The varied realms of the Sims are all steadily changing, offering fresh content for their respective, awaiting audiences. Sims FreePlay finally unveiled their New York Apartment update, Sims Mobile wrapped up its charming greenery Treasure Hunt, and Sims 4 geared up for the upcoming bunkbed update with hints of more to come. ​

After several days of Twitter teasers, Sims FreePlay developers finally rolled out their latest New York Apartment update featuring Big Apple loft worthy looks such as contemporary industrial bookshelves, drafting tables, enormous windows, steel beams, chic chests and wardrobes, sleek ovens, and far more.

Influence Island: New York Bedroom offers players an array of Big Apple looks in exchange for exchange tokens. After convincing and cajoling neutral NPC Sims into “clan mates,” players get the chance to spin for such prizes as king sized beds, metal floor lamps, faux cow-hide rugs, wardrobes, leather ottoman, and vintage lighting.

SimChase Season 26 guides players through a gamut of events in competition with a “rival” Sim. Successful Simmers have the chance to win sleek bathroom and breakfast items such as corner showers, wall lights, brick wallpaper, and New York hair for male and female Sims.

The Lofty Lifestyle Live Event begins April 5th and continues to offer the glamor and glitz of New York life. Players can win a drafting table, vintage bicycles, industrial lighting, exposed brickwork, and metal shelving, but only the craftiest of Simmers will succeed.

Influence Island season 8 will offer Scandinavian 2.0 prizes. These are the same prizes as the previous version— beds, hanging shelves, kitchen tops, basin sinks— but in new color swatches.

SimChase Season 27 gives players the chance to create an iconic New York Diner with such prizes as diner uniforms, bat stools, black and white flooring, milkshake makers, wall lighting, square booth tables, and more. ​

[Screenshots from the lovely Joy C. Finger. Watch her video here: https://youtu.be/dofVaJW7aBI ]

Sims Mobile wound down it’s Greenest Garden event. Players claimed their new glossy female hair, rustic sprinkler, and quaint greenhouse only to settle in and wait for spring cleaning reruns— Wash n’ Fold, which begins April 5th, and Dessert for Two, which begins March 22nd. 

The Wash n’ Fold Sweet Treats rerun allows players a second chance to win the SimpleSuds Washing Machine, the Linen Fresh Clothesline, and a beautiful slew of adorable laundry clutter and furniture like pastel shelves, squat hampers, and wicker chairs. 

The long-awaited “Dessert for Two” Sweet Treats rerun gives Mobile players a chance to win the coveted Sweetheart Spa, Mads Multicolor Braid, Date Night Movie Screen, and an array of date night wear, comfortable couches and romantic lighting. 
​

Developers neither condone nor support these mods, and having them shatters the “terms of service” between a player and the developer, even if the player uses the cheat “once only.”

That is, if a player gleefully uses these mods to his advantage, but then complains when his game crashes irreparably, he will not have the EA Help team on his side to save it.

Women's History Month is in full swing as both Maxis and Firemonkeys leap full-bodied into spring with fresh content.  This week, Sims FreePlay inundated their players with a Live Event, an Influence Island event, a hobby event, and a SimChase simultaneously; Sims Mobile developers unleashed a deluge of spring-themed purchasable packs and player-pleasing events; and Sims 4 got down and dirty with their new "Bust the Dust" vacuuming kit, their "Throwback Fit" kit, and their "Country Kitchen" kit, though not without hiccups.  The Sims 4 team also revealed their internal spring cleaning efforts through a published list of bug-correcting efforts, aptly dubbed the "laundry list" in the spirit of transparency. ​

​The world of Sims FreePlay is a buzz this week with activity.  Busy Simmers engaged their Sims in a series of incredible events -- all within the fresh Art Deco.  Persistent players win a slew of sleek, gilded prizes during Influence Island - an event that encourages players to swindle and cajole NPC Sims into friendship in return for "network tokens."  These tokens purchase such glamorous prizes as Art Deco Archways, Gold pendant lights, Diamond Mirrors, Gold Deco Coffee Tables, Gold Deco showers, bookshelves, baths, corner chairs, bathroom sinks, and a grand prize pack of wardrobes, king-sized suite beds, lavish pianos, Deco wall lights, Fret Deco paint, and Flapper worthy outfits and hairstyles for female Sims.  

