After several curiously well-timed leaks, Sims 4 has finally announced their newest, long-anticipated expansion pack: For Rent. The pack promises a fresh new world, inspired by the bustling beauty of South East Asia and replete with the sights and sounds a close-knit and cultured community.

Sims 4: For Rent, due to release December 7th 2023, has stunned Simmers worldwide with its promising plethora of new gameplay.

​In this expansion, Simmers are slated to enjoy the dizzying riches and responsibilities that accompany multi-property ownership; that is, Sims will finally be able to stack cash as business savvy (money hungry?) Property Manager.

The new world of Tomarang is truly something to behold. Inspired by the sights and sounds of such Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos, Tomarang offers a blend of both modern and traditional features to delight Sim senses.

Tomarang is a verdant, tropical world with sprawling cityscapes. After settling into Tomarang, Sims can take a stroll in the botanical gardens, visit animal sanctuaries, or leave Fruit Offerings and Incense at a Spirit House. Perhaps most notably, Tomarang boasts a Night Market scene, a phenomenon that has earned Thailand worldwide renown. Just like their human counterparts, Sims will be able to browse wares at the night market, commune and canoodle with neighbors, and stuff themselves silly with dishes like Khao Niao Mamuang, Tofu Pad Thai, Pancit Bihon, Burmese Samosa Soup, Banh Cuon, Halo Halo, or Thai Iced Milk Tea.

Sims 4: For Rent offers an array of new clothing items that blend the traditional with the modern. Sims jaunt around Tomarang in casual streetwear boasting beautiful traditional designs.

Sims will be able to enjoy button-ups with intricate prints, sleeveless dresses in bold colors, easy drawstring pants, slouchy tops, new sandals, capris, and casual collared shirt dresses. This list is, of course, by no means exhaustive. There are many fashions worth smiling about in this new pack, all of which appear to be the simple, comfortable silhouettes and every day streetwear Simmers have come to love.

Builders seem poised to enjoy a veritable paradise in Sims 4:For Rent. The pack features tropical rattan furniture, carved wood decorations, wooden slat window shades, homes on stilts, and more Southeast Asian-inspired carpets, lamps, and tiles.

Simmers can also look forward to functional tea kettles and a rice cooker!

Some eagle-eyed Simmers have even spotted Tuk-Tuks, special 2-3 person vehicles often used in Thailand to travel short distances in the city!

New Lot Type
Most notably, For Rent will finally allow builders to create multi-unit dwellings.

This highly-requested feature will give Simmers the freedom to house several families on one lot. In this way, builders can create townhouses, apartment building units, duplexes, basement suites, and more! Happily, this lot type will not be restricted to just Tomarang; Simmers can build multi-family homes in all livable worlds!

​While living in this lot type, Sims will have ample opportunities to hold community events like Potlucks and Pool parties, show off their Cringe dance moves, involve themselves in some leisurely Breaking and Entering, and generally get all up in each other’s business. Even the most proper Sims may find themselves embroiled in neighborly drama, and they may need a bit of help managing it all. After all, who is a Sim to complain to when the water heater is busted, your lights are flickering, your water’s running cold, or your upstairs neighbor is just too dang loud?

This brings us to the most game-changing aspect of the pack: Property Management.

For Rent offers a fresh career opportunity for Sims--
property management

Any adult Sim can become a Property Owner of a multi-family dwelling, or Residential Rental. As Property Manager, the Sim must keep the property rated high and their Tenants happy, lest they risk a Tenant Revolt.

While Property Owners can eagerly line their pockets by collecting exorbitant amounts of rent money, they are also tasked with keeping the lot habitable. They’ll have to perform plenty of Lot Inspections to:

• Repair busted water heaters​
• Fix up fuse boxes
• Investigate infestations
• Manage mold problems
• Evict problematic tenants

In fact, Sims can experience a new Fear of Eviction due to these lot inspections, though the Property Owner is always free to give second chances!

