The Sims Resource – Blog

Category: Cheats

TSR Academy – Four Easy Cheats for The Sims 4

This is the chapter you have been waiting for! Today, we have four easy cheats for the Sims 4 to make your gameplay easier! With these four cheats, your Sims can live a life of luxury! No need to worry about finances or buying a home. With these four simple cheats, you can do all of that and enjoy your game.

Reasons for Cheats

CC in image from Saddle Up With CC for Ranch Living

We all have our reasons for using cheats or not using them, and you can use as many or as little as you see fit. No one will judge you if you use Sims 4 cheats, as you cannot play your game incorrectly. Cheats have always been a ‘feature’ in the Sims games, so this is nothing new. It speeds up your gameplay and gives you more freedom to create and design lots, as you are not obligated to what you have earned financially through gameplay. That said, it can also be fun not to use cheats, so you can use this information however you see fit. I am not here to sway you either way; I just want to educate you on your options.

The Text Command Prompt Box

The first step before cheating is to bring up the text command prompt box in your game, which you do by pressing C + Shift + CTRL simultaneously. *Left Shift and Left CTRL are much easier to hit simultaneously for my setup. To open the text prompt box on Xbox, press X and O simultaneously; for Playstation, press A and B simultaneously. You will immediately see a white text box at the top left of your screen.

How to Enable Cheats In-Game

To use cheats, you need to enable them each time you open your game. Once your text command prompt box is up to allow cheats to, you type in the text box testingcheats on. (no period; that is just the end of the sentence.) After you type this code in, you will see that your game has turned testing cheats on. The message ‘Cheats are enabled‘ will appear under the text prompt box. After enabling the cheats, you can use the following four easy cheats for The Sims 4.

Four Easy Cheats for the Sims 4

Let’s get right into these four easy cheats for the Sims 4 cheats that will make your gameplay so much easier. Make sure your testing cheats are on; I have also bolded what you need to type or copy to make it super easy for you.

1- The Motherlode

The nostalgic motherlode cheat, how fast can Simmers type this cheat over and over… well enough to give yourselves millions of Simoleons (the currency name in the Sims). Each motherlode is worth 50k Simoleons, so if you are looking for quick disposable funds, this is the way. Of course, we will get other financial cheats as we progress through the Academy.

2- Full CAS Mode Edit Cheat

Let’s say you want to add a genetic item to your Sim or want to change their personal details or genetics. Besides copying them and deleting the old copy, you cannot update your Sim unless you use cheats. This is my go-to cheat as soon as I open my game! To unlock CAS, after you enable cheats, you type CAS.fulleditmode, and after that, you will be able to edit your Sims genetics and other items that, after you start playing, would be locked after creation.

3 – Free Real Estate Cheat

After your testing cheats are turned on, one of the cheats that has helped me the most is the free real estate cheat. If you wish to use it, type FreeRealEstate On in your text prompt box. If you ever want to turn it off, you type FreeRealEstate Off. This lovely cheat makes all lots FREE! You will know when it works as the frame around the vacant lots will be green.

4 – Cheating Needs

Now that your testing cheats are on right-click your mailbox or a Sim. You should see an option for Alter Needs, and if you click that, you can fill the Sim’s needs if you are on the wold and the entire household’s needs if you are on the mailbox!

Summary

I hope these four easy cheats for The Sims 4 help you with your gameplay! Whether you are just starting out or an original Simmer, cheats have been a part of Sims in every game version! They are easy to find if you want to use them, so don’t worry; we will add more to the Academy! If you cannot wait for the next batch of cheats with TSR Academy, check out my blog, the MOTHERLODE Cheats List, HERE. Happy Simming!

Do you need to stay up to date on everything, Sims? Check out our latest Newsletter HERE.

Keep up with more Sims stuff and what I’m up to on X @TSR Jezi or @JeziTSR on Instagram.

10 December 2024
Room Reno #104: Pastel Spooky Room

Welcome back to Room Reno #104 here at The Sims Resource! Today we’re helping a Sim who wants to turn her bland bedroom into the ultimate pastel Halloween hangout. Let’s meet the Sim we’re helping!

Meet Ruthie!

Ruthie recently moved to Copperdale with her black cat (named Binx, naturally) and is really enjoying the new area! She works as an art teacher at Copperdale High School and has been having lots of fun exploring her new town and neighborhood. There’s just one problem – her current home is totally boring! No charming details or character to be found in the place. Being an artist, Ruthie wants her home to be an expression of who she is on the inside for everyone to see, but she hasn’t had time to customize anything yet.

The first room she wants to renovate is her bedroom, where she spends her time grading and going over lesson plans as well as gaming and relaxing with Binx. Her preferred style for the space? A pastel Halloween theme! For those unfamiliar, pastel Halloween or pastel spooky decor combines the macabre and dark aspects of standard Halloween decorations with a bright and inviting colors, creating an interesting juxtaposition of the two themes. With all that in mind, let’s see what we’re working with!

The Before

This room is definitely going to be a bit of a challenge to work with, I can already tell. It is so small that there are very few layout options that will work, partially because there are doors on both side walls that would easily be blocked in most of the other layout options. This is less than ideal for the unique look that Ruthie is looking for, but I think the current layout can be worked around with more decor additions rather than full on structural changes.

I really love the wood paneled accent wall behind the bed – it’s a nice way to incorporate the natural world outside of the home on the inside. It’s definitely sticking around during this renovation, though it may be brightened up with some pastel paint colors to fit the theme that Ruthie requested (a near criminal offense to some in real life when it comes to renovation, but an easy thing to revert later on in The Sims). Let’s get planning!

The Planning

Planning this room was pretty simple, because as I mentioned above, this room is quite limited in its layout. The interior door prevents layouts that would block it, and the balcony door also prevents an opposite layout for the same reasons. While having a balcony is nice, doors or transitional spaces tend to create a bit of a design issue in a lot of spaces.