Additionally, the current Glam Mansion Live Event offers more gilded gifts for Sims FreePlayers in return for their crafting efforts.  Players craft candles, glassware, pottery, and jewelry to earn jaw-dropping luxury items befitting only the swankiest Sims.  Players are currently working to earn pristine bamboo plants, geometric paintings, geometric showers and sinks, geometric baths and toilets, counters and tinted windows, shiny kitchen essentials, a gleaming breakfast bar, luxury lounge sectionals and coffee tables, and a grand prize of the imposing Glam Mansion, an expertly pre-designed lot for upper class Sims. 

Meanwhile, Kam Ham's current SimChase offerings encourage Sims to compete against a "rival" Sim in return for luxury restroom prizes.  The hobby event lures Sims into the fashion hobby in order to win an array of fresh male hairstyles.  

FreePlay Simmers now look to the horizon for the next update announcement for April and May.  

​This week, Sims Mobile developers unveiled a gamut of spring cleaning events for the gardening gamer.  The Greenest Garden Treasure hunt, which began March 8th, promises such quaint accoutrements as bird houses, bug farms, a functional greenhouse, and large broad-leafed plants and flowers to build a landscaping paradise.  

The rest of Sims Mobile's current spring-themed update features long-anticipated reruns such as the "Dessert for Two" Sweet Treats event, which is due to begin March  22nd.  This event offers the amazing marble lover's tub, a huge outdoor movie screen, a wealth of romantic candles, and the sparkling path any Sim could use to seduce a loved one.  The Wash n' Fold Sweet Treats event, which rewards players with a functional washing machine and other laundry room essentials, will return April 5th.  

Wumples returns in this update alongside some anniversary prize offerings, several pack reruns, and purchasable packs filled with flowers for the gardening guru.  

​Maxis rolled out their "kit" DLC this week to mixed reviews.  While some players balked at spending more money for bite-sized content, other players leapt at the opportunity to add more game play, fashions, and kitchen-themed build-buy to their games.  According to the developers, these new kit offerings are easily digestible content updates, offered for $4.99 between larger pack releases, to whet the insatiable Simming appetite.  These kits will offer either fashion (for the discerning stylist Simmer), fresh build/buy (for the bold builder), or new gameplay (for the avid storytellers and completionists.) For now, Maxis has released three "kits" - "Throwback Fit", which offers colorful 90's athleisure wear, "Country Kitchen" which offers brand new country-style worn kitchen items, and "Bust the Dust," which offers a set of vacuums, a new dusty gameplay loop system complete with dust bunnies, and two new aspirations.  Not long after release, however, the kits began disappearing from Origin, even for the players who had already purchased the kits.  Maxis is currently looking into the issue. 

Sims Nation Magazine and Simmer's Digest offered three free kits to their followers.  

The winners are: @MaiamakesSims (country kitchen), @cowplant318 (Bust the Dust), and @giawlegend (Throwback Fit.) 

An enormous shoutout to streamer TaylorRynai who helped Sims Nation raise $122 for our Girls Who Code Charity event! Let's keep Simming for Good! 

That's all for now but keep checking the Simmer's Digest website for more giveaways, challenges, and events.  

Stay safe, thank a woman, and happy Simming. 

A Quick Overview 

As the Covid vaccine rolls out worldwide, humanity is beginning to see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. While much of the northern hemisphere braces beneath a last ditch winter chill, change is coming.  As we hold on to hope that things will get better, even the Sims community shows signs of a brighter future.  This week, Sims FreePlay launched their Art Deco update; Sims Mobile plunged into a player-pleasing party update, and Sims 4 honored its Black players in a sensational Black History Month tribute.  

On February 15th, Sims FreePlay launched their roaring twenties Art Deco live event: Belle Hotel.  During this event, players send their Sims to craft candles, glassware, jewelry, and pottery in return for ritzy black and gold prize packs.  These packs include such twentieth century digs as geometric, gilded wallpaper, gleaming gold light fixtures, luxurious quad-sized windows, fresh jazz instruments, elaborate black bars, and more.  The grand prize for this sumptuous event is the Belle Hotel, a multi-story lot replete with a reception desk, lobby, outdoor pool, hotel rooms, and a grand gold dining room perfect for swinging jazz performances. 

Sims Mobile began the week with a fresh Wumples, which offered players a laundry list of tasks to complete in return for two new children's clothes options - a t-shirt for both sexes and a skirt for just female children. 

