The Sims 4: City Livingwas released on June 27, 2025 and is the third expansion pack inThe Sims 4franchise. As the name implies, this expansion focuses on the bustling life of a large city, where there is always something to do, and each neighborhood is full of activity compared to a small town. With this pack, players can enjoy city life to its fullest by exploring new locations, participating in various activities, and attending festivals with friends or alone.
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Regarding the core features,The Sims 4: City Livingis similar toThe Sims 2: Apartment LifeandThe Sims 3: Late Night, offering some of the best game-play features of its predecessors. The most significant feature of this pack is the return of apartments as residential lots, allowing players to enjoy the hustle and bustle of city living. City Living is considered one ofthe best expansion packsthe game has to offer and is a must-have for any player who prefers city life over the peace and quiet of a townhouse.
Sources for this article and its images includeEA.comandSimsCommunity.com.
Everything New In A Nutshell
Apartments
Apartments have long been a highly-anticipated feature of the Sims Franchise, and now, with the release of City Living, they are available inThe Sims 4for the first time. Players can rent one of 21 apartments located in various neighborhoods of San Myshuno, with varying rental costs - making them ideal for new players who do not want their Sims to invest all their starting money into a house, while also providing an exciting experience for wealthier Sim playthroughs who can afford to move into a luxurious apartment right away. The Landlord NPC is added to the game as part of the apartment system, acting like a repairman, checking up on the house periodically to make sure everything is functioning properly.
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Living in an apartment brings about the opportunity to get to know more of your neighbors, as they live much closer than in a house. This can be a great chance to make new connections and friendships. In general, Sims are able to chat with their neighbors at the door, or even enter their apartments after a loading screen. Neighbors can sometimes be noisy and cause some disruption, for example, if the Sim is trying to sleep. If so, Sims can knock on their neighbor’s door to complain about the noise. Sims can give other Sims access to their apartment at any time they wish by giving them their apartment keys. This allows for convenient and easy access for friends and family.
When it comes to the building aspect of apartments, they are more limiting than other residential lots. Generally, players cannot alter the external features such as windows or outer walls, unless they have the T.O.O.L mod installed. However, players are allowed to make their own changes within the walls of the apartment, with a few minor restrictions based on some lot traits.
Penthouses
Penthouses are a unique lot of the City Living Pack and, more specifically, of San Myshuno. There are only three of them available. Generally, penthouses are residential lots adapted for city living, as they are owned, not rented. Furthermore, penthouses have fewer building requirements than apartments and players can freely decorate the outdoor and indoor spaces as they would with any other residential lot, making it as unique as they want. The only limitation is that players must add an elevator, a recycle bin, and a mailbox for the penthouse to be playable.
As these penthouses are situated on top of decorative buildings, Sims don’t have any neighbors, and it’s not possible to divide the penthouse space into smaller apartments. This makes them quite private, but it doesn’t reflect the city living aspect as well as apartments do. However, it is still a great option for players who want to be in the center of the action while having the freedom to build as they wish.
San Myshuno
San Myshuno, the new world added inThe Sims 4: City Living, is a world packed with lots of activities to explore. With a closer look, players will notice that there are actually 30 lots in total, making it currently the biggest world inThe Sims 4. Not only is it big, but it also has many unique features to offer, making it one of thebest worlds in the game. From the apartments to the parks, there is something for every Sim to enjoy.
Alongside offering apartments to live in, the best part about San Myshuno is its reflection of modern cities around the world, such as Tokyo, Shanghai, and New York. Players can enjoy a stunning view of the coast and river, as well as a diverse range of activities and pre-made Sims, as expected from any multicultural city. The world is divided into four distinct neighborhoods - the Arts Quarter, Spice Market, Fashion District, and Uptown - each with their own unique theme or festivals to explore. New Venue types, namely, Arts Center and Karaoke Bars are also added with this expansion and available as pre-built lots in this world.
Festivals
AfterThe Sims 3: Seasons, Festivals make a return with City Living, and are held regularly in the new city of San Myshuno.Later on, the Snowy Escape and Cottage Living expansion packs also add new festivals in their respective worlds. Five unique festivals take place in the various neighborhoods of San Myshuno respectively, throughout the two-week cycle. If a festival is held in played Sims current neighborhood, it can be visited without any loading screen; however, traveling to a festival in another neighborhood will involve a loading screen. Players can stay informed about each festival and their activities, times, and other important events by checking the apartment building bulletin boards and dynamic signs in San Myshuno, as well as by keeping track ofthem on the calendar.