Even when it looks like a room has tons of extra space to spare, the existence of an extra door or hallway can cause a myriad of issues when it comes to room layouts. That’s why I chose to leave the room’s original layout essentially unchanged, because the bones of the house dictate a specific layout to suit the space while keeping it route – able by the Sims who use it (we’ve all had a Sim waving their arms and shaking their head at us over a piece of furniture we placed *just so*). Let’s get building!

The After

This room turned out absolutely adorable! I love how the pastel colors pop against the simpler black and white accents all around the space. Let’s start with the bed though – the wrought iron posts and headboard really give a sort of spooky, gothic look to the decor while still managing to be a neutral piece in case Ruthie ever wants to redo her room for a different holiday season.

The desk, too, is a very simple one – all white, with an additional shelf for decorations on top. The decorations are where this room truly shines (and I think are what make this room easy to transform with every season). By keeping most of the truly seasonal accents to the clutter and wall decor, Ruthie can easily change up the look of the room without having to invest in new staple furniture pieces every time she has an artistic impulse. Shoutout to the adorable little ghost figurines scattered around the room – they’re too cute!

Thanks for checking out Room Reno #104! If you liked this blog, check out Room Reno #103: Fall Living Room or our Taylor Swift inspired lookbook. Looking for something else? Read about our Barbie movie inspired lookbook or check out our Gilmore Girls inspired lookbook! Have a great day 😎

27 October 2023
Sim Makeovers 101

Hey all, Jezi here! We are diving right into a Sim Makeovers Guide! I have found loads of tips, tricks, and shortcuts over the years of playing Sims, considering about seventy-five percent of my time playing the Sims is in Create A Sim, CAS. Sure, I have forced myself to branch out into decorating and design so that you all have more than just CAS & Guides blogs from me. So who is ready to learn about Sim Makeovers with this guide!

What is a Sim Makeover

What am I talking about when I say Makeover? Well, redoing a pre-existing Sim. We are not starting from scratch here or designing brand-new Sims. Maybe you downloaded new CC you want to try, or you are just freshening up your Sims’ looks or… fixing up those townies. Whatever the case, you must conduct a makeover; I am here to help!

10 Simple Steps

In this Sims Makeover Guide, I will highlight my CAS workflow on a makeover so that you know what order and how I go about my Sims’ makeovers. I have found that I get much more done with a set pattern in a shorter time. I used to take hours per Sim until I made this pattern for my workflow. So here are ten steps to help you create amazing Sim makeovers.

CC in photo found in THIS BLOG HERE

For example, we will do a ‘Pastel Y2K’ makeover on a townie. To help you more, I will also include a description of the steps I take. Yes, explaining the method to my madness…

Step 1 – Have a Plan

To create lookbooks and style blogs, I have at least a general plan from the start for Sim Makeovers. If not, I cannot download the CC, I need to complete the task, or if I go with no inspiration, I default to my personal preferences, which is OK occasionally. So I generally pick a trend, character, or aesthetic look, do a little research to find the core components of the look I am trying to achieve, and then move onwards to Step 2.

Featured CC – THIS BLOG HERE

Alright, so our plan is a feminine Pastel Y2K Makeover. I sometimes pick broader plans or a specific piece of CC or color to include in the look, but you should be good if you have a general idea. And if you have enough CC downloaded, you can also pick things out as you go along but, it takes me forever when I don’t have a plan.

Step 2 – Download CC Based On Your Plan

Alright, I am a CC hoarder, so I have loads of options anyways; however, even if I am sure I have everything to look at, I still go on TSR to check for new things to fit the theme. In my experience, I can generally just scroll through the last month of creations and find plenty of CC for what I am trying to accomplish. Of course, you can always search and use filters to find CC that matches your theme. And a bonus if a collab or collection matches your plan. Having CC already in your game before you start your Sim Makeovers just helps save time and going back and forth in and out of the game.

So for the CC for this Sim Makeover, I downloaded things from the Perfect Night Collab and The K-Pop Collection, along with other pastel CC pieces. I also went directly to Arltos, as this creator has a lot of adorable Mary Jane shoes that will work perfectly for this look.

Step 3 – Select your Victim… I mean Sim

Sometimes this is step 1 lol. You know that moment when you see a Sim or a townie and are like, we must change this… NOW! Sometimes that happens… or you just want to makeover a townie…

So who to pick. I’d like to work with a Sim I have not worked on in a long time. I am leaning toward Zoe or Summer. It has been over four years (I think) since I have given either of them a proper makeover. So… who to pick… let’s go with Zoe Patel.

Step 4 – CAS Full Edit Cheat

Don’t go straight to CAS if you want to alter features and traits; if you go straight to CAS, these elements are locked on existing Sims. But do not worry; there is a way around this… CHEATS! So go into your household in the gameplay mode and then pull up your cheat code menu by pressing CTL+C+ Shift, and then in the box type in testingcheats on, and press enter. Once completed, type in the cheat box cas.fulleditmode and press enter. You can change features and traits when you go into the CAS menu.

Find more CAS Tips & Tricks HERE and more cheats HERE.

This cheat is an absolute must for me! Just makes everything so much easier if i want to change features in CAS!

Step 5 – Use Filters

One thing that speeds me up looking through all the CC I downloaded is using filters. I filter out all non-CCs first and then sometimes select a color. But I know I want to use CC, so… no point even scrolling through the other items when they can disappear!

  If you want more filter information, check out this blog HERE.

Step 6 – Skin & Preset Mods

Generally, I start with skin, and CAS presets. I usually select a body type, then, as I go, change it up a little to match what I would like the Sim to look like. After I have the general shape down, I pick the skin tone and significant CC details I wish to add, like; freckles, defined cheekbones, or deep contours. After that, I add face presets so the Sim does not look like a cookie-cutter Sim. I know there are a few randomized or set options for each, but basic generated Sims often look the same to me structurally. I add many skin features, skin overlays, and CAS preset mods so my Sims look unique.

CC Skin Used HERE

Step 7 – Clothing

I pick a specific aesthetic, trend, or character to inspire the makeover. I find it easiest to start with clothing first as I match the outfit’s accessories, hair, and makeup to the look.

