Sims 4 Mermaids

Island Living Expansion Pack

The Sims 4 Mermaids
Mermaids in The Sims 4

Mermaids are a new feature in The Sims 4 Island Living and get a few unique powers and abilities. Let's go over how to become a mermaid, how to get back to normal if you no longer wish to be a Mermaid, and what exactly their abilities do when used on other Sims.

Other Island Living Guides

The Sims 4 Island Living Expansion Pack
Mermaids in Island Living New
Island Living Cheats
Features to Know About in The Sims 4 Island Living
Features in Island Living (Video Format) NEW
Conservationist Career Guide
Cleaning Up The Island - How it Works and What's Best
Using New Foundations, Clear Floors, and Other Build Mode Items

The Sims 4 Island Living: Mermaids Video Guide

A guide to becoming a Mermaid in The Sims 4 Island Living Expansion. Includes a summary of all their powers so you can take advantage of what Mermaids have to offer as an occult.

My Mermaids Video on Youtube

How to Become a Mermaid

Mermadic Kelp in The Sims 4
Mermadic Kelp in The Sims 4 is how you can turn your Sim into a Mermaid. It's always possible to change back to a regular Sim if you like.

You become a Mermaid by acquiring Mermadic Kelp. This is accessible via the Rewards menu for a mere 500 Satisfaction, a fact I find rather boring. You can also find the kelp while diving at deep water buoys and while exploring the "hidden" cave on the Island of Mua Pel'am. Both of these options rely on heavily random events in order to get a kelp, so you're probably better off buying them in the rewards store. However you may wish to acquire more, because they give pretty decent buffs.

When you eat the Kelp with a Sim, that Sim gets a 'Strange Sensation'. Enter the water, and you'll become a Mermaid. If you avoid the water for 24h your Sim will not turn. Simply head into the ocean and you'll transform into a Mermaid.

Playing a Mermaid

A Mermaid bathes in The Sims 4 Island Living Expansion Pack. This replenishes their Hydration.
A Mermaid bathing in The Sims 4 Island Living. Bathing does replenish Hydration, so a Mermaid can live a mostly normal life whether at home in Sulani or Willow Creek.

When outside the water, Mermaids are mostly normally but may have access to a few of their powers. When they enter a body of water, they'll transform back to the form with a tail. Tail and fin colors can be customized in Create-a-Sim.

Mermaids are able to swim faster than a Sim with Level 10 Fitness. Their Hygiene stat is replaced with, "Hydration". This resource gradually declines while outside the water and will also deplete should you use any of the lackluster Mermaid spells that exist.

Mermaids won't dare to snorkel. Far too taboo, for them. They won't wear Scuba gear either, but they're willing to free dive and are very good at it. This makes up for the inability to snorkel, in my opinion. After all the best stuff is found deep on the ocean floor.

Note that there is no risk to your Sim if you let their Hydration go to 0. They won't die of it, they'll just stink really bad. I let mine go 24 hours and nothing happened, and she was still a Mermaid. So, how do we remove the Mermaid trait without cheating? Easy.

Changing Back to a Normal Sim

To revert to human form, you'll need two Mermadic Kelp. Eat one, and you'll get a buff - still a Mermaid, though. So it's safe for Mermaids to use them, if they only take one. However, if you eat a second it will remove the buff, and your Hygiene stat returns to normal. Enter the water, and you're a regular Sim. Return to Mermaid form by eating a kelp and answering the call of the oceans.

Mermaid Powers

A Mermaid catches a big fish in Island Living
A Mermaid catching a big fish. Mermaids make excellent divers and fishermen. The first because of their wonderful stamina in the water and bonuses when free diving, the second because they can use the Aquatic Lure spell to give a boost to a fishing spot anyone (in particular the Mermaid) can enjoy.

Important Note on Mermaid Powers: If your Sim is Good, at least 2 are not usable - Summon Ocean Threat and Siren's Call.

Explore My Mods! Color Picker for Builders, Seasons Tuner, Dine Out Reloaded and a Gameplay Overhaul! Like other modders, I've been working to make The Sims 4 a better game. Check out my many mods here!

