The Sims 4: Realm of Magic is a game pack that offers a magical experience to players of The Sims 4 franchise. It was released on September 10, 2019 and allows players to enter a new world of spells and sorcery. With the ability to become spellcasters, players can explore the world of Glimmerbrook, which is filled with magical creatures, hidden secrets, and mystical elements that cater to those drawn to occult gameplay. Players can create their own magical Sims and learn new spells and potions as they navigate through this magical world. For those who enjoy the fantasy and mystical elements of occult gameplay, Glimmerbrook is the perfect place for spellcaster Sims to reside, as it serves as the primary location for magical gameplay in The Sims 4. Additionally, there is a secret lot that can be accessed through a magical portal, offering a unique experience to Sims who wish to explore the Magic Realm.
The Magic Realm is a unique lot within Glimmerbrook that draws inspiration from the Harry Potter franchise. It features a magical school and a shopping area reminiscent of Hogsmeade. Although it is not exclusively for spellcaster Sims, it is an excellent location for them to spend time, as they can interact with other spellcasters and the three Sages. This interaction allows Sims to learn new spells and potions more efficiently. Additionally, Sims can purchase various magical items, some of which are also collection items. Although it is considered a hidden lot by the developers, the Magic Realm is not as secret or difficult to enter as other hidden lots, and it offers a vast and exciting world to explore.
How To Get To Magic Realm
The Magic Realm can be accessed easily through primarily two methods. The first method is to travel to Glimmerbrook and access the magical portal in this world. Since there is only one neighborhood in Glimmerbrook consisting of five lots, players can essentially pick any of the lots to travel to in order to access the portal. Generally speaking, however, traveling from the empty lot will be the quickest, as it is the closest to the magical portal. Players will also notice the portal being visible on the map on the left side of the world, making it quite easy to locate, even for first-time visitors. Once Sims are at the portal, they can simply use the interaction to travel to the Magic Realm. They won't be prompted into any rabbit-hole or chance cards, and they don't need to have any skills or even be a spellcaster to be able to do so. Players can also pick other Sims to travel with them.
The second method of accessing the Magic Realm is exclusive to spellcasters, as it involves using the Glimmerstone in their inventories. When a Sim becomes a spellcaster, they automatically receive this item, making it easy for them to travel to the Magic Realm without needing to go to the Glimmerbrook portal every time.
Magic Realm Activities
The Magic Realm offers the most activities compared to any other hidden lot currently available in the game. In fact, it can almost be considered a hidden neighborhood due to the vast amount of offerings for Spellcaster Sims. When players travel to the Magic Realm, they are transported to an otherworldly and magical experience, where all the amenities appear to be floating on rocks. According to the in-game description, the swirling vortex surrounding the lot is slowly pulling it apart, but it is being held together by the balance between the three houses of magic. Additionally, if players own the Seasons expansion pack, the zone has unique weather with magical and mystical clouds and a distinct day and night cycle.
The Magic HQ is the central area of the Magic Realm, where players can interact with the three sages from each of the houses of magic. Sims who are not yet spellcasters will not have many options in this area, but they can become spellcasters by asking one of the three mages who have a logo on top of their head and a unique NPC title based on their school, making them easy to locate. After completing a simple quest with a few tasks, players can easily become spellcasters and interact with everything in the area. For those who are already spellcasters, the three sages offer the opportunity to learn new potions or spells from their respective schools of Mischief Magic, Practical Magic, or Untamed Magic. Sims can also only learn the ultimate spells from the three sages.
The Magic HQ is quite spacious by default, with four accessible floors in total - two above the ground and two underground. It features libraries, a kitchen, a study area, bathrooms, rooms with cauldrons, a dueling area, and even a bar. Spellcaster Sims can spend days on end in this area, fulfilling all their needs and improving their spellcaster abilities. Many other Sims, such as townies or playable Sims, who are mostly spellcasters visit this lot as well, making it similar to a non-residential lot where players can duel with them, engage in magical training, and more.
There are also three smaller floating rocks outside the primary area of the Magic HQ, each with a different purpose. The smallest rock serves as a dueling ground, where Sims can travel to and duel with each other if they do not wish to do so in the Magic HQ area or elsewhere. The next floating area is the Gardens, which features an old greenhouse that appears to have been destroyed when it was sucked into a vortex. Unfortunately, Sims cannot enter the greenhouse, even as a rabbithole. However, there are many plants, most of which are exclusive magical plants like Mandrakes or Valerian Roots, outside the greenhouse that can be harvested to make alchemy potions. This area is also ideal for those looking to finish their gardening collections.
Lastly, there is the bigger floating island known as Caster Alley, which serves as a market for spellcasters and resembles both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley in terms of design. It consists of three vendors selling different items: one vendor sells magic brooms and crystals, another sells wands, familiars, and spell tomes for learning spells, and the last one is for any kind of alchemy ingredients. Interestingly, each stall is staffed by an "Astral Projection Vendor" who looks like a ghost, but they are not actually ghosts. Players should note that, unlike in The Sims 3, the wands in Sims 4 do not provide additional power potency to spellcasters, and they can cast spells with their hands. However, different wand options can give uniqueness to the spellcaster with a variety of styles to choose from. The same can be said for familiars, which, outside of cats and dogs as familiars, do not provide any different benefits except for looking different, even with their different rarities. The same is also true for brooms, which are only useful for Sims who prefer to travel with them and provide unique cosmetic differences.
Collecting Magical Artifacts
The Magical Artifacts collection, which is the new and only collection added with this game pack, consists of Brooms, Familiars, and Wands. Interestingly, this collection is one of the only collections that serves both functional and decorative purposes. There are a total of 11 familiars, 5 broomsticks, and 10 wands of different designs.
Additionally, wands and broomsticks have different color variants that can also be collected. Players interested in completing this collection should check the vendors in the Caster Alley every day, as well as duel for them, or ask their cat or dog familiar to search for them.
Can Players Build In Magic Realm?
Some players may wonder if it is possible to completely rebuild the already-built Magic HQ lot in the Magic Realm. However, as this lot is still a hidden lot, it cannot be directly built without relying on cheats. Fortunately, once the cheat console is activated, players can simply enter "bb.enablefreebuild" to make changes to this lot, just like other hidden areas in the game.
Nevertheless, players should keep in mind that the edits are limited to the Magic HQ, and they cannot modify the three smaller floating rock areas. For players interested in renovating the Magic HQ quickly, there are also many designs available in the Gallery to download.
The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.