For Zoe’s look, I wanted a nice soft pastel Y2k Look. So I started with pastels, pinks, purples, blues, and yellows. Plumbob N Fries had a lovely two-piece crop top and pants outfit with a tee shirt perfect for the pastel Y2K look. So after going through loads of CC, I decided on that.

Step 8 – Accessories & Shoes

Once you have the clothes sorted, it is time to move on to accessories and shoes. I always do sunglasses and earrings before selecting a hairstyle, just in case I want to use statement accessories or hoop earrings. I also like to select my necklaces and shoes after clothing to ensure these elements match well.

CC Featured – Earrings, Necklace, Nose Piercing, Watch, Ring, & Nails.

After the outfit, I went for shoes; with the long pants, shoes don’t show all that much. However, I did want the shoe to still fit the Y2K aesthetic. Initially, I was going for pumps or Mary Janes with socks. However, with the pants, I decided on a pair of super thick plastic heel sandals that are super trendy this summer! For Accessories, I just followed the Y2K cute pastel aesthetic; pastel, hearts, butterflies, cute… and POOF perfection!

Step 9 – Hair

I generally select a hairstyle a little later than most Sim creators. But there is a method to my madness and reasons… Sometimes with longer hair, the style will cut into clothing; this is why I always wait to pick out the hairstyle after clothes.

CC Featured – Hairstyle & Belly Ring

I like for the Sim I am making over to still loosely resemble their once former selves. I wanted to keep Zoe’s long brown hairstyle. But it needed that Y2K cute glam vibe and still show the earrings. This hairstyle I found in the photos worked perfectly and looks absolutely stunning!

Step 10 – Makeup

Finally, it is makeup time. Leaving makeup for last, I can pick the colors and style of the makeup to match the overall outfit. After getting the makeup on, I generally return to CAS features. Here I add more if need be or adjust accessories.

CC Featured – Eyebrows, Eyeshadow, Eyeliner, Eyelashes, Blush, Lip gloss, & Eyes

Even before makeup, Zoe looked like she could star in a Y2K fashion show… but we can do better! MORE PASTELS!!! For Y2k pastel looks, you can never go wrong with bright-colored pastel eyeshadow. I selected an eyeshadow from the K-Pop Collection with a purple swatch and it looks amazing!

Summary

CC Featured – Top, Bottoms, & Shoes

Of course, I go back and forth between the steps as sometimes things need to be adjusted. I will say this way of doing Sim Makeovers definitely speeds up my process of styling Sims. The extra time allows me to do more styles and looks! Zoe’s new look turned out fabulous!

If you are looking for more CAS guides, check out the following blogs; Jezi’s CAS Suggestions Part 1, CAS Things You May Not Know, CAS – Preset Mods, or Styling Sims With Jezi. And if you are looking for lookbooks; Gossip Girl Inspired Lookbook, Get That Look – Mermaidcore, Get That Look – The Clean Girl Trend, or Barbiecore Sims.

Keep up with more Sims stuff and what I’m up to at @TSR Jezi.

12 July 2023
Room Reno #90: Grill and Chill Yard

Welcome back to Room Reno #90 here at The Sims Resource! Today we’re helping Sims who wants to turn their boring backyard into a grill and chill dream. Let’s meet the Sims we’re helping!

Meet the Roberts!

The Roberts family live in Evergreen Harbor. They love the eco friendly vibes of the neighborhood, and Ben, the dad, even works as a civil designer for the city. They recently moved from an apartment to a house, and want to make the most of having a yard of their very own! Their neighborhood has a large playground in sight of the house, so there’s not a huge need for playground equipment or large lawn toys for the twin girls. Instead, Ben wants to create a grilling and entertaining space for guests and the family to enjoy – in their apartment, the family was never able to grill or enjoy outdoor time in the same way that they can now enjoy it with their sparkling, brand new yard. On top of grilling, Brenda, the mom, wants space for entertaining, too. That means making space for some couches and a dining table as well as a grill setup. Let’s see what we’re working with!

The Before

This yard definitely has the potential to be something special. It’s lucky that there’s playground equipment nearby for the kids to play on, because it’s not the largest yard and the kid equipment in The Sims 4 tends to be extremely large and take up a lot of area tiles. Pro tip for placing your smaller lots if you ever lack yard space – place the lot in a neighborhood with a playground! Newcrest has the Llama Lagoon neighborhood with playgrounds, and you can also find one in the Spice District in San Myshuno. Or you can be a little sneaky like me and just add a lot with playground equipment into the area you’re building in – but the second option will come with a loading screen between your sims walking to the lot and actually being able to interact with it, so keep that in mind if your game tends to lag or you just hate waiting for load times.

Outside of playground placements, this yard is pretty good! I like how it comes with a premade hedge fence that creates a sense of privacy from the neighborhood buildings (since every neighborhood in Evergreen Harbor is mixed use and contains both residential and community lots). Passerby on their way to work or school won’t ogle the Roberts as they have a morning coffee or a summer celebration, but they’ll also be able to enjoy the sun and feel like a part of the town if they choose to. Now all there is to do is to get planning this outdoor space! Let’s get planning!

The Planning

The planning for this was pretty simple once I figured out the shape I wanted to go with. I considered creating a sort of galley kitchen shape, or even a U-shape, for the grilling area. I wanted to make it a nice and upscale grilling area for Ben since it’s his first chance to grill after living in the apartment for a long time, so there are definitely going to be lots of countertops to maximize prep space and to reduce the amount of trips in and out of the house while getting the grill going. Plus, it allows for countertop space being used as a buffet style serving table when all the dishes are ready. Perfect for parties!

The entertaining area is going to be pretty simple, but I was able to get a little more interesting with the shape of the sitting area than I was with the straight I shape of the kitchen. The couches will go one against the hedges, and another perpendicular to it, creating an L shape to make the sitting area feel intimate and cozy. The table and chairs will go behind the second couch, and it will either have four or six seats depending on how close the table comes to the cooking area with six chairs. Sometimes it’s easier to put furniture against a wall (or in this case a hedge) than try to squeeze extra seating that the Sims probably won’t even be able to route to. Let’s get building!

