Comparison between The Sims base games

This is a four-way comparison of the 4 base games in The Sims series; The Sims, The Sims 2, The Sims 3, and The Sims 4, and does not include features from content packs unless otherwise stated.

General & gameplay

	The Sims	The Sims 2	The Sims 3	The Sims 4
Release date	Released February 4, 2000	Released September 14, 2004	Released June 2, 2009	Released September 2, 2014
Content pack quantity	7 Expansion Packs	8 Expansion Packs, 9 Stuff Packs	11 Expansion Packs, 9 Stuff Packs	17 Expansion Packs, 12 Game Packs, 20 Stuff Packs, 33 Kits (so far)
Adoption	Adoption cannot be initiated; option to adopt only appears If there are at least two living adults, regardless of gender. Pets can either be purchased at 70 Elm Street in Old town or adopted by befriending strays.	Sims can initiate an adoption, but must have §3,000 on hand. Apart from gender, adopted child's age (from baby to child) and name can be given (If the adoption center hadn't taken any child from other household, otherwise the latest taken child will be dropped to the adopting family). The Child will be dropped at 10 AM in the morning after yesterday's call. Pets can be obtained by either adopting a stray, purchasing from the pet display case, or by creating them in CAS and merging them to an existing family.	Adoption can be initiated using the phone or a computer. The player can choose the age (baby, toddler, or child) and gender of the child, after which a social worker will arrive to drop off the child. Adoptive parents will get three days off from work after the adoption. Just like in The Sims 2: Pets, pets can be adopted or be put for adoption via phone or computer. Pets can also be adopted from other residents[confirmation needed].	Adoption can be done over the phone or with a computer, and there is a fee of §1,000 per child. The player is given the option to adopt a child of any age instead of being forced to adopt a random orphan. Adopting a child that's been neglected by the same household has no consequences. A pet can be adopted either through the phone or a computer with a fee of §200. Its traits, gender and whether it is neutered is displayed in the adoption pool. First and last name can be changed after adopting.
Aging	Babies turn into children after three days, while other lifespans are indefinite. With Makin' Magic, children can age to adult by using a charm, but their appearances are chosen randomly and may change completely.	All Sims age and eventually die, but only on the lot that is being played. Sims from other families will not age. Some life states do not age such as Zombies and Vampires.	All Sims in the same world age, including the household that is being played and all other Sims in the world. Lifespan, aging, and the duration of each life stage can be customized in game options.	All Sims in all worlds age at the same time, unless changed by the player. Lifespan, aging, and age duration can be customized in game options.
Aspiration/Lifetime happiness	No aspirations.	Teens and older have one of 5 aspirations (additional 2 aspirations are added in Nightlife), which affect their Wants and Fears. Toddlers and children aspire to Grow Up. Secondary aspirations introduced in FreeTime.	Aspirations are replaced with Lifetime Wishes but function the same as aspirations in The Sims 2.	Aspirations return: teens and older Sims can choose one of twelve aspiration types, most of which have two or three variations that act like a Lifetime Wish. Children have four aspirations, with only one variation each. Toddlers don't have aspirations.
Bills	Bills delivered once every 3 days.	Bills delivered on Tuesdays and Thursdays.	Same as The Sims 2.	Bills delivered once per week.
Camera perspective	Isometric perspective with 2D objects and some 3D objects	Fully 3D	Same as The Sims 2	Mostly 3D, but world map in 2D
Chance cards	Chance cards will force career change when at the top level of a career. Other chance cards may rarely emerge, giving out skills or money, or sometimes having no effect.	Chance cards at all levels of career, causing gain or loss of rank, skill points, etc.	Chance cards rarely appear and usually have minimal effects. Most give moodlets or affect job performance and relationships with coworkers. There are only a few chance cards in the game that can have larger effects, such as receiving a promotion or getting fired.	Chance cards appear occasionally, on any career level and have an effect on the Job Performance. Some also give various moodlets.
Maximum amount of floors	Buildings limited to 2 floors. Basements, foundations and lofts not possible. Basic roof pitch selector.	Buildings limited to 5 floors, or 4 with foundation. In expansions after University, this can be changed to up to 15 floors (without foundation) using cheats. Buildings with foundation can have basements incorporated into them. Lofts theoretically possible. Roof pitch can be changed (first in the cheat console in Pets, and later Mansion and Garden Stuff, where a roof pitch changer is added). Various roof types like pagoda and dome are added via expansion packs.	Same as The Sims 2. In addition, basements were included in the World Adventures expansion patch, with 4 floors.	The maximum building height is 5 floors, though there cannot be any full walls on the 5th floor. Foundations also don't count as a floor. Basements were added in Patch 15, and can be 4 floors deep. Roofs are more easily modifiable, allowing for better utilization of attic space and more customization.
