The Sims 4: High School Years is the twelfth expansion pack released for The Sims 4 franchise, and it was released on July 28, 2022. This expansion pack offers players the opportunity to relive their high school years and experience the drama, excitement, and challenges of teenage life. Players will be able to create and customize their own high school, attend classes, join extracurricular activities, attend proms, and much more. While it doesn't bring many features for other age groups, this pack offers a unique experience for players who are passionate about the high school years and want to explore the ups and downs of teenage life in the virtual world.
In High School Years, players will experience a focus on high school life. While it doesn't have a direct predecessor, it incorporates elements from previous games such as The Sims 2: Teen Style Stuff, and The Sims 3: Generations. The expansion pack provides players with a unique way to live their Sims' high school years, with various activities and objects that allow them to immerse themselves in the social, academic, and extracurricular aspects of high school life. Players can experience the highs and lows of teenage life, form lasting relationships, and pave the way for their Sims' future.
Sources for this article and its images include EA.com and SimsCommunity.com .
Everything New In A Nutshell
- Immersive High School Experience
- New World (Copperdale)
- Prom Event
- New Social Media Apps (Social Bunny and Trendi)
- New Traits (Overachiever, Party animal, Socially awkward)
- New Lot Assignments (Auditorium, High School, Thrift and Bubble Tea Store)
- New Teen Exclusive Aspirations (Drama Llama, Goal Oriented, Live Fast, Admired Icon)
- New Skill (Entrepreneur)
- New Part-time Careers: Simfluencer, Video game streamer
- New afterschool activities (Cheer team member, Chess team member, Computer team member, Football team member)
- New CAS, Build/Buy Items, Acne and Body Changes
Immersive High School Experience
The Sims 4 High School Years expansion pack offers players a more hands-on high school experience for their Sims. Instead of sending them off to school for several hours without player interaction, players have the option to follow their Sims to the high school lot and participate in their daily activities. This is similar to the Active Careers, such as Scientist, Doctor, Detective and Actor/Actress Careers.
Unlike in enrolling to a University, Teen Sims are automatically enrolled in high school. On non-holiday weekdays, players will be given a choice of whether to send their Sims to school without interaction or follow them through the day. If they choose to follow, they will be able to control their Sims' actions throughout the school day, which is divided into four sections. The first section is for socializing and activities such as working out or studying. Then, Sims will attend their morning lessons, and players can interact with the whiteboard in the classroom if necessary to ensure they are doing so. After the morning lesson, Sims have a two-and-a-half-hour lunch break where they can perform various activities such as replenishing needs, socializing, decorating their locker, studying, and more. In the afternoon, Sims will attend their final lesson of the day. After this lesson, Sims will head back home or to their after-school activities.
During high school, it is expected that students focus on learning and studying. Players have the ability to choose activities that can impact their Sims' grades. Misbehavior and skipping classes are not tolerated and may result in detention. Repeated offenders or those with poor grades risk getting expelled and missing out on all the exciting in-school activities. Sims can also drop out of the high school of their own free will. Sims who drop out or get expelled have the option to earn an online high school diploma as young adults and older, which opens up the opportunity to continue their education at university and the possibility to join some careers. Additionally, outstanding students may be able to graduate early, allowing them to enroll in university sooner as teens. Unfortunately, early graduates will not be able to participate in the graduation ceremony. For all other Sims, the graduation event takes place on the nearest Sunday after they age up. Achieving high grades can lead to graduation with honors and a chance at being selected as the valedictorian. Both graduating early and being a valedictorian allows Sims to have career boosts.
Copperdale
Copperdale is a world included in The Sims 4: High School Years expansion pack. This town was established by Jasper Prescott and was once renowned for its thriving mining industry. Its mountainous landscape and former industry suggest that Copperdale is based on towns located in the Rocky Mountains region of the United States. A statue of the founder can be found in the historic Prescott Square, which serves as a testament to the town's history. On the other side of the lake is the amusement park pier, a popular destination for locals and visitors alike. The name Copperdale is believed to be a nod to the popular teen drama TV series, Riverdale, which is based on characters from Archie Comics. Additionally, the surname "Prescott" is thought to reference the wealthy Prescott family from the game Life is Strange. Another possible nod to the game is the presence of the Price household in Copperdale, as Chloe Price is one of the main characters in Life is Strange. These references add a layer of depth to Copperdale, making it a unique and memorable world in The Sims 4.