The After

This yard turned out great! It really has the perfect vibes for the Roberts family, and I think it will work great for gameplay as well. Ben will be able to grill to his heart’s content, with a great layout for outdoor dining and relaxing as well. Plus, as the girls get older, they can use the outdoor entertaining space as well! The one thing I regret not trying to add to this yard is a fire pit – they’re just perfect for chilly nights. The way that chairs slot around fire pits in the game would create a bit of an issue with how small this yard is, though, so it had to be cut out.

I think the current features of the yard are great anyway! Both outdoor couches look totally comfy, and the huge wooden coffee table could be used for dining and serving food on top of decoration. The dining area has some really great pops of color – I love the yellow swatch of that metal bench! It ties in perfectly with the pillows on the couches in the sitting area. I made sure to add some lights to the side of the house so that the yard doesn’t become unusable when it gets too dark out. Always remember to add lights to your outdoor spaces in the game! And in real life. Lights are generally a good thing to have in any builds.

Thanks for checking out Room Reno #90! If you liked this blog, check out Room Reno #89: Poolhouse Reno or our Gilmore Girls inspired lookbook. Looking for something else? Read about all the best Gossip Girl inspired CC or check out our Spring Break trends lookbook! Have a great day 😎

23 June 2023
Your Guide to Sim Relationships

So, you want to build relationships with other Sims? Well, you have come to the right place! This blog is all about Sim relationships, yes, friendship, romance, and, well… enemies. All of which can be obtained in The Sims 4 gameplay. This is a lot to unpack, so sit back and relax, new Simmers; I got you! If you are a long-time Simmer, you probably already know these tricks and even more! But hopefully, this blog brings at least some entertainment to you!

Social Interface

One thing to point out with building Sim relationships is the social interface. The picture below shows horizontal bars colored green for friends, pink for romance, and the green will go to red for enemies. These bars show your relationship progress, and the further to the right they are, the better the relationship. As your relationship grows, your social interaction options will increase.

If you are socializing with a group of Sims, their images will show above the social bars. This helps you know what social interactions to use in a group conversation. If you are having a flirty conversation with a group, this can cause a couple things; embarrassment or jealousy, to name a couple. This is often accidental; you just have to make sure you know which Sims are in the conversation and sim-one else isn’t just inserting themselves into the convo.

Types of Sim Social Relationships

Like in real life, your Sims can have multiple social relationships, each with progress meters: friends, romantic, and enemies. I will give you a couple tips on how to get your progress meters high in each of these relationship categories; that way, you can quickly obtain your desired relationship. But first, here are some essential tips on building positive Sim relationships.

1 – Don’t Repeat social interactions

One thing that does not work, unless you are trying to bore a Sim to death, is to repeat social interactions repeatedly, and it just simply does not work. You need to mix it up and keep things moving.

2 – Timing & Needs

To maintain your audience, your timing must be correct. It is imperative that your desired audience for social interactions needs not to not starving, unclean, or overly tired. If so, things go badly in the friendship and romance departments. If your goal is to harass and troll your neighbors, then when they are at their weakest would be your time to shine. However, if the Sim does not live on the same lot, they will leave when they have had enough, which might ruin your fun.

3 – Traits, likes & dislikes

Likes and dislikes are essential in building Sim relationships, and traits play a factor in interactions. Likes and dislikes are the response to color, music, activity, and style. For example, if you have a Sim that you are friends with that opposes fitness, but all your Sim talks about are fitness topics, it could bore the Sim or annoy them. So, it is always good to know likes and dislikes to have good conversations with each party.

Friends

Sims are generally social creatures, and social interactions are a part of your Sims’ overall needs and mood. Having friends makes this need much easier to fill. Fortunately, friendships are not generally too hard to build in The Sims 4. Here are a couple of tricks to help you if you need assistance!

1 – Be Nice to Friends & Potential Friends

To keep your friends or build friendships, you need to be nice to them! Who is going to want to be a friend of a mean Sim? No one. Even other mean Sims will get mad if your Sims are mean to them. I know it does not make sense, but it’s true. Apparently, there can be only one mean Sim… No mean S/im friends, I suppose.

But really, how can you build friendships if you are not nice? For social interactions, you can never go wrong with asking how another Sims day has gone. That is always a good icebreaker, and I find that talking about interests always works well.

2 – Spend Time With your Friends

You cannot build a friendship if you do not spend time with your Sims friends. In The Sims 4, relationships between Sims do not dissipate as fast as in previous game versions. But even a friendly text can go a long way. Yes, you can talk face-to-face with friends or text and call them. And all of these interactions build friendships.

3 – Invite your Friends over and to activities

As you get to know other Sims, they invite you to places, parties, festivals, or just out and about. It is always good to get out of the house and spend time with your friends as this builds the relationship and your Sims social needs. I have also found if you go places with your friend, they will invite you out more often, or so it seems. It might just be the strength of the friendship, but it sounds pretty cool if that is how it works!

Romantic

Sims are known for their fast pace romantic relationships. Yes, you can go from hello to marriage in one day. But there are tricks to do this! So how do you do it?? Well, let me help you on your romantic adventures! The first thing to know is that Sims have preferences. Pending the Sims’ preferences and reward traits will make relationships easier or harder. The never-jealous Sim is an excellent one to date if your Sim is dating around… otherwise, it might get a little exciting.

1 – Ask about Them

The most important aspect of dating in the Sims is to ask about romantic interests. They will tell you what they like, dislike, what they do for work, and if they are single. All these factors are essential so you know how to move. For example, if a Sim works during the day, you won’t want to call them to come over, as they will most likely not respond. Friendship also builds the relationship foundation, which helps sell the romance.

2 – Needs

Make sure your romantic interest needs are met before popping essential questions! Don’t ask a Sim with an empty stomach or no sleep if they wish to marry your Sim; you will most likely not get the answer you desire. You don’t want to upset them, as then you have to apologize and regain that progress in the relationship.

3 – Build a Friendship

A decent friendship is always a good idea before building a romantic relationship. This will allow your Sim to know likes, dislikes, traits, and other information about the romantic interest so that you can really put the moves on!

