Paranormal Stuff: My guide to Paranormal Stuff includes features, cheats, and a bit of advice.

Top 50 Mods: Top 50 Best Mods in The Sims 4. They are not ranked, but these are my favorites.

All Guides

A Directory of Content from Carl's Sims 4 site

People loved my sitemap for The Sims 3, because it helped them to discover content found throughout that huge site. Because this has been requested a few times in the past year, I'm making the same thing for The Sims 4. This list of guides will also give me a place to share miscellaneous content I write, such as the guide about the talking toilet from City Living. I'd really like to do more content like that, but it's difficult to give it a place within the site structure. So while this will help some readers, it'll also help yours truly to get a bit more creative with content.

List of Main Guides

The list is a hierarchy of directories, much like the main site. If you're looking for the skills list, you'd head toward S based off the top level. If I haven't written a guide yet, it's unlinked but listed in order to help people see what is available with various expansions and stuff packs. Miscellaneous help articles are found at the bottom.

Miscellaneous Articles

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Comments (24)

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New
Mesays...
Hello. Is it okay if I copy the whole The Sims 4 folder? Or there would be some problem?
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Admin
Playlotsays...
If you are meaning to make a back-up, sure. I have one complete back-up on a pen drive like that. There are other ways to make back ups etc so these How-To posts on our forum may be of some use to you: How-To's (click)
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Mesays...
Yes i mean back up. Thank you so much
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Georgette Cleggsays...
I remember in Sims 3 we could get rid of the blurring when the sims were in the bath or on the toilet. Is something like that available in Sims 4?
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Admin
Playlotsays...
Options Menu>Game Options>Uncheck Post Processing Effects
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Nicole Finchsays...
your guides are super helpful thank you
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Coolsimsays...
Hi --- I can't sign into Carl's forum Shocked. I tried, but my computer gave me this message when I pressed log in. How do I fix it so I can log in again? Thanks a lot!
The page isn’t redirecting properly

Firefox has detected that the server is redirecting the request for this address in a way that will never complete.

This problem can sometimes be caused by disabling or refusing to accept cookies.
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Carlsays...
Hey Coolsim. Sounds like you need to reset cookies or clear your browser cache. I'm not aware of any technical problems with the site right now. If it doesn't work, email me at [email protected]
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Michaele Desmondsays...
I'm trying to get into build mode but it won't let me because it says "You cannot do this while a Sim is aging up", but I have no Sim even close to being ready to age up. How do I fix this? I can't even save my game because of it.
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Admin
Playlotsays...
Sadly this is a known bug. There is a huge bug report on it here (click). Sometimes you can work around the bug by saving, quitting then deleting the localthumbcache.package file and then on entering the game again play a family you haven't played before. Bake a cake and click on it to manually age up one of these 'new' sims. This doesn't always work but good luck. If you can't solve the issue you will need to move your current saves folder out onto yr desk top and clear the cache again and then start a brand new game. My advice is to not play any old saves as this bug can transfer to other saves. Tip: always quit the game and never quit to main menu as this is when bugs can spread between save files.
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Gamergirlsays...
What do health potions and emotion potions do? There's no article on potions
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Admin
Playlotsays...
They don't seem to do anything at all, which is why there is no guide to them. They are primarily made on the children's science table - The Junior Wizards Starter Set. The Health potion can also caught while fishing and when consumed restores a sims hunger. A sim can get the uncomfortable moodlet or the Smooth Sipping +1 happy 4hrs from it.
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Sarah Schneesays...
Actually, potions made by children will give the emotion they had while creating if it is a good emotion potion. My child sim has to make multiple potions for the wiz kid aspiration and was confident (from completing homework) and drinking it gave a confident +1 for 4 hours from the potion. Another potion was made while the child was focused and drinking gave focused +1 for 4 hours. Otherwise, the sim could get an uncomfortable +1 for 4 hours because it was poorly made. Health potions do give what was mentioned earlier.
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Admin
Playalotsays...
Right, so they don't really do anything unique. Your sim can already access potions for certain emotions which we have covered in our Emotions Section.
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johnny joliesays...
This site is everything!!!!!!
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Rondasays...
Was wondering how to find Millie Bobby Brown?
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Rondasays...
Love this site!
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Felicity Fitzpatricksays...
Please write a guide on graduation etc
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Playalotsays...
There is no graduation in TS4. Sims simply age up and so leave high school and then either get a career or earn money through a skill.
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BrianZsays...
Wondering if there's somewhere showing all locked clothing, and how to unlock it? I recently saw an NPC in a dress that was transparent, except for opaque panels over the important bits. I can't find it in CAS, so my guess is it must be a reward item, but I have no idea for what.
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Senior
Briansays...
Ok, nevermind I found it. There's a dress from Seasons which looks radically different, depending on what swatches you look at.
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Sarah Schneesays...
Is there a guide to get all the achievements in game? Some are easy (maxing skills or careers) but I cannot seem to get a couple of these and the description does not help very much. The ones I'm struggling with now are "channel surfer", "basketcase", all the social/social event related ones (3 first kisses in a single social event, get a gold medal on 8 different social events, get a silver medal on 5 different social events, be BFFs with 6 NPCs, and woohoo 50 unique NPCs), and all the "legacy" type ones (10 generations, 10 generations in 10 households, 100 generations, 26 generations, etc) and I can't find a guide on these things.
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Sarah Schneesays...
I just got the channel surfer one because my sim upgraded the TV and radio to give more channels and stations. Still need help on all others though
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Admin
Playalotsays...
We don't have a guide on how to do them as the description usually holds enough clues, the Basket Case is have a Sim get in and out of all primary emotional states within 24 Sim hours. So you could use potions for some of them but remember that 'fine' as also needed. You could also use emotional paintings if you have a sim with the ability to craft these unlocked. The others you mention, well, you just need to hold a party for example and have 3 kisses and so on. The legacy ones take a lot of game play, you'll need to play the same household for many generations before they will unlock. So the achievements are very literal, most of them you literally just need to do what the descriptor says. Also the achievement unlocks are per game save...so every time you start a new game save file the achievements will reset. But you can play multiple families (households) within that same game save file to help you with unlocking them all.
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Sarah Schneesays...
What are the primary emotional states? I have sims that can do potions and paintings, but I don't know which emotions are the "primary" ones. Also, I've tried to do the social ones but I'm never able to complete before time runs out. The legacy ones are difficult because I'm not entirely sure what is considered a generation as my more active household has (in sim genealogy) 10 generations but the achievement says 8/10 still. This could be because I have 8 sims in my household but idk.
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Admin
Playalotsays...
@Sarah Schnee By Primary states I mean the main emotions, you shouldn't need to trigger their 'Very" state to unlock the achievement. Link to a List of the emotions (click). A generation is a sim, so Sim A has a baby that baby is generation 2 with Sim A being generation 1. As for the parties/social events, I guess you just need to ignore the other party requirements and focus on what you need to get done for the achievement unlock. Here's a forum post about parties, but the goal is for you to unlock achievements, not actually get a Gold at the party but the info might be useful anyway. Parties. If you would like more help try posting on our forum as there is more room for replies, the guide is really just for short, quick answers. On the forum we can help you in more detail Link to Forum
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New
Morescasays...
what hapen if i download resource.cfg in a crack version o Sims 4
Huh
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Admin
Playalotsays...
No idea, try and see if your game explodes.
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Bobsays...

