The Sims 4 Mods List for Improved Game Play

This is my Sims 4 recommended mods list for improved game play. These are the mods I use along with my gameplay rules to achieve my specific play style. 

Please note, some of these mods may not be fully updated to the current game patch, depending on when you’re visiting this page. Always double-check to make sure they’re updated before downloading or they may not work as intended. 

Also, I have ALL expansion packs, game packs, and stuff packs for The Sims 4. The following is a list of mods I use in the complete game (as of April 2025). If you don’t have all the packs, make sure to check that mods are compatible with your version of the game before downloading. 

LAST UPDATED: 4/17/2025 ~ I’m back baby! I’ll only have access to my laptop for the next 3-6 months. I’ve had difficulty playing The Sims 2 on this setup, so I decided to mod the f*** out of The Sims 4 and give it another chance. Stay tuned for updates to my gameplay rules and possibly rotational gameplay too!

Essential Mods

Although I play with all the mods on this list, there are a few I could not EVER play without. These are my must-have mods for The Sims 4.

• Hopes & Fears Mod – Overhauls whimsets for Traits, Aspirations, Careers, Skills and more by adding new Wants to these sets, specifically custom ones. Necessary if you play wants-based like me.
• MC Command Center – This is Master Controller for Sims 4. Click here to see my MCCC settings.
• UI Cheats Extension – Allows you to click on the UI and enter cheats directly. Example: Click on simoleons and change the amount. Click on relationship bars to change relationships, etc.
• Smart Sim Randomizer – Automatically gives all Sims (including townies & NPCs) likes and dislikes that actually make sense – based on their traits and with some level of randomization. 

Apartment Mods

These mods impact Apartment life in the game.

• Apartment Event Odds – This mod changes the rules the game uses to trigger tenant and landlord events to curb some of the more annoying ones.
• Apartment Rent Modifiers – This mod changes the rules that increase or decrease the max rent limit (so they make more sense).

Aspiration & Trait Mods

These are my favorite mods to add new aspirations and traits to the game or improve the ones we already have. 

• Lifetime Aspirations Mod – Changes the in-game aspirations to have a single goal instead of tiered goals, designed to take most of your adult Sim’s life. (Makes the aspirations more like Sims 2 lifetime wants).
• More Trait Compatibility – Adds more of the game’s traits to the Social Compatibility system where they make sense. Also applies to turn-ons/turn-offs.
• New Emotional Traits – Adds several new emotional traits to the game. I do not use the extreme versions. I only use calm, insecure, oblivious, restless.
• New Hobby Traits – Adds several new hobby traits to the game including artisan, movie buff, and tinkerer. 
• New Spa Day Traits – Adds two new traits to the game for Spa Day – health nut and high maintenance.
• Personality Mod – Adds 12 reward traits to the Reward Store. Each of these traits are inspired by the six Aspirations from Sims 2: Family, Fortune, Knowledge, Pleasure, Popularity and Romance and there are primary and secondary versions of each. New wants are also included for each trait. (Allows you to play Sims 4 more like Sims 2.)
• Responsible Trait Nerf – This mod removes the benefit from Responsible Sims so that they will be expected to complete their work task before every shift in order to get the career performance bonus.
• Trait Buff Fixes – Fixes some trait buffs which are added even if the Sim does not have the trait. With this fix, they will only get added if the Sim has the trait it belongs to.
• Traits by Scarlet – Adds the “Photographer’s Eye” and “Socially Anxious” traits to your game.

Bug Fix Mods

These mods fix bugs that EA hasn’t yet. Make sure these are not obsolete before downloading, as EA will sometimes fix bugs – but don’t hold your breath.

• Bug Fixes by Kuttoe – I use almost all the mods listed on this page to fix annoying bugs and oversights in the game code.
• Change Diaper via Changing Table Fix – Fixes the bug where changing diapers on the changing table resets Sims.
• Elevator Fix for Toddlers and Pets – Fixes the bug introduced in Discover University that prevents toddlers and pets from using elevators.
• Invite Over NPC Toddler on Park Venue Fix – Fixes a bug that prevents toddlers from spawning when you invite them to a park venue.
• Less Musical Chairs – Fixes the unbearable group chat issue where Sims keep getting up and moving around from chair to chair constantly.
• Violin & Guitar Bug Fixes – Fixes several bugs associated with violins and guitars; required for the base game only in order to obtain or fulfill several whims and actions that would otherwise not appear or work properly.

Child & Teen Mods

These mods impact the behavior of children and teens in the game.

