The Sims shared this Simstober challenge for the month of October. I’m a bit late starting it, but we’re going to see how much we can complete by November 1, 2026.
If you’d like to use my family and their starting, mostly unfurnished house, they can be found on the gallery.
Family of six spellcasters. Married couple & their two children (one child and one infant) and grandmother on the father’s side and ghostly grandfather on the mother’s side.
House is on a 30×30 lot:
Rules
Here are the general rags to riches rules for rags to riches I tend to follow in my rags to riches tutorial video, and my blog post.
Simmers, We're investigating the missing roofs issue reported after yesterday's Base Game update. We're testing a fix targeting our July update, and pending testing, we'll share another update in the thread below as soon as we have more to report: https://t.co/8iijqn5NfT
— The Sims Direct Communications (@TheSimsDirect) July 1, 2026
Regarding Windows Ransomware Protection blocking Sims 4:
It looks like the Windows Ransomware protection is blocking Sims 4 again (possibly cause more users were switch to memory boost). If you have any issues with mods not enabling, pop-ups showing up over and over, check if it blocks:crinrict.com/blog/2020/10…
Cody’s wife kept her spellcaster magic a secret from him & disappeared shortly before the twins aged up to toddlers. Glenn got her eyes & her magic while his twin Rowan got their father’s fairy gene! Cody’s teen sister Kenzie is there to help him raise his twins after his wife disappeared. Family helps family, after all that’s what Cody did for her when their parents died in a car accident. #EnchantedbyNature #Fairies #Spellcaster
Cody Reaves is a young adult with the Plant Lover, Mystical & Genius traits. He has the Quick Learner aspiration trait from choosing the Elixir Enthusiast Aspiration. His teen sister Kenzie has the Mystical & Loves the Outdoors traits, with the Collector aspiration trait from choosing the Nature Nomad aspiration. Toddler Rowan is independent and his twin Glenn is inquisitive.
The family is starting with no money on a partially furnished lot in the Coast of Adhmor neighbourhood. Their lot is on 1 Mari Shores Road (I bulldozed the lot and placed their home there; this is a 30 x 20 lot).
Goals:
Raise the toddler twins to teens. *See goals that need to be met before they can age up to children & then to teens.
Kenzie will have the goals of completing scouts, the Goal Oriented Aspiration & Admired Icon aspiration and having at least four of five character values in a positive range before she ages up.
Work on all three new aspirations (Fairy Stories, Elixir Enthusiast & Nature Nomad), get at least the first tier of each aspiration completed with Cody and/or Kenzie.
Cody will join the Apothecary career and see how high he can go (not sure if the bug with sims not getting promoted will impact on this).
Complete as many fables as we can.
Try to make one of each apothecary item.
For the ‘rags to riches’ gameplay element, we need to get to the third tier of the fortune aspiration at a minimum (i.e. complete tiers 1 and 2 of the aspiration).
*Goals for the Twins:
Max all toddler skills & get as many milestones as possible.
As children, complete all eight aspirations (4 base game, 4 Growing Together).
Join scouts and earn as many badges as possible. They will stay in scouts the entire time in this save.
Have at least conflict resolution in a positive range before aging up to teens.
My plan is to hopefully eventually move this family to my Expansion Legacy save and have the twins will join my legacy family as teens in my upcoming Expansion Pack Legacy: Enchanted by Nature Generation Let’s Play. At the time I’m writing this (July 12, 2025) I’m currently holding off on going into that save until the pregnancy bug is fixed.
Note that this is following a very ‘loose’ rags to riches format in that they are starting with a home, albeit very sparsely furnished, but with no money.
They can make money using any options the game allows, though we will try to make money from pack features too.
As mentioned above, I will be having Kenzie doing the Admired Icon teen aspiration so she will list her five Trendi outfits required for that aspiration at a 10x markup, however I won’t go overboard using Trendi to make money.
Here are the general rags to riches rules for rags to riches I tend to follow in my rags to riches tutorial video, and my blog post.
