A new hobby pack for the Sims 4 was released late last week: the Crystal Creations Stuff Pack! Of course, we are going to take a look at everything it has to offer! This pack is full of crystal and celestial-themed items and adds a bit of gameplay to The Sims 4. So, we will dig into this pack in this Crystal Creations Stuff Pack Review!
Just a little note for everyone: I used my SimFam, which I use for gameplay and they do have TSR CC on in the photos, like makeup, skin details, and skin overlays.
About the Pack
The Crystal Creations Stuff Pack came out late last week, so I have been playing it over the weekend. As many of us thought from the clues in the road map announcement video, it is jewelry crafting, but it is a little more than that! You can also cut and charge crystals, but we will get into that later in this Crystal Creations Stuff Pack Review.
For a stuff pack, I personally feel like this pack comes with a good bit for just under ten bucks USD. For this pack, The Sims teamed up with ArethaBee to create three pieces; one with a snake chain and colorful beads, multiple hooped earrings, and a ring. Of course, there is also a good amount of other jewelry in this pack that I am sure console players and vanilla Simmers are delighted to see!
This pack’s theme is dark and dreamy, filled with mystery and intrigue. I agree with the celestial dreamy vibes with the crystals and tree you can grow, but the clothing I am not sure if I agree; they are pretty good for a spell caster, but in my opinion, are bordering a hippie or boho style with an academic vibe. Which also works for the theme of gemology. But I get you cannot have two dark, goth-like packs in a row. The objects, however, give me an academic vibe, and for what the pack is, gemology… It works so well! Just more of an academic scale than a metaphysical one. That and I just selected all the darker swatches.
CAS Items in the Pack
Alright, I’ve had enough of yapping about fashion. Let’s get to the Crystal Creations Stuff Pack Review! So, here is what we get. I am pleased to say you get quite a bit in this pack, so let’s take a look!
Screenshots taken from the pack launch page
Hairstyles
So, let’s talk about hairstyles. This pack includes four new hairstyles, but some color variations and versions for children are also included, making the official count of nine new hairstyles. The only criticism I have seen is that the hair accessories are not removable or that there are not hairstyles without them. I think they are super cute, and my only addition would be to make the accessories change colors, as I like options. So I say leave the accessories in! LOL
Clothing & Shoes
I counted twelve new pieces of clothing, and again, I’ll say it: I see this style as an academic aesthetic, which we needed. It’s like if you merged Wizard in the Woods with the old-school college professor. That is the vibe I get with this style. I will say it is consistent. But I would not necessarily label it dark academic, just academic; you can make it dark academic by just using the dark swatches, tho. I like the button-up vest and shirt; that is probably my favorite out of the batch. I like plaid and vests on guys; what can I say?
So in a crystal pack, we also get shoes, three pairs with crystal designs on them. Again, I am not mad at this; we need more vanilla shoes!
Accessories
Obviously, there is a good amount of accessories here. Aside from the jewelry, a pair of lace stockings perfectly complements that academic vibe. But you are all here for the jewelry, aren’t you? So here we go… down the rabbit hole. This is where my Boho take comes in. The jewelry is very Boho and celestial, which go well together.
This pack has various rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. You also have simple pieces and statement pieces, which I really like the variety in complexity. I am counting sixty pieces (Jezi’s math could be wrong, LOL), including the same designs for different ages. For unique designs, there are said to be forty-eight, for a stuff pack. That is a lot, and I am not mad about this. This is great!
Build/Buy Items in the Pack
The Crystal Creations Stuff Pack comes with thirty-two items classified as build/buy. It only has one wallpaper, but the decor and furniture are lovely, and plenty of places to display your crystals and jewelry!
Screenshots are taken from the pack launch page
Walls
I absolutely love this moon and star wallpaper. It is super cute, and I will use it in my game!
Furniture & Decor
With this furniture, I expect to see some incredible academic builds. Think about what you can do with the display shelves, desks, tables, and bookshelves. The whole set has an old-school college vibe that I love—or, better yet, an old magic school!
The decor gives me academic vibes but with the twist of an astronomer or, obviously, a gemologist. The posters and wall art with the moon charts and crystal information make this theme more fitting, like what would be seen in a gemologist or astronomer classroom, lab, or office. It is absolutely perfect for this theme. And bonus, this pack has a plant.
Gameplay in Crystal Creations
With the new Crystal Creations, the Stuff Pack has more gameplay options for Simmers. The pack is centered around the new hobby and skill of gemology, which offers Simmers another opportunity for gameplay and skills. We have the crystals in the base, which are used as collectibles in the base game, but with this pack, there are way more options. There are three new crystals and three new metals your Sims can find; jade, amber, moonstone, silver, gold, and rose gold.
Side note: For all you romantics and storytellers, how about a Sim proposing with a crafted ring? How much more romantic do you get than that?