• Better Autonomous Homework – Kids and teens with a grade of A, B, or C will now actually do their homework autonomously – unless they’re too lazy. I also use the “faster homework” add-on included with the download.
• More Traumatic Divorce for Children – This mod increases the sadness level for children to +3 and the duration increases to 5 days when they witness a divorce. Also gives teens a sadness of only +2 for 4 days, when they previously had no reaction.
• Spend Weekend With – This mod allows you to send your kids away to visit their grandparents or other parent. Or send your teens away to stay with a friend for the weekend, etc. Can technically be used to send any Sim away, but I mostly use it for kids and teens.

Club Mods

These mods affect the club system that came with the Get Together expansion pack.

• Club & Business Activity Expanded – This mod adds 216 activities that are available either for Clubs, Small Business Customers and Small Business Employees. I mostly use this mod for the added club activities. 
• More Selectable Icons – Adds a ton of new club icons for Get Together. I couldn’t live without this anymore because I use clubs extensively in my game. (The mod has been updated and now includes icons for holidays, SimTuber avatars, and lifestyle brands as well.)

Environment Mods

These mods change or modify the game environment in some way.

• Always Auto Lights – This mod makes it so lights on residential lots (including rentals, dorms, etc) always default to Auto-Lights instead of Always On.
• Out of the Dark – An indoor lighting mod that improves the look of the game in dark areas (the blue tint is gone and shadowed objects look softer).
• Purple Skies – An outdoor lighting mod that completely overhauls the Sims 4 outdoor lighting (and makes it look better in my opinion). NOTE: Make sure to read installation instructions. This mod does not go in your mods folder!

Finance Mods

These are mods I use to control Sim finances in my game.

• Career Overhaul Mod – This mod is a comprehensive overhaul of the game’s careers aimed at making career progression more difficult and engaging. This includes a crunch down of all pay rates at lower levels, more exponential pay growth with promotion levels for most careers, a re-thinking of top level pay rates to better align careers with their real life counterparts and game requirements, higher skill requirements across the board, and brand new promotion goals like degrees, friends, and fame level.
• LittleMsSam’s ATM Cards & Credit – I use the ATM machines in my banks. They allow your Sim to apply for credit. Compatible with the SNB mods below.
• Sim National Bank (SNB) – Creates an extensive financial/banking system similar to real life including bank accounts, direct deposit, bill pay, property tax, rent, and more!
• SNB Bills – Makes you setup your utilities when moving in and you have to pay a deposit just like IRL! Also overhauls the EA Bills system, making it more realistic.

Food & Cooking Mods

These mods impact food, drink, and cooking in the game. 

• Better Coffee – This mod makes it so coffee, espresso, and energy drinks give 40 Energy when consumed (up from 15 or 0 in some cases), and certain kinds of tea and matcha give 20 Energy when consumed (up from 0).
• Complete Cooking Overhaul – Allows your Sims to go grocery shopping and purchase ingredients for cooking meals plus so much more – cookbooks, more realistic ingredients, custom recipes, moves cakes and baked goods to the “baking menu.” (Also listed in the “Overhaul Mods” section below.)
• Ingredients Required – All recipes (including those with optional ingredients) can only be cooked if your Sim has the ingredients – or else the recipe will be greyed out. Works similarly to the Simple Living Lot Challenge from Cottage Living, but it’s base game-friendly and does not require a lot challenge to be added.
• Order More Groceries – Adds more items to the list of grocery delivery & removed the quantity limit of items.

Hobby & Skill Mods

These mods impact hobbies and skills – like woodworking or handiness – in the game. 

• No Fees for Sketchpad – Removes the crafting cost to start a project or design a tattoo on the digital sketchpad, and reduces the retail value of any resulting artwork by 1/3 its original value.
• Molding Clay Builds Creativity – Self-explanatory; molding clay now builds the creativity skill.
• More Woodworks – Adds the ability to craft more items and furniture from the woodworking table. I use this mod so my carpenter can sell more useful items in his shop, but it’s also nice if you want to furnish a home using only what your Sim builds. 
• Sell More Self-Made Woodwork at Flea Market – Allows you to sell more self-made woodwork items at the flea market.
• Small Gemology Overhaul – This mod improves the gemology system. (Also listed in the “Overhaul Mods” section below.)
• Small Pottery Overhaul – Makes the pottery wheel usable off the grid, adds a setting menu for slower/faster crafting, clay required as ingredient, and more. (Also listed in the “Overhaul Mods” section below.)
• The Hobby Mod – Adds 14 Reward Traits to the game, for children through to elders. Each of these traits are inspired by the Hobby Tracks from The Sims 2 Freetime, plus a few new categories to fit The Sims 4. Also adds  new wants related to the hobby traits. Highly recommend this mod!
• Woodworking Table Rework + No Autonomous – Increases time it takes to craft items and increases their retail price, plus stops Sims from autonomously using the table. 