My video provides a brief overview of the July 1, 2025 game update, including what was new, what was fixed and what the impact on mods was, however, main focus was on new bugs since the July 1, 2025 game update, and a few that are recent that started after the June 17, 2025 game update.
Post updated July 7 to add a new video covering upcoming hot fix patch & a few new issues. I’ve also added links to a few new bugs covered in this video & some more bug fix mods.
New Bugs:
This is split into two sections, new bugs since the July 1 update and three new bugs that preceded the July 1 update but were still fairly new as they happened after the June 17 update.
Note that two of the three bugs that started after June 17 update affected console, and I’ve done a video on that here. The third one affects affects all platforms and since I have seen a lot of questions/comments re one that one I have included it here.
New Bugs Since the July 1 Game Update:
Can’t drag for many objects (originally referred to not being able to drag to sink or trashcan): https://forums.ea.com/idea/the-sims-4-bug-reports-en/drag-to-trash-and-sink-are-no-longer-working/12296987 (EA Cade has acknowledged this bug and it’s being investigated and that they hope to have a fix for this soon) Update on July 7, 2025: Sims Direct has said this issue with dragging for cleaning will be fixed in an update on July 10, 2025.
This was a large update, 3.4 GB for Windows players through the EA app, 3.7 GB for Mac players and as usual, even larger for console players.
New game versions after the July 1, 2025 game update:
Mod Tracking Lists & Crinrict User File Reset Guide:
Note this was a big update and broke many mods. I recommend you check out either of the two lists to check on your mods. At the time I’m writing this, not all mods have been updated.
Note that I skipped from House 10 (which did include House 11 goals) to House 24 (link here), though I did also include the goals for House 13 when I did House 24.
Goals/optional goals for House 24 are to complete the family aspirations, however the two base game family aspirations (Big Happy Family Aspiration and Successful Lineage Aspiration) require a child to get married, max a career & for the sim parent to be friends to 4 grandchildren. We will also be doing the Super Parent Aspiration that comes with Parenthood. Getting the children of House 24 to complete everything needed for their mother (and father) to complete these aspirations is going to take some time and the House 24 household is very wealthy and also quite laggy.
I’m hoping that starting over with the two oldest (Lily and Luna Driver), who are currently teens, with Luna just having aged up to a teen, with nothing on a new empty lot with both help with the lagging and also be more interesting than playing a wealthy household.
As mentioned, in true Drifter tradition, they will start over with nothing except a few miscellaneous items in their inventory (mostly for fun, nothing of much value).
They will take on the some goals from House 15, 16 & 18 plus an element of goals for House 17 that need to be completed when doing House 16. See below for more details.
Note their younger sibling Lee Driver, who is currently an infant, will eventually join them once they are established, though I plan to move him out sometime after he becomes a young adult.
The main focus of this challenge will be on Lily and Luna.
Starting Lot:
They will be living on the Garden Essence Lot (40×30 lot) in the Foundry Cove neighbourhood (the lot the BFFs usually live on) to start with, though they will probably move later on, most likely to Sulani to help with Goal 5.
Note that the Garden Essence Lot is used for House 15.
Rules:
Start with no money on an empty lot.
Note that most Houses of the Drifter Challenge limit who you can control, I will be controlling anyone in the household for this challenge, as allowed in House 24.
Any sims joining the household can’t bring any money or any significant assets (sell furniture before moving them in if they live on their own).
Use general rags to riches rules per video, which also links to my blog post.
Goals (Five in Total):
Goal 1: We will work on the goals required for their parents (mostly their mother Katie) to complete her/their family aspirations,
at least one sibling getting married (required for Big Happy Family Aspiration)
having four children (for the four grandkids) between the siblings (required for Big Happy Family Aspiration),
maxing a career (required for Successful Lineage Aspiration)
having a minimum of three positive character values (required for the Super Parent Aspiration)
Goal 2: I have given Luna the kleptomaniac trait when she aged up to a teen, as we will doing goals 2 and 3 from House 15 (link):
Luna will also do the Sticky Fingers aspiration. Once she completes these three goals, she will use a retraiting potion to change her kleptomaniac trait to a new trait, probably the Child of the Island trait to help with goal 5. Also note that I will be making museums off limits until goal 3 for house 15 is met (swipe 15 objects), though I will probably buy copies of the stolen objects and return any stolen items when Luna changes her kleptomaniac trait since she will ‘regret’ her youthful actions.