Life stages	3 life stages (baby, child, adult). Babies are objects rather than Sims.	6 life stages (baby, toddler, child, teen, adult, elder. Young adult stage is optional)	7 life stages (baby, toddler, child, teen, young adult, adult, elder).	8 life stages (newborn, infant, toddler, child, teen, young adult, adult, elder).
Marriage	Family structures are not clearly defined. Marriage does little more than move a Sim into the lot and there is no scope to break up.	Family structures very clearly defined, including family trees. Marriages and unions (the same-sex equivalent) also defined and can break up, most often triggered through infidelity.	Same as The Sims 2, though same-sex unions are now called "marriages" instead of "unions."	Same as The Sims 2 and The Sims 3.
Memories	Sims do not collect memories.	Sims collect visible memories and invisible memory markers for use in gossip.	Memories returned in Patch 22, now with screenshots and fully customizable, as well as shareable online.	Memories can be collected, but are optional. The player can choose whether or not the game prompts them to capture a memory. Milestones function like the memory system in The Sims 2.
Neighborhood/World	All neighborhoods are the same and pre-designed. Additional neighborhoods can be made if an expansion pack is installed. Later expansion packs add sub-neighborhoods (also pre-designed and added automatically, cannot be removed). Sub-neighborhoods include Downtown, Vacation Island, Studio Town and Magic Town.	3 pre-designed neighborhoods (Pleasantview, Strangetown and Veronaville) which may be (to some extent) tweaked by the player, and terrains may be imported from SimCity 4. Additional neighborhoods built from scratch may be created and added to the menu screen. Additional pre-designed neighborhoods that come from other expansion packs are Riverblossom Hills, Desiderata Valley, and Belladonna Cove. Some expansion packs add the option of attaching sub-neighborhoods, pre-designed or built from scratch, to the main neighborhood. Sub-neighborhoods include College, Nightlife Destination, Shopping District, and Vacation Destination.	1 pre-designed world (Sunset Valley) in retail shipment. Player-created worlds can be created by using Create a World tool. Riverview is available for free download from The Sims 3 Store. Barnacle Bay, Hidden Springs, Lunar Lakes, Lucky Palms, Sunlit Tides, Monte Vista, Aurora Skies, Roaring Heights, Midnight Hollow, and Dragon Valley can be bought from The Sims 3 Store; Barnacle Bay, Hidden Springs, Monte Vista, Dragon Valley, and Roaring Heights also have limited hard copy retail releases and are also available as direct downloads from Origin. Additional worlds also come with expansion packs: Twinbrook, Bridgeport, Appaloosa Plains, Starlight Shores, Moonlight Falls and Isla Paradiso. Sub-worlds are Shang Simla, Champs Les Sims, and Al Simhara, all for adventure purposes; Sims University, the university world in the game; and Oasis Landing, a sci-fi futuristic sub-world.	3 pre-designed worlds (Oasis Springs, Willow Creek, and Newcrest, which was later added via a free update to the game). The Outdoor Retreat and Jungle Adventure game packs added the vacation destinations of Granite Falls and Selvadorada respectively. Additional Worlds also come with expansion packs: Magnolia Promenade, Windenburg, San Myshuno, Brindleton Bay, Del Sol Valley, Sulani, Britechester and Evergreen Harbor. The Vampires, StrangerVille and Realm of Magic game packs added the residential worlds of Forgotten Hollow, StrangerVille and Glimmerbrook respectively.
Interactive NPCs	Only Townie-type NPCs are interactive. All other NPCs (e.g. maids, social workers, shop clerks, etc.) are not interactive.	All but a few NPCs (drivers, Rod Humble, social workers, etc.) are interactive.	Almost all NPCs are interactive with the exception of a few such as drivers.	All NPCs are interactive and they will be replaced if something causes them to give up their roles.