Copperdale is a vibrant world, with three distinct neighborhoods, one of which is devoted to the high school experience. The Copperdale High, Auditorium and sports field provide plenty of opportunities for students to participate in activities and events, such as cheerleading. The world offers a diverse range of lot types, with 7 residential lots and 5 community lots available to Sims. Some notable locations in Copperdale include the rental lot, library, park, and ThrifTea - a unique store that offers both thrift shopping and bubble tea. Teen Sims will find plenty of places to hang out and have fun, but Copperdale is a beautiful world for any Sim to explore and enjoy.
Prom Event
The Prom event is a key highlight of the high school, held in the Auditorium on Saturday evenings. Players will be given the option to attend Prom with their Sims, or opt-out. Sims can choose to go alone, with friends, or with a romantic interest. The Prom event is a major moment for Teen Sims, and participating in it can bring a variety of sentiments and moodlets. To ask another Teen Sim to Prom, players must wait for the Prom notification to appear. Then, they can initiate interactions like "Promise to Skip Prom Together," "Ask for Prom Tips," "Ask to Prom," "Ask to Prom as Friends," "Claim to be Prom Royalty," or "Present Prom Proposal Sign." It's important to note that Teen Sims can change their minds about attending Prom with a specific Sim, so players should make sure their Sims have a backup plan if necessary. At Prom, Sims will be dressed in formal attire and engage in activities like dancing, sipping fruit punch, and taking photos. Additionally, they will vote for Prom Royalty and Prom Jester, who will be announced during the event.
New Social Media Apps
With the release of The Sims 4 High School Years expansion, two new apps were introduced to enhance the social interaction and fashion sense of Sims. Social Bunny and Trendi both offer unique and engaging experiences for Sims to enjoy.
Social Bunny
With the release of The Sims 4 High School Years expansion, the once NPC Social Bunny from The Sims 2 has been transformed into a social media platform within the Sims world. Accessible via Sims' phones, this app combines elements of Facebook and Twitter, allowing Sims to post updates and message one another. The app has a simple interface with three main sections: Feed, Friends, and Messages, and includes additional features such as the ability to make new posts and tag other Sims. Utilizing the Social Bunny can affect Sims in unique ways, including giving moodlets based on the success of their posts or messaging interaction. Similar to the Simstagram, Sims can increase their number of followers, however, it is entirely dependent on their active usage of the App, and nothing else. Growing Sims' followers involves meeting new Sims, adding them as contacts, and tagging them in posts. While not a complex system, actively creating memories and posting often is key to building a strong following on the Social Bunny.
Trendi
The Trendi app, represented by a pink app with glasses, is a fashion platform accessible through Sims' phone. It offers various features such as purchasing clothing, checking followers, and a brief overview of the app. Trendi allows Sims to buy and sell clothing, and it integrates with the ThrifTea thrift store to promote the thrifting and creation of new fashion trends. Fashion plays a crucial role in a teenager's social life, and Trendi keeps Sims up to date on the latest trends. To start their own trend, players can create an outfit either in the ThrifTea or on Trendi and hype it up. If successful, other Sims may start to adopt the new style. Sims can also gift their Trendi purchases to others or resell them once they are no longer interested in wearing them. While not a significant addition, the Trendi app adds an enjoyable layer to the lives of teenage and older Sims beyond the high school activities.
New Traits
The High School Years Expansion Pack introduces three new traits to help players add more depth and personalization to their Sims. The Overachiever trait is perfect for players who want to create a Sim who is driven and focused on excelling in their studies and careers. Overachiever Sims tend to raise their skills faster than other Sims, and are happy when they complete work tasks. However, their single-minded focus on success can make them a little harder to get along with as friends, and their relationship building skills are negatively impacted. This trait conflicts with the Lazy trait and Sims with the Overachiever trait build their skills twice as fast, similar to the Savant reward trait. When socializing with other Overachiever Sims, they may experience the Rival angry moodlet, but they can also "Humble Brag" with their peers.
