You can safely delete the old files, OR you can copy and paste them somewhere else as a backup (for example, make an Unmerged Mods folder on your desktop and keep them there), which will make it easier if you do have to delete one of the files in the future.
In the case that you do need to delete a file that you've merged, if you've kept the un-merged files copied somewhere, simply delete the individual file you want to get rid of, and delete the merged .package file from your Mods folder. Then go back into Sims 4 Studio, merge the remaining files as explained above and then put the new merged .package file into your Mods folder.
That's the basics on how to install mods and custom content for The Sims 4, as well as how to troubleshoot, uninstall and keep your Mods folder organised! Got any questions or suggestions that I haven't covered above? Feel free to leave a comment and I'll do my best to help!
- I love downloading CC, but I can’t find any good websites that aren’t Sims resources. Do you know any good Sims custom content sites?Please have a look at my other article, The Best Free Custom Content Sites for 'The Sims 4'27
- How can I find a Sims custom content website to download from without a membership?Please check out my other article, The Best Free Custom Content Sites for 'The Sims 4' There's so many sites you can download from for free and without a membership.10
- Where can you get additional SIMS 4 content?Please check out my other article, The Best Free Custom Content Sites for 'The Sims 4'2
- Every time I try to download a custom content clothing it always says I need a new version for my PC and go to the software and publisher to find out what version I need and I do not know how to do that. How do I get the right version of the Sims 4?You need to update your Sims 4 game. This is the very first thing covered in the article, under the header: 'Make Sure Your Game Is Patched'16
© 2018 Brittany Brown
- i downloaded sims awhile before christmas and all my cc was working fine until a few months ago when i updated my account. Unless i have taken all my cc out of my mods or turned it off in game my sims won't load and will come up with a message saying 'sims 4 closed unexpectedly' i have a macbook air and if someone knows how to fix this i would be very thankful.
- OH WOW... IT WORKED YAY THANK YOU SO MUCH WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT YOU??????????????????
- Hi Brittany um i dont know which one yo download i scrolled down and it said english winrar and rar release and the mac one says Rar 5.70 for macOS (64bit) do do i download that or no
- So thank you very much! But I did have some files that were .rar and when i highlighted then with the .package files they did not show up and I was confused. If you know why I would dearly appreciate it!
- this has really helped my child to understand thank you so much because she thought that it wouldn't work with Origin but it did thank you so much x
- just started sims 4 thx to youtube content that peaked my interest..anyway, thx to your very conveniently found article i now know where to place item content. thank you.
- Wow! So helpful! I wasn't extracting my mods and I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working! Your a lifesaver, Brittany!
- Do you have to pay for cc,sorry I did not read this all
- Hello, I was wondering how you would restart the game in order to get the mods especially scripted mods?
- I dont suppose you know what folder i am looking for after I extract. Do you?
- ahhh thank you so much for this post! Pack drivers samsung rv419 windows 8.1 x64 download. super concise and helpful. it made the whole process way easy
- Maybe I can get help from someone here.I've unzipped all the sims I've downloaded into my tray folder. I've turned on custom content in the game settings. It's still not showing up. How can I get my downloaded sims and custom content to show up?I've also just discovered the gallery and turned on the custom content feature.Can you use separate things from sims you've downloaded on sims you're about to create on ts4 like you can in ts3? It's not seeming like it and it's a little upsetting.
- Hello, I just got the sims 4 a few days ago, and I’ve been trying to get custom content to work, but it’s not working. I have it enabled in the options, and I tried a bunch of the things you suggested in your troubleshooting section (repairing the game on origin, deleting caches, etc.) and it still doesn’t work. It doesn’t even show a “custom content” tab in the filters for things like hair in CAS. Do you have any idea how I might get my custom content enabled? I haven’t created any sims or families yet. My game is brand new.
- i don`t know what pc we need can we just have every pc in the world i don`t know so can you tell me.
- I know how to install cc into sims 4. It was working perfectly a few months ago. Now, I go get cc but it won't go into my game. I still have the cc that I had a few months ago but no new cc will transfer into my game. Do you know what I can do?
- I freaked out during an automatic update and took my mods folder out in the middle of it. And when I went to move it back in all my mods were missing and I can't find them and no they aren't in the recycling bin :((((( Any suggestions?
- Hey all my mods are in my mods folder and I have CC enabled and script mods allowed but none of my mods are showing up in my game. They aren’t even showing up when I click “view custom content” and I don’t know what to do. Please help!!
- So, the thing I downloaded immediately jumped into the Mods folder, but I didn't see it in my game. I don't know if I have to extract it or not, and if i do, I see no extract option when right-clicking. Does anyone know how to help?
- When go to the page to download WinRAR, it gives me a lot of different options to choose from and i don't know which one to choose!
- I can't find an Electric Arts folder on my computer so where do I go?
- so, what should I do if a download asks for Easy File Opener ?
- Hi. I cant download sims 4 studio. When I try to open the page, it just says that it cannot open. what do I do? :)
- hi, I was wondering if you knew what to do if you don't download winRar, or if downloading it is the only possible way?
- It says I can't install winrar on my mac