Phoning	Random phone calls pranking or giving out money. Couples will occasionally get a phone call asking if they want to adopt a baby. Phone will also ring to announce Sims being fired from their job. Other Sims never call.	No prank or money calls, but friends and acquaintances may call at random. Sims that were met in gatherings can tell other Sims about how fun the night was, thus random contacts may call up to ask those Sims out. Sims with less than 2 Nice points can make crank calls.	Friends may call at random, opportunities also come via phone calls. Teens may pull prank calls.	Friends occasionally call to chat, ask to hang out or invite the player's Sim over. With a high Mischief Skill, Sims can do Prank Calls. In Patch 19, Sims that know the player's Sim can invite them to an event. For example, a child Sim may call another child for a playdate.
Plumbob	PlumbBob color reflects precise mood: optimum is green, worst is red.	PlumbBob color represents approximate mood: optimum is platinum, worst is red.	Same as The Sims.	Same as The Sims and The Sims 3.
Pregnancy	No pregnancy, babies can simply appear after user says yes to random "Should we have a baby?" prompt after romantic interaction, or an adoption opportunity. No genetics other than skin color are passed down. Personality for children is randomly generated.	Try for baby may lead to 3 day pregnancy for adult female Sim who is not within 5 days of transition to elder, genetic traits are passed down from both parents. Alien abduction via telescope may lead to 3 day pregnancy for adult male Sim who is not within 5 days of transition to elder.	Same as The Sims 2. Alien pregnancy returned in The Sims 3: Seasons.	Same as The Sims 2 and The Sims 3. Alien pregnancy returned in The Sims 4: Get to Work. Men can become pregnant through WooHoo by using custom gender settings in Create a Sim.
Household accounts	Household accounts screen can be accessed, showing income and expenditure over past 3 days and current day.	No such screen.	Same as The Sims 2.	Same as The Sims 2 and The Sims 3. However, players can view a breakdown of a household's bills to see how much electricity and water they produce and use, as well as any special taxes applied to a lot, and rent if they live in an apartment or a residential rental.
School performance	Children with failing grades are banished to Military School and never return.	When a child in the family has failing grades, all children are taken away by a social worker (unless they're at school), and other families may adopt them.	Sims with failing grades are not taken away, but the player cannot choose what trait they gain when they age up, or their parents will ground them. Every Sim starts with a "C" grade, and there are 5 grade levels: F, D, C, B and A.	School grades now function like career levels. The grade levels are the same as The Sims 3. Some Aspirations require for the child to complete the age state with the "A" grade. Failing school doesn't bring any downsides besides negative moodlets.
Schooling options	Children go to a single school.	Children and teens go to public or private school. Teens can apply for scholarships and move out to a college, which transitions them to the Young Adult life stage in University.	Children and teens go to a single school (5 boarding schools added in Generations).	Children and teens go to a single school, with a separate, active high school option for teens in High School Years.
Number of skills	6 skills, 1 secret skill.	7 skills, 3 toddler skills, 7 secret skills.	10 skills, 4 toddler skills, 10 secret skills. Additionally, 18 skills added from expansion packs and 4 skills added from The Sims 3 Store.	20 skills, 5 skills for toddlers, 4 skills for children. Additionally, 29 skills added from content packs.
Skills distribution	Only adults gain skills.	Toddlers and older can gain skills.	Children and older can gain skills; toddlers can only learn toddler skills.	Teens and older can gain skills; toddlers can only learn toddler skills. In addition to learning child skills, children can also learn skills from older life stages, but at a slower rate.
Time	No days of the week, weekend, or days off work or school (Sims would not be fired for skipping work provided they did attend the following day). Sims cannot quit a job unless they get fired or get a different job.	7-day week with different days off depending on job. Children and Teens have the weekend off from school. Able to call in sick to work, or call work to quit. Elders can call in to retire.	Same as The Sims 2, except Sims cannot call in sick to work, but Sims can still miss work at the expense of work performance. With some patches, Sims can take up to 5 unpaid days off work.	Same as The Sims 2 and The Sims 3.
Wants, Fears, Wishes and Whims.	No wants or fears	All Sims except babies have 4 wants and 3 fears (Additional 2 wants and/or 1 fear, whether they graduate or get expelled at college).	Wishes and promises replace wants. No fears.	Whims initially were the replacement for wants and wishes, and fears weren't present. They could be cancelled and locked, however in patch 132 they were replaced with wants and fears. Wants were the same as whims (without the ability to be cancelled), and fears are long lasting and can only be conquered via fulfilling wants.
