FAMILY MATTERS IN THE SIMS 4 GROWING TOGETHER EXPANSION PACK

Family tales are those beloved stories and memories you pass on to future generations. Some stories can fill our hearts. Some stories are teachable moments that can leave you with a house full of drama. No matter the scenario, a strong family bond can provide you with the support needed to make it through life’s toughest moments. 

In The Sims™ 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack, players will have the opportunity to explore that familial bond through various Sim dynamics, watching as their Sims grow up–beginning at a new infant life stage–and grow old and hitting new precious milestones within their families. 

Pull up a chair, have we got a story for you!

SAN SEQUOIA, THE BAYFRONT TOWN OF THE SIMS 4

Hello neighbors.  Welcome to the picturesque world of San Sequoia! This coastal region is located along a beautiful ocean bay, perfect for families and packed with a ton of outdoor open space for family gatherings and for children to play. Sims can explore three neighborhoods in San Sequoia: Anchorpoint Wharf, Gilbert Gardens and a relaxed residential locale, Hopewell Hills, which has a slower pace that seamlessly mixes elements of modern and traditional craftsman-style homes. We certainly love the beautiful and elegant design of a craftsman-style home!

With so much to do, your Sims’ family will have the perfect outing at the Urban Park where they can walk in a group, learn to ride a bicycle, jog or even hike on a nature path along the Gilbert Garden's lake. Your Sim can enjoy the views, play on a playground, take it slow and go fishing with the grandparents, watch a movie at the wharf's refurbished theater, grab a bite to eat along the pier, visit the library filled with children’s books, or even splish and splash at Whalebert's public splash pad play area.

INFANTS, INFANTS, INFANTS

We’ve heard and seen all of your requests for new infants, and we are elated to deliver on this new life stage that will offer true cross-generational gameplay. In this free base game update, you will have the chance to create and modify infants in CAS with the opportunity to show off a wide range of clothing, accessories and hairstyles, adopt an infant, age up from a newborn to an infant to a toddler, change an infant’s diaper, give the infant a nap, put the infant to sleep and more! Infants will also have the ability to express needs, emotions and sentiments. Caring for an infant is intense, and just like real life, there's little time or energy for your Sim’s own needs!

Adding more depth and gameplay to the lifestage, among other life stages including toddler and children, The Sims 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack will add more choice and opportunity for your growing Sims by bringing up a Sim through new infant milestones. These milestones both highlight the way your Sims are growing up, as well as gain new abilities that open up the world around them for social interaction and exploration. Caregivers will have new ways of playing and caring for their infants with the Changing Station and Infant Playmat, as well as being able to carry them on their backs out into our family-friendly urban world. So let’s celebrate our new infants with a baby shower event! 

We are also adding 18 discoverable Infant Quirks that change an infant’s behavior. With three Quirks per infant, each infant is bound to be unique! Some quirks include: Self-soother, Early Rise, Messy Eater, Frequently Hiccups, Gassy, Good Appetite, Snuggly Sleeper, Happy Spitter, Free-Air Tinkler and more. 

You can learn more about Infants, the brand new age coming to all players in The Sims 4 base game update, as well as how the Growing Together Expansion Pack adds even more that will fundamentally change the way you'll play with Infants on Friday, March 3, 2023 at 11am PDT on Twitch and YouTube.

MORE FAMILY INTERACTIONS

There are plenty of new ways to interact with all the members of your family and lots of new content for different age groups. Most Sim Elders enjoy a good power walk around the park, a puzzle at the Recreation Center, or their role as caretaker of the family Keepsake Box. They're the best at Giving Life Lessons, Reminiscing on Good Times, and sneaking treats. Sometimes they even have a favorite grandchild! Speaking of grandchildren...

Toddlers are getting quite the update in this pack. As with Infants, we are adding 18 discoverable Toddler Quirks that change a Toddler’s behavior. These are discovered over time and make each Toddler unique, beyond their traits! Some examples include: Aggressive, Picky Eater, Early Riser, Little Singer, Good Appetite, Loves Water, Hates Bedtime, Loves being Carried and more.

Children also are getting a lot of attention! For the first time, Children have received four new Aspirations: Slumber Party Animal, Mind and Body, Playtime Captain and Creative Genius. With all the new content for kids in this pack (the Treehouse, Splash Pad, Bike, Sleeping Bag, Slumber Parties, Friendship Bracelets, and more) there's plenty to aspire towards. Just make sure to keep their confidence high! Or don't, but we know you'd never hurt a child's confidence. Right. Riiight? Because just like lost teeth, Childhood Confidence is also an aspect of growing up that every Child Sim faces in this pack!

GROWTH IN MILESTONES

Through Sims’ experiences and relationships, players will begin to encounter Milestones, which will provide a way of showing players their Sims’ current growth, as well as their lifelong touchstones that continue to impact them as they age. These include overcoming a career obstacle, getting let go from a job, having a midlife crisis, having the family move in and so much more. 

Bringing up new Sims will be filled with new Infant Milestones that highlight the ways in which your Sims grow up and provide a guide for players through the new infancy gameplay - making each Milestone feel like a brand new and exciting experience every time.

FAMILY DYNAMICS

Our Growing Together Expansion Pack also includes a new social compatibility feature, which introduces new ways of socializing that will feel different with each Sim, leading to deeper, more meaningful relationships with family and friends. Maybe specific family members are jokesters together or maybe they are competitive. Watch your Sims’ family grow more complex before your eyes.

(A note for clarity from The Sims team as of 2/6/2023) The Sims family tree is a functionality that already exists in game. In an earlier version of this article, this sentence stated that the family tree will reflect more complex family relationships.

Your Sim will now have preferences that determine who they are socially compatible with and who are their sworn enemies! As your Sim experiences life, there will be opportunities for both drama and unity that will ultimately affect family dynamics and your Sims’ relationships.

Preorder The Sims 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack now to start playing immediately when it launches on March 16, 2023 on PC via EA app™, Mac® via Origin, and Steam®, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One systems. The Sims 4 has officially launched on the Epic Games Store as well, another download destination for this Expansion Pack.

If you purchase the Growing Together Expansion Pack anytime from February 2 - April 27, you’ll have access to our Outdoor Playtime Digital Content, where you can help your parent or child Sims have fun and active lives with a swing set, toddler slide and infant carrier.