This pack also introduces two popular social traits from The Sims 3, and they are more self-explanatory than the Overachiever trait. Party Animal Sims have a love for parties and revel in hyping up the crowd and showing off their party tricks. This trait conflict with the Gloomy, Loner, or Socially awkward traits. Meanwhile, Socially Awkward is quite like the opposite of the Party Animal trait. These Sims will struggle in social situations and have a slower time building charisma, but when they overcome their awkwardness and nervousness, they are rewarded with strong Moodlets and Sentiments in forming close relationships. This trait conflicts with the Outgoing and Party animal traits.
Trait Name | In-Game Description | Trait Type |
|---|---|---|
 Overachiever | The Sims tend to raise their skills faster and are happy when they finish work tasks, but are a little harder to get along with as friends. | Lifestyle |
 Party Animal | These Sims tend to enjoy parties and letting every other Sim know by hyping up a crowd and performing party tricks. | Social |
 Socially Awkward | These Sims tend to struggle in social situations and build charisma more slowly, but gain powerful Moodlets and Sentiments when they are able to overcome their awkwardness and accompanying nervousness to form close relationships. | Social |
New Lot Assignments
The High School Years pack introduces three new lot assignments for players to create unique and functional spaces in their game, namely High School, Thrift and Bubble Tea Store, and Auditorium. These lots come with specific requirements but allow for customization in terms of design and layout. While these lot types already exist in Copperdale by default, players can now customize them to their liking.
It is important to note that only the Thrift and Bubble Tea Store lot is available to be placed in other worlds by default. This allows players to experience a charming cafe environment and thrifting experience anywhere in the game. However, the High School and Auditorium lots are exclusive to Copperdale, similar to how Oceanic Paradise is restricted to Sulani. With the use of mods, it is possible to create a High School and Auditorium in other worlds, but the events and activities such as cheerleading will still take place in the field behind Copperdale High. Additionally, players are advised to change the lot type of Copperdale High to prevent Sims from randomly attending either one of them.
Teen Aspirations
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The Sims 4 has expanded its aspirations to now include exclusive ones for Teen Sims, allowing these characters to live out their teenage dreams to the fullest. With a variety of aspirations to choose from, Teen Sims can find one that aligns with their unique personality and behavior preferences. As with all other aspirations, these come with unique reward traits that retain their potency and relevance even after the Teen Sims grow up. All of them have quite some replayability as they are heavily reliant on social interactions. Furthermore, it is a welcome addition to see that Teen Sims can focus on more light-hearted Teen activities during these aspirations' tasks which makes them feel distinct from the Young Adult Sims.
Drama Llama
The Drama Llama aspiration in The Sims 4 is all about embracing the exciting dramas of teenage life. This aspiration is best suited for teen Sims who have either the Mean or Romantic trait, as they will be required to engage in a variety of mean and romantic interactions. Some of these activities include gossiping, spreading rumors, using mean interactions on other Sims, and even breaking up with someone. Additionally, the aspiration requires the teen Sim to have a rival during their after-school activity, which is different from the enemy status in the base game.
Upon successfully completing the Drama Llama aspiration, Sim will receive the Untroubled reward trait, which provides a carefree outlook on life. This trait reflects the idea that even though being a drama llama can leave relationships rocky, these Sims always know how to move on and let go, making them truly untroubled.
Goal Oriented
The Goal Oriented aspiration is perfect for Sims who are overachievers and strive to be the best in everything, from grades and money to extracurricular activities. This aspiration requires these Sims to join an after-school activity, earn straight A's, participate in career days, and reach the highest level in a side hustle, specifically part-time jobs added in the pack.
Upon completion, the Goal Oriented Sims will receive the Highflier reward trait, which enhances their chances of success, especially in the fields of business and entrepreneurship.
Live Fast
The Live Fast Aspiration is ideal for Sims who have a mischievous streak. Of all the Teen aspirations, it's known to be the most challenging to complete as it involves activities that could lead to being expelled from school or grounded. Sims pursuing this aspiration must carry out pranks, get into trouble, sneak out for parties, summon an urban legend, and more. Some tasks, like sneaking out for a party, require both luck and certain steps to be fulfilled, making it even more challenging than the other aspirations.
Should a Sim successfully complete this aspiration, they will receive the Dauntless reward trait. This trait is stronger than the others and enables Sims to live life to the fullest. The Grim Reaper has a soft spot for dauntless Sims during life and death situations, increasing the chances of pleading for their own and others' lives. So even if a Sim stops being mischievous, they'll still have an edge in avoiding an early departure.