Woohoo	Prior to the formal introduction of the term, Sims can "play" in the Vibromatic Heart Bed or a hot tub. When playing in bed, a dialog box may appear giving the couple the option to have a baby.	The term is used for the first time. Having WooHoo for the first time will trigger a cinematic and a memory. When done in public, Sims will react to it. There is also an interaction called "Try for baby" that is similar, but carries a chance of conceiving of a pregnancy if it is successful.	Similar to The Sims 2. Both Sims no longer need to be relaxing on the bed for the interaction to appear. Public WooHoo returns in Late Night; doing so may give Sims the "Publicly Disgraced" moodlet if they are a celebrity.	Similar to The Sims 2 and The Sims 3.

Differences in Create-A-Sim

	The Sims	The Sims 2	The Sims 3	The Sims 4
Accessories	Jewelry, shoes, glasses, etc. not customizable, determined by the Sim's body or head style.	Glasses may be taken on or off, other accessories are determined by Sim's outfit. Bon Voyage (and every EP after) introduces user control of jewelry. Shoes come with bottoms or one-piece outfits, and are uncustomizable.	All accessories, jewelry and shoes may be customized. Hats and head accessories are attached to hairstyles.	Same as in The Sims 3, with the exception of hats and some head accessories, which are now separate from hairstyles.
Aspiration and personality	Sims' personalities determined by 25 Personality Points placed in 5 different categories. Players are not required to use all points.	Same as The Sims, except Aspirations were added, and all points must be assigned to a category.	Personality Points and Aspirations are no longer used, instead replaced with a new trait system allowing players to give their Sims a unique and more realistic personality. Traits determine which Lifetime Wish matches with Sim's personality although this can be selected individually of trait too.	Every Sim begins with 3 traits at the Young Adult stage, and has to choose an Aspiration. A Bonus Trait is given depending on the chosen Aspiration. The Aspiration can be switched at anytime. Completed Aspirations can give unique traits and Reward Traits can be bought in the Rewards Store in the Aspirations tab, meaning Sims can have 20+ Traits.
Body size	Body type dependent on types of clothes worn by the Sim.	Thin, Fit, and Fat body types possible, with Thin or Fat types available in Create-A-Sim.	Independent sliders for muscle tone, body fat, breasts, and a muscle definition slider.	Muscle mass and body fat sliders are present. Every part of the body can be resized independently from the others using the new version of Create-A-Sim.
Changeable clothes	Sleepwear, swimwear, and formalwear are chosen automatically. Clothing racks from The Sims: Hot Date can be used to buy new outfits in these categories.	Sleepwear, swimwear, formalwear, underwear, athletic wear and outerwear are chosen in Create-a-Sim. Maternity outfits are chosen automatically.	Same as The Sims 2, with the exception of merging underwear and sleepwear into one category. Players can select up to 3 outfits per category (with the updated version of The Sims 3). Outerwear can be customized.	Same as in The Sims 2 and The Sims 3, with the exception of career outfits, which are no longer modifiable unless the player uses the sims.modify_career_outfit_in_cas cheat. During pregnancy, Sims wear regular outfits and don't have maternity clothes. Players can select up to 5 outfits per category. A new party outfit category, which is used during various social events was added. Hot weather and cold weather outfit categories were added in patch 68, but The Sims 4: Seasons adds functionality to them.
Family name	Last name is the same for all Sims. Household name is last name of all Sims in the household.	Same as The Sims, except when creating University students. In Create-A-Student, there is the option to give different surnames to each individual Sim in the household.	Each individual Sim can be given a different last name. Players have the ability to change the household name.	Same as in The Sims 3.
Family tree	No Family Tree.	Relationships between spouses, siblings, and parents/children can be established in Create-a-Sim. Family Tree available in relationship panel.	Relationships between spouses, siblings, parents, fiancés and boyfriend/girlfriend are established in Create-A-Sim. A Sim's Family Tree is available to view on their main panel.	Same as in The Sims 2, except for the Family Tree, which was additionally added in Patch 12. That is now available in the Simology panel.
Hair	Hair color determined by the head style.	Hair (and eyebrow) color determined by user with a selection of four colors.	Hair and eyebrow colors are individually selected, and certain parts of the Sim's hair can be changed (roots, main, highlights and tips) with the new color chart allowing the player to give their Sim a natural hair color like brown or blonde, give them crazy highlights or select a vibrant color such as bright green or red.	24 hair colors are available in the base game. Hair, Facial hair and Eyebrows can be recolored independently.
Head style	Head style determines hairstyle, head shape, hair color, eye color, facial hair, etc.	Head style determines only the shape of the Sim's heads.	Same as The Sims 2.	Same as The Sims 2 and The Sims 3.
