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The Sims 4: Life and Deathis the seventeenth expansion pack inthe Sims 4franchise, delving into the profound themes of existence, mortality, and the delicate balance between life and death. This expansion offers a deeply emotional journey, allowing Sims to experience significant life events, confront mortality, and cherish the fleeting moments that define their existence. From birth to death,The Sims 4:Life and Deathintroduces new mechanics that add depth and complexity to the life cycle of Sims, making their stories more impactful and memorable.
This expansion builds upon elements from the base game, as no other previous pack is similar in this regard. Life and Death focuses on making life and the afterlife more meaningful by offering new features like Soul’s Journey and rebirth. It also pays attention to another aspect of Sims' emotional depth with a new Grieving process. With that, unlike previous expansions that centered on specific aspects of life or social interactions, life and death integrates into full Sims gameplay, similar to other packs likeSeasonsorGrowing Togetherwhich also manages to become seamless staples.Here’s what players can expect fromLife and Deathexpansion pack.
Everything New In A Nutshell
Ravenwood
Ravenwood is theintriguing new world introducedinThe Sims 4: Life and Death, offering a mysterious and atmospheric setting for Sims to explore the deeper themes of existence and mortality. Inspired by gothic architecture and design, Ravenwood combines eerie charm with scenic yet somber spots perfect for contemplation and reflection. Whether exploring graveyards and crypts or visiting landmarks to uncover the mysteries of life and death, this world is crafted to enrich the profound interactions presented in the expansion.
Ravenwood features 13 lots in total, with 8 being residential, 2 empty lots, and 3 more being community spaces—such as a bar, cemetery, and nightclub. Several lots are inhabited by households, including returning faces, like the Specter family, known for their connection to the supernatural, and NPCs like Alice and Edith who hold secrets that lore enthusiasts will love to uncover. However, there are also available homes and an empty lot for players to move in and fully experience the world’s haunting allure with their own Sims. Players will discover unique rabbit holes, such as the Crypts, which can be used to explore for certain tasks or items. The world also has one secret lot called the Netherworld Department, accessible by the Reaper Sims.
Soul’s Journey and Rebirth Feature
Soul’s Journey is one of the most significant features of the Life and Death expansion pack, and it applies to living Sims of nearly all ages. Unlike Aspirations, which focus on specific goals, Soul’s Journey is more dynamic and allows Sims to experience a variety of life events. The goals associated with Soul’s Journey are essentially bucket list items, which Sims can acquire over time as they age, influenced by their individual traits. Sims cancreate their own bucket list,and as they experience different things, they can set more specific and meaningful goals they want to achieve.
Once a Sim has passed away and becomes a ghost, their Life’s Journey transforms into Unfinished Business, enabling Ghost Sims to continue their journey and pursue the possibility of rebirth.
Soul’s Journey consists of nine levels in total, three of which are only available once the Sim has become a Ghost. Sims can level up Soul’s Joruney by focusing on completing goals, as well as aspiration milestones and wants. As Sims progress through these levels, they unlock unique perks or interactions related to Soul’s Journey and the Life and Death expansion pack. Once Sims reach the Dreams Fulfilled level, they gain the ability to be reborn, either during or after their death. When a Sim reaches the death screen, they will have the option for Rebirth, but Ghost Sims can also achieve Rebirth through the Baleful Bog in Ravenwood at a later time.
Rebirth is quite different from being spared while dying. Sims can choose to be reborn as an infant, child, teenager, adult, or elder, and they can start a completely new life without any prior connections. However, if they had close family and friends in their previous life, they will retain a unique connection with them, even though they may be an entirely different person in their new life. Sims who complete Soul’s Journey before rebirth will earn the Burning Soul reward trait, which allows them to keep certain developmental bonuses and retain some of their personality or reward traits in their new life.
Grieving Feature
Grieving is a new feature introduced to make interactions and moods more intuitive and realistic in The Sims 4. When Sims experience a significant sad event—such as the loss of a loved Sim, being fired from a job, or going through a breakup—they will enter a mourning period. There are four types of grief: Anger, Blues, Denial, and Holding It Together. Each type affects their overall interactions, moodlets, and how they cope during the mourning period.
For example, a Sim who is Holding It Together may experience a mix of confident and sad moodlets throughout the day and find solace in positive activities to help with their grief. On the other hand, Angry Sims might benefit more from channeling their energy into exercising or playing musical instruments. Each type of grief has different coping mechanisms that are more effective for that specific type, but generally, attending Grief Counseling will be beneficial for all grief types.
Depending on how a Sim manages their mourning period, they can either successfully cope and receive a Relieved moodlet, have their grieving period extended and transform into another type of grief, or, if unsuccessful, they might undergo a personality trait change and acquire a more negative trait.
Ghost Mastery
In The Sims 4 base game, ghosts have been a familiar part of the experience. However, with the Life and Death expansion pack, ghosts receive a major overhaul, gaining more customizable abilities and perks similar to other occult types.Ghosts now possess significantly more power, and as they continue their ethereal journey, they can rank up to unlock even more potent abilities and perks.
These abilities are divided into three general categories. Ghost Sims can unlock both good and evil abilities as they progress in the rankings.
In an interesting twist, if an occult Sim like a Spellcaster, Werewolf, or Vampire dies, they retain their mastery trees from their original occult type and can also gain Ghost Mastery on top of that. This means there’s excellent cross-pack compatibility, allowing for the creation of Ghost-occult Sims officially, without the need for mods.
Cemetery Lot Type
Cemeteries have long been a staple in the base games of both The Sims 2 and The Sims 3, playing a crucial role in managing the gravestones or urns of Sims who have passed away. The Life and Death expansion pack reintroduces this beloved feature as an official community lot assignment type, offering players the flexibility todesign and organize cemeteriesas they wish, with a few mandatory requirements to ensure functionality.
These cemeteries can be placed in any world and serve various purposes—not only as graveyards or funeral venues but also for those looking to get creative, they can even be transformed into speakeasies or bars for additional activities.The expansion pack provides a diverse selection of fitting objects, allowing players to customize cemeteries to their style and needs.
Funeral Social Event
Funerals are a new customizable social event introduced in The Sims 4: Life and Death expansion pack, designed to honor the memory of a passed Sim. This event can be held for Sims who have recently passed away or for Ghost Sims who haven’t had a funeral yet. Similar to the wedding-related events fromMy Wedding StoriesMy Wedding Stories, players have extensive customization options for funerals, extending beyond just venue and dress code selection.
Players can choose from a variety of activities to show respect to their deceased loved ones. Whether they prefer traditional ceremonies or more modern, lighthearted celebrations reminiscent of a party, the options are vast. Additionally, players can make changes to the funeral venue before the event starts, allowing them to customize the decor to fit specific themes, such as a gothic funeral, an outdoor gathering, or a charming, elegant affair.
Moreover, players have the option to personalize certain objects, including portraits of the deceased Sim, urn or gravestone types, and gravesite decorations. This level of customization ensures that each funeral is unique and tailored to the player’s preferences and the Sim’s story.
Inheritance, Heirlooms and Wills
The Inheritance function introduced in the Life and Death expansion pack provides Sims with greater control over what happens to their belongings after they pass away. Sims can designate certain objects as Heirlooms if they are eligible, allowing specific interactions with these items, such as reminiscing about the original owner, passing the heirloom on, or determining its value.
Sims can assign heirloom items to specific Sims in the same household or elsewhere, and the same can be done for household funds, especially if the Sim was living alone. There are several ways to customize a will, including visiting City Hall, using a computer, or attending the Ravenwood Family Day festival. Sims also have the option to purchase a pre-made will, though it is not recommended. Wills created by Sims can be edited over time and include detailed instructions for distributing Simoleons among multiple Sims or even donating to charity. Sims can also specify which heirloom items go to which Sim.
Additionally, players can include funeral preferences in the will, indicating their desired and undesired activities. When Sims read the will, their reactions will vary based on their traits and what they did or did not receive.
New Careers in Life and Death
Life and death expansion pack introduces 2 careers, being Reaper (Active) Career and Undertaker Career.
Reaper Career
The Reaper career is one of the two new career additions in The Sims 4: Life and Death expansion pack, and it’s a highly interactive and engaging active career that allows players to follow their Sims to work. Similar to other active careers, Reaper Sims have daily tasks to complete to improve their job performance. These tasks generally revolve around collecting the souls of passed Sims, determining the cause of death, and handling administrative work.