sims 4 admirals wreckage, any idea what's in the chest and how to, if there is a quest for it ?

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Admin
Playalotsays...

It's just a decoration piece.

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Sandrasays...

There is so much in this game compared to Sims 1 through 3. I love playing and have been playing for 20 years, when the original came out. Now that my printer is broken, my question is do you have a printed version off all this, cheats game play etc, for purchase? Thanks

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Admin
Playalotsays...

No all Carl's guides are free and not locked behind any paywall, unlike other 'fan' sites. No PDF versions as this is an online guide.

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Senior
Brian Zsays...

What you can do, is pause, tab out, and come here at any time!

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Senior
Brian Zsays...

I know it's possible to disable DLC packs, but I don't know how, or where I saw the how-to article. Any idea?

I'd like to do a legacy game where the first generation has just the original release, and as new generations come of age I re-enable more packs, in order that they were released, depending on how big they were.

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Admin
Playalotsays...

Crinricts Blog Guide Or perhaps easier to use James Turners Disable Packs tool

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Senior
Brian Zsays...

Awesome, thanks! Now to decide exactly what to disable, probably leaving the stuff packs on and 4 of the first 5 game packs. Devoting a generation to hunting vampires? Probably. A new generation to... go to the spa? Not so much...

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New
KashTheSimsays...

Where are the Discover University guides?

(unless I'm blind and just can't find them??)

Admin:

Uni Guides

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Lisa Flacksays...

I need to know more about the laundry day stuff pack. Where do I put the freshly washed an dried clothes. In my game the clothes just keep piling up. I want to keep my sims houses neat and tidy.

Admin:

Click on them to 'Put Away' and your Sim will auto magic them into thin air aka their wardrobe.

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LoveGiantsays...

Have been using your guides for years!

Would love a guide on policies on voting in Eco Living. For example right now the water is shut off, and I have no idea how to keep my sims clean (besides traveling to another world and using a waterfall).

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Admin
Playalotsays...

You could also take your Sim to a gym and use the showers there. If your Sim has the Always Welcome reward store trait then they can also bathe, shower and cook and even sleep in other sims houses too.

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PrincessFire13says...

My solution to that was to add solar panels and a water generator to the lot. Just make sure you have some kind of “sustainable” energy/water on the lot and all your water and power should turn right back on!!

Also check your bills if you have anything unpaid “they” shut it all off and eventually repo-men come to take your stuff.

Hope this helps!!

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Mycalasays...

Hey Carl, I have the full list of the City Living Poster Collection. Happy to share.