Skin	Sims have light, medium, or dark skin.	Sims have 4 skin tones ranging from light to dark.	Sims have a range of skin tones with a slider determining exact color, including three natural skin tones and three bizarre colors (red, blue and green). Patches for both Supernatural and Seasons later added more skin colors to choose from.	Originally 26 skin colors were present in the game, representing various ethnicities. 3 custom colors, Green, Red and Blue, were also present. Vampire skins are also present. Patch 105 adds 100+ new skin tones with customization sliders.
Styling	Head style and clothes selected by flipping through all available options.	Hair styles, clothes, etc. selected from a gallery of thumbnails.	Same as in The Sims 2, but choices can be customized with Create a Style.	Same as in The Sims 2, except now each clothing item has various color presets.

Feature comparisons

This table shows which notable game features or objects are introduced in which pack for each game.

Features	The Sims	The Sims 2	The Sims 3	The Sims 4
Actor trailer	Superstar	None	Late Night	Get Famous (decorative)
Air-based vehicles	Makin' Magic (blimp)	Apartment Life (helicopter)	Into the Future (jetpack) Aurora Skies (hot-air balloon)	None
Alien	None	Base Game	Seasons	Get to Work
Ant farm	None	FreeTime	Pets	None
American football	None	Base Game	Base Game	High School Years
Apartments / penthouses	None	Apartment Life (apartments)	Late Night (penthouses)	City Living (apartments and penthouses) Discover University, Lovestruck (penthouses) Eco Lifestyle (apartments) For Rent (residential rentals)
Aquarium	Base Game, Hot Date, Superstar (large) Unleashed (small)	Base Game, Pets, Apartment Life (large)	Base Game (small) High-End Loft Stuff, The Sims 3 Store (large) Late Night (aquarium wall)	Base Game (small) Spa Day, Dine Out, Cats & Dogs (large) My First Pet Stuff (aquarium table)
Arcade machines / tables	Vacation	University	Late NightShowtimeUniversity Life	Get Together
Baker's station	Makin' Magic	None	The Sims 3 Store	None
Balloon	House Party	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game
Ballet barre	None	FreeTime	The Sims 3 Store	None
Bar	Base Game, Livin' Large, House Party, Makin' Magic (residential) Hot Date, Vacation (community)	Base Game (juice bars)	Base Game (juice bars) Late Night (professional bars) Island Paradise (pool bar)	Base Game (professional bars)
Barbecue	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game
Bartender / mixologist	None	Base Game	Late Night	Base Game
Basement	None	None	Base Game	Base Game
Basketball	Base Game	FreeTime	The Sims 3 Store	City Living
Bass	None	University	Late Night	None
Beaches	Vacation	Bon Voyage	Base Game	Island Living
Beehive	Makin' Magic	None	Supernatural	Seasons
Bicycle	None	None	Base Game	Discover University, Eco Lifestyle, Cottage Living, Growing Together
Bird	Unleashed	Pets	Pets	Life & Death
Bonehilda / skeleton maid	Makin' Magic	None	Supernatural	Jungle Adventure (skeletal assistant), Paranormal Stuff (Bonehilda)
Bouncer doors	None	None	Late Night	Get Famous
Bowling	None	Nightlife	University Life	Bowling Night Stuff
Bubble bar/blower	House Party, Superstar	University	Late Night	City Living
Buffet table	House Party	Base Game	Base Game	Luxury Party Stuff, My Wedding Stories, High School Years
Bug collecting	None	Seasons, FreeTime	Base Game, Into the Future	Outdoor Retreat, Eco Lifestyle
Burglar	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	None
Butler	Superstar	Apartment Life	Late Night	Vintage Glamour Stuff
Campfire / bonfire	House Party	Bon Voyage (campfire) University (bonfire)	Base Game (fire pit) University Life (bonfire)	Outdoor Retreat, Little Campers Kit, Horse Ranch (campfire) Base Game (bonfire) (Patch 170)
Cash register	Hot Date, Vacation, Unleashed, Superstar, Makin' Magic	Base Game	World Adventures, Ambitions, Supernatural, University Life, Into the Future, The Sims 3 Store	Get to Work
Ceiling	None	Apartment Life	Base Game	Base Game
Cellphone / smartphone	None	University (cellphone)	Base Game (cellphone) University Life (smartphone)	Base Game (smartphone)
