The Sims 4 came out in 2014, which is over 10 years ago now. Not just that, but the whole series of The Sims is 25 years old, which is amazing. New DLC for The Sims 4 is still coming out for the foreseeable future, with no signs of stopping. With this in mind, I thought it would be a good time to do a ranking of all the Expansion Packs that have been released for The Sims 4 so far.
At this point, a whopping 17 Expansion Packs have been released, and there’s more to come! We’re going to look back at all the Expansion Packs that have come out for The Sims 4 in the first 10 years of its existence, deciding which is best.
For this ranking, we’ll list the Expansions from least favorite to best. Note that the lower ranking Expansions aren’t necessarily bad, just maybe less appealing or not used much in everyday gameplay. And of course, this is my own opinion, so it may differ to others.
For more The Sims rankings, take a look at these:
- Ranking the Best Worlds in The Sims 4
- Ranking the Best Festivals in The Sims 4
- Ranking The Sims 2 Expansion Packs
- Ranking The Sims 2 Stuff Packs
- Top 10 Best Updates for The Sims 4
Eco Lifestyle
Released: June 5, 2020
Expansion Pack Order: 9
Pros
- Evergreen Harbor is an attractive world to play in
- The ability to make positive visible changes to Evergreen Harbor with Neighborhood Action Plans
- Does the whole “eco lifestyle gameplay” very well
- New skills such as furniture making, candle making, and juice fizz making are interesting to do
- Can enact NAPs to influence changes in Sims’ lives
- Create-A-Sim and Build Objects are pretty decent
Cons
- Don’t always play with eco living stuff
- Furniture making tool is a bit iffy
- Making candles and furniture isn’t that straightforward
- Some NAPs are annoying
- Hardly play career
Eco Lifestyle isn’t one that I play that much, but it does include some interesting features.
Out of all the Expansions in The Sims 4, I would probably say that Eco Lifestyle is the one I use the least. I am absolutely not against eco living. It’s just that in The Sims 4, I tend not to use the eco living stuff much.
I don’t normally bother with the NAPs (Neighborhood Action Plans) either. The only times I’ve ever really used the NAPs was with developing the neighborhoods of Evergreen Harbor, the world that comes with Eco Lifestyle. However, you can only enact these developments if you’re living in the respective neighborhood. You cannot make changes as an outsider, which is a shame. Saying that, Evergreen Harbor generally is a very interesting and intriguing world. I like that you can also change what the community lots are, either transforming them into a garden, market, or recycling centre.
The other thing to note is the new career and skills that comes with Eco Lifestyle. The career didn’t interest me that much. As for the skills, I was most excited about crafting my own furniture, but this turned out to be a disappointment because you needed ingredients to make them, and the whole process felt a bit janky and broken. The candle and juice making stations were okay, but again were too much like hard work with the required ingredients.
Life & Death
Released: October 31, 2024
Expansion Pack Order: 17
Pros
- Reaper career is really engaging
- New world isn’t all grim and gloomy
- New festivals to take part in
- Tarot Cards collectible side quest is really good fun
- Ghost Historian aspiration is rewarding to work on
- Soul’s Journey is a really good addition
- Ability to host funerals and have shrines and gravesites for deceased Sims
Cons
- Theme of pack may be too “grim” for some
- Thanatology skill is a pain to build
- Not personally a big fan of the dark themed clothing and objects
- Reaper career only has one assignment per shift
- Soul’s Journey tasks disappear after certain target has been reached
Although it has an overall grim theme, Life & Death still adds some interesting gameplay.
When listing all the pros that outweigh the cons, you might be wondering why I ranked The Sims 4 Life & Death Expansion so low. Again, this isn’t a bad pack, but it’s just that I rank the other Expansions over this one.
There are a few things I really like about Life & Death, such as the addition of Soul’s Journey, the Tarot Cards collectible quest, the Reaper career, and the new world Ravenwood isn’t half bad either. What I really admired about Ravenwood was that I was half expecting it to be really grim and gloomy, like Forgotten Hollow from the Vampires Game Pack. It isn’t. Ravenwood has one gloomy neighborhood, but the other two are much brighter. Plus, there’s plenty of space to build big lots.
Cats & Dogs
Released: November 10, 2017
Expansion Pack Order: 4
Pros
- The cats and dogs seem so real (and they’re cute!)
- Customization options for cats and dogs is good, as well as dress-up options
- The New England inspired world is stunning
- A great selection of CAS items and objects, including for pets
Cons
- Personally don’t have pets much in the game
- Have to buy a clinic to be a vet
- Why aren’t there dog houses and baskets?
The Sims 4 did a good job overall with cats and dogs.
I remember when The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs Expansion was revealed and a lot of fans were upset that it only included cats and dogs, not horses and other pets like The Sims 3 Pets. I actually think this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. We later got Horse Ranch, a pack dedicated to horses, and that worked out really well. But yes, I do admit that it would have been nice to have had pets such as birds and rodents and reptiles. Still, The Sims 4 didn’t do a bad job.
One of the reasons I rank Cats & Dogs so low is simply because I don’t normally have pets in my game. I do now and again, but not very often.
There are a few small things that irk me about Cats & Dogs. I really wish we had dog houses and baskets for pets. My other complaint is the vet career. I’ve never tried it before, but why do we have to buy and own a clinic to become a vet? Why not just go to an off-lot workplace like the Doctor and Reaper careers?
Despite these niggles, there were some things Cats & Dogs did really well. The animals themselves do look and behave quite realistically. I also really like the options for dressing the pets up. Then there’s Brindleton Bay, a picturesque place.
Get Together
Released: December 8, 2015
Expansion Pack Order: 2
Pros
- Windenburg is one of the best worlds in The Sims 4
- The clubs system is pretty detailed and customizable without being complicated
- Clubs are a good way to get Sims together with the same interests
Cons
- Don’t tend to use clubs much in the game
- Not big on the CAS stuff and objects
- Lacking in new careers, skills, and aspirations
The Sims 4 Get Together might be quite low ranking on my list, but I’ll just say this: it has one of the best worlds in The Sims 4: Windenburg. The community lots are especially good, and places such as the Von Haunt Estate are just simply gorgeous. Apart from this, I don’t really use much from Get Together. I’m not that interested in the clubs. My Sims are too busy with other stuff.
Horse Ranch
Released: July 20, 2023
Expansion Pack Order: 14
Pros
- Horses are excellent in The Sims 4
- Lots to do with horses, including riding skill and entering competitions
- Love the whole western theme included with this pack
- Extra stuff such as baby goats and sheep and nectar making
Cons
- Gameplay feels tied to the new world
Horse Ranch doesn’t just have horses, but cute goats and sheep as well. Aww!
When The Sims 4 Horse Ranch came out, I was very impressed. I found the gameplay with horses very smooth, detailed, and fulfilling, with very little bugs. I was also blown away by the new world Chestnut Ridge. Apart from it being stunning, its huge size made it the perfect place for horse riding. The objects and clothing that came with Horse Ranch also impressed me. If you’re looking for a horse riding experience with a western theme, Horse Ranch is not a disappointment. There wasn’t just horse riding, but nectar making as well, another activity I enjoyed.
The only reason I have Horse Ranch quite low down in my list is because I don’t play it that much. Everything in this pack kind of feels tied together. It’s like you can’t live in Chestnut Ridge without owning a horse, or having a house decked out with all the items and your Sims wearing the right attire. Plus, it’s tricky to own and ride a horse in any world other than Chestnut Ridge. You can’t exactly have a horse in a place like Del Sol Valley. Perhaps in the wider countryside places of Windenburg, Henford-on-Bagley, and Ravenwood, but even so, everything you need is in Chestnut Ridge.
For Rent
Released: December 7, 2023
Expansion Pack Order: 15
Pros
- Love the CAS items
- Tomarang is a vibrant and attractive world
- Living in a multi-tenancy unit is pretty unique and fun
Cons
- Don’t tend to play this one much
When I saw the reveal trailer for The Sims 4 For Rent, I admit I was more attracted to the new Thailand inspired world Tomarang than anything else. It’s such a striking place. I especially enjoy the colorful market and the tiger sanctuary. However, the gameplay did surprise me. I think I found living in a multi-tenancy unit more interesting and fun than an apartment. Also, I adore the Create-A-Sim items that comes with this pack. Otherwise, I don’t tend to play it that much.
Snowy Escape
Released: November 13, 2020
Expansion Pack Order: 10
Pros
- Love the Japanese mountain setting
- The festivals are interesting
- Getting to wear beautiful kimonos
- Tranquil activities such as hiking and relaxing in a hot spring
Cons
- Mountain excursion is fun and rewarding but is tied to a social event
- Sports activities take ages to gain skills in
- Festivals can feel a bit lacking compared to other festivals in The Sims 4
- General gameplay feels tied to the world
Snowy Escape feels a bit like a vacation pack for The Sims 4.
The Sims 4 Snowy Escape is an interesting one. It’s almost like an escapism pack, where you’re whisked off to another world where you can just chill out and take in the sights. At Mt. Komorebi, you can go on different scenic hikes, go skiing, sledding, snowboarding, sit in a hot spring, attend a festival, or go mountaineering. It really is a snowy getaway.
There are a few things that stops Snowy Escape from ranking higher on this list. It’s annoying that mountain excursions are tied to social events. Still, it can get very lonely up that mountain, not to mention dangerous! Also, the sports activities are supposed to be fun, but it just takes so long to build up their skills, especially rock climbing. You need a high rock climbing skill if you want to successfully reach the peak of Mt. Komorebi. The festivals are fun to attend, but perhaps not quite as good as the ones from City Living or Life & Death.
The final thing to note is that Snowy Escape does feel tied to its world. You can’t do any of the sports activities outside it. At least you can buy your own hot spring to use elsewhere.
Get Famous
Released: November 16, 2018
Expansion Pack Order: 6
Pros
- The Actor career is good fun
- The Media Production skill is interesting to do
- Getting to be a celebrity!
Cons
- Acting skill takes time to build
- Fame quirks are annoying
- Del Sol Valley feels a bit restricting
The Actor career is a highlight of The Sims 4 Get Famous.
One thing I really love about The Sims 4 Get Famous is the Actor career. It is seriously good fun! I love doing all the gigs, whether your Sim is in a commercial, TV show, or even a movie. I get such a buzz when my Sim heads to work at the studio lot.
The Media Production skill is something your Sim can do on the side, like writing novels or selling paintings. Your Sim can either film themselves at the computer or use a robot camera to record stuff, then they can edit their videos to add special effects to spice them up. What’s really clever is that you can research what’s currently trending and see which videos are more likely to do better, therefore making you more money.
The other aspect of Get Famous is of course getting to be a celebrity! It does have a few drawbacks, like the annoying fame quirks (my Sims always get the fussy eater and vanity quirks), but even so, it’s very rewarding watching your Sims gain their stars and unlock cool perks. Plus, once your Sim becomes a five-star celebrity, they get to put a star on the Walk of Fame in Del Sol Valley! Also, your Sims can get nominated for awards, such as their performances in acting or writing a novel, and when they attend the ceremony, they might win!
I do need to talk about the new world, Del Sol Valley. Although it captures the Hollywood scene beautifully, it feels so limited. There are hardly any residential lots to live in, and they’re either very small or ridiculously expensive and lavish. Then with the community lots, some of them are restricted to Sims who are notable celebrities. Basically, if your Sim isn’t planning to be a celebrity, they’ll feel out of place in Del Sol Valley.
Lovestruck
Released: July 25, 2024
Expansion Pack Order: 16
Pros
- Love the new world
- You get to collect and breed axolotls
- New romantic activities
- The Romance Consultant career is great
- Love the new CAS and Build Mode stuff
Cons
- Overhauled romance system is a pain in the backside
Lovestruck can be appealing in many ways.
Lovestruck is a recent addition to The Sims 4, and I have to admit, I was sceptical. A whole Expansion Pack about romance? But this was a pleasant surprise for me. I ended up falling in love with this pack. The new romance system is annoying, like Sims falling out of love if you don’t show affection every single day, then having to go through couple’s counselling. Apart from that though, Lovestruck adds a bunch of cool new romantic activities such as games, sweetheart boxes, flowers, blankets, and the new dating system is great.
There’s also the new world, Ciudad Enamorada. I love it! It’s so vibrant and beautiful, and you can live there even if you’re not necessarily going to do all the Lovestruck stuff. Then there’s the Romance Consultant career, which I really adore. Honestly, this whole pack was a big joyous surprise for me!
Get to Work
Released: March 31, 2015
Expansion Pack Order: 1
Pros
- The new active careers are fantastic
- Getting to run your own business
- The Baking skill is fun to do
- Getting to visit Sixam (aka the alien world!)
Cons
- The new world is limited
- Cannot run businesses from home like previous The Sims games
Get to Work added the first active careers to The Sims 4.
Get to Work was the very first Expansion released for The Sims 4, and I for one quite like it. The main reason are two careers that I absolutely adore: Doctor and Detective. I’ve never actually tried out the Scientist career, but I must one day! I just love heading to work at the hospital and police station. These are two careers I keep going back to.
Another thing I have yet to do is run my own business. This isn’t really something I do very much or aren’t really that interested in, but it’s good that the option is there. I wish businesses could be run from home though. If I was to give it a go, I would definitely open up my own bakery, as I do enjoy the Baking skill that comes with this pack.
Get to Work does add a new world, Magnolia Promenade, but I don’t tend to use it very much. In fairness, it is more of a place to run businesses from. However, there is another world you can visit: Sixam, aka the secret alien world you can only get to via a rocket ship or the Scientist career. This is a seriously cool place you need to check out just once.
Cottage Living
Released: July 22, 2021
Expansion Pack Order: 11
Pros
- Finally getting to run a farm
- Has a very pretty world
- The cross stitch skill is a creative new activity to do
- The animals are so cute!
- Getting to grow giant crops
- I adore the CAS content
- Running errands for the locals
Cons
- The festivals feel lacking compared to those of other packs
- Need lots of space for keeping animals and growing crops
- Can only have one cow or llama per animal shed
- Cross stitch skill can be annoying if Sim pricks finger. Also need to unlock new patterns through errands
- Giant crops take ages to grow
Cottage Living is perfect for those looking for more rural gameplay in The Sims 4.
The Sims 4 generally is considered a casual cozy game, but Cottage Living is its own cozy Expansion Pack. You can keep livestock such as cows, llamas, and chickens, and also befriend wild animals such as rabbits, foxes, and birds. You can also grow crops such as pumpkins and watermelons, although these take time and need specialist care different to normal plants.
I generally love the whole cottagecore theme of Cottage Living, right down to the outfits your Sims wear and the new radio station. Another aspect I enjoy about Cottage Living is getting to run errands for the locals in exchange for rewards, such as new cross stitch patterns, free meals, or produce. And all this is set in the brilliantly picturesque world of Henford-on-Bagley. I just love it all!
City Living
Released: November 1, 2016
Expansion Pack Order: 3
Pros
- Captures life in the city brilliantly
- The city itself is wonderfully put together, with superb residential and commercial lots
- The festivals are excellent, probably the best example of the whole game
- Three fantastic new careers
- Spray painting activity is creative and fun to do
- Bold and colorful CAS and Build Mode content
Cons
- Spray painting art takes ages
City life is like none other in The Sims 4.
I don’t have much bad to say about City Living. I was very excited when it was announced that The Sims 4 would be getting a city-themed Expansion. It wasn’t a disappointment. There are plenty of apartments to choose from to live in, and the city is very diverse and exciting. I especially love the huge park you can visit.
The Sims 4 City Living was the first to introduce festivals, and since then, they have remained the best in my opinion. GeekCon is easily my favorite, but others I enjoy attending include the Spice Festival and Romance Festival. This Expansion also adds three brand-new careers. My favorite has to be the Art Critic career.
Island Living
Released: July 21, 2019
Expansion Pack Order: 7
Pros
- Love the whole tropical island theme
- The Conservationist career is excellent
- The part time jobs are great too
- Getting to visit the beach and go swimming in the sea
- Mermaids!
- Addition of odd jobs
Cons
- A lot of odd jobs are tied to Sulani
- The Lifeguard career should be an active full time gig
What better way to spend a quiet day than on the beach relaxing.
I love The Sims 4 Island Living. It’s such a good Expansion Pack, definitely worthy of being in the top 5 Expansion Packs of all time for The Sims 4. I just love living on the tropical islands of Sulani, with its beaches and beautiful blue waters and lush flora, not to mention its active volcano! I love everything that goes with it as well, like the new clothing and objects.
As for the Conservationist career, it’s definitely worth giving a go. I especially enjoy watching what difference you make to the environment as the island starts to visibly improve from your efforts. There are the new part time gigs as well, such as being a fisherman, diver, or lifeguard. I really wish the lifeguard gig was full time and active though, like in The Sims 3 Island Paradise. There are also odd jobs, if you want to make a bit of money on the side. Although many of these gigs are tied to Sulani, you can do many of them living outside the world too.
Growing Together
Released: March 16, 2023
Expansion Pack Order: 13
Pros
- Adds a lot to family oriented gameplay
- Fun new objects like the treehouse, splash play area, and puzzle table
- Adds something for every generation of Sims
- Includes excellent new aspirations just for kids
- Excellent CAS and Build Mode additions
- The new world is just fabulous, especially the Recreation Center and the beautiful parks and houses
Cons
- Takes ages for kids to learn to ride a bike
- Events such as sleepovers can be tricky to manage
If it’s more family stuff you’re after, then you definitely need The Sims 4 Growing Together.