Call Azure Dolphin

Summon Azure Dolphin is a Mermaid Power in The Sims 4 Island Living
Azure Dolphin can be thought of as a way to get the minor benefits of a Dolphin buddy for your Mermaid.

Becoming good friends with a Dolphin (Soulmate) allows you to get a 5+ hour +2 Happy moodlet from being around them. There's probably more to dolphins than I know at the moment, but I'll add to this if that changes. Being a Mermaid does mean you don't have to go out of your way or wait for dolphins to spawn. You can tell your friend to come any time you're near open water.

Summon Ocean Threat

Summon Ocean Threat is a lot like Siren's Call, pulling a Sim underwater. However, it gives the target a +2 Uncomfortable Buff. I'm not yet sure if this could contribute to making that Sim drown.

Siren's Call

-->
Siren's call is a spell in The Sims 4 Island Living
Siren's Call attracts Sims through the Singing. Do this in water where you're fully swimming but not in deep water. The Sim will be dragged under, and you'll regain +100 to all Motives.

This is seemingly only available in shallow water. With this Spell, The Sims sings seem dark-sounding melodies and proceeds to dash underwater toward their victim, pulling them under. This gives them a big +3 Stressed Moodlet, and tends to make Sims scared and leave the water. I don't know that this is really going to contribute to a death, though I kind of wish we had abilities that could be fatal. However, it's a draining spell, and Gives +100 to all the Mermaid's Motives.

Siren's Lullaby

The Siren's Lullaby is a category with four separate songs, each of which place a positive or negative Moodlet on a Sim that you targeted. All of their durations are 4 Hours.

  • Charmer's Lullaby: Removes Embarrassed Buffs and gives a +2 Flirty Moodlet
  • Inspiring Berceuse: Removes Uncomfortable Buffs and gives a +2 Inspired Moodlet
  • Aegean's Question: Removes Focused Buffs and gives a +2 Stressed Moodlet
  • Night's Requiem: Removes Energized Buffs and gives a +2 Sad Moodlet

Mermaid's Kiss

The Merfolk Kiss in The Sims 4 Island Living Expansion is a way for the Mermaid to make another Sim happy
Merfolk Kiss gives your target a Happy moodlet and says something about helping them to stay underwater longer.

Mermaid's Kiss give the target a +1 Happy moodlet. The way they do it when in the water is far more romantic, especially if it's two Mermaids doing the kissing.

Fishing Lure

The Mermaid Spell Aquatic Lure in The Sims 4 Island Living Expansion Pack
Aquatic Lure is a spell in The Sims 4 Island Living Expansion Pack

Use this on a Fishing Spot. Now you are more likely to catch fish instead of seaweed. It also gives a boost to effective Skill Level for that Sim's Fishing.

Weather Control

If you have Seasons installed, clicking your Mermaid gives you a menu with three different types of weathers, perhaps changing throughout the year. I know that I was able to summon rain, a thunderstorm, or clear the skies. The Mermaid pulls out a conch to do this spell - it's pretty cool.

Other Island Living Guides

The Sims 4 Island Living Expansion Pack
Mermaids in Island Living New
Mermaids Video New
Island Living Gameplay Review
Island Living Cheats
Features to Know About in The Sims 4 Island Living
Features in Island Living (Video Format) NEW
Conservationist Career Guide
Conservationist Video Guide
Cleaning Up The Island - How it Works and What's Best
Child of the Islands Trait New
Child of the Ocean Trait New
Using New Foundations, Clear Floors, and Other Build Mode Items

How You Can Support The Site and Channel

If you like my sites and Youtube Channel, consider supporting me on Patreon to help me to continue.

Back to The Top


Check Out My Youtube Channel!

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.