When a festival is about to begin, players will be notified and Sims can teleport to the festival grounds if they are not already in the neighborhood where the festival is held. Additionally, Sims may receive a phone call from another Sim, inviting them to attend the festival. Players can either decline or accept the invitation and join the festival either by themselves or with other Sims. During the festivals, Sims can take part in various activities, enjoy the festivities, and meet new Sims. At the festival location, there will be various objects and activities to enjoy. However, once the festival ends, these objects and activities will despawn. There are generic objects such as food and swag stands that come with the new NPC-type vendors, allowing Sims to purchase a variety of food and merchandise. While these are common to all festivals, the selection of goods differs depending on the type of festival. There are also festival-specific objects that depend on the activities that take place during the festivals. Most of these objects can be purchased from the buy menu.
Humor and Hijinks
Arts Quarter
Monday 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Sims join a competition where they choose a side either as a Jokester or a Prankster and complete related activities to gather points and win.
Telling jokes as a jokester by using the mic or other fun interactions. (Comedy Skill) Doing pranks as a prankster by using mischief interactions. (Mischief Skill) Sims can also blow bubbles at the bubble bars.
Fashion District
Tuesday 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Geekcons are quite similar to gaming and pop-culture conventions where Sims can perform nerdy activities and attend competitions.
Ultimate Gaming Test - Sims are required to play multiple games to win the competition. (Video Gaming Skill) Hackathon - Sims can use the glowing computers to participate in this competition. (Programming Skill) Some sims will appear as cosplayers that other Sims can interact with. Sims can explore the space by building a rocket or using the pre-built rocket available at the festival.
Spice Market
Friday 5:00 PM – 1:00 AM
Spice festival is a food-focused event which all about experiencing new food and spices.
Spice Curry challenge is the main event of this festival, where Sims will be eating the spicy curry. Sims who are familiar with spices can have an easy time in this challenge whereas the ones who fail will have an uncomfortable moodlet. Sims can also enjoy bubble bars, collect harvestables such as herbs, cook and purchase spices.
Saturday 5:00 PM – 1:00 AM
Romance festival is perfect for Sims that want to have some fun interactions related to their love lives, and to find their next love interest
Sims can drink Sakura Tea to get flirty moodlet, which will help with romantic interactions. Sims can talk with Romance Guru to hear about their current or future love life. Romance festival has a beautiful atmosphere with art, flowers and even a wedding arch, which Sims can use to elope.
Sunday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Flea Markets allow Sims to purchase, sell or trade items for cheaper price that buy mode. This can be a fun gameplay aspect for sims that are short on budget.
There will be tables set with random items which Sims can buy. Sims can also set up their own table to sell items. If Sims have any collectibles in their inventory, they can ask other Sims for a trade, and they will receive a random collectible of the same kind. This interaction can fail if Sims don’t have high relationship with the target Sim.
New Careers
City Living adds three new career options that suit well to living in the city. These careers are not as active as those from Get to Work, but Sims will still have more involvement in their career through the new career assignment feature.
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This requires Sims to complete tasks in different locations outside of their main job. Additionally, players now have the option for their Sims to work from home, where they must complete tasks until the next work day in order to maintain their job performance. An hour prior to work, players will get a pop-up with a phone logo which will offer the option to work from home, go to work, or take the day off.
Critic
In-game description:Everyone has an opinion. But not everyone is paid to have it! Sims who feel they have superior judgment can enter the Critic Career. Whether it’s the foods or the arts, your Sim will have something to say about it, and others WILL listen.
Critic career is an ideal option for Sims who have an interest in culinary, arts, and writing. This career has two branches: Food Critic and Arts Critic. A Food Critic will need to review the food they eat and write a review, while an Arts Critic will review art. For either branch, it is essential for the Sim to have skills in the related field to be successful. For example, for the Food Critic branch, Cooking, Gourmet Cooking and Writing skills are required, while Arts Critic requires Painting, Music or Comedy and Writing skills to be able to be promoted. Promotion rewards are generally not very impressive and usually consist of decor items.
Politician
In-game description:Join a life of public service! From protesting against the unjust, to gathering donations for good causes, or even collecting the occasional bribe as a “means to an end”, Politics is always interesting.
Politicians inThe Sims 4are passionate about good causes, providing a great opportunity for Sims that are interested in being active in the city to meet new people and make connections, as this will be required to reach their goals. To get promoted in this career, Sims must have Charisma skill and be willing to engage in many conversations with other Sims. When the Sim begins this career, they will be asked to choose a cause to pursue. The Politician career branch focuses on gaining votes to become the National Leader, while the Charity Organizer branch focuses on collecting donations for a particular cause. If players have Get Famous pack, they can organize Charity Benefit Parties, and if thesocial event is successful, they will be getting donations.
Social Media
In-game description:What’s trending? Where’s the best food in town? Who’s the most interesting celebrity?