Goal 3: We will work on goals 1 through 3 from House 16 (link):
We will also craft at least one of each item you can craft on the woodworking table. The following list is what you need to craft to unlock for House 17 (link here), instead we need to craft them to unlock to use during our young adult years. Note we need to go to Granite Falls to unlock the Camping Mascot Sculpture.
As an added related goal, they will need to furnish their house from items crafted (including using LittleMsSam’s ‘More Woodworks’ mod), found dumpster diving or received as gifts during their teen years. Exception, they can buy the cheapest computer, radio & TV and they can buy skill objects that can’t be found/crafted (this includes, but isn’t limited to Home Chef Hustle small appliances, selling tables of any form, flower arranging tables, chicken coops, etc).
Goal 4: Lily will work on goals 2 through 5 from House 18 (link):
Goal 5: The fourth grandchild will be used in a Super Sim challenge, and Lily, as the oldest child and essentially the official heir of House 24, will have this child. My requirements for this child are that they must: * be female * have the Sulani Mana trait (source).
See my separate post with an overview of the rules and optional goals that apply for all generations. Note you will be starting this generation with two sims, the oldest (i.e. heir, primary sim) and their next younger sibling (secondary sim) from the previous generation.
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Playlist link if you’d like to see me play (TBA)
Lots Unlocked This Generation:
Museums and Art Centers Note: Arts Center unlocks the Humour & Hijinks Festival
Note if doing this in the suggested order, the following lots would already be unlocked: Parks/National Parks/Myshuno Center, Wedding Venues, Beaches, and Gyms/Spas (unlocked in Generation One) and Bars/Nightclubs/Lounges/Karaoke Bars (unlocked in Generation Two)
Generation Lot:
Arid Ridge (40×30 lot, 5,500 simoleons) in the Skyward Palms neighbourhood of Oasis Springs
Skills:
Primary Skills to Focus on: Painting. Secondary Skills: Photography, Logic & Charisma
Optional Traits: Creative and/or Art Lover
Careers & Aspirations:
Career: Max Master of the Real Branch with the primary sim, i.e. elder sibling. Max Patron of the Arts Branch with the secondary sim (either primary sim’s spouse or younger sibling, I will be using the primary sim’s spouse). Once they’ve both maxed both the painting career, the painting skill & at least one household member has maxed the photography skill, place the museum in Willow Creek. Museum/art centers in other worlds are now unlocked. Once that’s been unlocked/placed, have your main sim complete the painting aspiration.
Required Aspirations: Painter Extraordinaire once
Optional Career: (Moschino Pack): Have one sim max the freelance photographer (whichever didn’t do the alternate painting career, in my case the younger sibling.
Collection to Focus on for This Generation:
Collect & display* as many unique paintings from the various types of paintings, at least a minimum of three from each type (i.e. classic, landscape, etc. and from the different types of emotional paintings). Have your two main sims get a paint by reference of each other & include them with the displayed paintings. *You can display the paintings on your home lot or place them on a museum lot. From this point onwards feel free to place completed collections on the museum lot if you prefer (though you can also keep them on the generational lot).
Optional, try to get a photo and/or painting of any children born in this generation from all life stages while they are still in the home. Note at the time of writing this blog post, it’s recommended to keep the number of photographs kept in the save down as they can bloat/enlarge save file size which can lead to save corruption so if you do this goal, just keep one, don’t have many.
Tips for This Generation’s ‘Collection’:
Some paintings are locked by skill level, both low and high. When I did my painting challenge, which this generation is modeled after, I had one sim paint first and once we had more money, then had the second sim do painting and at that point I had them start a lot of paintings in the different categories at the lower level since they would be blocked once a sim’s painting skill gets higher.
The main focus of the Feb 25, 2025 game update was to add burglars to the game, in addition to preparing the game for the upcoming Businesses and Hobbies Expansion Pack (releasing Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 10 am Pacific).