Add Comment

* Required information
2000

Comments (17)

Gravatar
New
Natarumasays...
Hello! I know the expansion is extremely new, so people are still discovering things about it, but I wanted to just put the question out there in case anyone else is playing as well. Do mermaids always feel bad when they eat fish? It seems like mine doesn't like to either catch them or eat them, which seems kind of strange to me, but he gets an uncomfortable moodlet from eating fishy dishes and when he caught a fish it said he felt bad for harming a fish.
Gravatar
New
xStarryxsays...
It's the new trait 'ocean of child' that causes the discomfort and sad moodlet towards fish. I thought it was because they were mermaid too until I made a second one without that trait and they didn't mind fishing or eating fish. I hope that helps you! Smile
Gravatar
New
Natarumasays...
Yes! I figured it out after a while, thank you! I had to remove it from my mermaid because it didn't make sense, although that's kind of a bummer :( I like that they would get enjoyment out of water activities. Ah well!
Gravatar
Senior
Brian Zsays...
Mermadic Kelp in the rewards store? Not in my game.
Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...
If you have Island Living it will be there for 500 points.
Gravatar
Senior
Brian Zsays...
I do, and it isn't.
Gravatar
New
Pennsays...
If you have a mod that adds lifetime rewards, or discounts them, etc. which hasn't been updated for Island Living, then the Kelp won't appear; I had a similar issue – I didn't know Seasons had any rewards until I discovered them through a cheat because of an outdated mod.
Gravatar
Senior
Brian Zsays...
Ah ha, that's why! I have the Immortal and Eternal Youth reward traits mod, that's probably what's doing it.
Gravatar
Senior
Brian Zsays...
Sure enough, that's what it was, the Eternal Youth/Immortal mod.
Gravatar
New
Ezrasays...
Would it be possible to put up a gallery of all tail colors? I’ve been looking and I can’t find one.
Gravatar
New
Externicasays...
One thing I'd like to add to Siren's Call, since it's only implied in the article:
The Sim this action is used on is indeed drained. Almost every parameter of the Sim is in the reds. Hunger adn Energy, though, is deep orange. Bad idea, if used on a Sim you control.
I tested it with my mermaid sim on his spouse to see, what would happen. She survived, so no worries.
And, well, it can be used as a killing move, since energy and hunger drop very low. Just wait until the victim drowns (or starves to death). Though AI controlled islanders will leave.

Also, all mermaid powers have a cooldown. Once used, you have to wait for a set amount of time before using the command again. It's even greyed out.
Also, Siren's Call can not be used on children. oNt sure if it can be used on teens, havn't tried it yet.
Gravatar
New
Poseidonsays...
Can you woodoo and marry a mermaid?
Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...
Yes you can woohoo, marry and have children with mermaids, with the children between a normal sim and a mermaid having a 50/50 chance at being either.
Gravatar
New
MisterRavensays...
I believe if you have the Forever Fresh trait, the hydration bar will not go down.
Gravatar
New
Neanerathsays...
It's worth mentioning that mermaids can't take sunbaths (which makes it impossible to complete one of the steps for the first milestone of the new aspiration without using cheats) and they can't use the new ocean ladder.
Gravatar
Regular
Ambersays...
My mermaids are able to sunbathe!
Gravatar
Regular
catsays...
Mermaids can sunbathe as long as they have a natural skin color.
Gravatar
New
PrincessFire13says...

You can sunbathe you simply have to be in the water... it’s the same action almost as sleeping in the water. Click a body of water, hit more options then sunbathe and sleep should be available.

Gravatar
Regular
Zerosays...
Finally another lifestate and it's a mermaid and pretty lackluster at that too Sad so how many more YEARS until we get college and a witch/wizard lifestate
Gravatar
New
EagleHeartsays...

This comment is hilarious in retrospect because it was months later that we got both with the next expansion and game pack.

Gravatar
New
Hayleesays...
Hi I was wondering do mermaids tails appear when in the hot tubs?
Gravatar
New
PrincessFire13says...

Nope! Tried this out myself. No tail in the hot tub, though it may be a glitch mine doesn’t have a tail in the bath either and I was fairly sure they do there.