Holiday Mods

These mods impact the holidays and calendar system in the game.

• Less Frequent Surprise Holidays – Reduces the appearance of the annoying surprise holidays. 
• More Holiday Icons – Adds ~100 new holiday icons to the calendar to use when making your own custom holidays.
• No Work! New Holiday Tradition – This Mod gives young adults and above a day off work. This is a new tradition to use via the calendar holiday feature and should work for custom careers too.

Miscellaneous Mods

These are mods that don’t fit into any other category. 

• Basemental’s Alcohol – Sims get drunk and have hangovers. Place a bouncer on bar lots and teens who try to drink will be asked for ID. Teens can buy fake IDs. Bouncers tell your Sims to leave if they get too drunk.
• Basic Burns – Simply being outside in the sunlight is enough to get a tan or risk getting a burn (rather than the game requiring your Sim to be actively sunbathing to get tanned or burned). Sims will tan slower when there is cloud cover or during winter, and there is no tanning at all while it is raining. 
• Flea Market Appears Every Sunday – Makes the flea market festival appear in town every single Sunday instead of every other Sunday.
• Let Friends Age Up – Choose up to 20 Sims to age up at the same time as your playable Sim – similar to The Sims 2 where you can choose friends of the same age to also age up. I use this mod for aging up townie friends of my Sims that aren’t currently in playable households.
• Lock Door for Chosen Sims – Allows you to lock or unlock doors for specific Sims. Very helpful for businesses as you can lock doors for everyone but employees.
• No City Living or Island Living Names – Sims are no longer spawned with names from these expansion packs.
• Outdoorsy and Indoorsy Lifestyles Tweak – Makes this lifestyle make sense. The criteria in the vanilla game is ridiculous.
• Parenthood Autonomous Traits Interactions – Makes interactions from parenthood traits autonomous. 
• Personal Objects (Computers, Tablets & More) – Set a computer, tablet, etc. as your Sim’s personal object and no other Sim is allowed to use it.
• Polite Aliens – Prevents Alien Sims from autonomously using their powers to Analyze, Empathize, or Memory Erase other Sims. 
• Pool Tweaks – This mod changes guest behavior at pools to utilize features from the Island Living beaches. 
• Purchased Items Delivered via Mail – Ordering via computer will now deliver the items via mail instead of the actor’s inventory.
• Regional Greetings – This mod limits the availability of region-specific greetings so that your options aren’t full of “Friendly Introduction” equivalents.
• Random Texts & Calls – This mod adds a plethora of random text messages and phone calls from NPCs to make your Sims’ relationships with others feel more alive. 
• Quick Shower/Bath – Get the optional no-towel add-on if you don’t want your Sims walking around in towels all the time.
• Sleep All Night – This tuning mod prevents a Sim from waking up because their energy need is full. Instead, they will sleep through the night.
• Synchronized Stereos – This Mod will sync all stereos on the lot that are tuned to the same station.
• Tiny Home Nerfs – This mod alters the bonuses for Tiny Home lots so that they are less overpowered and more situational.
• Transfer Inventory – Allows you to move all items from your inventory into the refrigerator with one interaction (instead of individual stacks).

Moodlet Mods

These mods either change or improve moodlets in the game.

• Low Motive Change – Changes how your Sims feel about certain motive failures. Low Fun now results in a “Bored” moodlet, and low energy now results in a “Dazed” moodlet.
• Reduced Random Positive Moodlets from Sentiments – As the title says, reduces the random positive moodlets Sims get from sentiments. 
• Thunderstorm Moodlet Rework – This mod changes it so the indoors Thunderstorm moodlet is an invisible, +0 strength moodlet with some underlying effects.

Notification Mods

These mods impact in-game notifications (typically removing the more annoying ones).

• Festival Notification Rework – This mod allows you to manage the notifications for festivals events so that they are less obnoxious and more relevant for the household you’re currently playing.
• No Cupid’s Corner Reminder – This mod removes the daily notification reminding you to use Cupid’s Corner if your Sim is not in a committed relationship.
• No Social Bunny Reminder – This mod removes the nightly notification reminding you to post something on Social Bunny.
• No ThriftTea Notification – This mod removes the daily notification that ThriftTea has restocked.

