Best Mods for The Sims 4 (2022)

Considering how flexible The Sims is when it comes to employing new creative suites and ideas, mods are often a redundant feature for the life simulation game. Needless to say, when a game makes way for PC, it's pretty much destined to find a home amongst the modding community. And when you have a game as prominent as The Sims 4, mods, no matter how big or small, come expected, whether we like it or not.

The good news here is that The Sims 4 isn't exactly short on great mods, either. In fact, there's something of a treasure trove nested deep within the modding community. And so, if you're looking to unleash a few more colorful atrocities into your vanilla copy of the game, then be sure to spool through these trending mods.

5. Careers

If you've accomplished the monumental task of ascending ever single career The Sims 4 has to offer, then you'll be pleased to know that there are a few more links in the chain to assemble, thanks to the modding community. As it stands, there are another 250+ side careers that can be enrolled in, all of which have their very own salaries, perks, and matching job titles.

If you take a look over on the Careers Page, you'll spot a wide selection of installable additions. From being a podcast host to a gynecologist, a yoga instructor to a cat whisperer — the modding firm has really broadened the careers' hinges and given its fellow curators and players another ocean to dabble in. So, if any of your Sims are currently in a dead end job, and their eyes are set on starting up a new venture, then you've just found your next port of call.

4. Custom Food Interactions

If you've exhausted all your meal options and the takeaway pizzas just aren't cutting it like they used to, then you'll be happy to know that there's a whole world of culinary art stuffed inside the Custom Food Interactions mod. Installing it will, at least in the long run, open up a whole nexus of fresh flavors and exciting cuisines for your Sims to experiment with.

Crafting custom meals works the same way as any other regular plate: in the fridge, or on the stove. By purchasing ingredients and infusing a little of your own culinary intelligence into the mix, you'll find that a whole world of hearty food can come to light. With that, you should definitely think about unlocking your inner gourmet chef — especially if you're family is getting a little tired of eating hot pots and porridge.

3. Emotional Interia

There are two types of players: those who enjoy battling their characters' inner demons, and those who would much rather bottle them up. And let's face it, keeping on top of emotions in The Sims 4 is, without a doubt, one of the worst parts of the game. Once you get a handle on it, though, you build up a certain repertoire, which then helps you become a much more successful all-rounder citizen.

Anyway, there's a mod that actually makes emotions a little more, shall we say, life-like. And installing it actually means having to put double the amount of work into battling those very demons just to keep heads above water. So, if you want to add a few extra layers and an emotional firewall to your Sims, then be sure to bundle in this simple yet effective mod.

2. More CAS Traits

Traits are one of the few things that define Sims and their shared drive to prosper. Thanks to Maxis forever unloading new Traits to the table, budding creators have been able to forge countless one-of-a-kind Sims, all of whom come with their own personalities and agendas. And yet, even Maxis' knack for adding Traits at a fairly high speed still isn't quite enough to satisfy the needs of one incredibly ravenous community. Fortunately, though, there's a mod for that.

More CAS Traits is a mod that lets you experiment with a number of new personality styles and goals for your Sims and their beloved pets. In short, this means you can make your children winter-loving kleptomaniacs, or your pet poodles skittish and territorial little beasts. And that's barely scratching the surface of what the weighty mod adds to the base game. And so, if you're wanting to get a little creative with your Sims, then here's how you can do it.

1. Brookheights Open World

We can't pretend that we've never once thought about pleading with Maxis to at least consider making The Sims open world — because we have, countless times. But as it remains, The Sims 4 is not an open world game. That said, it does have the tools to become something of the sort, though it certainly seems that EA is pretty set on keeping it the way it has been for generations. Just as well there's a mod that does the polar opposite, then.

Brookheights is a mod that transforms the whole of The Sims 4 into a living, breathing playground that operates like a fully functioning open world RPG. By adding a new biome named Brookheights to the vanilla world, The Sims 4 practically doubles in size. It also features its own story mode, along with a selection of local landmarks and unique characters for you to engage with. In essence, it's a game within a game, which basically makes it one of the most essential mods on the market.

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our top five The Sims 4 mods? Are there any that you'd recommend installing? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.