Since the initial release of The Sims 4, we’ve seen various DLC expansion packs released for the game. Each pack brings a new array of content, including new features, worlds, careers, pets, and gameplay. The following guide will rank the 14 expansion packs that are currently available, from worst to best, considering the depth of content added and the expansion pack’s overall value.
A little disclaimer: ranking these packs always depends heavily on how individual players interact with their game. As this is a holistic ranking, your faves may be the best expansion you’ve ever bought, but they might not be at the top for our ranking.
Related: All Worlds in The Sims 4, Ranked Best to Worst
14. Get to Work
This expansion is enjoyable for anyone looking to become a Doctor, Scientist, or Detective. It also adds the ability to join your Sim at work, which adds a new layer to gameplay rather than the standard sitting around to wait for them to get home.
However, this pack suffers from limited gameplay in terms of versatility. From cadet to lead detective, you do the same tasks over and over again. This can make the shining star of this pack, the interactive careers, feel a bit repetitive after a while. To give Get to Work some credit, it was the first expansion for The Sims 4, and it shows. Between the disappointment that is Magnolia Promenade and the glitches that persist to this day, it is a fun addition but ultimately isn’t the best add-on available.
13. Island Living
This pack is ideal for living the island lifestyle, whether you’re soaking up the sun or lounging on the beach. The Island Living expansion offers new careers, events, stunning views, and even the occasional mermaid.
However, the gameplay and content beyond the initial appeal of island culture are limited, so it doesn’t really add much to your game outside of that specific area. Additionally, there aren’t many islands to choose from, and there aren’t many career options either. This pack is pretty niche compared to others and will likely only be a must have add on for certain players, but a missable one for the rest of us.
12. Get Famous
This expansion centers around the lifestyle of becoming famous within the world of Del Sol Valley. Enjoy new career options that align with the entertainment industry, including pursuing an acting career. The problem is that, similar to the Get to Work expansion pack, it can feel repetitive after a while.
As a world, Del Sol Valley also suffers from feeling strangely empty and poorly lit. For example, some of the mansions are completely missing any toilets (yikes). This pack especially disappoints with the integrated ‘fame system.’ It’s a cool concept, but its execution was messy at best and it can become pretty irritating as it encroaches into all aspects of gameplay.
11. Eco Lifestyle
This pack centers around the idea of the world’s eco-footprint. The initiative here is to focus on practicing an environmentally friendly lifestyle, including leading by a “green” example in your neighborhood. As a world, Eco-Lifestyle is interactive and cool. In CAS and build mode, players thrive with sustainable, trendy styles. And dumpster-diving is one of the easiest ways for Sims to get rich quickly.
This pack also adds the ability to use “bits and pieces” to craft recycled versions of common items, which can be an economical choice for those of us who don’t give our Sims the motherlode. However, the expansion’s gimmick is sort of its flaw: many players get easily annoyed by the communal Neighborhood Action Plans. Meant to give Simmers a feeling of community, this feature often adds irritating rules that impact gameplay and take a lot of effort to repeal if you don’t like them.
10. Horse Ranch
This is another expansion pack that will be a total win for some niche gamers and horse fans, but is fairly missable for anyone not chasing after their horseback dreams. Horse Ranch adds a new world, the option to own and train horses, mini goats, and mini sheep, and some new social interactions and skills related to the ranch life.
Because many of these features feel similar to other packs, like Cottage Living, some players may not feel like it adds much to their game aside from the horses themselves. The pack is less glitchy than most of the others, which makes it a smooth playing experience for those who do want to embrace the ranch lifestyle.
9. Get Together
The world in this expansion is one of the biggest in the entire game. At first glance, the expansion pack can be deceptive: you might think it’s all about clubs, and that’s not exactly a thrilling thing for everyone. This feature can definitely annoy you if you’re not interested in grouping up, but it isn’t a huge bother to ignore if it’s not your thing.
The draw of Get Together is mixing the modern social life of City Living and the down-to-earth family experience of other neighborhoods. This pack adds access to coffee shops, proper DJ and dancing-filled night clubs, and a better, more compelling way to interact and meet other Sims. Also, the CAS and build options are particularly popular in this pack, with its Germanic and party-life inspirations.
While these were great additions at the time, a lot of what is compelling about this pack is done better in the more recent Growing Together DLC, making that newer pack a better bang for your buck if you want to up the ante with your Sims’ social lives.
8. Cats and Dogs
If you’re an animal lover, then this pack is for you. Choose from a diverse selection of various pets, including most notably, cats and dogs. There is also a veterinary career that you can join and pursue– though you do have to buy and create a veterinary business to do this.