But the biggest news of the week by far was a long anticipated gameplay update to Mobile parties.  Until now, mobile parties have been limited to player "main lots," but after February 16th, players gained the ability to throw parties on any lot they choose.  Game Changers collectively demonstrated this ability with a series of "alt-lot" parties which also showed off upcoming anniversary event prizes.  Simmerdown Mal's Edgewater Quay party, for example, featured the DJ BobPlum Booth and karaoke machine.  

To continue highlighting this fresh feature, Sims Mobile rolled out a new anniversary-themed competition on Twitter.  To win prizes such as SimCash, a luminous dance floor, or diamond-studded head gear, players should follow the Sims Mobile on Twitter, take pictures of their partying Sims, and then upload them to Twitter with the hashtags #TSMHouseParty and #EAGiveaway.  Don't forget to tag the official Sims Mobile account! This competition closes Friday, February 26th.  Sims Mobile will announce the winners on March 5th.  

If this were not enough, Sims Mobile Game Changers also dropped more information about the upcoming Sweet Treat Showdown.  This event, triggering on February 22nd, will offer cake-baking players party items like a disco ball, heart-shaped glasses, a fashionable men's military-style jacket, a smoke machine, a colorful DJ Booth, a new banged hairstyle, and a karaoke machine.  

Players can look forward to two new Wumples events on the horizon: Wumples Wishlist #51 will offer a poster and a glass of strangely colored milk as prizes, while Wumples #50 will offer two snowglobes. 

Bugs addressed and squashed this week included a strange phenomenon in which the Sims Mobile app mysteriously disappeared from the United Kingdom app store.  It has now reappeared, much to the relief of thousands of UK players. 

​In a heartwarming tribute to its incredible Black players, the Sims 4 team highlighted several game changing people of color this week to celebrate Black History month. Among the honored were Xviva, Spring_Sims, XMira, EbonixSims, Foreign Simmer, Oshin, and many others. The developers also reported that they finally pinpointed the issue plaguing console skin tones. They expect a fix for the blotchy, reddened tones in March. Sims 4 players can look forward to a special anniversary gift from the Sims team, in collaborating with custom content creators, February 25th.

That's all for now, but keep it locked on the Simmer's Digest website for more detailed information!

Until next time, stay safe, love your loved ones, and happy Simming.

To celebrate both the game changing alt-lot party update and the Sims anniversary, Sims Mobile revealed a new Twitter-wide competition for its dedicated party-hopping players.

Prizes for participating players will include one of the following:
- 50-Carat Pack, includes 50-Carat: Party Hat, Top Hat & Bracelet
- Dancing Llama Drama & Holiday Gift 2018 Packs
- Party Animal Level 1, 2 & 3 Heirlooms & 250 SimCash

To enter:
1. Follow @thesimsmobile on Twitter
2. Upload an image(s) of your party
3. In your caption #TSMhouseparty & #EAGiveaway & tag @thesimsmobile

Competition closes Friday 26 February 11:59pm AEST. Winners will be announced on 5 March.

EA's User Agreement Applies: https://tos.ea.com/legalapp/WEBTERMS/en/PC/


Pictures of the offered prizes are listed below.

How will you party?

The latest highly-anticipated Sims Mobile update did not come without a few unexpected glitches.

On February 8th, Firemonkeys studios rolled out a fresh Sims Mobile feature that provided an overhaul to the game’s current game play. Before February 8th, Sims Mobile restricted its players to four playable Sims. When a certain Sim completed four living “traits” in game, the Sim asked to be “retired,” leaving a game slot open for a new Sim, usually of the next generation.

This generations style game play was the heart of Sims Mobile since its global inception in March 2018.

However, as the game gained popularity, many dedicated Simmers began holding onto favored Sims, choosing not to retire them for either long periods of time or not at all.

This resulted in some Simmers advocating for more playable Sim slots. Holding onto certain Sims while building relationships and birthing Sim babies created a backlog of “NPC” or “non-playable character” Sims that Simmers were itching to introduce.

The newest “playable/passive” feature in the Sims Mobile allows players to make any playable Sim a “passive” NPC at any time. When a player renders a Sim “passive,” they free up that Sim’s playable slot. Then, players can promote a previously non-playable Sim to “playable.”

​This brilliant compromise preserves the all-powerful number of four, upon which Sims Mobile’s events and underlying mechanics hinge, but allows for more freedom and flexibility in gameplay.

But this change did not come without hiccups.