If you need more help with Romantic Relationships, check out this guide – Dating In The Sims 101

Enemies

Sometimes you just want to be a troll… I get that. Just do mean interactions and keep them going, and before you know it… Enemy status. Sims are pretty easy to offend so this does not take long at all! Then you can pick a fight with that Sim, sit back with popcorn, and watch the drama unfold.

Cheats for Relationships

So if you do not want to work to build relationships, you can always cheat… Yes, you can just set the entire relationship how you wish! If you need help with cheats, check out our full blog on cheats HERE.

Summary

I hope you found this blog informative on Sim relationships, and I wish you the very best in your Simming adventures! Remember that traits, likes, and dislikes differ from Sim to Sim, so don’t assume all Townies are the same! Best of luck and have fun!

Keep up with more Sims stuff and what I’m up to at @TSR Jezi.

If you are looking for more blogs, check out the following; Prom 101: How to Survive the Prom Event, Not So Berry Sims CAS Guide, How To Become a Master Vampire, & Top Sims 4 Challenges. If you want great build & buy blogs, check out Paige’s Room Reno Series.

23 May 2023
March CC Finds – CC Piercings

For this month’s CC Finds, I have selected something that has come up in conversation lately: CC Piercings! This is definitely an area of CC that I feel like a lot of Simmers miss. There is so much CC here, and the quality is also super good! Plus, facial and body piercings add more variety to your Sims. I love making my Sims full of accessories and unique features, so I frequently use CC Piercings.

Where to Look for CC Piercings

So yes, CC Piercings exists on The Sims Resource, but where do you find it? Well, most of the CC in the piercing department are considered accessories. So you just go to the main downloads page and click The Sims 4 on the Sims Resource site. Once you are here, filter to the Accessories sub-category, select female or male, and then select piercings. This will then give you a slew of CC Piercings to choose from!

CC-LINK – Oh My Goth- Acantha Nose Ring

Another great place to find CC piercings is the Oh My Goth Collab. It is a great place to start for various piercing types; there were SO MANY piercing pieces created in this collab! I love the lip cuff pictured below; so elegant and lovely; I would 100% wear that in real life! You can find the Oh My Goth collab HERE.

CC-LINK – Oh My Goth – Onyx Lip Cuff

You can also just use the search feature and look for specific types of piercings. Of course, if the item is not named or tagged with what you are searching for, it will not appear. I prefer to use the first method of the subcategories and then just sort by date and scroll through ALL the CC options. Sure, it takes a little time, but you get to see it all, and I always fill up a download basket or two this way!

1 – Oh My Goth – Double Piercing Top Lip

CC-LINK – Oh My Goth – Double Piercing Top Lip

One of my favorite places to get Piercing CC is from the Oh My Goth collab. There are several different styles of piercings, and I just love these double-top lip piercings! So unique, and there just was not a lot of this type of piercings for download, so it is absolutely fantastic to add to a CC collection!

2 – Goddess Belly Piercing

CC-LINK – Goddess Belly Piercing

I, of course, had to add a belly piercing to this list of CC Piercings. The belly ring or piercing was quite popular when I was in college, and it was like all the ladies had one, two, or four. So, of course, had to include this piercing for sure as it is a definite classic!

3 – Onix Nose Piercing

CC-LINK – The Sims Resource – Onix Nose Piercing (Left)

I selected this piercing because it’s a lovely traditional nose piercing design. With these CC Finds, I like to show a variety of CC, everything from fancy to conventional. This particular piece I love because you can use it with just about everything and anything.

4 – Butterfly Nose Ring

CC-LINK – Butterfly Nose Ring

This Butterfly Nose Ring is absolutely adorable! This is another piercing that I feel you can really pair with any outfit. From formal to swimwear, you could totally wear this cute piercing with anything!

5 – Vakoz Collarbone V2 Piercings

CC-LINK – Vakoz Collarbone V2 Piercings

I tried to find a wide variety of body and facial piercings. When I saw these collarbone piercings, I knew I had to add them as they were unique. I have seen something similar to this on someone in real life, and it was super elegant.

6 – Moona Medusa Piercing

CC Link – Moona Medusa Piercing

This is another piercing I came across in my search that was unique. I love the color swatches in this piece and the design, so I had to add them. I have never seen anyone with a piercing in this placement, so that was another reason to add it to this list.

7 – Flashlight Male Earrings

CC-LINK – Flashlight male earrings

I saw these piercings and thought they were perfect for this CC Finds blog. One thing that has always seemed popular to me is the multiple earring piercings. More than just the two front earrings, we are talking about various places around the ear this CC Piercing has.

8 – Vanta Labret Piercing

CC Link – Vanta Labret Piercing

I love, love, love lip piercings! The Vanta Labret Piercing is a more minor piercing but so elegant. I could see this piercing being used daily and in a formal outfit, and I love the detail in the crystal on this piercing!

9 – DS Design Piercing

CC-LINK –DS Design Piercing

This is another lip piercing I just love! I love how this bottom lip piercing covers a good deal of lip and goes from the top to the bottom, making an elegant shape on the Sim’s lip. Yes, the next bit is lip piercings in this CC Finds… because I see many people use eyebrow and nose piercings, and I rarely see lip and body piercings in other Sims content.

10 – Spike Snake Bites

CC-LINK – Spike Snake Bites

For our final CC highlight, these fabulous traditional snake bites! Love these so much; these spike snake bites are perfect and can bring some edge to various looks!

Summary

This was a very needed CC Listing, as talking with other Simmers, this is an often overlooked CC category. I was pretty amazed at how many pieces of CC downloads are in the piercing category. There were definitely, many more than I had anticipated. This shows how important it was to spotlight this group of CC.

How many piercings can I fit on a Sim? I downloaded quite a few and even used the basic game piercings to fill in some gaps… This is why I ended up with too many piercings. Probably a bit too much for my tastes, but you do you! I hope you found some fantastic CC Piercings to download, and just remember there are way more than the ones listed in this blog!

Keep up with more Sims stuff and what I’m up to at @TSR Jezi.

