If you’re new to the Sims 4, PC simming, or even just hesitant to download mods because of how scary messing up can be, let this be your guide on downloading and installing Sims 4 mods and custom content.
What Are They?
CC (custom content) is player-made clothing, hair, accessories, or objects that can be downloaded to tailor the game to your aesthetic or to create a larger variety of sims and lots.Mods are player-made modifications that add features or change the functionalities of the game.
Installing Mods With Windows
- Download your mod or CC of choice (see below for tips on sources).
- Unzip the download, if it’s a .rar or .zip file. What you want is a package file, a script file, or the folder holding these files.
- Move the unzipped files to the mods folder. This will typically be at the “[DRIVE LETTER]:\Users\[USER NAME]\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods” address. If the “Mods” folder doesn’t exist, you can make your own, but make sure it’s in the right location.
- Open The Sims 4.
- Open the settings, and then select the “game options” tab, the “other” tab.
- Make sure “enable custom content and mods” is checked. Apply those settings.
- Close and relaunch The Sims 4.
Installing Mods With Mac
- Download your mod or CC of choice (see below for tips on sources).
- Unzip the download, if it’s a .rar or .zip file.
- Move the unzipped files to the mods folder. This will typically be in a folder in “Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Mods.” If the “Mods” folder doesn’t exist, you can make your own, but make sure it’s in the right location.
- Open The Sims 4.
- Open the settings, and then select the “game options” tab, and then select the “other” tab.
- Make sure “enable custom content and mods” is checked. Apply those settings.
- Close and relaunch The Sims 4.
Mod/CC Sources
You can find CC and mods for the Sims 4 in a variety of places, but not every place is trustworthy. Some creators use Adfly and similar sites which can be dangerous for your computer; others keep their content locked behind paywalls well past the Sims 4 guidelines.I get all of my CC from one place: Tumblr. Tumblr has a thriving CC/modder community and you can always be certain you’re getting the content from the source this way. Their blogs may lead you to the places where the CC is actually housed (Patreon, ModTheSims, Google Drive, MediaFire, or even their website/blogs are common) but you very rarely have to worry about danger with Tumblr simmers. Download a good ad blocker if you're concerned. (And tbh, with the way the Internet is set up these days, you should have one anyway.)
A lot of people also use The Sims Resource, but I’m not a fan. It’s safe, but it has a ton of ads and an interface that make navigating the site annoying. You also have to endure a wait time that doesn’t let you hang out in other tabs, even when you have an account. The only way around it is to pay for premium, which I’d rather not do. I prefer the sites mentioned above because they make for a very streamlined and efficient process and I only use TSR occasionally, when there’s an item I must have.
Simsdom is another one I’m not a fan of. It’s notorious for hosting CC without creator consent and I honestly just hate its vibes. Your best bet is getting it straight from the source, so I emphasize using Tumblr, MTS, Patreon (many offer their stuff for free!), or the modder’s blog/website. CurseForge is another option, and it’s even EA/Maxis-endorsed, but I just don’t like its set up and not every creator I like uses it.
Folder Depth
An important part of having CC and mods is knowing how to maintain and organize them. When your game or an individual item has an issue, you want to resolve things smoothly, so it’s very important to have a mods folder that you can navigate.Everyone’s method for organization is different—mine is probably insane and chaotic to someone else—but one thing that remains the same for everyone is folder depth. The general rule of thumb is to have script mods be only 1 folder deep, with the Mods folder itself being Folder 0); .package files have a bit more leeway in that they can be 5 folders deep.
If you want to reduce your number of .package files (not file size!), many .package files can be merged using Sims 4 Studio, which I’ll talk about soon.
Conflicts
When downloading mods, keep in mind that some mods affect the same tuning resource. To avoid game-breaking conflicts or the mods you want not working, make sure you don’t have any overlap by reading the creators’ notes. They usually have a section on conflicts on the mod page.Double Check Your Files
Totally not speaking from experience with this one, but regularly check on your Mods folder! Make sure you’ve extracted the .rar or .zip files because trying to load them up can cause your game to be unable to load in or even start up properly.Sims 4 Studio
Sims 4 Studio is a free tool for making custom content for Sims 4, but it’s not just a great tool for creators! Regular simmers like you and I can really benefit from the program’s batch fixes and merge functions, found under the “Content Management” tab.If you hate seeing your NPCs walking around in the designer gown you just downloaded or you don’t want to see some random old man in a lace front and thigh-high Go-go boots, you can disable all of your CC for random. This means it’ll only show up on the sims you manually put it on.
Batch fixes, like disallow for random, can be done for a lot of different things like disallowing CC for aliens, disallowing for vampires, and more. So, be sure to read up on the mod or poke around the program when you download to get the most out of it!
Another thing you can do with S4S is merge files. Merging can be useful for creating fewer files for your game to sift through while loading, but keep in mind that this only reduces the number of files and not the total size of your mod folder. I also recommend that you be thoughtful about what you’re merging. Objects that you can interact with (beds, counters, chairs, appliances, etc.) can break with certain game updates and going to find them among a bunch of merged files can be a nightmare if you’re in deep like me.
I keep functional/interactive objects unmerged and only merge CAS items and functionless things like clutter and decor objects. I stick up to 150 .packages together whenever I go on CC shopping sprees and mark them by date, but you can organize yours by anything you want, including object type!
Mod Managers
There are few mod managing programs out there, including the Sims team-endorsed CurseForge, but the one I’ve always used is the Sims 4 Mod Manager by GameTimeDev. This is another very useful tool that can make mod and cc organization a dream.Creator Fabien made this program because he found sorting through his own mod folder difficult. The files are imageless, or vaguely named, so it’s hard to tell what’s actually there. The manager tries to get around this by extracting object thumbnails or searching the web with the package’s name. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s still really helpful and the interface organizes things by the same folders you have in your Mods folder. Another great feature of this mod is the ability to load/unload mods and CC without fully removing them from your folder.
Ultimately, using mods and CC can be a very enjoyable and game-changing experience, but you have to be smart and proactive about it. Keep in mind these tips and, most importantly, follow the creator’s instructions! If TwistedMexi says don’t do anything but copy the folder, then you should listen!! Don’t go Miles Morales-ing your way through this one, bees. Removing things you shouldn’t or putting things in the wrong place can break either the mod or your game.