Game Changer Simmerdown Mal noticed first. When she made her forever Sim “passive” and then reactivated her as “playable” her Sim lost the ability to retire at all. Mal’s only option was to make passive and remove her completely, which Mal would never do to her forever Sim.

Other players also noticed that after becoming passive, some Sims lost critical relationship stories. This caused Simmers to lose treasured connections with other players, forcing them to start the grueling relationship story build grind all over again.

Firemonkeys is currently looking into these troublesome issues. According to Game Changer Salix, players who have experienced these glitches should report them on AHQ, EA’s bug-reporting forum.

Firemonkeys studios has successfully overhauled the Sims Mobile’s gameplay experience several times since Maxis’s
departure. One of the most jaw-dropping updates rolled out November 2019, and it allowed Simmers to finally own and renovate new lots in game.

Before that point, Simmers owned one tree-lined lot on a simple street. The multi-lot update expanded Briny Heights to eventually include a lot by a river’s edge, a rocky cliffside lot, the large Landgrabb mansion lot, the resort-worthy Edgewater lot overlooking the Simville sea, and the cozy eco lot amongst a cluster of flowers and a babbling brook.

The update left Simmers salivating for the ability to party on onr of these new lots. After all, what was the point of decking out new digs if one couldn’t flex said new digs on her friends? Then, in November 2019, Simmers were limited to partying on the original “main lot.”

Nearly two years later, Sims Mobile delivered on this party desire.

On February 16, 2021, the Sims Mobile will undergo a major server overhaul which finally allows Simmers to party on any of their owned lots.

To do this, Simmers must:

• ​Move a Sim into the desired party lot
  
• Select “Have a party Here” from the right tab
  
• Choose the party theme
  
• Place party decorations

A playable Sim MUST live on a chosen lot in order to throw a party there.

This update promises to deliver hours of party fun for a long time to come.
​
Where will you party first? Tell us in the comments or on Twitter!

​In Sims FreePlay, both Influence Island and the newest SimChase are in full swing! This season of Influence Island, aptly named "Rustic Wedding," encourages players to cajole and convince neutral NPC Sims into "clan mates."  These efforts are rewarded with network tokens, and players may use these network tokens to spin for prizes.  The prizes are, of course, wedding-themed with a farmhouse chic twist: quaint wooden barrels filled with flowers, a romantic wedding aisle, simple but elegant wedding chairs, a wooden gazebo hung with flowers, and far more. SimChase:Wedding Wrangle leads players through a dizzying gamut of events.  Beat the NPC "rival" at these events, and players win more wedding prizes such as long reception tables, a vintage camera, drinking tables, a dance floor, and more. Players can look forward to more wedding-themed events in the future with Art Deco events on the March horizon. 

​Sims Mobile stunned its players February 4th with an enormous gameplay overhaul.  For years, Sims Mobile players have begged Gurus for more playable Sims and the ability to hold parties on any lot.  The Sims Mobile February update, triggering on February 8th, provides just that.  Now, players will be able to make any Sim "passive," freeing up a playable Sim slot, and then essentially "promoting" any Sim they'd like in the former Sim's place.  This change essentially allows players to have 60 playable Sims at their disposal.  

Additionally, as long as an active Sim is on a given lot, Simmers will now be able to throw parties on any lot they own.  This encourages Simmers to spruce up their homes and gussy up those spare lots to show off their varied build skills. 

This is, of course, not all.  This update brings a heaping helping of new events --the Royal Romance Treasure Hunt on February 8th, three new Wumples Wishlists, and an Anniversary Sweet Treats event on February 22nd.  

These events offer players the chance to dig, investigate, bake, and mix their way to elaborate, royal items such as crystal chandeliers, gilded bookshelves, glass slippers, royal beds, gothic tables and heavy curtains, queenly dresses, and outfits fit for princes. Female Sims can even win a hairstyle befit with a crown.  The anniversary Sweet Treats event offers such party-worthy items such as heart-shaped glasses, a new bar, a karaoke machine, a new DJ booth, a straight-banged female Sims hairstyle, and more.  

​Sims 4 Gurus celebrated Black history this week by highlighting its unforgettable Black players.  Gurus exalted Ebonix, XMira, It'sMeTroi, and the many more wonderful game-changing Black players who make the game what it is.  Gurus also teased they have an anniversary surprise for their players on February 25th, a surprise they worked closely with its fans on.  