If you are looking for more CC Finds, check out the following blogs – CC Find Curly Hairstyles, CC Finds Maxis Match Edition, CC Finds Beach Day, & CC Finds Masculine Sims Hair. Or if you are looking for a great build & buy, check out Paige’s Room Reno Series.

28 March 2023
Room Reno #70: Dad’s Den

Welcome back to Room Reno #70 here at The Sims Resource! Today we’re helping a Sim who wants to turn a spare room in his home into the ultimate den and office space for both work and family time! Let’s meet the Sim we’re helping!

Meet the Navarros!

The Navarros are a family of four who have been living in Brindleton Bay for a few months now and are mostly settled in to their new home–except for the spare room. Right now it’s literally empty other than a few random bins and shelves, and that just won’t do. Since Jeffrey, the dad of the family, often works from home, it makes sense for him to have an office space there. But he also wants it to be a cozy spot for his kids and wife to enjoy as well, so the room is going to be a dual purpose space: an office and a den.

Just what is a den? I feel like it’s a very 1990’s term overall, so I went to Google to make sure my idea of the space wasn’t complere people can pursue activities in private”. This sounds pretty much like a hobby room, though whenever I imagine dens I always picture them as being second living rooms, especially in homes with multiple living rooms. Have you ever been to a house like that? There’s a fancy living room for guests and then a cozy living room for actual living in, and they always call that one a ‘den’ or a ‘family room’. Super weird when you think about it for any amount of time. Pretty strange that we call rooms ‘living rooms’ in general, actually, since we live in every room of our homes. But I digress, let’s see what we’re working with!

The Before

As I explained above, this room is pretty bare and boring overall, used for moving crates that haven’t been unpacked yet and pretty much nothing else. That means that we have a lot to work with, though! The room is huge for a spare room and has a couple different areas that can make the layout interesting. I think a desk by the big windows and a sitting area for the family over by the big door makes the most sense, but there’s definitely wiggle room there. Overall, I think there’s a lot of potential in this space, especially with all the natural light.

Since it’s November at the time I’m posting this, I cannot emphasize the importance of sunlight any harder. Please go outside and get some sun. Or at least open your blinds a few hours a day. Even the most seasoned of indoor people (me) needs a little bit of sun this time of year, or else you’re in for a world of the Winter Sads (TM). So make use of your spaces with great natural lighting and soak up a little vitamin D, even if you’re chained to your desk for a lot of the day. 100% worth it, I promise you. Jeffrey will be getting sun at his desk, too! You’ll find out more about that in the planning section.

The Planning

Planning here was really easy, probably because this is a small space and I’ve also just been doing this whole renovation thing for a while now–almost two years (gasp!). I want the desk by the windows for all the reasons I described in the earlier section–having some sunlight while you work will save you from being too weak and pale when the spring comes. Also, it’s just nice and warm when the days get chilly. The sitting area is by the french doors to the patio, so when things get warmer they can be left open for a nice breeze to come into the room and really air it out. Plus, Jeffrey can stretch his legs on the balcony and look out into the Brindleton Bay wilderness, which has gotta be a pretty good view (ngl I did not check because I wasn’t playing the family for all that long).

L shaped rooms can pose some challenges when it comes to the entryways, because you don’t want to block the door but you also don’t want there to be an entire big empty space by it either. I put the chairs facing the desk at an angle to help with this, and also made the wall immediately next to the door into a gallery wall so that it still holds visual interest while being walkable for anyone trying to enter.

The After

I’m really happy with how this build turned out, but I think I would change some aspects of it while I look over the final pictures again. My main gripe is the wall color–I know I tried a few different ones before settling on the original gray, but I think I should have looked harder for something that really suited the darker tones of the space more, or even gone for something warmer toned to compliment all the cherry woods I chose for the furniture. Not a huge qualm, just something I noticed as I was looking over the images again. A good learning lesson for the future!

There’s a lot I did like about this room, though! I really love how the sitting/TV area turned out, even if there wasn’t a ton of space to make the area super customized or artistically decorated. I still got to add some clutter, which is really my main objective when it comes to most of these builds. I also love the desk clutter, which I think just makes the space look like Jeffrey is really using it for his work instead of a sterile Sims room.

Thanks for checking out this edition of Room Reno #70! If you liked this blog, check out Room Reno #68: Danish Pastel Kitchen or our Gilmore Girls inspired lookbook. Looking for something else? Read about my thoughts on the Pastel Pop Kit or about the latest game updates! Have a great day 😎

18 November 2022
Dating in Sims 101

Welcome to Dating in Sims 101, I am Jezi, and I will be teaching you all the possible ways to woo the Sims of your Sims’ dreams. Yeah… something like that. Whether you are a new simmer or an OG (original gamer), I hope these tips and tricks help you catch the Bonehilda to your Grim Reaper. We don’t want all our Sims to become Agnes Crumplebottom, so let’s pull out our cupid arrows and throw them in a room like a glitter bomb! LOVE FOR EVERYONE!

Why is Romance in The Sims?

Being a LIFE SIMULATION game, there is romance and dating in The Sims 4. For some players, this is the core component of their gameplay. Even challenges are based on romancing other Sims. If you really want to skip out on the romance, you can by all means, as that is the beauty of this game. Choice, lots of options, and ways to play. I choose love… well, and drama! It never gets old breaking up Bob and Eliza. Who happen to be the least compatible Sims I have ever seen!

10 Simple Steps to Win ANY Townie’s Heart

1 – Get to Know Your Targets

Sims love to chat about themselves… well, unless they are loners. Get to know your intended targets to tell if the Sim is compatible, what they are interested in, and what angles to work.

2 – The Importance of Traits

Traits are essential and will steer the conversations and how they are taken. If a Sim is flirty, they will want to flirt, so ask about the Sim!

3 – Go With The Tempo

Always go with the flow; whatever the Sim is doing in the social engagement shows how they feel about the conversation. You can also look at the top, which will tell you what conversation is going down. If it is a flirty conversation, flirting will be taken better. If the Sim is bored you know to either let it rest a bit or to crack out the jokes!

