The Sims 4: Life & Death captures the journey through life’s meaningful moments, offering players a thoughtful exploration of both the highs and lows. As the seventeenth expansion in the series, Life & Death introduces new gameplay aspects like funerals, bucket lists, and soul’s journey that allow Sims to experience life’s profound stages more deeply. From meaningful relationships and bucket-list aspirations to unique interactions for ghosts in the afterlife, this pack encourages players to add purpose and legacy to their Sims’ stories, creating memories that echo across generations.
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In addition to its reflective gameplay features, Life & Death introduces a unique set of Create-A-Sim (CAS) items that bring an air of the classic and the unusual to Sims’ wardrobes. This pack offers a range of gothic-inspired outfits and formalwear suitable for somber occasions like funerals, as well as attire that might feel a bit unconventional for everyday looks. While not aimed at casual styles, these pieces are perfect for those who enjoy storytelling with legacy families like the Goths or who love crafting Occult-themed Sims such as Vampires or Spellcasters. Considering that the switch between Occults in CAS or even choose the death type for ghost Sims, was made even easier through the recent base game update, this is especially relevant. Here’s what players can look forward to in Life & Death’s CAS collection.
CAS Items Full List
The Sims 4: Life & Death expansion brings over 150 new CAS items, tailored to give Sims a unique and somber aesthetic across all ages. With a palette of cool winter tones like blacks, whites, earthy greens, rich burgundy, and bright yellow, the collection offers a diverse range of looks perfect for formal gatherings, gothic styles, and even profession-oriented attire. Many pieces feature elegant, long-flowing or puffy sleeves, making them especially fitting for legacy families, funerals, and the new undertaker and grim reaper careers. Hair styles are also quite fun with a few options including duo colors for those that enjoy adding some fun colors to their Sims hair. On the other hand, makeup, accessories and stylized outfits are somewhat limited – with stylized outfits for both male and female Sims only adding one new look each for Formal and Party attire sections.
While primarily designed for teens to elders, younger Sims—children, toddlers, and infants—also receive a few adorable options. With outfits and accessories that suit both day-to-day life and more specialized, formal occasions, players have ample choices to personalize Sims across generations and themes.
New Traits
The Sims 4: Life & Death introduces three new Lifestyle traits, offering players a deeper look into how Sims perceive life, death, and the afterlife. The Macabre trait is for Sims fascinated by the darker aspects of life; they feel a mysterious thrill around anything related to death and often gravitate toward conversations or activities that explore it. In contrast, the Skeptical trait suits Sims who question the existence of an afterlife and avoid pondering death’s mysteries, preferring a grounded, realistic view on life. This trait conflicts with Macabre, as the two mindsets clash. Lastly, the Chased by Death trait represents Sims who feel life’s fleeting nature intensely, driving them to live fully and tick off every box on their bucket list. Each trait brings a unique perspective to the life journey and personal relationships, giving players a way to add layers to their Sims’ lifestyles.
|
Name |
In-Game Description |
Conflict |
|---|---|---|
|
Macabre |
Embrace your inner darkness – and your occasional intrusions of light. Macabre Sims are all about being their best, unique Sim self while still reveling in all that life (and the afterlife) has to offer. |
Cheerful, Skeptical |
|
Skeptical |
Not entirely trusting of the majority of things you see or hear? Skeptical Sims like to challenge the universe to provide concrete proof that something is indeed as it might appear. |
Macabre |
|
Chased by Death |
These Sims know that death follows their every move. While risky and dangerous behaviors may have deadly consequences, frequent near-death experiences give these Sims a desire to live each day to the fullest and progress along their soul’s journey faster. Keenly aware of their own mortality, these Sims feel best when they are achieving something meaningful with their limited time left. |
None |
New Aspirations
The Sims 4: Life & Death introduces a unique new aspiration under the Knowledge category: Ghost Historian. Given the pack’s emphasis on ghosts and the afterlife, this aspiration is fittingly designed for both living Sims and ghosts. Ghost Historian Sims are driven by a desire to uncover the mysteries of the afterlife, explore haunted locations, write about them. With that being the case, it focuses heavily on befriending ghosts, finding rare encounters, or items, as well as improving both the new skill, Thanatology as well as Writing Skill.
Ghost Historian: This Sim wants to learn everything about ghosts and use the findings to write spooky horror novels.
Peel back the veil to uncover the secret to richer Sim lives and beyond in The Sims™ 4 Life & Death Expansion Pack. Achieve your dreams in life by ticking items off your Bucket List or pursue them as a Ghost with Unfinished Business. There is a ghastly new world to haunt, a career that’ll bring you closer to Grim, Wills to write, Crypts to explore, and even ghostly skills to master. There are no real endings — only transitions — as you move between life, afterlife, and even rebirth.
KEY FEATURES:
An Endless Journey — Build your Bucket List by collecting goals throughout your Sim’s life, starting as a Young Adult. Items will appear on your list based on your Sim’s traits and family relations, and you can also choose your own. Removing items is possible, but completing them yields powerful rewards. If a Sim’s life ends with items still on their list, they can devote their afterlife to completing their Unfinished Business. The ultimate reward for experiencing everything on their list is the option to be Reborn, though you can still choose to Move On or remain on this plane as a Ghost.
A Ghastly, Gorgeous Life — Make death your life’s work with a career of reaping souls, helping Ghosts, dispersing hauntings, and more as a member of Grim’s team. Or, you could become a Mortician and deal with death more from the perspective of the living. Outside of work, you might spend your days exploring Crypts and building your Thanatology skill for the new Ghost Historian Aspiration. These things — among other dark diversions like bonding with your Pet Crow (careful, provoking it could be deadly) or collecting and reading the lost Tarot Cards of Lady Ravendancer Goth — will have a special appeal to Sims who are Macabre, one of 3 new traits.
Goodbye (For Now) — Different Sims will grieve in different ways. There are 4 types that will tie in with both Sims’ personalities and their relationships with the deceased. Grieving Rituals are customizable and unscripted, allowing you to hold whatever type of event (or events) fits your story. In life, Sims can create Wills which can be used to pass down Heirlooms, assign guardians for surviving dependents, distribute their Simoleons, and more. Sims can honor the departed with a memorial display featuring their portrait and by interring their urns in Crypts or with Custom Caskets and Gravesites.
Friendly or Fiendish? — Linger on as a Ghost, and spend your afterlife helping or terrorizing the living. Ghosts will grow in their abilities as they do everything from assisting with household chores to levitating living Sims and hanging them upside down (fun AND profitable — they may drop Simoleons!). Their interactions with the living can earn them Fear or Goodwill essences, which can both be sold for Simoleons. There’s a lot to do after death; Ghosts can even pair up for a special, spectral Woohoo.
A Town Worth Haunting — The veil between life and death is thin in Ravenwood, a 3-neighborhood town. Visit the countryside and perhaps take a swim by the mysterious face in the cliffs. Or, head into the village where you’ll find some odd goods for purchase near the old Specter cemetery, a haunted house to brave, or a festival to attend. The residents of these first 2 neighborhoods are (mostly) alive, but it’s Ghosts who will feel most at home in the third, where you’ll find 2 more festivals and a spectral support group. Living Sims can use its Baleful Bog to have an out-of-body experience and try their hands at being temporary Ghosts. Well, it’s usually temporary. Don’t overdo it.