Cemetery / graveyard	Base Game (graveyard)	Base Game (graveyard) Nightlife (cemetery)	Base Game	Cats & Dogs, Snowy Escape (world feature) Life & Death (lot assignment)
Changing table	None	Base Game, FreeTime	The Sims 3 Store	Growing Together, Storybook Nursery Kit
Christmas tree	Livin' Large	Holiday Party Pack, Happy Holiday Stuff	The Sims 3 Store	Holiday Celebration Pack, Seasons
Closet	None	Apartment Life	None	Get Together, Lovestruck
Cockroaches	Livin' Large	Base Game	Base Game (collectibles)	Base Game
Coffeemaker / espresso bar	Base Game (coffeemakers) Unleashed (espresso bar)	Base Game (coffeemakers) University, Apartment Life (espresso bar)	Base Game (coffeemakers) University Life (espresso bar)	Base Game (coffeemakers) Get Together (espresso bars)
Community lots	Hot Date	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game
Cowplant	None	University	The Sims 3 Store	Base Game
Cows	None	None	The Sims 3 Store	Cottage Living
Crib	Base Game (unbuyable)	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game
Crystal ball	Livin' Large	None	The Sims 3 Store	Paranormal Stuff
Dance floor	House Party	Nightlife, H&M Fashion Stuff	Late Night, The Sims 3 Store, 70's 80's 90's Stuff	Get Together, My Wedding Stories, Horse Ranch
Dance sphere	None	Nightlife	Showtime	None
Dartboard	Hot Date	Base Game	Late Night	Base Game (Patch 169)
Dishwasher	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game (Patch 23)
Diving board / platform	Base Game (diving board)	Base Game (diving board)	Base Game (Patch 42) (diving board)	Get Together (diving platforms)
DJ booth	House Party	Nightlife	Showtime	Get Together
Dollhouse	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game
Drafting table	None	FreeTime	Ambitions	None
Dragon	Makin' Magic	None	Dragon Valley	Realm of Magic
Drink fountain	House Party	None	The Sims 3 Store	Luxury Party Stuff, My Wedding Stories, High School Years
Drums	None	University	Late Night	None
Dumpster	None	None	Base Game	Eco Lifestyle
Earbuds / music player	None	University (music player)	Showtime (music player)	Fitness Stuff (earbuds)
Easel	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game
Elders	None	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game
Elevator	None	Open for Business, Apartment Life	Late Night, Into the Future	City Living, Discover University, Lovestruck
Firefighter	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game (Patch 95)
Fireworks	Livin' Large	Holiday Party Pack	World Adventures, Katy Perry's Sweet Treats, Seasons (fireworks), Into the Future (DigiPlosion)	City Living
Fishing	Vacation	Seasons	Base Game	Base Game
Food bowl	Unleashed	Pets	Pets	Cats & Dogs, My First Pet Stuff
Food processor	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	None
Food stand	Hot Date, Vacation, Unleashed, Superstar, Makin' Magic, The Sims website	Bon Voyage, Apartment Life	Seasons, Island Paradise, The Sims 3 Store	City Living, Cats & Dogs, Seasons, Jungle Adventure, Island Living, Discover University, Eco Lifestyle, Snowy Escape, Cottage Living
Funeral	None	None	Generations	Life & Death
Game console	Base Game (virtual reality set)	Base Game (game console)	Base Game (game console, virtual reality set)	Base Game (gaming mat) City Living (game console)
Gardener	Base Game	Base Game	None	Base Game (Patch 30)
Genie	Livin' Large	FreeTime	Showtime	None
Greenhouse	None	Seasons	The Sims 3 Store	Base Game (Patch 68)
Ghosts	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game (Patch 5)
Guitar	Livin' Large	University	Base Game	Base Game
Hiking and jogging	None	FreeTime	Base Game (jogging)	Base Game (jogging) Outdoor Retreat, Snowy Escape (hiking)
Horseshoes	None	None	Seasons	Outdoor Retreat
Hot tub	Base Game	Base Game	Late Night, Outdoor Living Stuff, Showtime, Seasons, Island Paradise, Into the Future, The Sims 3 Store	Base Game (Patch 92)
Hotel / resort system	Vacation (hotel)	Bon Voyage (hotel)	Island Paradise (resort)	None
Igloo	Vacation	None	Seasons	None
Ice cream maker	None	None	The Sims 3 Store	Cool Kitchen Stuff
Infants	None	None	None	Base Game (Patch 142)