It also brought bug fixes, most of which were announced in the Feb 18, 2025 laundry list and a few other miscellaneous changes to the game, including more club opportunities, changes to mentoring & a few build/buy and create a sim items.
It also broke mods, the list of updated mods is quite long and not everything has been updated at the time I’m writing this.
This update also added new bugs, including a bad one that caused distortion of children, infants and toddlers. EA has said they’ve identified the problem and are working on an update to fix the issue. They’ve also provided a workaround while we wait for the hotfix.
The Sims Developer Livestream For The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies | Base Game Update
Originally scheduled for 10 am Pacific on Friday, February 28, 2025, but due to issues at their broadcasting location, it was rescheduled to 10 am Pacific on Monday, March 3, 2025.
YouTube (will tell you when it’s live in your time zone)
I discuss the Oct 22, 2024, Sims 4 base game update, including what’s new, what was and wasn’t fixed, the mod impact and the new bugs since the update. I also review some other common bugs from before the update. What was your favourite thing in the update & have you experienced any non-mod related issues? 😊🍁 #Sims4 #GameUpdate #Sims4Bugs #Sims4Mods
Many mods broke with the update, including most popular mods (MCCC, UI Cheats to name a couple, those have both been updated). As of the time I’m typing this, many others, though not all, have been updated.
Two good sources to see which of your mods was impacted are noted below:
Note that injection tools that are used by other mods broke with this update. The two main ones are XML Injector and Lot 51 Core Library. Both were updated on Oct 23/24, though XML Injector was reupdated on Oct 23/24. There are two other injection tools that were still broken last I looked on Oct 25/24, I see them mentioned on Luth’s list.
Also, some loading screen mods broke with the update, according to SimMattically, it looks like pack pictures may be replacing the plumbob at some point, or something like that. The tooltips will remain. Original tweet: https://x.com/SimMattically/status/1849068375101567463
Follow Up tweets:
To be fair, I based my original tweet on the code alone, before seeing how it looks. It mentioned a DLC banner with a name and icon, so it seemed like an ad.
The design itself is nice! It’s only frustrating that they turn an opportunity for aesthetics into an advertisement. 🙌🏻
I discuss my thoughts on what was covered in the Life & Death Gameplay trailer & some additional information revealed from SimGuru tweets. What was your favourite thing from the trailer? 😊🍁 #Sims4 #LifeandDeath #Speculation
We thought of this! Per lore he's an entity and doesn't really have a face; you never see it in game without cheats. His babies will be born from a new genetic preset of him so long as you're on a fresh save.
In the picture above – that is a lack of presets you're seeing for his facial features. Before now, you'd only ever see Grim's face via cheats so he didn't need them at that time.
Yes! What @jackofallgames7 said above is accurate about it being encompassing. But also, Bucket List and Unfinished Business are the primary ways to progress on your Soul's Journey (and they're tracked in the same UI) – to explain why the trailer goes straight into them.
jackofgames tweet re their understanding of Soul’s Journey:
My understanding is it collates different systems, like wants, aspirations etc. and brings them all together as one giant system, alongside new systems like the bucket list.
It seems to me that it’s organising all of these seperate systems into one big one.
Love when Grim says, "The truth is that old age, fire, and anger claim more Sims lives than any other form of death." Because that's an ACTUAL Sims 4 fact! https://t.co/kbwBe96HjX
TheSimsDirect Tweet Thread on Update Being Next Week:
On Tuesday, Oct 22, a big base game update is coming to #TheSims4. If you use game mods & custom content, you may want to remove and backup save files. This will also give creators time to update their content to prevent potential in-game issues.
— The Sims Direct Communications (@TheSimsDirect) October 18, 2024
Additionally, we’re working on resolving the reported issues tied to the Reaper's Rewards Events. Due to the varying details around each report, we've consolidated the issues to support the team in their investigations. For further details & potential workarounds:…
— The Sims Direct Communications (@TheSimsDirect) October 18, 2024
Time Zone converter for when 10 am Pacific, Oct 22, 2024 is in your own time zone:
