The 10 best Sims 4 expansion packs to buy

By Joe Julians

Published: Tuesday, 20 December 2022 at 12:00 am

We may all be waiting on The Sims 5 (whenever that rolls around), but we still have more than enough to be getting on with in the fourth game – and it has many expansions to give you even more to do.

From living in the countryside to taking in pets, expansion packs are a great way to get some more variety in The Sims 4, and so far there have been 12 of them released.

Most are worth a look at, but here are the 10 best that you can get your hands on.

The 10 best Sims 4 expansion packs

Cottage Living

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It’s out of the suburbs and into the countryside with the Cottage Living expansion pack, which sticks you on a farm and lets you live off of the land! You can raise animals like cows and chickens, cook only with the actual ingredients (though that is optional) and just generally enjoy a more peaceful virtual life. This one does wear out its welcome after a while, but it’s different enough to be a refreshing change.

High School Years

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The best years of your life they say. Well, relive them all over again (which admittedly may sound like a nightmare to some people) in virtual form with this expansion! Follow the teens in the family to Copperdale High and watch as they attend classes, hang out with their friends, and get up to all the things that teenagers do – well, not all… It’s a family game.

Island Living

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Sometimes we all just need to chill out and to escape the grind that is daily life, and where better than a tropical island paradise? This is another very different way to play The Sims 4, and the island of Sulani is one of the nicest looking places in the game by quite some way.

Snowy Escape

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Head to a Japanese-inspired snowy location here, which gives the game a very different feel to what it has normally in style alone, and enjoy rock climbing and hiking through a gorgeous bamboo forest. This is definitely one of our favourites of the bunch.

Eco Lifestyle

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Evergreen Harbor is the home for this expansion – and you will be keeping a close eye on the eco footprints of your neighbours. If the idea of having a stronger connection with your virtual neighbours appeals then this is a good one to go for, even if the effects of your eco footprint don’t seem to change things all that much.

Get Together

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The European-inspired Windenburg world is gorgeous to explore, but the meat of this expansion comes from socialising. Hang out with all your virtual friends in the club, and show off your DJ and dancing skills in the process. This is not as substantial as many others on this list, but we do enjoy the variety that it offers.

Discover University

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You’ve done high school, so next on the list is a stay at university! Time needs to be watched here as uni is a juggling act of studying and socialising, and you can’t afford to let either slip. The world itself may be a little bland, but little quirks such as clothing help the expansion feel substantial enough.

City Living

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You will be heading to the gorgeous looking San Myshuno with this expansion that thrusts you right into city life. You’ll be able to try new types of food, and the housing reflects the trappings of city living with them being smaller apartment type buildings as opposed to the traditional types we usually see in The Sims.

Seasons

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If there’s any expansion that we feel is vital to enjoying The Sims 4 to its fullest, then it’s seasons. Having the seasons change really helps immerse you in the world, and time feels like it moves in a much more realistic way than it does without it. And changing seasons means keeping an eye on different things, such as what you wear and gardening.

Cats & Dogs

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Every home needs a pet of some kind, and this expansion lets you take your furry friends and customise them – and there are an awful lot of breeds to choose from. Their accessories can be personalised, and even their personalities can be tweaked. If you are an animal lover, this is must own.

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