Inheritance	None	Base Game	Generations	Eco Lifestyle (random phone call) Life & Death (full inheritance)
Interests	Base Game	Base Game	None	None
Jewelry	None	Bon Voyage	Base Game	Base Game
Juice	None	Seasons	Base Game	Base Game
Juice keg	None	University	University Life	Discover University
Jungle gym	Base Game	Apartment Life	Base Game	Base Game
Karaoke machine	Superstar	Nightlife	Showtime	City Living
Keyboard	Superstar	None	Late Night	City Living
Ladder	None	None	Base Game (Patch 55)	Base Game (Patch 95)
Launcher	None	Bon Voyage, Teen Style Stuff	Base Game	None
Laundry system	None	None	Ambitions, Town Life Stuff, University Life, The Sims 3 Store	Laundry Day Stuff
Lawn water slide	None	None	Generations, Katy Perry's Sweet Treats, The Sims 3 Store	Backyard Stuff
Lounge chairs	Vacation	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game (Patch 81)
Love bed	Livin' Large	Apartment Life	High End Loft Stuff	Basement Treasures Kit (decorative), Lovestruck (functional)
Massage table	Superstar	Bon Voyage	The Sims 3 Store	Spa Day
Mechanical bull	House Party	None	Showtime	None
Memories	None	Base Game	Base Game (Patch 22), Generations	Base Game (memories) Growing Together (milestones)
Mermaids	None	None	Island Paradise	Island Living
Microphone	Superstar (Singing)	Apartment Life (Singing)	Showtime (Singer)	Base Game (Comedy) City Living (Singing) Get Famous (Acting)
Microwave oven	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game
Model train	Base Game	FreeTime	Supernatural	None
Monkey bars	None	Apartment Life	None	Base Game
Moodlet	None	None	Base Game	Base Game
Murphy bed	None	Apartment Life	University Life	Tiny Living Stuff
Nanny / babysitter	None	Base Game (nanny)	Base Game (babysitter)	Base Game (both) (Patch 37)
Newspaper	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	None
Ownable cars	None	Nightlife	Base Game	None
Paparazzi	Superstar	None	Late Night	Get Famous
Personal Inventory	Hot Date	Nightlife	Base Game	Base Game
Pets	Unleashed	Pets	Pets	Cats & Dogs, My First Pet Stuff, Horse Ranch
Pet bed	Unleashed	Pets	Pets	Cats & Dogs, My First Pet Stuff
Pet house	Unleashed	Pets	Pets	None
Pet store	Unleashed	Pets	Pets, The Sims 3 Store	None
Photo booth	None	Nightlife	Showtime, University Life	High School Years
Piano	Base Game	Base Game	Late Night	Base Game
Picnic basket	Hot Date	None	Base Game	Cottage Living
Pinball machine	Base Game	Base Game	The Sims 3 Store	None
Ping-pong table	None	None	University Life	Discover University
PlantSims	None	Seasons	University Life	Base Game
Police officers	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	None
Pool slide	Vacation	Seasons	Island Paradise	None
Pool table	Base Game	University, FreeTime, Apartment Life	Showtime, University Life, Into the Future, The Sims 3 Store	None
Podium	None	Base Game, Seasons	University Life	City Living, Discover University, High School Years, Life & Death
Popcorn machine	Makin' Magic	None	The Sims 3 Store	Movie Hangout Stuff
Pumpkin	Makin' Magic	None	Seasons	Spooky Stuff (Jack-o'-lanterns) Cottage Living (plant)
Punching bag	None	Base Game (career reward)	None	Base Game
Rabbit holes	None	None	Base Game	Base Game
Refrigerator	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game
Remote control vehicle	None	Base Game	The Sims 3 Store	Discover University
Repairman	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game (Patch 26)
Repo-man	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game (Patch 95)
Restaurant system	Hot Date	Nightlife, Open for Business	Base Game (rabbit hole) The Sims 3 Store (open)	Dine Out
Restaurant podium / host station	Hot Date	Nightlife, Open for Business	None	Dine Out
Restorable car	None	FreeTime	Roaring Heights	None
Rocking chair	None	None	Supernatural, Aurora Skies, Movie Stuff, The Sims 3 Store	Nifty Knitting Stuff, Growing Together, Horse Ranch, Storybook Nursery Kit, Life & Death
Rodent	Livin' Large	Pets	Pets	My First Pet Stuff
Santa Claus	Livin' Large	Holiday Party Pack (Santa Klaus)	The Sims 3 Store (free costume)	Seasons (Father Winter)
Satellite dish	Superstar	None	None	Get to Work
Sauna	Superstar	Bon Voyage	Sunlit Tides	Spa Day
