Is the Sims 4 Businesses and Hobbies Expansion Pack For Me?

With the new Sims 4 Expansion Pack, many Simmers wonder, “Is the Sims 4 Businesses and Hobbies Expansion Pack for me?” The Sims 4 has been around for a long time, and there is a lot of DLC, so purchasing expansion packs can be daunting. Each Expansion is generally $39.99, so it is definitely not just a little money. At this point, the regular price of the Sims 4 DLC is well over a grand, so this game is a bit of an investment. So let’s examine what Types of Simmers would benefit from the Businesses and Hobbies Expansion Pack.

*Note this is my personal opinion and experience as someone who has played the game since the original Sims and has worked here at TSR for almost five years. This blog is not sponsored or in any way affiliated with outside sources. 

Businesses and Hobbies Rating by Simmer Type

I will rank the expansion for different types of Simmers to make this as easy and straightforward as possible. My blog on the various kinds of Simmers is HERE. It has valuable information and is a good place to find new ideas for playing the game. For this Blog, the Types of Simmers will be a bit more general to keep it SIM-ple. I will rank the Businesses and Hobbies pack on a scale of one to five stars.

Create a Sim Player – 1/5 Stars

As a Simmer primarily a CAS Player, I think I *might use maybe six of the eighty plus CAS items. Most of those I am saying I might use are shoes. The shoe game in this pack is pretty decent and the shoes we needed. I like that this pack has a range of styles and keeps to the Modern Scandinavian fashion theme, but it is just too minimalistic for me. I also really do not like hairstyles or pants at all. There is also a shirt with some really weird shoulders that I can’t even look at.

Interior Designers – 2/5 Stars

Honestly, there is just not a lot here. For a pack that is to be a small business and be able to attach to your home or have an apartment above your business, you cannot really build an entire lot or room with just the pack pieces. There are only a few shelves and display cases for the different retail business setups. If I had to pick between residential or small business pieces, I would say small business, as we have the other element covered in many packs. To build something functional, you need other packs or CC to make a good business or home business work, aside from pottery.

Legacy Simmers – 3/5 Stars

For Legacy Simmers or Generation players, there are only a few additional perks to this expansion pack. It allows you to pass the business on to another Sim and have your family work at the small business. However, aside from those elements, I do not see much else, so this highly depends on how invested you are in making businesses.

General Game Player – 4/5 Stars

For this pack I feel that Simmers will either use it or not. Obviously, if you have zero interest in having your Sim own a small business, this is not the pack for you. However, using this pack kept me moving the entire time my Sims ran their small businesses. This is a key factor for me as I believe we don’t need much of the stuff with CC. We need the game mechanics and engagement, which the Businesses and Hobbies Expansion brings. A General game player could easily spend hours running their business.

Lot Builders – 4/5 Stars

Again, I feel like this is a pack that Simmers will use and love or just not touch. The endless creativity and opportunities to make unique businesses are as far as the imagination goes. Builders can have much fun with this pack and create fantastic builds. The only reason I am not ranking this a five-star pack for Lot Builders is that you need multiple packs and/or CC to make a good lot.

Final Thoughts

This pack focuses more on game mechanics and functions than additional B/C and CAS items. Looking at the pack, my takeaway is that there are not enough items to run a business with only the pack’s items. I have also found it incredibly difficult to design entire businesses without CC. To me, this is a bit counterproductive, as I absolutely adore the creative freedom of the pack, and having limited choices in design and lots seems like a disservice to such a well-thought-out process.

I greatly enjoy the gaming mechanics and functions matching and mimicking previous expansions, making the learning curve less steep. The pack also appears less buggy, using similar systems like the restaurant, vet clinic, and retail shop mechanics. I experienced only one minor bug related to the game: I could not turn the skill headline effect off. Which is really nominal and something as significant as an expansion pack. This pack also integrates well with other DLC in the game, which I find very nice, however, it feels like you need some of the other DLC to get the most out of it, which is not the best.

Who Is This Pack For

In summary, this pack is excellent for those who want to run a business, design, or create one, and those who wish to learn the tattoo skill and gameplay. I see Lot Builders, Legacy, and General Game Players enjoying this pack. Building or redecorating a business is a lot of work, and it takes a long time for me. This seems to be a pack that Simmers will either love or play very little of. It is just figuring out which side you are on. Aside from the CAS, I love it because I already enjoy the entrepreneurial options in the game.

If you are undecided about whether you want to run a business and be busy in the game, I advise you to hold off on buying it immediately. Watch some gameplay reviews or maybe wait until it is on sale before you make the final decision. If running a business and creating businesses interests you, then the Businesses and Hobbies Expansion Pack is an excellent addition to your game.

You can find our Businesses and Hobbies Expansion Pack Hub here. You can also read my initial review of what I love about businesses and hobbies HERE.