Is The Sims 4 Worth Playing in 2024?

The Sims 4 has been a leading life simulation game for the past decade, nearly unrivaled in its genre space since its release in 2014. While all eyes are on the successor to The Sims 4, which has yet to be revealed at the time of writing, the game has morphed into something radically different from its launch state thanks to steady support from EA.

Though it first dropped in September 2014, The Sims 4 has been gradually expanded with DLC content, which can range from smaller, microtransaction-esque bundles of cosmetics and home goods, all the way up to themed overhauls that make for a wildly different gaming experience. These expansions have sustained The Sims 4 for several years, especially since the base game went free-to-play in 2022, and the result is a sort of life-sim hub title that attempts to entice players to flesh out their product with new content, making it rich for analysis and dissection.

The Sims 4 in the Modern Age

The Sims 4 Has Received Copious Amounts of Post-Launch Content

Spanning two console generations, The Sims 4 naturally runs the risk of feeling outdated. Combating this sense of staleness is the game’s aforementioned DLC packs, the most significant of which include:

The most common feature across these expansions is the respective hauls of new decor and cosmetics for Sims, which often adhere to certain themes. For instance, the Cottage Living pack includes rustic household furnishings and accents alongside cozy apparel with a decidedly countryside flair. But these expansions can also include more in-depth features and worlds to explore. For example, the Get to Work DLC offers new gameplay opportunities, allowing players to control their Sims in the workplace, deepening the overall immersion and interactivity of the game.

As is to be expected, the most substantial new content comes in the form of paid DLC, but The Sims 4 receives a good bit of free updates as well. Like with the paid DLC, these updates can range from minor tweaks, like adding quality-of-life features or new cosmetics, to more meaningful changes, like the new relationship preferences that arrived alongside the Lovestruck expansion. All of these new expansions, both paid and free, combine to make The Sims 4 a remarkably distinct experience in 2024, at least when comparing it to its state in 2014.

The New Sims 4 Content Will Be Great for Some, but Disappointing for Others

The Sims 4 is different now than it was in 2014, but whether this makes the game ‘worth playing’ in 2024 is a matter of opinion. Of course, those who love the base game will find plenty to enjoy with these new content drops and DLCs, but they are, in effect, more of the same. In other words, if someone is looking for a significant iteration of The Sims formula, these expansions and updates may come up a bit short. They’re perfect for people who are already sold on The Sims 4, but they probably won’t have non-fans hopping the fence.

It would seem that The Sims 4 has gone all-in on the games-as-a-service model, which not every player is going to love. If someone is looking for a more experimental or inventive take on the life-sim formula, they may be better off waiting for a proper Sims competitor.