NPC & Townie Mods

These mods impact NPCs and townies in the game. If you don’t know the difference between Sim types, here’s a lesson. NPCs are service Sims like butlers, maids, vendors, etc. Townies are the randomly generated homeless Sims found in “Manage Worlds.” Playable Sims are those created by Maxis (or you) that live in houses in the worlds.

• Assign NPC Jobs – This mod lets you assign NPC-only jobs (nanny, gardener, food delivery, etc.) to existing Sims. I also use Zero’s private filters to prevent random townie generation, but use at your own risk!
• Better Butler – Fixes a lot of the issues with Butlers in the game. Has a lot of optional add-ons, too – including the ability to hire more than one butler.
• Better Nanny – Adjusts the general behavior of nannies to let them work better. For example they’ll feed babies and change the diaper of babies much better now. Also gives the option to hire a second nanny. Read the download page regarding add-ons.
• Faster Burglars – This mod drastically shortens the animation that burglars perform when inspecting an object before stealing it. No more dilly-dallying!
• Vendor Idles – This mod changes the idle interactions that market stall vendors perform while tending their stall, making them less obnoxious without leaving them lifeless.

Overhaul Mods

These mods completely overhaul in-game systems to improve gameplay and functionality. 

• Bite the Dust – Completely overhauls the dust system and its effects (for the better IMO).
• Complete Cooking Overhaul – Allows your Sims to go grocery shopping and purchase ingredients for cooking meals plus so much more – moves cakes and baked goods to the “baking menu.” (Also listed in the “Food & Cooking Mods” section above.)
• Lovestruck Attraction Overhaul – This mod adds up to 12 new categories to the Turn On/Turn Off selection in Create A Sim, tweaks the attraction values to provide a little more variety in attractions towards other Sims, and adds two new values, Extremely Attracted and Extremely Unattracted. (Also listed in the “Romance & Relationship Mods” section below.)
• Retail Overhaul – Must-have for retail play. Allows you to hire certain employees including the store owner and Sims from your own household. Makes your employees actually work! (Also listed in the “Retail Mods” section below.)
• Small Gemology Overhaul – This mod improves the gemology system. (Also listed in the “Hobby & Skill Mods” section above.)
• Small Pottery Overhaul – Makes the pottery wheel usable off the grid, adds a setting menu for slower/faster crafting, clay required as ingredient, and more. (Also listed in the “Hobby & Skill Mods” section above.)
• Small Laundry Overhaul – After putting clothes into the washing machine or dryer, Sims will auto turn on the washing machine or dryer. There are SEVERAL more parts to the laundry overhaul, look at the list on the download page to select the ones you want.

Preference Mods

These mods add custom preferences (likes, dislikes, turn-ons, turn0ffs) to the game:

• The Custom Preferences Mod – NECESSARY FOR ALL THE OTHER CUSTOM PREFERENCE MODS BELOW TO WORK. DOWNLOAD THIS ONE FIRST! You now need this mod to use ANY custom preference mods in your game – regardless of the creator.
• Pizza Preferences Mod – Allows Sims to have preferences for specific pizza toppings (and feel disgust when eating pizza toppings they don’t like). 
• Visible Weather Preferences – Makes the normally hidden weather preferences for your Sims visible in the “Likes & Dislikes” section. You can also change them as you please in the menu.

Pregnancy & Childbirth Mods

These mods impact pregnancy and childbirth in the game. 

• Advanced Birth Certificate – This small mod changes a few things regarding the birth certificate added with Get to Work. When sending your Sim to the hospital to have a baby (Rabbithole) they’ll get a certificate as well, certificates can be renamed, and vampire, mermaid, spellcaster, and werewolf babies get unique certificates instead of the “human” one.
• Deliver Baby at Hospital – Fixes a bug where your Sim cannot deliver a baby at the hospital when you join them after they go into labor.
• Relationship & Pregnancy Overhaul Collection – (This mod was previously known as Woohoo Wellness.) Adds pregnancy wishes and preferences (some Sims may not want to get pregnant), birth control and condoms, interactions and reactions matching a Sim’s pregnancy wishes, termination of pregnancy, and much more! This has become a must-have mod for me and I couldn’t go back to playing without it.

Retail Mods

These mods impact the game’s retail system that came with the Get to Work expansion.

• Entrance Fee on Community Lots – I use this mod to charge a cover to enter bars and clubs.
• More Buyable Venues and Venue Types – Adds custom venue types to the game including ownable bars and clubs. Works well with the Entrance Fee mod above.
• Retail Overhaul – Must-have for retail play. Allows you to hire certain employees including  the store owner and Sims from your own household. Also makes your employees actually work! (Also listed in the “Overhaul Mods” section above.)

