The Sims 4

The Sims 4 is a life simulation from Maxis and Electronic Arts. Instead of a fixed campaign, you create your own Sims, decide their looks, personalities and life goals, and let relationships, careers, families and self-told stories emerge from them.

The PC version of The Sims 4 came out on Sep 2, 2014. The native versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One followed on Nov 17, 2017. Since Oct 18, 2022, the base game has been free to play.

The Sims 4 is available on PC and Mac, as well as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. On PC, the base game can be obtained via the EA app, Steam and the Epic Games Store, among others. On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, the respective compatible console version runs.

Gameplay is open-ended: you create Sims, set their traits and goals, guide their everyday lives and decide which relationships, careers and life paths they pursue. Needs, moods and social situations create new little stories all the time.

In Build mode, you can design lots, floor plans, rooms, furniture and landscaping in detail. Through the Gallery, community-created Sims, households, rooms and lots can be shared and downloaded directly in the game.

The Sims 4 has an extensive add-on content ecosystem. Expansion packs add large themed areas and new game systems, while smaller Gameplay Packs and Kits focus on individual mechanics, fashion, furniture or build items.

Add-on content is optional and requires the base game. The free base game remains playable regardless and is also supplemented by free updates.

For Windows, Electronic Arts lists at least 64-bit Windows 10, 4 GB RAM and 25 GB of free storage, plus extra space for custom content and saves. Recommended are, among others, 8 GB RAM, an Intel Core i5 with four cores or AMD Ryzen 5, and a GeForce GTX 650 or Radeon HD 7750 or better.

Since Oct 18, 2022, the base game has been free to download. This applies to PC and Mac as well as the supported PlayStation and Xbox systems. What remains paid are mainly optional expansions and other add-on content.

The switch to free-to-play did not replace the basic structure of the base game: Create-a-Sim, Build mode, households and the regular base game worlds remain the starting point.