Gravatar
New
Tammysays...
If you get a sim to admit they're a mermaid, is anything supposed to show up to indicate it in the relationship panel? I had my sim ask a good friend if she was a mermaid, and she confirmed it. But nothing showed up in the relationship panel as it would for known aliens and vampires. If nothing changes in the relationship panel, is this just a question the same sim can ask the mermaid every couple of conversations and have it confirmed over and over again?
Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...
Nothing shows in the relationship panel but what unlocks is your sim now will have the ability to see all the NPC mermaids with tails while they are swimming in the water. Up until you have the first mermaid finally confess that 'yes they are a mermaid'... the NPC mermaids just look like ordinary sims swimming with legs. This is why it seems as though there are no NPC mermaids in Sulani..you have to unlock the 'special' ability to see them in mer-form.
What also has unlocked is a new friendly social that now allows your sim to share the fact that mermaids exist (Friendly Social). Any sim your sim tells about the existence of mermaids will now also be able to see their tails in the water.
So you do not need to get other mermaids to confess, you'll be able to tell just by glancing at them in a swimming pool, ocean or a bath.
Gravatar
New
Anousays...
Are mermaids immortal? Can’t find anything about it and my mermaid is an elder and just won’t die. She didn’t fulfill any aspirations that prolong life or anything... so I’m clueless why she’s still alive.
Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...
No, some sims can take up to 20 elder days to die, even longer if they have the Athletic Trait and/ or high fitness levels. And I'm assuming the mermaid does have high fitness levels from all the swimming they probably have been doing.
(Note: any sim type - not just mermaids- with the Athletic Trait will live longer in the elder stage, and again, longer yet of they have the Athletic trait + high fitness levels)
Gravatar
New
Anousays...
Hm, she was way over the normal time so I gave her two mermaid things to eat. (Don’t know what they are called in English) She turned human and died right there of old age. So it must have had something to do with the mermaid occult.
Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...
I don't think it is an occult thing. The code is clear that longer elder stage is related to active trait and a combination of high fitness levels or completing the Body Builder aspiration. Changing the life state during elder-hood and then dying was probably just a coincidence tbh. I'll ask Carl to double check though.
Gravatar
New
MamaNewBSimssays...

Hello, I am playing sims 4 on the xbox one. I'm trying to get one of my child sims to eat mermadic kelp from the rewards shop. There is no eat option! Just place in world. So, can a child not eat mermadic kelp? My real life daughter (7y) is sad :(

Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...

That is correct, in The Sims 4 only teens and up can become or be made into supernaturals. So once your child sim becomes a teenager they will be able to eat the kelp.

Gravatar
New
Marlena Krafvesays...

If your Sim is already a Spellcaster are they unable to become a mermaid? I had her eat the kelp, and nothing happened.

Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...

I 'thought' they could...did you walk your spellcaster into the ocean or a pool afterwards to see if they changed?

Gravatar
New
Nehasysays...

Anyone else having a problem with the mermaid getting locked into one form? I have some mermaids walking around on tails, and a few who refuse to turn back into mermaids, though they still swim as if they have a tail.

Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...

There are a lot of active bugs with mermaids. Too many to list here so I'll link you to the Bug Reports themselves Mermaid Bugs

Gravatar
New
PrincessFire13says...

Ok so I’ve been playing a mermaid, by design no kelp involved, for a few days (in Sims time) and there’s a negative buff of discomfort -Dried scales. I’ve now spent 24 sim hours in water. And it’s still there... anyone have any clue how to fix this??? The usual debug and need CC is not helping.

Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...

Sadly mermaids are quite buggy. Here's a list of all the current Official Bug Reports on mermaids so that might help you to read through them and ad a 'Me Too' or if you're lucky find a workaround.

Gravatar
New
Christopher john M. Metrasays...

Please

Gravatar
New
FELIX C. Gantangsays...

Plss give a a sims mermaid pack I'm begging



Make Seasons Better!

Sims 4 Seasons CheatsThe 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

  • Disable Seasons individually
  • Always Sunny! Set to Base Game Weather
  • Grow Year Round - Make Plants Always in Season!
  • Healthy Year Round - No more Winter twigs
  • Disable Color Changes - on ALL Plants & Trees
  • Disable Fall Leaves
  • Disable Ground Snow
  • Keep the Stuff You Paid For!

A Deeper Game

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

The Sims 4 Cottage LivingCottage 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!

Calling all Blender Users

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.

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.

Search my Sims 4 Site

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.