Romance & Relationship Mods

These mods impact romance and relationships in the game.

• Lovestruck Attraction Overhaul – This mod adds up to 12 new categories to the Turn On/Turn Off selection in Create A Sim, tweaks the attraction values to provide a little more variety in attractions towards other Sims, and adds two new values, Extremely Attracted and Extremely Unattracted. (Also listed in the “Overhaul Mods” section above.)
• Wonderful Whims – Offers plenty of social, relationship, and pregnancy enhancements in forms of Attractiveness, Impressions, Personality Archetypes, Menstrual Cycle, Birth Control and many more. It’s wicked whims without the “wicked” parts. I love the realism this adds to my game.

Toddler & Infant Mods

These mods impact toddlers and infants in the game. I’m also adding baby-related mods to this section (for now).

• Auto Check Toddler & Infant Tweaks – Changes the cooldown from 5 minutes to 60. Sims will now check on toddler & infants regularly when motives are low (Hunger, Hygiene, Energy), diapers need to be changed, or when the cooldown is over.
• Better Baby Care – This mod tunes the autonomy of baby care interactions to make Sims treat their newborns much more intelligently. 

User Interface (UI) Mods

These are mods that change or modify the game’s user interface. 

• Expandable Build/Buy Catalog – This mod allows you to expand the catalog in build and buy mode like you could in Sims 2 and 3.
• More CAS Columns – Allows for more columns in CAS. I use the 4 column version, but there are also 3- and 5-column versions.
• UI Cheats Extension – Allows you to click on the UI and enter cheats directly. Example: Click on simoleons and change the amount. Click on relationship bars to change relationships, etc.

University Mods

These mods impact the University experience in some way. 

• Free Dorm Food Changes – This mod changes the types of food that roommates/dormmates bring home with them. They will now bring pizza  or sandwiches instead of a whole roast chicken or lobster.
• Homework Tweaks – Faster homework for children/teens and university students. I use the 25 minute addon, but you can also choose 10 minutes – only  install one! (Also listed in the “Child & Teen Mods” section above.)
• Just Go to Class – Sims living on campus will now only need to walk to the front of their lot or an elevator in order to attend class, just the same as off-campus students or any Sim going to work.
• Shorter University Degrees – Makes university degrees require less credits to graduate. 

Default Replacements

These are the default replacements I’m currently using in my game:

• Felicity Eyes – Default replacement eyes.
• Papillion Skin – Works as of the December 2020 update.
• Kijiko Eyelashes – These are not technically default replacements, but I use them to remove and replace the Maxis eyelashes. Scroll down the page to download the “Remove EA Lashes” mod if you use these.
• Zerbu’s Presets – Again, not technically defaults, but I use these with my defaults in CAS to make unique Sims. Provides a TON more presets for face shape, noses, cheeks, lips, eyes, etc.

Retired Mods

These are mods I have used before, but I’m no longer using in my current gameplay. I am leaving them here in case anyone sees them in old videos or streams and still wants them.

• 50% Lower Salaries – No longer required since I started using the Career Overhaul mod that includes this function.
• 50% Lower Salaries for Eco Lifestyle and Snowy Escape – No longer required since I started using the Career Overhaul mod that includes this function.
• Bookshelf Edits – Bookshelves come EMPTY with no free books and Sims cannot purchase books through them. I like my Sims to visit the bookstore to purchase books. NOTE: This became too tedious, so I removed it. 
• Have Some Personality Please – Adds more personality to your Sims. For example, romance Sims are more likely to do romantic interactions and mean Sims are more likely to do mean interactions. Removes idle chat and makes several other improvements. NOTE: I absolutely LOVE this mod and consider it ESSENTIAL for gameplay. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been updated for the latest patch, and users report missing romantic interactions between Sims. I am leaving it here on the list in hopes it will be updated soon!
• Simulation Lag Fix – This mod alters the game’s time speeds so that sim autonomy does not cause massive simulation lag in instances where there are many autonomy requests. NOTE: I am no longer using this mod and not having any issues with simulation lag.
• Meaningful Stories – I am not currently using meaningful stories, as I found that it amplified the emotions too much for my liking.
• Mortem – Overhauls the death system and makes it more realistic. No more vanishing corpses – your Sims must handle the body and everything that comes with death (funeral services, condolence visits, etc). NOTE: I found this to be too fussy and expensive for my Sims, especially when I’m playing a legacy challenge. It’s a good mod for realism, though.
• University Required Degree for Promotions – No longer required since I started using the Career Overhaul mod that includes this function.

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