Servo	Livin' Large	Open for Business	Ambitions (SimBot) Into the Future (Plumbot)	Discover University
Skating rink	None	Seasons	Seasons	Seasons
Slide	None	Apartment Life	Base Game	Base Game (jungle gym slide) Toddler Stuff (toddler slide)
Slot machine	Livin' Large	None	The Sims 3 Store	None
Smoke detector	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game
Snowboarding	Vacation	None	Seasons	Snowy Escape
Soccer	None	FreeTime	Seasons	Discover University
Social worker	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	None
Solar panels / wind turbines	None	Mansion & Garden Stuff	The Sims 3 Store	Eco Lifestyle
Sprinkler (fire)	None	University	None	Base Game
Sprinkler (gardening)	None	Seasons	Base Game	Seasons
Stage props	None	None	Showtime	Get Famous
Storing leftovers	None	Seasons	Base Game	Base Game
Story progression	None	None	Base Game	Base Game (Patch 121)
Stove	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game
Styling station	None	Open for Business	Ambitions	Get Famous
Sunburn	None	Seasons, Bon Voyage	Seasons	Island Living
Swimming pool	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game (Patch 7)
Swing set	None	Base Game	Base Game	Seasons, Island Living, Little Campers Kit, Growing Together, Lovestruck, Life & Death
Tattooes	None	None	Ambitions	Base Game
Tea set	Makin' Magic	Bon Voyage	University Life The Sims 3 Store	Base Game
Teens	None	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game
Telescope / backyard observatory	Livin' Large (telescope)	Base Game (telescope)	Base Game (telescope)	Base Game (telescope (Patch 131), backyard observatory)
Television	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game
Tent	Vacation	Bon Voyage	World Adventures, Island Paradise	Outdoor Retreat, Journey to Batuu, Snowy Escape
Toaster oven	Base Game	Base Game	None	Dream Home Decorator
Toasting set	None	Base Game	None	My Wedding Stories
Toddlers	None	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game (Patch 46)
Toothbrushing	Base Game	Apartment Life	Base Game	Base Game
Townies	Hot Date, Vacation, Superstar, Makin' Magic	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game
Tragic Clown	Livin' Large	None	None	Base Game
Training dummy	None	None	World Adventures	StrangerVille
Trash compactor	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Eco Lifestyle (home recycle)
Treadmill	None	University	Base Game	Base Game
Vampires	Makin' Magic	Nightlife	Late Night, Supernatural	Vampires
Vanity tables	None	University, Seasons, Teen Style Stuff	Showtime, Supernatural, Movie Stuff	Vintage Glamour Stuff, Modern Luxe Kit
Vending machine	The Sims website	Apartment Life	University Life	Base Game (Patch 169)
Violin	None	FreeTime	The Sims 3 Store	Base Game
Voodoo doll	Livin' Large	Bon Voyage	The Sims 3 Store	Base Game
Walking between lots	None	Bon Voyage	Base Game	Base Game
Weather / seasons	None	Seasons	Seasons	Seasons
Wedding arch and wedding cake	None	Base Game	Generations, Island Paradise, The Sims 3 Store	Base Game
Weight machine	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game
Werewolves	Makin' Magic	Pets	Supernatural	Werewolves
Whiteboard	None	None	University Life	High School Years
Wind chimes	Unleashed (decorative)	None	The Sims 3 Store	Backyard Stuff
Wishing well	None	Seasons	Lucky Palms	Romantic Garden Stuff, Life & Death
Witches / spellcasters	Makin' Magic (witch)	Apartment Life (witch)	Supernatural (witch)	Realm of Magic (spellcaster)
Young adults	None	University	Base Game	Base Game
Zodiac sign	Base Game	Base Game	Base Game (Patch 17), Late Night	None
Zombie	Livin' Large	University	Supernatural	None

See also

• Comparison between The Sims and The Sims 2
• Comparison between The Sims 2 and The Sims 3
• Comparison between The Sims 3 and The Sims 4
• Comparison between The Sims 3 and The Sims Medieval
• Comparison between vacation themed packs
• Comparison between work themed expansions
• Comparison between nightlife themed packs
• Comparison between pets themed games
• Comparison between weather themed games
• Comparison between college themed expansions
• Theme