Start a career in Social Media to be the person that answers these questions for their followers. Blog and check-in at venues to keep followers coming back for more.
Social Media career could be an exciting opportunity for Sims that are interested in getting followers and unlocking social interactions based on their career level. Sims can choose from two career branches, either Internet Personality or Public Relations. Public relations focus primarily on Charisma and Writing skills to represent the reputations of other Sims, such as friends or celebrities. Alternatively, Internet personalities act as content creators and require leveled-up skills in Charisma, Video Gaming and Comedy or Mischief. They can make extra Simoleons by accepting brand deals and hosting Charity Streams.
Lot Traits And Lot Challenges
The free update for the Base Game near the release of City Livingincluded Lot Traits, with many of the apartments having locked traits. However, it is possible to change the lot traits of any lot to better suit the needs of the Sims living in it via the Buy/Build menu. These traits range from providing skill boosts to increasing the chances of certain visitors. In addition to the lot traits already included in the base game and other packs, City Living brings an even larger variety, suited mainly for apartments. These traits ranged from negative ones such as the Quake Zone, to more beneficial ones such as the Gnomes, who will repair broken objects during the night.
AsThe Sims 4franchise has continued to grow over time, an update to the Lot Traits was released in July 2021 with patch 115. Lot Traitsand Lot Challengeshave now been separated based on whether they bring positive or negative effects. Players can still find them both under the same menu, giving them the ability to customize their lot even further by picking more Lot Traits and Lot Challenges.
Singing Skill
As City living brings Karaoke Bars, it only makes sense that Sims can utilize karaoke to show off their singing skills and make some money. To be able to make money from Singing, however, Sims need to have at least Level 9 Singing skills and license songs they have written, which is available as an interaction at Level 8. Singing is not thebest career for earning the most money, but with some additional skills in instruments such as the guitar or the violin, it can be a great source of passive income similar to other skills that generate royalties.
There are many ways to improve the Singing skill, such as using a karaoke machine, practicing alone, singing in the shower, and serenading. As the Sims level up in Singing, their voice range will become wider and more pleasant to listen to, and they will unlock different songs from various genres. Interestingly, Singing is considered an instrument inThe Sims 4, similar to a guitar, piano, pipe organ, or violin, and it counts towards the progression in the Musical Genius Aspiration.
New Trait: Unflirty
The Unflirty trait adds an interesting dynamic to the gameplay of the Sims, surprisingly making in-game romantic reactions more realistic. While it is still possible to get these sims to be flirty, they don’t naturally do so, and rarely will they perform autonomous flirty actions. This can be helpful to players who prefer to leave their sims to their own autonomy, as they won’t be randomly flirting with other sims. This is great for a sim who enjoys exploring the city and festivals, as they wouldn’t be inundated with unwanted flirty interactions. However, they may feel uncomfortable and have negative moodlets when other sims perform romantic reactions with them. Understandably, this trait is in conflict with the Romantic trait.
Unflirty
In-Game Description:These Sims get Tense around Flirty Sims and seldom get Flirty themselves. It’s difficult for them to be Romantic in public
Emotional
City Native Aspiration
City Native Aspiration is all about discovering the different neighborhoods and festivals San Myshuno has to offer. The first step involves exploring the city and making friends, while later steps require Sims to visit every festival in San Myshuno, as well as experience the new features brought in City Living pack, such as singing and making enough money to afford an apartment worth 100,000 simoleons. Completing the last step of this aspiration can be quite time-consuming and difficult without resorting to cheating.
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In general, the Festive Fervor Aspiration is suitable for any Sim and gameplay style, since it focuses on experiencing festivals. The careers brought by this pack also align well with this aspiration, since they often require Sims to be out in the city, using their Charisma skill and interacting with others, which will help them make money to complete the final step. As a reward for completing this aspiration, Sims will get the In The Know reward trait, which will help them haggle with vendors for lower prices - although this trait might not be particularly beneficial considering the fact that Sims already own a very expensive apartment. Ultimately, the real reward of this Aspiration is the chance to experience everything the pack has to offer.
New CAS And Build/Buy Items
The Sims 4 City Livingintroduces over 140 new CAS items, providing players with an array of diverse outfits and hairstyles that reflect the multicultural atmosphere of San Myshuno and its outgoing lifestyle. Among many things, new arm tattoos are included, adding a unique and personal touch to these Sims.
The Sims 4 City Livingintroduces an impressive selection of over 300 new Build/Buy Items, from basic and functional to luxurious. These items can help to add unique character to your Sims' apartments. Additionally, there are also new items such as game consoles, which can be used for Sims to play games with their friends, and keyboards to help them increase their piano skill.
The Sims 4is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