As a fan of The Sims, I’m very much a family oriented player. I enjoy playing families of Sims, watching them grow and develop, helping them to get promotions at work, do well at school, and generally get through life. I also like playing through generations of Sims in the same family. That’s probably why I rank The Sims 4 Growing Together so high on this list.
I was initially surprised that we were getting a family-based Expansion, even though we already had The Sims 4 Parenthood Game Pack, but Growing Together took it to another level. We can now embrace the big moments in life thanks to milestones, and we get to do it all in a beautiful new suburban world, San Sequoia, probably one of the best in The Sims 4.
I was especially pleased that kids finally got new aspirations, all of which mixed different skills, such as Social and Imagination, or Motor and Mental. It’s not just for kids though, as it feels like every age group gets accounted for.
Discover University
Released: November 15, 2019
Expansion Pack Order: 8
Pros
- Love the whole university experience
- Getting to pick between two different colleges
- Lots of degrees to choose from to study for different careers
- Excellent array of university-themed CAS and Build Mode stuff
- Getting to enrol in different societies
- Being able to study on-site in a dorm or house, or studying away from university
- Any Sim who is at least teen or older can go to university
Cons
- Not being able to see predicted grades easily
- Teens excluded from certain activities until they age up
- Degrees not including DLC-based skills (must instead enlist in elective classes)
- Cannot access societies from rival campuses
- The robotics skill is a bit confusing
- Takes forever to complete coursework, write an essay, or compose a presentation
- Getting free food provided in dorms is a bit hit-and-miss
- Degrees can be long, at least 3 in-game weeks
Your Sims will have quite the experience when they head to college.
Looking at the downsides I’ve listed for The Sims 4 Discover University, you might be wondering why I ranked it so high, in fact putting it third on this list. That’s because despite its niggles, I absolutely adore this Expansion Pack. I love the whole university experience in The Sims. I love nothing more than sending a Sim off to university.
I’m especially thrilled that they included two different colleges instead of just one. One is more old-fashioned and focuses on history and the arts, while the other is more modern and tech-centered.
I also love the vast selection of clothing and objects available, allowing your Sims to really immerse themselves into life at university. It’s almost a bummer when it’s all over!
Seasons
Released: June 22, 2018
Expansion Pack Order: 5
Pros
- It adds the four seasons and weather!
- Not only having holiday events, but getting to create your own and even opt out of them
- Seasonal activities like playing in the snow and skating
- The new Scouting activity for kids and teenagers
- The fun and creative Flower Arranging skill
- The Gardening career is well worth doing
- A wonderful collection of CAS and Build Mode items
Cons
- No new world
- Snow doesn’t have depth like past The Sims games
- Not being able to change order of seasons or alter them individually, like in The Sims 2 and 3
The Sims 4 Seasons is a must-have.
You can’t play The Sims without having the Seasons Expansion added in, and The Sims 4 is no exception. In fact, I’d probably go as far as saying that The Sims 4‘s version of this pack is the best. It’s not perfect, for example not being able to change the seasons’ order or their lengths, but even so, it makes such a difference installing this pack.
It’s not just the seasons though, but the new Gardening career, and I especially adore the Flower Arranging skill. There’s nothing I enjoy more than watching my Sims put together beautiful flower arrangements and then customize the vase to go with it.
High School Years
Released: June 5, 2020
Expansion Pack Order: 9
Pros
- Captures the high school experience superbly
- Finally including an active school life!
- A fantastic collection of CAS and Build Mode stuff
- A charming new world that includes a pier with rides
- Prom is good fun
- Signing up for extracurricular activities like clubs and side hustles
Cons
- Reminders of high school events can get annoying
- Prom feels too short
Teens are an interesting life stage to play, leaving their childhood and preparing for adult life.
I must say that the top spot for best The Sims 4 Expansion Pack was very, very close between Seasons and High School Years. In the end, HSY just about edged out. I adore both packs, but I just love the vibe that High School Years brings, finally letting you fully experience life as a teenager in The Sims 4. It’s something I’d been wanting to have for ages. And you get to follow your Sim to school!
Just everything about The Sims 4 High School Years is great, and even though it’s been out a few years now, it still stands against all the other Expansions for The Sims 4, even Seasons.
