Since the series’ beginnings, The Sims has been known for having aggressive amounts of expansion packs and DLC, with the fourth entry being no different. For fans and newcomers who haven’t made the jump to The Sims 4 yet, there are a lot of expansions, game packs, and stuff packs to purchase, discover, and play around with. It’s finally a fully-fledged game and while the open-world nature of The Sims 3 is gone, The Sims 4 makes up for it somewhat with better performance and a great amount of content.
Eight years into the game’s lifespan, people can now spend upwards of $800 on the game and with new kits being released even in 2022, The Sims 4 won't become less lucrative. The game is available on most platforms - PC, Mac, Xbox One, and PS4 - and often goes on sale on Steam, Origin, and the consoles’ respective storefronts. No matter what system people buy the game for, the options for gameplay upgrades can be overwhelming for new players and frightening in terms of cost.
All of the prices here for Sims 4 are baselines - the game does see sales for much less than its listed price. Still, knowing what each game pack and stuff pack has in store is important for simulation fans on a budget - even with reduced prices. Simulation games are known for eating up countless hours of free time, so many of the packs might be worth it, but each type of add-on provides a different experience, and choosing which ones are the best can be daunting (although a great place to start might be the Cottage Living expansion). Using the Steam base prices, it’s clear that the game has a lot to offer but the price adds up quickly.
The Sims 4: How Much Every Expansion Pack Costs In 2022
Expansion Packs tend to add the most to The Sims 4, with many of them adding career paths, maps, and gameplay additions as well as furniture and clothing. Each expansion pack focuses on a different broad theme and tends to add to the overall Sims game experience.
- Get to Work - $39.99
Get to Work adds the Doctor, Detective, and Scientist career paths to The Sims 4. It also lets players design their own retail businesses from the ground up with employees, different types of goods, and storefronts to design.
- Get Famous - $39.99
Get Famous focuses on entertainment and fame-base career paths, giving players options to make their Sims become actors and actresses as well as giving them a whole new map to chase dreams in. The game also adds a lot of expensive furniture to decorate houses along with clothes that match the most expensive Sims 4 aesthetic.
- Get Together - $39.99
Get Together focuses on clubs and gatherings, adding a DJ and Dancing skill to the game for Sims to master. It also comes with a map called Windenburg, which adds a few public social spaces for Sims to meet up.
- Snowy Escape - $39.99
Snowy Escape adds not only many snowsports to the game like skiing and snowboarding, it also adds a lot of Japanese-inspired furniture. The new gameplay elements it adds are lifestyles and sentiments, both of which show how relationships and habits form over time.
- Island Living - $39.99
Island Living doesn't add any new careers but puts all its focus into Sulani, an island getaway map with lots of touristy things to do and sights to see. The expansion pack of course adds beach and tropical-themed furniture and clothing for Sims to relax with and hopefully make Sims 4 fun again.
- Seasons - $39.99
A Sims series mainstay, Seasons not only adds four distinct climates to the game, but it also adds holidays, swimwear, weather, and gardening. There are no new worlds to explore, but with original maps getting overhauled, there's still a wealth of changes.
- Cats and Dogs - $39.99
With this pack, players can finally create their own pets and put them in-game with their Sims. Along with the addition of the Veterinarian career path, it also includes a map called Brindleton Bay which is made with pet recreation in mind.
- Discover University - $39.99
Discover University doesn't come with a new map, but it does come with two separate university campuses for Sims to explore. Whether players want to send their Sims down a career path or party in the college dorms, this expansion, while not as essential as The Sims 4: Seasons, provides a lot of mid-game content.
- City Living - $39.99
The new map of San Myshuno is much more of a city than most other maps' town-like structure, and City Living comes with furniture and apartments to boot. This Sims 4 expansion pack also adds a few career paths like Politician and different festivals for more city exploration.
- Eco Lifestyle - $39.99
Evergreen Harbor is the new map for this expansion, but the major gameplay changes are much more interesting, allowing players to outfit houses with renewable energy sources to offset their carbon footprint and electrical bills. It also adds freelancing and many new eco-friendly furniture options.
- Cottage Living - $39.99
The latest full expansion pack for The Sims 4 focuses on providing idyllic outdoor living spaces and gameplay elements that represent the countryside. The new Sims 4 map of Henford-On-Bagley has lots of forests and homely activities scattered around for Sims to take part in.
The Sims 4: Every Game Pack So Far
Game packs for The Sims 4 are generally smaller experiences, usually offering a themed explorable area as well as some activities to do. These packs still have plenty of content, but usually don't have as many gameplay additions as expansions, hence their reduced price tag.
