Are ya ready for some maths, kids? Strap in, because we're looking at how much it would cost to buy the entire Sims 4 catalogue. Granted, these prices will only be accurate for about five minutes as EA pumps out new kits every few milliseconds, it seems - while I was researching and writing this piece, we got three new kits. Three! In the space of as many weeks!
Let's say you get a new Steam Deck, and you really want to play The Sims 4 in all its glory - or you want to buy it all for a partner, a friend, a family member, whoever. You're going to need a purse full of pennies to do so. Below, we've calculated the cost of the 20 expansion packs, 12 game packs, 20 stuff packs, and (currently) 53 kits - with and without bundle discounts. Occasionally, there are sales on Steam, but since they aren't permanent, we haven't included them here.
In case you're not sure of the different types of DLC that come with The Sims, let me quickly explain. You can get the base game for free, which allows you to make Sims and houses, but not much else. You can get expansion packs, which are the biggest items of DLC, that add a new world with a theme, plenty of activities, furniture, decoration items, and clothing. Seasons, High School Years, and Snowy Escape are some examples.
Game packs are a little smaller, described officially as "medium-sized" packs that add themed experiences, still with a new area, clothing, and decor. Vampires, StrangerVille, and Spa Day are quintessential options. Moving on, we have the stuff packs, which, as the name suggests, add a load of stuff to build, buy, and create-a-Sim modes. Some add gameplay elements, such as the Paranormal pack.
Finally, we have kits. These are more affordable pieces of DLC made either by EA or in collaboration with creators like Pierism and Plumbella. They either add create-a-Sim or build/buy items centred around a theme. To keep this article from being 7k pages long, I've omitted lists of every pack and kit's name - but you can see them all on Wikipedia, Steam, or the Sims website.
Here's a breakdown of how much each type of DLC costs:
- Expansion packs cost:
- 20 current expansion packs at $39.99 / £34.99 each
- Total price: $799.80 / £699.80
- Game packs cost:
- 12 current game packs at $19.99 / £17.99 each
- Total price: $239.88 / £215.88
- Stuff packs cost:
- 20 current stuff packs at $9.99 / £8.99 each
- Total price: $199.80 / £179.80
- Kits cost:
- 53 current kits at $4.99 / £4.99 each
- Total price: $264.48 / £263.48
And now, a drumroll if you please - here's the total cost of buying every single piece of The Sims 4 content:
- Full price cost with free base game: $1,507.95 / £1,362.95
Fun fact: if you purchased the base game for its full, original price of £49.99 / $39.99, your total would be a bit more. Yes, before it was free, the base game alone cost nearly 50 of your local currency.
- Full price cost with paid base game: $1,547.94 / £1,412.94
To save you some pennies, you can make use of EA's bundles. They don't save tons of money, but they can help a bit.
There are five bundles available in the game right now, consisting of an expansion pack, a game pack, and either a stuff pack or a kit - except the Bikini Bottom bundle, which is the two SpongeBob-flavored kits only.
Available bundles:
- Love and Family bundle - $59.99/£44.99 (one expansion pack, two game packs)
- Decorator's Dream bundle - $49.99/£44.99 (one expansion pack, one game pack, and a kit)
- Everyday Sims bundle - $49.99/£44.99 (one expansion pack, one game pack, and a kit)
- Pet Lovers bundle - $49.99/£44.99 (one expansion pack, one game pack, and a stuff pack)
- Bikini Bottom bundle - $9.99/£8.99 (two kits)
Taking these into account, here's the total cost when buying all of the bundles, and then the full-priced pieces of DLC not included in them:
- $1,386.03 / £1,253.33
For 107 bits of content, that evens out to around $12 each. In conclusion, this is an eye-watering amount of money, even if it covers a literal decade of DLC and add-ons. The cheapest way to get all of The Sims 4 content (legally) is to buy all of EA's bundles, and then each expansion, kit, and pack separately.
How much have you spent on Sims over the years? Do these totals make you feel like you've spent a lot, or not much at all? I'm firmly in one camp, but I'll let you decide which, considering The Sims has been a favorite game of mine since I was about eight years old.