How To Get Crystals
You can find crystals worldwide by digging, picking them up, or buying non-rare ones. The scientist career path with the Get to Work Pack is another way a Sim can get crystals. If you don’t want to go hunting, purchase crystals through the computer, phone, or crafting station.
For me personally, the family I am playing lives in Chestnut Ridge, and I only find a few crystals every couple of Sim days, so I have been using the random design for $300 to level up and create.
If you cut a gem into a seed, you can plant it to grow more crystals. I think the crystal tree is incredibly gorgeous, but of course, the benefits of having a crystal tree are also a big bonus to a jewelry crafter!
Craft Jewelry & Cut Gems
Simmers with this pack can now craft jewelry. The one feature I love is that you can gift the jewelry to other Sims. This adds a bit more personalization and can be sentimental in the process. Forty-eight jewelry styles can be crafted, but you get to pick the metal and gem for each, so there are many customizable options!
There are quite a few different cuts of gems. Before this pack, I always sent mine away to be cut and made displays of them as, aside from selling them, there was not much to do with them, and they were pretty. Now, with the Crystal Creations Stuff Pack, there are many more shapes to select from when cutting a crystal. For example, you can now cut into a skull, star, heart, or gnome. Of course, the forms open up as you progress through your level of gemology, but you still start with a couple.
The Process
So, how does your Sim make jewelry? Well…, the first step is to have your SIM purchase a workbench through the build/buy menu. From there, you can cut gemstones, make jewelry you pick the metal and gems of, or create random jewelry. All of these processes will give you skill points in gemology. Of course, your Sim can also order books through the bookshelf to gain skill points.
You can find gems and metals or buy non-rare ones. Once you create something, you can charge it, sell it from your inventory, give it as a gift, open a jewelry shop, or sell the item on Ploppsy. Of course, the quality and materials of the jewelry piece will determine its final value.
If you gift the item or keep it for your Sim, you can put it on, just like in Nifty Knitting, by clicking on the item in your inventory. So you do not need to go into Create A Sim or CAS to put on the crafted jewelry!
Charge Crystals
Crystals and jewelry can also be charged to boost or impact moodlets. I found this helpful in achieving specific activities or for teens not to get so frequently embarrassed. All you do is pop the crystals or jewelry on the charging pad outside, and your crystals are charged in a couple of Sim days, pending the moon cycle. Different moons have different impacts on charging. On average, it is about two Sim days. You can place up to seven items, and the charging duration is from 7pm to 7am. It will glow, so you know it is working. The charging pad must also be placed outside as the moon needs to charge.
If you charge jewelry, your Sim will benefit if they wear it or are in the area. Crystals can be placed in pockets or areas to give the benefits of the charging. Of course, crystals do need charging occasionally, as the charge does not hold forever, but the moodlet will let you know when they need charging again if the piece is worn.
Each crystal does different things, aligning closely with common beliefs about crystal properties. For example, blue sapphire is associated with wisdom and creativity; in the game, it helps Sims gain mental skills faster and takes longer to burn out when engaging in mental skills.
New Cheats
Of course, a new pack means new cheats, right? I mean, we don’t ever cheat, do we? We ABSOLUTELY do! So first, to cheat, you need to turn your cheats on CTRL + SHIFT + C, and a little box will come up. Just type testingcheats true. Then, once cheats are enabled, you can enter cheat codes! If you need a list of more cheats, check out my blog on Cheats in The Sims 4 HERE.
stats.set_skill_level Major_Gemology 10
You can change the number between 1 and 10, but this will increase your Gemology skill to that number, 10 being the highest.
traits.equip_trait attuned
The above cheat charges all your crystals on your active Sim.
traits.equip_trait appraiser
This cheat gives your Sim the Appraiser trait, which allows your Sim to sell crystals to a museum for even more money!
Bugs
There are some reported bugs with this pack and the most recent update. The most commonly reported ones are stacks of brooms, wands, lightsaber crystals, and ingredients crashing games or throwing errors. You can find this bug report HERE. Another reported bug is that after putting on self-made jewelry, Sims’ bodies become distorted, and you can find out about this bug HERE. There are a few other bugs reported. However, these are the more common ones I have seen on social media posts. I have yet to encounter any of these bugs, but before installing the pack, I did not have any wands, brooms, or lightsaber crystals on my Sims.
Summary
Overall, I think the Crystal Creations Stuff Pack has a lot of content for a pack. Really, the only thing it is missing is some more building items, but given what it is, I think what it has is definitely more than expected from a Stuff Pack. The jewelry options alone are exciting, and I have enjoyed the gameplay with this pack. I generally like to make crafty Sims who make a living from crafting, farming, and ranching, so this pack fits my playstyle quite well, and I am enjoying it!
Keep up with more Sims stuff and what I’m up to at @TSR Jezi.
If you would like to read more reviews, please check out the Goth Galore & Castle Estates Kit Review, Grunge Revival Kit Review, Pool Side Splash Kit Review, or the For Rent Pack Review.