That's it for now, but keep it locked on the Simmer's Digest website for more detailed coverage of the latest events. 

Stay safe, get vaccinated, and remember that you ARE Black history. 

The world is changing, and the Sims community is not immune to the constant change.  As players worldwide grapple with coronavirus, with political change and unrest, with the changing seasons and times they continue to lean on their beloved games to navigate the world.  This week, FreePlay unleashed news of updates for the next two months; Sims Mobile wound down their latest Sweet Treat Showdown, and Sims 4 rolled out their newest stuff pack: Sims 4 Paranormal. ​

Easily the most demanding of the three games, Sims FreePlay Game Changers revealed the mobile game's newest slew of events this week.  Players can now look forward to a rustic wedding update in February and a glitzy Art Deco update in March.  In fact, the brand new Influence Island event, Rustic Wedding, began January 27th.  Players are currently cajoling and charming their ways into the hearts of several Sim NPCs to gain network credits. These credits earn, this time around, such romantic prizes as quaint barrels overflowing with flowers, rustic folding chairs with pastel upholstery, simple suits and maiden-like dresses, and awnings swaddled in flowers. The adjoined SimChase, which begins on February 3rd  and offers wedding seating, a dance floor adorned with fairy lights, a rustic wedding camera, elegant loveseats, and long banquet tables for the perfect wedding reception. 

Mid-February and March will bring a daring Art Deco update gilded in gold. The Belle Hotel Live event begins on February 15th, the Influence Island: Suite Success begins on March 15th, and the fresh SimChase: Bar Brawl, begins on February 27th.  Throughout these events, Simmers can expect to win stunning works of geometric, Jazz-inspired, early 20th century bliss.  Suite Success will offer diamond-shaped mirrors, luxury vanities, glittering archways, and the lights and storage pieces of the swing generation.  Bar Brawl's prizes include stunning gold fountains, impressive Art Deco bar stools, bars, barbacks, and other shining pieces perfect for a Sims speakeasy. The Belle Hotel live event offers a tantalizing set of roaring twenties prizes complete with a huge 20th century hotel as a grand prize.

The Sims Mobile wound down the final event in its most recent update this week.  The current Sweet Treat Showdown: Charming Crafts, began January 25th and gives players the opportunity to mix and bake their way into Sweet Treat fame.  Correctly baked rounds give sweet and royal tokens as a reward.  Players exchange these tokens for crafty comforts such as hobby shop shelves, hobby carts and pinboards, mannequins, rocking chairs, sweater dresses for females, and more.  The grand prizes for this event are a crafty sewing table, a long bangs hairstyle for men, and a 50's flip curl hair style for women. 

Mobile players are looking to the horizon for the next big update.  

​Simmers in the Sims 4 community are absolutely a buzz about the newest Paranormal stuff pack.  Released on January 26th, Sims 4: Paranormal has shocked players with robust gameplay, stunning build/buy items, and Create-a-Sim items that suggest the effortless, haunting beauty of New Orleans. Even players who didn't purchase the pack received a free update to their games: Sims can now experience the fear moodlet, adding a fresh aspect to gameplay. 

Gameplay for this pack is enormously robust.  Simmers can hold seances to summon spirits and the infamous Bonehilda. They can also earn a paranormal license through Guidry the Ghost, visit and build haunted houses, and dispel naughty spirits with their wits and skills.  Sims can master the medium skill, search for haunted items, and find frightening thrills in every corner of this pack.  

That's all for now, but stay tuned on Simmers Digest's website for more in-depth coverage. 

Stay safe, wash your hands, and happy (haunted) Simming!

☀️ Warm it Up or Cool it Down ❄️

Currently, Sims Mobile’s gameplay does not include changing seasons. Thus, mobile Simmers must get creative to mold their homes in the fashions of fall or the wild chill of winter.

Simmers can take a leaf from LaPrem or Ester to “warm up” or “cool down” rooms and terrain.

☀️ Warm-up your rooms with
-Using natural materials like reclaimed wood or hardwood for flooring and wallpaper
-Fireplaces, particularly festive ones
-Accents in red-based colors such as red, orange, gold, and deep browns

❄️ Cool-down your rooms with
- White Garden Stroll tiles that mimic snow
- Accents in blue-based colors such as green, silver, blue, and purple
-Festive ornaments that suggest snow: snowpals, raindeer, and sleighs

What is your favorite seasonal trick?