All Sims will also enjoy four new aspirations:

• Seeker of Secrets (for the nosiest of nosy neighbors)
• Five Star Property Owner
• Fount of Tomarani Knowledge
• Discerning Dweller (think the best neighbor anyone could ask for!)

In addition, Sims will gain five new traits!

• Nosy​
• Cringe
• ​Wise (Elders only)
• Generous
• Child of the Village

​Even child Sims will get to relish new activities like hopscotch and traditional Thai marble games like Deed Luk Kaew.

But it isn’t all fun and games. Lax Landlords can allow their rental properties to fall into such disarray that the building becomes overrun with fungal spores, all of which can result in a new death:

All in all, For Rent seems a pack not to be missed! With fresh gameplay features, comfy CAS items, and beautiful build-buy, this pack is sure to please players worldwide.

What are you looking most forward to in this pack? Tell us on Instagram, Threads, X (Formerly Known as Twitter), and TikTok at Simmer’s Digest!

It would be an understatement to admit that Sims 4 “kits,” bite-sized servings of new downloadable content, are contentious amongst fans. For some, their introduction represented a devastating downward slide toward the ever more ubiquitous microtransaction. For others, kits as a concept sate the unquenchable thirst for content many Simmers have. After all, a steady stream of minor content is better than months without content. Right?

The answer is unclear.

After all, Sims 4: Book Nook Kit is the twenty-fourth kit in a whopping kit collection numbering twenty-five in total. It can be difficult, particularly in this sputtering global economy, to parse out which kits are worth the investment.

​This series of articles aims to provide guidance through the banquet of bite-sized content options, separating the empty-calorie fast-food fluff kits from the five-star Beef Wellington kits.

So what about Sims 4: Book Nook Kit?

The Sims 4 released its Book Nook Kit in June 2023. It contains 25 new items, which - aside from the stunning layered couches made resplendent with squashy pillows and draped throw blankets- appear mostly unremarkable at first glance. A quick squint at the boring browns and angular items, like a wire basket and yet another set of bookended tomes, might encourage sleepy yawns from fans.

​However, this kit offers more than what meets the eye.

What appears to be simple bookshelves of varying sizes are actually modular shelves for flexible placement. By mixing and matching the shelves, some of which are empty, others partially full, others chock full of books, players can create the enormous bookshelves of their dreams.

​If this were not enough, Book Nook Kit provides book stacks as clutter, allowing players to stack books as high as their hearts desire.

Other pack perks include an elegant, rounded standing lamp, new wooden flooring, fresh candle decor, a modern cream-colored rug, and adorable book trays.

The kit also includes a curved coffee table which doubles as book storage and a new wooden side table.

The inherent coziness of the Book Nook kit pairs well with several other Sims 4 packs.

Its emphasis on natural materials like wood, iron, and glass fits well with Eco Lifestyle, Discover University, Cottage Living, Basement Treasures kit, Everyday Clutter kit, Blooming Rooms Kit, Greenhouse Haven Kit, and perhaps most beautifully, the Industrial Loft Kit.

All in all, Sims 4 Book Nook kit is a must have for builders who want to create the Beauty-and-the-Beast-esque library of their wildest dreams. The modular mix-and-match and stackable nature of the included bookshelves is not to be missed.

The included couches are stunning and comfortable looking, complete with draped throw blankets and squashy pillows, a clear improvement over the earliest boxy Sim sofas of yore.

While both the coffee table and side table are unbelievably oversized - a problem with which Sims 4 wrestled for many years - players can work around this issue by sizing down the furniture in-game, though this renders placing clutter a real pain.

Despite this, the kit is a stunning addition to the game
sure to delight builders around the globe.

What have you created with this kit? Show us on Threads, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), and TikTok at Simmer’s Digest!