Admired Icon
The Admired Icon aspiration is ideal for Sims who strive to be the most popular and well-liked teen at school. These Sims want to be trendsetters and have a strong impact on others, and they'll take advantage of the new apps introduced with the pack. To complete this aspiration, they must participate in a T-Pose Challenge, make friends, have 250 followers on Social Bunny, host an event and earn a gold medal, and list outfits on Trendi. Outgoing Sims will especially benefit from this aspiration.
Upon completion, these Sims will receive the Iconic reward trait, which solidifies their status as a popular and influential figure among their peers. As an Iconic Sim, they have the power to shape trends and make their mark on the virtual world.
Entrepreneur Skill
High School Years introduces a new minor skill: Entrepreneurship. This skill is connected to the Trendi marketplace and part-time jobs in the pack, but any Sim who earns a living through self-employment can benefit from it. The skill is developed through "hustle" activities such as selling outfits on Trendi, crafting and selling goods, participating in odd jobs, and freelancing. The skill is compatible with other packs, and Sims who are Simfluencers or Video Game Streamers will get the most out of it. As a minor skill its max level is five making it easy to build while offering perks that help Sims earn more money in their side hustles. Upon completing it, they will also receive the "Gain The Knowledge" reward trait, which increases their career salary. They will be also receiving more receptive responses from the Sims they are interacting with.
New Part-time Careers
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In The Sims 4 High School Years expansion pack, two new part-time careers have been introduced: Simfluencer and Video Game Streamer. These careers allow Sims to make money on the side while they attend school, and let them hone Entrepreneur skill and Charisma or Video Gaming skill based on which of the part-time careers they have picked. Overall, as with other part-time careers, the requirements for promotion are quite simple, and the max level in both of them is level 3. These careers also doesn't require any specific daily task and align well with the school schedules. While it is designed for teenage Sims, any Sim can essentially follow these part-time careers.
New Afterschool Activities
The High School Years expansion pack for The Sims 4 introduces four new after-school activities that are exclusive to teenagers. These activities aim to help boost Sims' skills and talents, while also preparing them for future careers. However, they do not offer monetary rewards. The new after-school activities are:
- Cheer Team - allows players to show their support and dedication to Copperdale High. There is also a weekly cheer competition. This activity allows Sims to increase their Fitness skills and try unique moves to eventually become Cheer Captain and earn the Golden Cheer Mat, Team Flag, and Trophy.
- Chess Team - a great activity for players who want to enhance their Sim's Logic skills. Players start as a Chess Team Member and work their way up to Captain. Sims can participate in a High School Science Fair to show off their skills and earn the Special Chess Table, Team Flag, and Trophy.
- Computer Team - for tech-savvy Sims who want to improve their Programming skills. Sims can participate in a Game Jam during a Science Fair to compete against other contenders and earn the Golden Laptop, Team Flag, and Trophy.
- Football Team - perfect for sports lovers and those who are interested in increasing Fitness skill. Sims can practice their throwing and catching skills on the field and participate in the Sports Day Festival to potentially become Captain and earn the Golden Football, Team Flag, and Trophy.
New CAS And Build/Buy Items
High School Years offers a variety of CAS options, including outfits, accessories, and hairstyles, designed to capture the essence of teenage life and high school experiences. These items are suitable for all ages and genders, including teenage and adult Sims, with styles influenced by pop culture and American high school experiences. Players can create a unique and authentic look for their Sims, showcasing their personality and style. Free base game update before the launch of this pack also added sexual orientation and romance preferences, as well as body hair. Note that the expansion pack includes body changes and acne for teen Sims, but they can be turned off in game options.
High School Years also offers a vast selection of Build/Buy items that cater to the high school experience. It allows players to bring their high school vision to life and create the perfect environment for their Sims to live, learn and grow. With new objects, players can build the perfect school. Additionally, players can now create the perfect teen room, with cool, trendy and stylish items, that cater to the lifestyle of teenage Sims. In addition, players now have the ability to build curved walls, thanks to a free base game update. This allows for a greater level of customization and creativity when building, giving players the ability to create unique and unconventional structures.
The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S