The Sims 4: StrangerVille is the seventh game pack of the franchise and was released on February 26, 2019. It offers a thrilling new mystery for Sims to solve. The pack takes place in the eerie town of StrangerVille, which has been plagued by a mysterious disease that has left its residents acting strangely. Sims can explore the town and interact with the locals to gather clues and unravel the mystery, which involves a secret lab and a sinister conspiracy. The pack offers new gameplay features such as the Military career as well as new build mode items and CAS items such as clothing, hairstyles, and furniture. With its intriguing storyline and new gameplay elements, The Sims 4: StrangerVille offers a unique and engaging experience for players who are looking for something different from the usual Sims gameplay.
Strangerville is quite different from other content packs in that it offers a story-based gameplay experience. It is also the first and only pack to do so, until the release of The Sims 4: Journey to Batuu. Strangerville introduces a mysterious desert town with a strange secret, and players must uncover the truth behind it. The pack has no predecessors and offers a unique storyline experience that is different from anything previously seen in The Sims 4. With new gameplay features such as the aspiration, emotion, and trait associated with the pack, Strangerville immerses players in a sci-fi mystery gameplay that takes them on a journey of discovery and intrigue. It's a great choice for players who are looking for a different type of gameplay experience in The Sims 4.
Sources for this article include official artwork from EA.com and other content creators.
Everything New In A Nutshell
- New Linear Story-Based Gameplay
- New World (StrangerVille)
- New Aspiration - StrangerVille Mystery (Location)
- New Career (Military)
- New Trait (Paranoid)
- New CAS, Build/Buy Items
Linear Story-Based Gameplay
StrangerVille breaks the mold by offering a linear story with specific steps that players must take to progress. Set in a mysterious desert town of the same name, this pack features a bizarre conspiracy that players must unravel. Upon arrival, the Sims are immediately struck by the strange behavior of some of the locals, who are suffering from a mysterious illness that manifests in possessed emotions, peculiar gaits, and incoherent rambling about a "Mother Plant." Adding to the unease are the strange blue alien plants scattered throughout the town. In order to uncover the truth, players must talk to residents and explore certain locations, collect clues, and find a solution for this enigmatic affliction.
The inspiration for the mystery storyline and the Mother Plant in StrangerVille seems to draw from the horror/thriller genre, with clear nods to popular media such as Stranger Things, the hit Netflix series. In particular, the show's first season revolves around a group of friends investigating the strange happenings in their small town, which ultimately leads to a battle against a monstrous creature from another dimension. Without going into the spoiler territory, while the similarities are apparent, StrangerVille puts its unique spin on the mystery, with a focus on uncovering the source of the strange plants and the odd events that have gripped the town's residents. This is the first time The Sims franchise has presented a story with a clear goal for the player to follow, creating a unique and engaging experience that sets StrangerVille apart from previous iterations of the game. It's worth noting that there is even a new death type associated with this pack, meaning that the journey may not be entirely pleasant for the Sims.
It is important to note that the events of StrangerVille are confined to its own world, and players' other game worlds will not be impacted by the possessed Sims or the strange plants. While the game offers the option to replay the story once it's been completed, players can also choose to leave StrangerVille as a "normal" world to live in. This provides players with the flexibility to either continue exploring the strange happenings or return to their usual Sims gameplay without any lasting effects.
StrangerVille
The Sims 4's StrangerVille world is a unique and eerie desert town set in the Southwestern United States, taking inspiration from Arizona, Nevada, and the mysterious Area 51. The name "StrangerVille" could be also inspired by Stranger Things, but the world also includes elements from the iconic Strangetown neighborhood in The Sims 2. The world features odd occurrences, a crater, and a desert-like environment, much like its predecessor. While the in-game size and art say otherwise, this massive crater is estimated to be the size of the entire Windenburg world according to one of the pre-made Sims in this pack. Overall, StrangerVille offers a unique and intriguing location for Sims players to explore and uncover its secrets.