One of the interesting aspects of the Reaper career is the presence of emergency events. On certain days, the Nether portal might break and require fixing, or a major accident might occur, causing a significant number of Sims to pass away on one lot. Throughout this career, Grim Reaper himself serves as the boss, and Sims can build their relationship with him. Upon reaching level 10 of the career, Sims will even receive a special reward trait related to Grim Reaper.
Unlike many other careers, the Reaper career progression is quite linear and doesn’t branch out at any stage of the 10 levels. Earning promotions is tied to releasing a specific number of souls to the netherworld and improving skills such as thanatology, fitness, and charisma. Additionally, Reaper Sims have a collective weekly goal to achieve. Once they meet this quota, they can obtain additional rewards from the chest located upstairs in the Netherworld Department of Death.
Undertaker Career
The Undertaker career is a non-active career introduced in The Sims 4: Life and Death expansion pack, focusing on funeral and gravesite management. While players won’t witness most of these activities directly, they can become more immersed by completing daily tasks before their Sim heads to work. The career consists of 10 levels, with two branch options—Funeral Director and Mortician—becoming available from level 5 onwards.
TheFuneral Directorbranch emphasizes activities such as writing obituaries and engaging in deep conversations. This branch primarily focuses on skills like Thanatology and Charisma, with additional, albeit lower, requirements for Gardening and Fitness.
On the other hand, theMorticianbranch involves daily tasks such as reading and earning certifications. This branch focuses on Thanatology, Painting, Logic, and Fitness skills. Both branches introduce new interactions, career-related objects, and new clothing items as players earn promotions.
Thanatology Skill
Thanatology is a minor skillin The Sims 4: Life and Death expansion pack, with a level cap of 5. It focuses on the study of death and the unknown, making it primarily beneficial for advancing in the Reaper and Undertaker careers. However, it also offers unique interactions and perks, such as the ability to use voodoo dolls, locate Grim, and craft a special cooking recipe that grants an energized buff.
Sims can learn and level up their Thanatology skill through various methods, including reading skill books, using a voodoo doll, browsing bookshelves to research historical deaths, and even attending Thanatology classes or conducting research if players have the Discover University expansion pack.
Ghost Historian Aspiration
The Ghost Historian Aspiration is a new addition under the Knowledge section, focusing on discovering and documenting secrets related to ghosts. This aspiration encourages players to interact with and befriend ghosts, while also honing their writing and thanatology skills. The journey of a Ghost Historian involves exploring the many secrets of Ravenwood, including finding rare items in crypts and, most importantly, following the secret questline involving the Weeping Mother, Alice. Players will uncover the fates of all her children during Alice’s Sorrow quest line.
To complete the Ghost Historian aspiration, players need to achieve the following milestone goals:
Reward:Ghost Whisperer Reward trait. This trait helps sims befriend ghosts faster, and have more positive interactions with them.
New Traits
Life and Death expansion pack introduces 3 CAS Traits for sims:
Conflict
Macabre (Lifestyle)
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 (Lifestyle)
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 (Lifestyle)
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
Additionally, there’s a new secret trait called Grimborn, which can only be obtained by Sims who have Grim Reaper as one of their parents. Grimborn Sims will enjoy a longer lifespan and have a unique birthmark in the shape of a scythe on their neck, signifying their special heritage. It doesn’t provide these Sims any special abilities or interactions.
New CAS, Build/Buy Items
The Sims 4: Life and Death expansion introduces over 150new Create-a-Sim items, perfect for embracing the essence of life and death. Sims can now don ethereal gowns, and intricately designed funeral-appropriate or gothic clothing. Unique hairstyles and thematic accessories add an extra layer of personality, capturing the gothic and baroque aesthetics of Ravenwood.
Build/Buy mode sees a major expansion withnearly 190 new items, including funeral and cemetery-oriented pieces, but also functional home items from a variety of categories that fit the gothic and baroque aesthetic of Ravenwood. Players will also be able to find adeck of tarot cardsfor some unique interactions and collect a different set of cards by exploring Ravenwood.