​Final Verdict: Hot

In the latest update for The Sims 4, players can look forward to exciting additions and bug fixes. 3 new hairstyles and Create a Sim presets come with this update, including braids and long flowing hair inspired by the cultural identity of Indigenous People in America. East Asian Sims also receive a variety of new eye presets, brows, and under-eye bags. Additionally, players can now cook the Three Sisters Chili, a Native American dish that combines corn, beans, and squash.

Trait Reorganization and Ceiling Patterns and more
The team has done a bit of reorganization of the traits into categories such as Emotional, Hobby, Lifestyle, and Social. Another exciting feature coming with this update is the ability to apply colors and patterns to ceilings in Build Mode. Players can choose from various patterns and use the Free Camera to get a better view. Furthermore, several wall, floor, fence, and door patterns have been updated with additional color variants, providing more customization options.

Bug fixes...to name a few
In Live Mode, Sims now consistently wash their hands in the sink closest to the toilet, and the Items Removed error message no longer appears if players own everything on a lot. The Have a Baby Neighborhood Story will no longer cause pregnancies for Sims listed as unable to become pregnant. Numerous fixes have been made in Build Mode, including issues with curved walls, doors under circular roofs, and terrain adjustments.
Overall, The Sims 4 update brings a range of new customization options, bug fixes, and improvements to enhance players' gaming experience. Simmers can look forward to creating unique Sims and exploring new stories with these exciting updates.

Take a look at the full rundown of updates here: https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/news/update-07-18-2023?utm_campaign=sims4_hd_ww_ic_soco_twt_bgu-tw-new&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&cid=77098&ts=1689706122201

You are not wrong, this new app is a direct competitor to Twitter
Threads and Twitter are both social media platforms that allow users to share text updates. However, there are a few key differences between the two platforms:

• Audience size: Threads is designed for a smaller, more intimate audience. Your Threads posts are only visible to your close friends, unless you choose to share them with a wider audience. Twitter, on the other hand, is a public platform, and your tweets are visible to anyone who follows you.
• Content type: Threads is focused on sharing text updates. You can also share photos and videos, but your posts are limited to 500 characters. While Threads allows you to add multiple types of media posts ( as we are currently testing out on one of our threads) it does not (yet) have the tools baked right into the platform. So if you are wanting GIFs you are going to need to copy and paste them in from your favorite Gif source, or add them if straight from your camera roll if you've got your favorites saved. (Side note: Currently we do not yet see hashtag clickability as an option in Threads at time of posting this piece.)
• Privacy features: Threads has a number of privacy features that allow you to control who sees your posts, who can reply to your posts and more. For example, you can choose to keep your posts private, or you can share them with a select group of friends. Twitter also has some privacy features, but they are not as robust as the privacy features in Threads.

In short, they don't have to, however when a major company like Meta looks to add a new platform to its catalog, it gathers the attention of many people, and the Sims community was already very strong on Instagram and while many of us are waiting to see what happens to Twitter, Meta has offered us a new digital space to explore, connect, and test out while we wait.

Sims 4 Seasons, is seen by some of the one the best packs in sims 4. But could newly surfaced concept art signal a refresh is possible? Thanks to @PattonKieran

What are your thoughts? Leave us a comment below or drop your thoughts in the YouTube Short

The Sims 4 Seasons is an expansion pack for the The Sims 4. It reintroduces weather and seasons, along with other new features such as holidays, temperatures, a gardener career, and a flower arranging skill. The pack incorporates weather and seasonal changes to all existing worlds, and players can enjoy seasonal activities such as ice skating, fall harvest, spring fling, and summer pool party. The Create A Sim feature also includes new options for almost every category, age, and fashion choice.

It’s been months since the sims 4 update for console controls- and the team has finally responded, but many sims 4 players aren’t happy. The update in January changed console controls and has made building and gameplay a challenge for many. On April 27th, a sims 4 community responded.

​Check out the featured short and details in the video below.