StrangerVille boasts a vast array of lots, including 9 residential lots, 2 community lots, and a special lot. Players are granted full creative control over the residential and community lots, allowing them to build and customize their dream homes or venues. The special lot, although visible on the map, has its name hidden, adding to the mystery of the pack. With a whopping 64x64 lot size, the special lot is multi-leveled and must be explored throughout the storyline. This makes StrangerVille the largest world introduced in a game pack, adding to the overall experience of living in the desert town. This world also includes a unique weather type called "Strange Weather," which is exclusive to the pack's storyline but can be supplemented by other weather elements from the Seasons expansion pack. Interestingly, the world of StrangerVille does not include any eco-footprint elements from the Eco Lifestyle pack, setting it apart from the rest of the non-destination worlds in The Sims 4.
StrangerVille Mystery Aspiration
The StrangerVille pack is unique in its own right, and so is the corresponding aspiration that comes with it. Unlike previous aspirations that focus on the core features of the packs, this aspiration is specifically designed to guide players through the storyline of the town. Without revealing any spoilers, it is challenging to share the specifics of the tasks in this aspiration, but players can expect them to be intricately related to the process of uncovering the mysteries of StrangerVille. Completing these tasks will provide Sims with valuable information about the unusual happenings in the town, the underlying cause, and the solution to it.
Sims who complete this unique StrangerVille aspiration are rewarded with the "Hero of Strangerville" trait, which holds sentimental value for the Sim and serves as a reminder of their mystery-solving journey. Additionally, Sims with this trait will receive fan mail periodically and have the ability to share their heroic tale with other Sims. While this reward may not offer significant gameplay advantages, it is highly recommended that players complete this aspiration at least once with any Sim due to the unique and immersive experience it provides.
Military Career
The military career has returned to The Sims 4 franchise, after being a part of all the previous installments. In StrangerVille, players can opt for the military career as a semi-active career, where they can choose to work from home or go to work for the designated number of hours. The career levels initially focus on the Fitness skill level, but as it branches out, the skill is no longer required for promotions. The military career is one of the highest-paying careers in the game, and it has two branches - the Covert Operator and Officer branches - with the primary difference being the required skill and work hours. Both branches' promotion rewards include a variety of medals.
The Covert Operator branch of the military career focuses on covert tasks that aren't immediately apparent, such as monitoring other Sims. Interestingly, the promotion requirement for this branch is Logic skill. It's worth noting that the work hours for this branch are in the evening and night, with Sims working from 6 pm to 2 am. As a result, players will need to handle these Sims' daily routines differently than usual.
On the other hand, the Officer branch of the military career is about rising through the formal ranks of a military structure and performing activities typical of a military officer. Sims in this branch will work from 10 am to 6 pm and will need to focus on the Charisma skill to advance.
Paranoid Trait
The StrangerVille pack introduces a new social trait called Paranoid, and luckily it is not exclusive to this game pack's storyline and can be selected for any Sim who is a teenager or older. However, this trait conflicts with the outgoing trait. Sims with the Paranoid trait prefer to be alone or in places where they can avoid being watched. They even gain a happy moodlet when in a basement, but can become scared when around Sims who is whispering. The in-game description is as follows:
"Paranoid Sims feel that danger is around every corner and that people are always talking about them. Paranoid Sims feel a sense of security while hanging out in basements."
Additionally, they have the ability to change passwords on computers, which can allow other Sims to access those computers without the owner's permission. These Sims also have unique interactions such as accusing other Sims of spying and sharing conspiracy theories. Interestingly, while Erratic Sims can also perform the latter interaction, it is a friendly interaction for Sims with the Paranoid trait.
New CAS And Build/Buy Items
StrangerVille introduces over 50 new CAS items to the game, with a heavy focus on mid-western and country-style clothing and accessories. There are new hats, boots, tops, and bottoms that are perfect for creating a traditional Western-style look for Sims. Additionally, there are some fun and quirky items from the Curio Shop, such as some fun headwear.
This pack also introduces over 110 new items for players to use in Build and Buy mode. These items feature a blend of classic American Western and scientific laboratory themes. Some of the buy mode items are unique to the StrangerVille story, including the Listening Device and various lab decorations. Additionally, players can enjoy fun items such as lava lamps and, for the first time in the game, laptops, which have only expanded the options with the base game updates or other packs like Discover University that came after this pack's release.
The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S