As an ever-growing franchise, The Sims 4 continually surprises (and, oh, well, sometimes disappoints) its fanbase with new installments.
Unsure which packs are worth the investment? Don’t worry, because I’ve selected the 3 best The Sims 4 expansion packs for you.
Keep reading to find out which thoughtfully planned and perfectly executed expansion packs are absolutely worth your money!
TS4 Best Expansion Packs
The Sims 4: City Living
An absolute must-have is City Living. A new world, tons of options in CAS, unique traits, and careers are just the tip of the iceberg of what TS4: City Living has to offer.
This expansion pack includes the world of San Myshuno, packed with dynamic neighborhoods and vibrant festivals.
- Lot traits, which affect the gameplay and can either bring your sims joy or misery
- An integrated salad bowl of culture brought on by this pack allows your sims to explore the culturally diverse neighborhoods
- One of my favorite aspects are apartment buildings because you can have loud neighbors and tightly-knit communities
- Festivals that include different events that your sims can partake in
- Three new careers with two distinct branches to each, City Living allows your sims to engage in critic, politics, and social media.
As it always is, certain downsides can be overlooked:
- Children don’t get much attention in this pack
- Buildings are impressive but aren’t all that customizable.
The Sims 4: Parenthood
What many of the previous DLCs and packs failed to do, Parenthood did right.
It introduced exciting and gameplay-rich content that allows the player to shape the family dynamic, raise & mold the often overlooked aspect of TS4, children.
This pack managed to accentuate family life with the addition of many new features, and my favorites are:
- The five character values (emotional control, manners, responsibility, empathy, and conflict resolution) include & affect all sim age groups
- Teachable moments that appear throughout the game allow you to pick between three options and all have different outcomes and are tied to parenting skill levels
- Sibling rivalries and many family dynamics are unlockable
- New aspiration (Super Parent and Role Model rewards) makes raising little sims more exciting and rewarding
- Hilarious additions to parenting like curfews, grounding, and discipline that vary in intensity
… and the not-so-favorite:
- Phases (I’m a Bear, clingy, picky eater...) are a good, albeit annoying addition, especially the bear one when children wear a bear costume.
The Sims 4: Discover University
The third must-have pack is Discover University. Although it may seem like a controversial choice in the community, Discover University brought many great additions.
Besides the addition of Britechester, a new world, this pack has a lot to offer. Let’s summarize what its best features are:
- The CAS addition has been one of my favorites so far precisely because of the cool hairstyles and clothing options.
- Two universities and a dozen degrees to choose from, all of them jumpstart a particular career branch
- Scholarships, student loans, roommates, unhealthy diets, classes, term papers… sounds familiar? The gameplay upgrade is incredibly realistic.
- Lots of different events and organizations to join for an immersive college experience
A downright annoying downside - while we do get bikes in Discover University, they can be lost, stolen, and borderline annoying to own - at least in my opinion.
Bonus Picks
As I cannot contain myself to stop at only three, two more noteworthy packs will transform your gameplay: Get Together and Island Living. The former introduces you to Winderburg and clubs, while the latter includes Sulani and new part-time careers.
This will be a good place to start for all those who want to get into the franchise, but don’t know which packs are definitely worth it.