- Outdoor Retreat - $19.99
This game pack adds the campsite-themed area of Granite Falls as well as camping-related activities to do while visiting. It also adds the herbalism skill which lets Sims brew potions.
- Realm of Magic - $19.99
Realm of Magic includes another supernatural element that's been present in The Sims for a long time - wizardry. Sims can train familiars, learn magic spells, and dress for their new skills.
- Vampires - $19.99
Vampires is a lot like Realm of Magic, adding another supernatural element with lots of costumes, a hilarious and romantic vampiric Sims 4 visual bug, and a visitable area. Sims can be designated and/or become vampires, allowing them to gain special powers.
- Star Wars: Journey to Batuu - $19.99
Star Wars lets players and Sims alike explore the otherworldly themed land of Batuu, letting them choose a side between the Resistance, First Order, and the scoundrels below. Through missions, Sims will collect lightsaber fragments and eventually be able to construct their own.
- Spa Day - $19.99
Spa Day lets Sims visit the spa and engage in a variety of relaxing activities, from saunas to massages. There's also a new Wellness skill and many comfy robes to go along with it.
- StrangerVille - $19.99
StrangerVille is a lot more narrative-focused than other game packs and even most of the best Sims 4 mods, focusing on a town and its confusing mysteries. There's still other content, like the Military career, for those who want more from the main game.
- Jungle Adventure - $19.99
Jungle Adventure is very similar to Outdoor Retreat in that both include a new outdoor-themed area to explore - in this case, Selvadorada. There are a few treasure-hunting, hiking, and exploration-centric quests for Sims to complete, and an Archaeology skill to help with this.
- Dream Home Decorator - $19.99
This pack focuses on the new Decorator career path, which asks players to design more houses with old and new objects alike. There's no new map, but the career path requires lots of socialization with clients to figure out what they want in their best dream video game home.
- Dine Out - $19.99
Not only does Dine Out let people drive their Sims towards great restaurants, but it also gives them the opportunity to run their own restaurant. Management is a heavy responsibility, requiring staff, customer satisfaction, and profitability in order to make the restaurant successful.
- Parenthood - $19.99
Parenthood fleshes out the parent-child relationship and makes it clearer how actions will impact a child's development. Along with more family activities, Parenthood lets players' customize their smaller Sims' rooms even more.
Every Sims 4 Stuff Pack Released
Stuff packs in The Sims 4 pretty much do what they say on the tin - add a variety of furniture and clothing centered around a specific theme. Decorating and designing is a large part of The Sims 4, and for those that want a specific style or just want more unique items, these fit the bill at a lower price point:
- Luxury Party - 9.99 USD
- Perfect Patio - 9.99 USD
- Cool Kitchen - 9.99 USD
- Spooky - 9.99 USD
- Movie Hangout - 9.99 USD
- Romantic Garden - 9.99 USD
- Kids Room - 9.99 USD
- Backyard - 9.99 USD
- Vintage Glamour - 9.99 USD
- Bowling Night - 9.99 USD
- Fitness - 9.99 USD
- Toddler - 9.99 USD
- Laundry Day - 9.99 USD
- My First Pet - 9.99 USD
- Moschino - 9.99 USD
- Tiny Living - 9.99 USD
- Nifty Knitting - 9.99 USD
- Paranormal - 9.99 USD
Every Sims 4 Kit Released
Kits in Sims 4 aren't worth buying yet but are relatively new, featuring a much smaller selection of items, usually for a room or clothing meant for a specific occasion. At five dollars USD each, these are the most inexpensive add-ons, but the collections are usually so narrow that it's hard to justify buying them even when picking up a bundle of some sort.
- Bust the Dust - 4.99 USD
- Country Kitchen - 4.99 USD
- Throwback Fit - 4.99 USD
- Courtyard Oasis - 4.99 USD
- Industrial Loft - 4.99 USD
- Fashion Street - 4.99 USD
- Incheon Arrivals - 4.99 USD
- Blooming Rooms - 4.99 USD
- Modern Menswear - 4.99 USD
- Carnaval Streetwear - 4.99 USD
All these add-ons total up to be worth around $870 USD, much more than any previous game in the series. The Sims has always operated under the unspoken rule that not every expansion pack needs to be purchased in order to enjoy the game, but it is overwhelming to see so many options and not know what to pick up. Taking advantage of sales is extremely important, but that can only get the price down so far. Supplementing a few expansions with mods, custom content, and a few packs will definitely be enough for a large majority of players. With the sheer amount of content behind The Sims 4, there can only be hope that a newer, cleaner, and more comprehensive experience is on its way.