The update that was released April 26th, 2023, also re-enables the "lose tooth" feature from The Sims 4 Growing Together expansion pack. The feature allows Sims to lose their teeth, and it has been fixed after some issues. The update also fixes an issue that was causing subtle adjustments to the appearance of Sims in the April 18th update. Any Sim that was created prior to the April 18th update should return to looking as they did before. The update is available for PC and Mac with version numbers 1.97.62.1020 and 1.97.62.1220, respectively, and for consoles with version 1.75.

Every Day Clutter Kit

The Icon sporing the coffee cup and envelope has been confirmed to be known as the “Everyday Clutter Kit”

Thanks to SimMattically we also have a screenshot of the splash screens as well as the Everyday clutter assets

Pastel Pop Kit
The second kit leaked is titled “Pastel Pop Kit” and features several items to brighten up your sims dwellings based on the splash screen and screen shots
UPDATE Pastel Pop Kit was developed in collaboration with Plumbellayt:

​

Yeah, it is an ad. Want to help keep them off our site? Become a Simmer Supporter!


Keep it tuned in right here as we continue to unravel the details of the kits as our community shares more of their brilliant discoveries. While you wait for more details to drop, enjoy the following creators videos with their individual insights and speculations:

The short answer is no. 

Contrary to all of the various videos and tweets you may have seen, Maxis developers have not officially announced Sims 5.

Then what’s all the sudden to-do about the next iteration of the beloved franchise? This is what we know for sure:


During the Behind the Sims Summit (linked below), developers shared that there is in fact a team working on the next version of the ubiquitous life simulator. This ambitious project is lovingly code-named: The Sims Project Rene.

What does this mean?
Answer: This means there is a team actively working on the development of the next version of the game. It is unclear, however, if developers will name this version “The Sims 5.” 

What did we learn about Project Rene?

Answers:
A. Developers are  designing the game to work across multiple platforms. This will allow users the same experience across Mobile/Console/Computer platforms.
B. The team is and continues to listen to the community to build in top requested features such as the return of a color wheel, pattern customization, object sizing (stretching and pulling vs the current resize options)
C. Developers mentioned that this game will be designed to play WITH our friends, hinting at online connectivity.
D. Project Rene is many years away from being released, thus The Sims 4 will be around for years to come.

Developers left a lot to Simmer imaginations, but in a move of unprecedented transparency, the team shared with us very early access "rough" footage to get an idea of their concept and direction.
Behind The Sims Summit Stream Event
​

Below you will find several reaction videos and news videos to check out, so you can form your own opinions about Project Rene.

Let us know what you think of what you saw and what you hope comes with the next iteration in the comments below!

As a side note, we are personally thrilled about the continued development of The Sims 4 and can not wait to see what they've in store for us over the next 4-5 years while we wait for the next big release.

And for a bit of joy in your day, please enjoy being “let in” on HipHipRenee’s little known secret about the whole project: ​

On January 25th, thousands of notoriously insatiable Simmers awaited word from Maxis on high.  An earlier teaser image, a splash page of colorful confetti, saturated purple, and enthused Sims, promised the Simming audience not only two new vibrant kits but also a game pack that would enhance "romantic parties."  Eagle-eyed Simmers noted quickly the wedding cakes, entwined rings, elaborate masks, and tiger imprints hidden in the confetti, and the cycle of Simming speculation began anew. 

While many Simmers clamored to uncover what romance game pack could be coming, Maxis whetted the appetites of their salivating Simmer audience with news of a fresh new kit: Carnaval Streetwear Kit. 

This Create-a-Sim kit, which will be available February 3rd, is an homage to all things glitter, sequins, neon, and fabulous. The kit not only offers apparel that one might don for the world's biggest party, but it also fits feminine and masculine frames with equal ease. Maxis collaborated with Pabllo Vittar, fresh-faced, enormously talented musician and Drag superstar, to bring this colorful kit to fruition. Each look is inspired by Pabllo herself; they are skin-baring works of mesh, sequins, and glitter. There are fun watermelon imprinted tops, bejeweled crops, rainbow blouses, gold chain belts, hip-hugging purple skirts, sky-colored lowcut halter tops, and more. In a world when we are all redefining norms and encouraging ourselves to be the most authentic we can muster, it is the right kit at the right time. 