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Admin
Playalotsays...

We have a board on our forum just for ideas and tips like this. Feel free to post there: Guide Suggestions Forum Board

Or you can simply post the information in the City Living section of the forum: City Living Forum Board

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New
Kittysays...

Carl could you do a Roommate guide, I can't seem to keep mine happy, and I think I have a nice house.

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PrincessFire13says...

So I have EVERYTHING available for the game. But I want to do a throwback game with just the Base Game. Without uninstalling everything, is there a way in build mode/cas to only seen base game items/clothing? Also is there a guid for the base game? Such as which lots and aspersions/traits etc... are base game vs and expansion/game/stuff pack?!

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Admin
Playalotsays...

You can disable the packs in the Origin settings. James Turner has a website to make this quick and easy. Disabling Packs Made Easy - James Turner Most of the base game guides are easily found on Carl's Guides as the more pack specific information is on that packs particular guide pages. So a base game guide is the more general info.

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New
Mike Gundersonsays...

I'm 65 and need a place where an example of the whole ps4 skill cheat line is, for reference. I cant remember where there should be a space, for example. Your site used to have this. I can't seem to find it. Pretty site now though. Tough finding a hot link to the ps4 section. Cheers mate! Great work through the years! -mike g

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Admin
Playalotsays...

Hi Mike, hopefully you'll find what you need on the forum console board. I've added the direct link for you below. If you can't find it leave a post on the forum and I am sure someone will answer you there.

Console Help



Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff

Paranormal Stuff comes January 26, 2021. You can learn about the new pack on the page I've just published. It features Hauntings, a new Medium skill, and a Paranormal Investigator Career. Paranormal Stuff also marks the return of Bonehilda to The Sims.

Sims 4 Snowy Escape

The Sims 4 Snowy Escape launches November 13, 2020 and my coverage has started. Until I get my review ready, you can learn about the following:

Snowy Escape Cheats
Lifestyles in Snowy Escape
Climb Mt. Komorebi
Sentiments in Snowy Escape
Rock Climbing
Skiing Skill
Snowboarding Skill

Sentiments & Platforms (Free Patch!)

I've released a guide to Sentiments in The Sims 4 & Snowy Escape.

There is a new platform tool in The Sims 4. There's also a new Sentiments system, but it'll take some time to create a guide to that. Players can also use rental lots in any world now by changing lot types of builds in manage worlds.

Best Mods in Sims 4

I've created a massive List of The Best Mods in The Sims 4 that should be very helpful to new players and those who have not yet explored modding and how much it can do for your gameplay.

Secrets and Other New Stuff

New - Secrets I have a new guide to secrets in the game. If you prefer, you can also watch a video about secrets in Sims 4.

Nifty Knitting is now available. Learn all about the stuff pack on my guide page here.

NEW - Nifty Knitting Cheats

New features in the Sims 4 June 2020
The Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle Guide
Eco Footprint: How it Works
Neighborhood Action Plans
How to Cheat in Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle
Civil Designer Career
Insect Farms & Bio Fuel
Fabrication Skill in Eco Lifestyle
Juice Fizzing NEW
Traits and Aspirations in DLC
Gameplay Ideas for Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle

Updated
Trait Cheats Updated
Traits List Updated
Aspirations List Updated

Search my Sims 4 Site

Skill Guides

Support Us

Readers who use adblock or those who'd like to thank me for my efforts can now pledge $1/$5 monthly via Patreon. This helps a lot with server costs and provides some stability for my business.

Super Sim Checklist + Other News

Super Sim Text + Checklist and Video Guide! Here is my Super Sim Challenge Guide and Checklist to accompany my video guide to making Super Sims in The Sims 4 that you can view on Youtube.

This is inspired by a new series in which I start at toddler and gradually take on the major bonuses. Here's a link to the full playlist!

I now have a guide page to Tiny Living Stuff where you can learn about Murphy Beds, the new death, as well as the lot bonuses you'll receive if you manage to keep the size of your lot down with this new pack's Tiny Home Lot Type.

Let's Play Playlist

Super Sim Gameplay in The Sims 4

New I now have a guide to Making Super Sims in The Sims 4. Look for a text version within the next 72h. It won't have THAT much more info but it will help out as a checklist.

This was inspired by a series, "Let's Play a Super Sim" in which I start at toddler and gradually take on the major bonuses. Here's a link to each part for people who are interested. You can also see the Let's Play as a Playlist on Youtube.

Latest Videos and Guides

Discover University Expansion

The Sims 4 Discover University Expansion Pack

The Sims 4 Discover University has been announced for November 15 for PC/Mac and December 17 for Xbox and Playstation 4 consoles. Click to learn more about the pack, see my summary of the livestream or read our FAQs below.

Other Guides to Discover University:
New Lot Traits: Study Spot and University Student Hang Out
New: Discover University FAQ: Gameplay Features

New Video The Sims 4 Discover University Gameplay Tips Video The Sims 4 Discover University Gameplay Review and Tips

More videos coming soon!

Realm of Magic