A Definitive Ranking of Every The Sims 4 Expansion Pack

Once you get roped into the chaos of The Sims, there's no turning back.

Whether you love the peaceful gameplay of building a picket fence family or wreaking havoc with the 100 Baby Challenge, there's an approach to The Sims for everyone to love. And as someone who has been obsessed with the games for years, it's been hard for me not to purchase all of the expansion packs.

If you want to get into The Sims 4 now that the base game is free to download, look no further. We've ranked the expansion packs, so you can know which ones are the most essential to bring the most life into your game.

13. Get to Work

Get to Work was the first expansion pack that Electronic Arts (EA) released for The Sims 4, all the way back in 2015, made to emulate the active career gameplay from The Sims 3: Ambitions. 

Theoretically, active careers are great, but they got old quickly, and I never feel like joining my Sims during their workday anymore. Additionally, I never bring my Sims to Magnolia Promenade to do any shopping, especially when it's easier to enter build mode or Create-a-Sim. 

I'd love for EA to refresh Get to Work and add a few more careers, but until then, it's not a pack I typically use.

 

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12. Discover University

I loved the university packs from both The Sims 2 and 3. Going to college and being a young adult was what I looked forward to the most during my Sim's lifespan.

However, Discover University didn't land for me. The two universities, Britechester and Foxbury, are cramped into one world, and the team got rid of sororities, fraternities and secret societies. Plus, I've found that it takes too long to actually graduate, and the degree itself doesn't have any incentive that makes it seem worthwhile. 

 

11. Eco Lifestyle

Eco Lifestyle is one of the most well-made packs from The Sims franchise. It has fascinating, niche gameplay with a new world that has somewhat of a storyline, and the furniture and clothing from this game are some of the best in the series. 

The only reason Eco Lifestyle ranks so low is that the gameplay is not something I feel passionately about. If you're into sustainability and eco-friendly living in real life, this pack will be great for you.

 

10. Get Famous

Get Famous is another concept I've always loved from the previous games. It's hard to wrap my head around, but there's just something missing from 4's attempt at celebrity living. Del Sol Valley feels a little too small, and the items from the pack are too gaudy to the point where it feels unusable.

The actual celebrity aspect of the pack is still fun to use. Although, I can see this pack being more fun if it had more types of celebrities beyond actors.

 

9. Snowy Escape

The Japanese-inspired world from Snowy Escape is one of my favorites in The Sims 4, but the rest of the pack fell flat for me. It's supposed to be a vacation world, but the franchise doesn't really have a vacation system. They've barely, if at all, touched vacations since the release of their Outdoor Retreat pack. Since this world is inspired by Japanese culture, I would love to see more focus on heritage.

 

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8. Island Living

Island Living shares the same sentiment as Snowy Escape, but Island Living offers a new occult (mermaids), which gives it an extra point.

 

7. High School Years

High School Years is another example of a pack that could've been fleshed out more. Why just high school? I'd love to see an elementary school, and this expansion pack could have been a great way to create a new life stage: pre-teens.

That said, the High School Years pack is a lot of fun and gives more depth to teenagers, who were previously just shorter adults. But combine this with Growing Together could have been Generations, and it would've saved players money with one pack.

 

6. Cottage Living

Cottage Living was a smart move for EA since cottagecore has been popular for a few years. There are a lot of new animals added to the game, the new world is super cute, and some of the clothes and build items from this pack are some of my favorite pieces they've ever put out. 

As someone who loves cozy gaming, Cottage Living was right up my alley, but there are some expansion packs that just feel more necessary for well-rounded gameplay.

 

5. Growing Together

Over the years, my expectations for The Sims expansion packs have gotten lower and lower, but maybe that's why I enjoyed Growing Together so much. I love the idea of having family dynamics and "stay overs," which is a fancy term for visits. Growing Together also adds some nuance to your Sims' personalities with midlife crises and trait shifts.

As previously mentioned, I feel like this pack could've just been combined with other ones to make Generations! Nonetheless, it's still tons of fun.

 

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4. City Living

San Myshuno, the neighborhood of City Living, is the perfect place to start a new life for my young adult Sims. There's a really realistic and thrilling (but also annoying) aspect of having a struggling or fixer-upper apartment because, more than likely, your first living space won't be a gorgeous mansion. If only we could hit "motherlode" in real life! Until then, City Living is here for you to feel the reality of being a young adult in the 21st century, even in a virtual world.

 

3. Get Together

Honestly, Get Together and City Living both receive points from me because the worlds are that good, especially Get Together's Windenburg. There are so many lots that make it exciting to build a custom neighborhood. The club function can also be pretty useful for helping build relationships with new Sims.

 

2. Cats & Dogs

There isn't anything particularly special about this pack, but it's difficult to imagine The Sims 4 without having pets. Cats & Dogs is probably my favorite of all The Sims pets games because of the attention to detail added to the animals: harnesses to take them on walks, an active vet and a pet training skill level. The only thing that could make this pack even better is if all pets and animals were included from other packs, but I'm definitely not mad about the focus only being on cats and dogs.

 

1. Seasons

The most criminal part of Seasons is that EA never automatically includes it in the base game. Weather is such a large part of everyday life that it drastically changes the realism of gameplay without it. 

Of all the franchises, it seems like Seasons was the most detailed with blizzards, heatwaves and severe thunderstorms. Essentially, they have everything that isn't a natural disaster. 

I love the idea of having a hot and cold weather outfit. The holidays add so much life to The Sims 4 games. And, you can add custom holidays that can tailor to your own needs and humor. Besides, who doesn't love the idea of silly holidays like Neighborhood Brawl Day?

 

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