Disabling Seasions But Keeping its Stuff - Want to disable weather or make plants in season year-round? You can do so with my new Seasons Tuner Mod
Improving Sims 4: The past month, I've spent every day tinkering The Sims 4, making quality of life improvements, gameplay changes, and new difficulty settings for the game. If you'd like to learn more about my project, visit the post on Patreon where you can download it now.
Custom Content brings additional hair, objects, and other downloads to the game. Mods expand on the gameplay or alter it in some way.
Note about Mod Help
Do not bother asking us for help with mod/cc issues. Go to the mod author on a forum/site they frequent or where they host their content. The mod author knows their work and can help you better than us, additionally they may appreciate bug reports!
A tutorial teaching players how to install custom content and mods for The Sims 4 via a pair of examples, also seeks to define the different meanings between the two.
About Mods and Custom Content
Mods and Custom Content are wildly popular among Sims 4 players, but if you're new to the franchise you may be unaware what treasures await those who ravenously scour the web for the latest downloads. There is far more free content available to download than is included in the base game and all game/stuff packs combined. In this guide, I'll teach you how to install CC and mods, explain what they are and offer some direction on where to go from here by providing links to sites where you can binge-download CC for your game.
What is CC?
Custom Content is simple compared to mods, thought they can sometimes take as much time to make. CC is hair, textures, objects, and clothing that can be downloaded and easily added to your game. You'll find everything from wall patterns, to dressers, earrings, and beautiful flowing gowns. Since CC creators don't have to think about system requirements like Maxis does, and can also sink more time into each piece, they can make truly beautiful additions to the game that greatly enhance the graphics (especially in the case of hair) and increase the number of options available to the player. More options and better looking swag are what CC is all about.
Modthesims.info is one of the best sites out there for downloading both CC and Mods for The Sims
What are Mods
Mods are game modifications to the Sims 4, pure and simple. Practically any game that is moddable has mods. They may enhance a feature, or introduce entirely new features. Mod creators work hard to make sure their content is stable and adds the functionality that is described when they share it with the Sims community. Some mods greatly enhance gameplay, make minor adjustments to how things work (like how often objects break), or simply fix something that irritates a lot of players. Mod creators sometimes fix bugs before EA does, and may at times be more in tune with the community's desires for how something should work. For example, door locks were released in a patch, but first came in the form of a mod.
None of these things are meant to criticize Maxis/The Sims Studio, who are doing a wonderful job developing a game that's worth modding, but when you have all the hundreds or thousands of people who partake in adjusting the game and creating custom content for it, there's naturally many more hands working to make improvements and content for it.
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Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Mods is the folder you need in order to install mods and cc. Sims/lots go inside the Tray folder.
Installing Mods in The Sims 4
The process for downloading both CC and Mods is the same, so we will cover them both at once. They are installed in Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Mods. Open Windows Explorer or Finder on Mac. Click your Documents folder, Electronic Arts, then The Sims 4. If you have trouble finding it, look for the Users folder on C:, click the User of the PC (in my case, Carl) then proceed to Documents (or My Documents) and go from there. For windows users, Documents is usually on the left in the menu as you can see in the screenshot.
In order to use CC, Mods, and Script Mods, you must first enable them in the game's options menu. For Script Mods to work, the first box must be checked. Read below to learn about Script Mods.
Turn on Mods in the Menu
Since a patch was released, players now need to enable mods through the options menu. Press ESC > Options > Other. From there, select Enable Custom Content and Mods. After a patch, you may need to turn this back on.
Similarly, for Houses that contain CC that you Cannot See in My Library using the Gallery
If you've downloaded a house from a site that isn't from the Gallery, it goes to the Library. Select View Content by > Others from the left side of the window within the My Library section of the Gallery, unless you're the one who made it. Look to the above section on enabling CC in order to see houses with CC in your library properly. On the bottom left of the Libary screen, click advanced and the 'Include Custom Content' checkbox. You'll need to do this if you've downloaded houses that contain CC from other websites. Without doing so, houses that include CC will not appear in your Library..
If you still can't find the house try turning off online features access so that gallery houses will not appear in the list, you'll see much less and it'll be easier to locate. Go to Game Options > Other from the escape menu and toggle this setting. This will in effect turn off the gallery option. This may help finding content you've added to the game, and you can turn the gallery back on afterward. (Thanks for the tip, MrsFlynn!). Otherwise, make sure the home is in the right folder by following the instruction in this guide.
The Mods Folder
Next, find or create the Mods folder. It should already be there, but if it's not you can right click in the white area within The Sims 4 folder and create a folder, being sure to name it Mods. The game automatically recognizes and attempts to utilize anything in this folder. So, once we download CC, we'll copy the files to that folder. Tip: You can have other folders inside the Mods folder, so if you'd like to separate out your CC and Mods in to separate folders, or even categorize them by object/clothing type, you can do so! Additionally, Forum member RandyH notes that it's possible to rename mods so long as you keep the .package at the end of the file name. This can make your organization even simpler, and possibly help you track things down easier. All of this is actually a good idea should you run into a mod or piece of CC that gives you trouble, so that it's easier to find and remove.
Script mods are a special type of Mod that must remain inside a zip file in order to work. You must also go to the game options menu (ESC > Game Options > Other > Script Mods Allowed) to enable them. You can see this section in the menu in the screenshot further up where you also enable normal Mods and CC.
It's worth noting there is another folder here, Tray. That folder contains the households you've created but NOT saved to the gallery. It is also where you install Sims and Lots. This folder is important regardless, so you can avoid creating or downloading them all again.