Aside from the pets, this pack suffers from limited content compared to the other expansions. Pets are the main appeal, so this expansion won’t be for everyone.
7. Discover University
When it comes to activities, Discover University depicts the university lifestyle spot on. This expansion incorporates a young-adult vibe into it, with its target demographic being university students. You can participate in anything that a typical student can, including living on or off campus, joining clubs, attending events, and more. This pack is a great way to meet other Sims and offers loads of sports and other school-related activities.
As a world, this college campus is seriously lacking. A lot of its buildings feel uncomfortably empty, its pre-made characters are forgettable, and while a cool feature, dorm living sort of sucks. The gameplay of the pack also takes a long time to get through, so for anyone who prefers to play with larger families, it’s not worth the time. If the University experience is core for your style of play, this pack is a must have. Otherwise, it can be a bit of a time suck compared with other packs that integrate into the rest of gameplay more smoothly.
6. High School Years
This pack is a family-focused Simmer’s dream. In a game world where teens and children have had a pretty lackluster experience, The Sims 4 finally gives a true high school experience. Teens can now go to high school, rock out at prom, work hard to graduate, and the like. There’s thrifting, boba, sneaking out, proper teenage after-school activities, and Ferris Wheel rides. It’s a teen-dream of a world, with an interactive high school to boot. This pack also adds social bunny, the game’s first interactive social media platform, which lets you grow online relationships just like in real life.
Its downsides, though, are that it doesn’t really add a traditional new career and if you don’t like playing teens, it severely limits the world of Copperdale for you. It’s also pretty weird that only the one neighborhood has a high school and Sims from other worlds commute there, making the scope of this pack kind of limited compared to what it could’ve bee.
5. Cottage Living
Many Simmers have been wanting something like Cottage Living for years. Stardew Valley is popular for a reason, with its cozy vibes. Cottage Living serves that, with chickens, bunnies, llamas, and adorable, earthy designs. This pack adds a new world where you can engage with a farmer’s market and county fair, which makes it a great add on if you want to up the cottage-core elements in your Sims life.
That said, not everyone loves the English-cottage style and if you aren’t looking to run your own backyard petting zoo, it can be underwhelming. The farmer’s market can be a little bland, and though every The Sims 4 fan loves Mrs. Crumplebottom, the game doesn’t add much in the way of meaningful career additions.
4. Snowy Escape
As far as beautiful worlds go, Snowy Escape has one of the best scenic views in the game. Its pre-built homes are also built by popular YouTube Simmers, like LilSimsie and James Turner. Inspired by beautiful Korean mountainside towns, this pack brings a wide variety of new gameplay and styles to The Sims 4. You can go to the hot springs for an unforgettable spa day or climb Mt. Koboremi itself.
For people who adore their Sims feeling real, this expansion also added the Lifestyles feature. This means that Sims who prefer to be inside can get the Indoorsy trait, which affects what they like and how they act.
3. City Living
City Living introduces you to the vast city of San Myshuno, equipped with apartments, work-from-home careers, festivals, and more. This new city enjoys loads of different activities to enjoy. The world in this pack is very unique to the other worlds and comes with three different career paths.
This is an excellent choice for players interested in getting lots of content and exploration with their expansion pack. From more modern, sleek styles in CAS to the joys and horrors of apartment living, you and your Sims can spend hours exploring and falling in love with city life.
2. Growing Together
One of the more recent DLCs, Growing Together is a must have pack for the Simmer who likes to grow their family and generational experiences. Because this is such a commonly loved aspect of the game, Growing Together’s in-depth additions to the family and relationship dynamics of the game are a much welcomed add.
This pack adds milestones, shifting personality traits, and more complex relationship and social dynamics that really improve realistic gameplay. On top of that, you get a new world, San Sequoia, which lets your Sims embrace a family friendly suburban vibe. This pack adds so many features to how your Sims interact with one another that it’s a great choice to make your game experience more robust.
1. Seasons
It’s all about the seasons in Sims. Seasons adds loads of excellent content right across the board. While this is technically an expansion pack, it’s really more of a quality-of-life improvement. It doesn’t come with its own world, and that’s because there’s just so much packed into the game. The new calendar, holidays, weather patterns, changing seasons, cute hot and cold CAS options, and easy-to-use build items.
Seasons doesn’t need a new flashy world to be a great pack. Without it, The Sims 4 is just a far less interactive experience that lacks many of these lived-in features that help you and your Sims experience the passage of time in-game.
Published: Oct 11, 2023 11:30 am