4 – Keep A Good Friendship

Friendship is everything. Get a good base of friendship going before you move in with the pickup lines and smooching. A lot of social interactions and status require some form of friendship.

5 – Ask About Them

Again ASK ABOUT THEM! The Sim will tell ALLLLL of it; likes, dislikes, job. The game saves the information you receive in the relationship information by each Sim, so if you forget, you can always find it… no need to take notes or worry! Sentiments also keep memories and information.

6 – Apologize if Needed

If you’re going to tick off your target, please don’t worry. Sure, if you go in the red of friendship, you can come back up, but it will take some time. The good news is if you offend a Sim, the game automatically places an apology into the social interaction options.

7 – Go On Dates

Going out on dates is a great way to keep getting to know your Sim. Dates build that romantic relationship and friendship. Dates to restaurants and other locations around your game are also a great way to ensure your Sim and their date’s needs are met!

8 – Needs

One element that has to be addressed is needs. You can not flirt or try to woohoo with a starving Sim. Or just imagine one that has not showered in a hot minute. If Sims’ needs are not met, or their mood is down, some social options will not be available.

9 – Mood

Moods impact everything! If your Sim is in a lousy mood, the options of social engagement will reflect this and the target’s response. If your intended romantic target is in a terrible mood, best just to take them out for food. My experience is Sims are generally hangry, especially townies, so start there for needs improvements!

10 – Persistence is the KEY

Sometimes Sims just don’t give in that easily. Just keep going, and do not overdo it! Don’t be annoying, but be present.

5 Things To Avoid

1 – Incompatibility

If the Sim just does not like you or is not interested in dating… I hate to say it, but unless you use cheats, it doesn’t work. In the High School Years Expansion Pack review, I noticed that Sims will tell you if they are looking to date and what type of Sims they are into. I had an intended target in mind, but sadly she was not looking to date anyone, and her mind could not be swayed.

2 – Don’t Take a Vampire on a Day Date

Another obvious no-no. If you take a vampire out on a date, play it safe and go at night. Caleb can go in the sun, but Lilith and Vlad cannot unless you change their skills. If not well I guess you are going to a BBQ.

3 – Boring Sims

Repeated interactions will cause your target to become bored. Make sure to mix up your social interactions a bit, and as you strengthen your relationship, more options will open up.

4 – Keep in Contact

Like in real life, you must continually contact your significant other. If you do not, the relationship bar will drain, and you will have to rework that connection… or you might loose it.

5 – Killing Your Desired Target

Unless this is your goal. Don’t starve your target to death. If you kill the intended romantic interest, you will have to start all over with someone else.

Summary

I hope this blog helps you live out your Sims’ dreams with these tips. Of course, if you want to skip all the social interactions, you can just make a husband or wife for your Sim in the Create A Sim Menu or use relationship building cheats. You can find the relationship cheats HERE in our Motherlode Cheats blog. The great thing about this game is that the generated Sims have unique traits, and the more packs you have, the more of a mix you get! But of course, you can easily play the base game and still have a grand old time in The Sims!

If you get bored, you can always try some challenges; there are relationship ones that you can look at, such as The Black Widow Challenge, The Drifter Challenge, and the 100 Baby Challenge. They all have unique rules and goals that make playing the game a little more challenging and fun! For more information on Challenges check out Paige’s Challenges Blog HERE.

Keep up with more Sims stuff and what I’m up to at @TSR Jezi.

9 November 2022
Room Reno #69: Autumn Living Room

Welcome back to Room Reno #69 here at The Sims Resource! Today we’re helping a Sim who wants to turn her dark and depressing living area into the comfy and warm autumnal space of her dreams! Let’s meet the Sim we’re helping!

Meet Hayleigh!

Hayleigh is a Sim who lives for the fall, and honestly? Who could blame her? Fall is the best season no cap. Leaves, hot coffee, warm boots…it truly is the season of the best aesthetics and the most cozy clothes (winter clothes are too big and bulky to be cute, but fall clothes are still easy to style). Anyway! Hayleigh recently moved to Britechester, where she will be attending college at University of Britechester.

She has a bit of a budget to renovate the house she’ll be living in, left to her by her aunt (very lucky) and wants to theme the room to her favorite season. The room takes up a majority of the first floor, which means there’s room for more than just the standard couch and chairs and TV set that pretty much every basic living room has. Because Hayleigh is an aspiring mixologist, adding a bar seems like the perfect choice for her. Let’s see what we’re working with!

The Before

This house has some really great bones to work with, and it shows. Wood paneling is an underrated feature of a lot of older styled homes, and I love seeing it in in-game builds because it immediately makes me think of classic old houses in New England or other areas of the Northeast US. I also adore the big arched windows, which are not usually a feature in most of my builds, or the ones I make over. This is partially because the arched windows require a tall wall height, which I don’t love building with, but also because they can be kind of unwieldy if you don’t know what you’re doing. But when they’re used in the right way, in the right space? Arched windows are beautiful and welcome additions.

All that to say, I’m totally keeping the massive arched windows on the wall with the door. They let in a ton of natural light but also have those gorgeous curtains to block it out if it becomes too much. The rest of the room is pretty big and boxy, and I don’t think I’ll be using the back half as a dining area anymore. There’s lots of other spaces in the house that can be used for dining, and I want this space to be more about relaxing and chilling out than about eating and worrying about the messes that come with it. The fireplace is another good touch, but I plan to move it in order to make the room flow a bit better. Let’s get planning!

The Planning

Planning for this room was pretty simple, though I definitely had to put some thought into the bar area (the bottom part of the layout). I debated keeping the dining seats as part of the living room, or even nixing the bar idea altogether, since it felt a little silly to add a whole bar (I know that the game makes them so big for a reason, but most people in real life have smaller drinks carts or counter spaces where they make drinks instead of a whole huge bar).