But what even is Carnaval? Why should Simmers care about it? Why did Maxis choose this celebration to represent now and why?

Though Carnaval is most closely associated with Brazil, it is actually a world-wide event celebrated in 50 countries all over the world.  In Brazil, two million people of all shapes and sizes dress in feathers and sequins, glitter and gold, and strut down the Sambadrom alongside enormous floats.  These gigantic block parties are an experience of sound, color, and absolute joy.  In Italy, people attend masked balls and dress in decadent masquerade costumes. Carnaval is known as Mardi Gras in the United States, is celebrated with fierce abandon in Trinidad, and has become one of Quebec's largest festivals of the year too. 

Carnaval began as a pagan festival in ancient Egypt. The Egyptians feasted and made merry in order to usher out winter and celebrate the beginning of spring.  Naturally, Alexander the Great  adopted the festival for the Greeks, who passed it to Rome, who eventually infused the festival with Christian meaning. "Carne Vale" means "farewell meat" in Latin; that is, the festival became the grand party of indulgence, of meat-eating and wine-drinking, before the fastidious austerity of Lent.   This practice spread across Europe and then eventually throughout the world through colonization.  In places like Brazil, Salvador, and Trinidad, these European traditions fused with African ones to become the week-long, Afro-Latinx Carnaval we know now. 

The Carnaval Streetwear kit finds inspiration in the eye-popping fashions of Pabllo Vittar. In fact, the update that prepared players for the incoming kit folded a new radio station into base game, which features Pabllo's hit "Buzina," in Simlish.

But who is Pabllo?

Pabllo is a singing, dancing modeling drag sensation from Brazil. Effortlessly stunning, with chiseled bronzed features, a pouty mouth, and a dancer's curvaceous build, Pabllo is sweeping the world by storm with her heart-pumping Brazilian-infused dance music. Featured by both Vogue and Time Magazine as a future industry leader, Pabllo remains the sort of entertainer one can only call "authentic." Her affect is like that of a comforting sister who, before hitting the clubs for the evening, meticulously applies your concealer for you while singing your gorgeous praises.

"Do you want to show up beautiful, or do you want to be on time?" she often jokes.

This is to say nothing of Pabllo's actual singing ability, which is bursting with full-throated range. Pabllo's music captures the joy and sensuality of being uniquely authentic, a trait she espouses and exudes endlessly. She sometimes recalls growing up in Brazil as an effeminate boy who loved to sing and wear dresses. Pabllo recalls many complicated difficulties that accompanied being so deeply different, describing her experience as hard but transformative. Now, Pabllo performs before enormous crowds, belting out her infectious musical repertoire with undeniable verve.

Why should Simmers care about Carnaval or Pabllo Vittar?

The world is changing. The arc of history is bending toward justice, toward authenticity, toward self-acceptance. People, particularly young people, are questioning the restrictive roles and shame heaped upon them in the past to forge ahead, to live their lives in ways that feel good to them. 

The Sims team, through kits like Modern Menswear and Carnaval Streetwear, reflect the changing sensibilities that is their core audience.  "You make the Sims," they insist, and they mean this literally.  The Sims, almost by definition, strives to reflect what is real, what is inclusive, to represent all people. What can be more inclusive than a world-wide party? What can be more inclusive than a singing session with a drag queen pop-star? The Sims must represent all people, who, collectively, have begun to step more fully into their own authenticity. 

While glitz and glam has always been the currency of drag queens, the rest of the world has only just begun to follow their illustrious lead. 

Check out the kit February 3rd.