Installing
Installing is pretty much hands off and you've just got to put them in the Mods folder, but you will sometimes have to deal with zip files. Remember, script mods are NOT unzipped, but everything else should be. Newer mods may have the .ts4script extension which you can leave alone (thanks, DarkWalker). If it's a .package file, you're fine - just right click it and cut or copy it, go to the Mods folder and paste. If it's a zip, click it and look inside. Double click the zip and look at the file type of the file inside - is it a pyc or .package at the end of the file name? If the zip contains a .pyc file, it is a script mod and should remain zipped.* If it's a .package, you need to copy that and any other package files from the zip and copy them to the mods folder. Pictures and instructions inside the zip are usually unnecessary. Sometimes mod creators give you these very instructions - "Extract .package file, copy it to the Mods folder, enjoy"!
* About .pyo files - Files ending in pyo are no longer supported due to an update to the base level of python Sims 4 uses, meaning it is definitely an out of date mod if this is the case.
If you download a Sim or House/Lot from a place other than the Gallery, it will go in the Tray folder, not the Mods folder.
Backing up Saved Games, Mods, and CC
You can backup your Mods and CC just as you can Save files, and it's smart to do this in case of disaster. Copy them to another drive or a USB stick and they're safe from hard drive failure. Head to your Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4 folder. Right click each of those three important folders - Saves, Tray, and Mods. Copy them then paste in a new location, where you know to find them. Should you have to reinstall the game or wipe everything, you've got a copy of your Sims families, and kept your collection of CC and Mods. These are precious because it takes time to build up a collection, and losing dozens of downloads can be a major nuisance.
Sims 4 Mod Manager
There is an option for those of you who do not want to deal with unzipping files and would like the ability to easily enable/disable mods. Raxdiam's Sims 4 Mod Manager is a solution for that. It's got a lot of features, is fairly easy to use, and if you explore the site you can even find a video explaining how to use it.
Lumialoversims is one of many talented custom content creators for The Sims 4.
The following are sites that are well-known for hosting CC and Mods. I want to say that I'm not responsible for anything you see or that happens as a result of using these sites. I'm putting those we're all most familiar with up top, as they're in general the best places to go to download things for Sims. Many creators have their own blogs, and they're worth following if you like their work. The two big sites up front here host many items though, and should be visited by anyone interested in expanding their game. You can then explore people's tumblr/wordpress blogs and find creators whose work you enjoy, follow them, and enjoy a better Sims game. Some CC creators specialize in hair, others clothing and some make a mix of everything.
There are many, many bloggers I'm leaving out but am just giving you a place to get started. If you like a creator's work, follow them and you'll see their various updates. If you like a particular CC creator, share the link here and give them some exposure. I'll check it out and add some of them to the list, as well.
Note about Mod Help
Do not bother asking us for help with mod/cc issues. Go to the mod author on a forum/site they frequent or where they host their content. The mod author knows their work and can help you better than us, additionally they may appreciate bug reports!
We now have a Youtube Channel with over 50 guides in video format to go along with the huge site I've already created. Check it out and consider subscribing if you like my style.
The Sims 4 Seasons expansion now has options! Want to disable weather or make plants in season year-round? You can do so with my new Seasons Tuner Mod
The past month, I've spent every day tinkering The Sims 4, making quality of life improvements, gameplay changes, and new difficulty settings for the game. If you'd like to learn more about my project, visit the post on Patreon where you can download it now.
Cottage Living Guide! Here is my guide to new features in the Sims 4 Cottage Living Expansion
You can also find handy Cottage Living Cheats
I have much more to come, since you can actually write a few guides about this pack!
Blender has been incredibly useful in video production, so I made my own Physics and Simulation Improvement Addon that lumps a ton of unique tools into one compact interface.
Snowy Escape Cheats
Lifestyles in Snowy Escape
Climb Mt. Komorebi
Sentiments in Snowy Escape
Rock Climbing
Skiing Skill
Snowboarding Skill
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.
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.
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 CheatsNew 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
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.
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.
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.
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
More videos coming soon!
Disclaimer This site is not endorsed by or affiliated with Electronic Arts, or its licensors. Trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The Sims and The Sims 4 Logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts, Inc. Game content and materials copyright Electronic Arts Inc. and its licensors. All Rights Reserved. All original Guides on this site © Carl's Guides
Comments (173)
I have to check through my CC with every patch, even the small ones, as CC can break and it is easy to not notice until days later you might see a half naked townie as the jeans (or what ever) CC is broken. Trouble is that I might have saved my game a few times since then and could be in danger of corrupting my saves. So organization and maintenance are necessary when using CC and/or Mods.
If you do not have this set up then make sure your game is patched up-to-date with the latest patch. If you are not running the latest build of the game then many things will not work correctly.
Tips on Using and Managing CC
Here's a link to some help topics. Hopefully you'll find those tips useful.
i found this world mod o someone done it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHXXZlFPaLM
You can see the house on it, few videos after he build there a new house.
So my game won't restart because of faulty cc. (I have had this problem before) So I am taking my cc out little by little to find the file. Obviously I have used the content in my game.. Now if I find the faulty one, delete it and put the others back, will it reappear in my game (like will clothes still be on my sim, objects still in my homes, etc.) or will I have to put it back? I hope this makes sense.. THANK YOU!
When you save your game without the CC being in your mods folder... that is how the game will save... CC-less. The game will save in the state that it is in at the time of saving.
Perhaps the easier way to find faulty CC is to organize your CC by folders (only one folder deep though as the game will not recognize sub folders any deeper than one) and then you can take them all out and test by folder lot rather than one item by one item.
Once you figure out which folder lot is causing the issue then you can start to narrow it down by putting half in etc.
Some good tips on organizing CC on this forum board
make sure you have place the cc and mods only one folder deep in the mods folder as the game can not recognize anything buried deeper.
How To Update Your Game
Forum Tips and How-To's