I actually ended up using a CC drinks cart as an end table between the couches and I think it’s a great and realistic piece to have in your game when you don’t have the real estate for a full bar. However, this room had so much extra space that the full bar fit too, and I’m happy I added it. The room feels a lot more complete with it there, and the walls are so tall that the short little bar doesn’t overpower the entire area or make the room feel cramped or tiny. The fireplace is going to be moved to the center of the wall to help center the room as a whole, and the couch is going to go with it, since I can mount a TV over the fireplace to make the area multi-functional. The seating came together easily, with two couches pairing up to make the perfect spots to curl up with a good book or show. Let’s get building!

The After

This room is making me crave an apple crisp macchiato and a cider donut, stat! The cozy blanket, the bar cart and bar itself, and the cozy fall decor and florals? All I want is to curl up on that couch and take a nap in the afternoon sun, or maybe watch a few episodes of Gilmore Girls while doing some sewing. The pure cozy energy of this room is off the charts and I cannot be deterred from talking about how much I want to be there right now! Hayleigh is a truly lucky Sim to live in a place as warm and cozy as this.

One of my favorite pieces in the room is the giant slab of wood that’s been shaped into a coffee table. Not only is it super aesthetically pleasing, it also fits the room and makes the house feel a little woodsy and outdoorsy without actually having to go outdoors. I don’t know where someone gets a coffee table like this, but I would love to have one in real life (it just looks so cool!). I also love the plaid loveseat. It actually comes with a set that’s meant to be outdoor furniture for autumn, but I think it works just as well indoors (and also manages to bring the outdoors in a little bit, which is always nice in the cooler weather when going outside isn’t always easy.

Thanks for checking out this edition of Room Reno #69! If you liked this blog, check out Room Reno #68: Danish Pastel Kitchen or our Gilmore Girls inspired lookbook. Looking for something else? Read about how to build with the FREE Desert Luxe Kit or about the latest game updates! Have a great day 😎

28 October 2022
Room Reno #67: MinimalSIM

Welcome back to Room Reno #67 here at The Sims Resource! Today we’re helping a Sim who wants to turn her cluttered, chaotic room into a minimalist haven using the brand new MinimalSIM Collab! Let’s meet the Sim we’re helping!

Meet Alyssa!

Alyssa is a Sim who recently moved to Evergreen Harbor and wants to turn her drab starter home into a glam, minimalist abode. The main area that she wants redone is the living room, since it’s where she spends most of her time. But wait–what exactly is the minimalist aesthetic? I know we’ve all seen instagrams or pinterest boards of the look, but what is it defined as?

According to the Aesthetics Wiki (did anyone else know that this existed?), minimalism is a design trend that depends on simplicity, a lack of clutter, and neutral colors. While some patterns may be present, they’re typically large and simple instead of detailed and complex. I don’t know about you guys, but having an actual definition of this trend makes it a lot more clear to me. Minimalism as a concept makes me think of Marie Kondo–removing possessions that don’t spark joy from your life and focusing on what does. With all that in mind, let’s take a look at the space!

The Before

Not gonna lie, this living room is pretty depressing. I can’t be alone in this thought, right? I think there’s something about the random blue wall stripe near the bottom of the wall, combined with the randomly tall wall height, that really makes the space feel empty and drab. The red door is an especially random choice here, since it doesn’t really match anything else in the room. I love a bright pop of color as much as the next gal, but having a bright red door with this interior kind of just highlights the dreariness even more.

The first thing I want to do here is put up a dividing wall between the kitchen and living room. Open floor plans are great, but only when they work with the space–this space is not benefiting from being so open. In order to maintain a little bit of the original charm, though, I’m putting an archway into the kitchen instead of a door. This method keeps both rooms from feeling too claustrophobic and cramped while also providing the much needed division of space. Another change I want to make as soon as possible is to get a lot more natural light in the room. A lot of the dreariness of the current space is from lack of proper lighting, so with some more sunlight it should brighten right up.

The Planning

As you might be able to see, I added the walls and windows that I was thinking about in the last section to the room before I even started planning. In some cases, I try to plan without changing anything at all, but for now I just really wanted to get a feel for what the space was going to feel like before I started planning. I’m a little less confident in my abilities when it comes to the taller wall heights in the game (if you’ve ever read a Room Reno before, you’re probably aware of this) and today that fear was worse than usual, so I added the wall first. That’s building–even when I think I have a whole build sequence figured out, I end up changing it on myself anyway.

Anyway! The layout itself is pretty simple, considering the living room isn’t enormous and the whole theme of this build is minimalism. Having too many big furniture pieces would be a betrayal of the whole thing! I want a couch, preferably as a sort of centering piece for the room. A TV will go against the far wall. I wasn’t sure if this was the best time to use a TV in my build, but I imagined it as sort of like those insane gallery TVs that look like a matte painting when they’re not in use. One day I will have one of them irl…but for now, I will live vicariously through the Sims. Let’s get building!

The After

This room feels so soothing and homey! I’ll be honest, I don’t think I realized how calming the minimalist aesthetic is until I finished this build. Something about all the neutrals combined with a few pops of color (using plants) is obviously the right move for anyone looking for a little bit of relaxation, even if that relaxation is in your Sims game. The rounded couch is one of my favorite aspects of this room–I think it brings the TV area together and makes it feel very cozy while also maintaining the minimalistic aesthetic of the entire room.

I have to give a huge shoutout to all the new doors and windows from this collab. I only used a few of them in this build, and they completely transformed the space before I even added the furniture. The clutter objects are also some of my favorite parts of this collection. If you read this series, you’ll know how much I absolutely adore clutter in every build and every style I can possibly fit it into. I know that clutter probably sounds a little strange in a minimalist collab, but the minimalist clutter is *chef’s kiss* the perfect addition to this room, or any room, really. The colors and designs are all chic and won’t overpower the rest of the decor. I can’t wait to use all the clutter, furniture, and other objects from this collection in a lot of my future builds and Room Reno blogs to come!

Thanks for checking out this edition of Room Reno! If you liked this blog, check out Room Reno #66: Autumn Office or our Gilmore Girls inspired lookbook. Looking for something else? Read about how to build with the FREE Desert Luxe Kit or about the latest game updates! Have a great day 😎

14 October 2022