Summary
- Explore new storylines to reignite passion in The Sims 4 with unique challenges and creative gameplay.
- Empower Sims to craft rich narratives spanning from real-world dramas to fantastical adventures.
- Utilize DLC packs to immerse Sims in thrilling adventures like lost civilizations, politics, and romance.
In The Sims 4, players have the opportunity to craft stories with unique and diverse Sims. The game's magic lies not just in meticulously designing dream homes or fashioning eccentric personalities but in sculpting narratives that transcend the mundane. Many begin to fall into the habit of creating a Sim, flirting with the nearest hottie in town, proposing, and starting the perfect family. No wonder people are growing bored with the game.
The Sims 4: 12 Best Storylines For Single-Sim Households
Fans who enjoy controlling one Sim in The Sims 4 should consider the following storylines to spice up the gameplay.
Thankfully, there are many ways to reignite excitement and passion in The Sims 4 with storylines. Explore the unexplored aspects of the game that stray from traditional family gameplay and instead add unique challenges. Change from fast-paced stories to slower, more creative, and fulfilling gameplay. Feel free to use these ideas to inspire new and distinctive storylines.
Updated November 26, 2025, by Ashely Claudino: The Sims 4 is a game with nearly endless replay value. As long as players have a new storyline on their mind when they start a new save file, it's easy to get sucked into the game and lose hours upon hours in it. Even if they don't have an idea of how they want to play, it's very common for one to form as they start a save file; the world of the Sims is chaotic, so there is always something happening. The Sims will stir up drama for themselves even if the player doesn't cause the chaos for them.
1 The Lost Civilization
Uncover the Secrets of Selvadorada's Forgotten Past
- Recommended DLC: Jungle Adventure and Outdoor Retreat
Step into the boots of an intrepid explorer determined to uncover the mysteries of Selvadorada's ancient temples. In The Lost Civilization storyline, Sims will navigate the dense jungle, avoid venomous wildlife and unexpected dangers, and piece together relics of a lost civilization. The characters in this storyline will develop their archaeology skill, unearth priceless artifacts, and forge a new legacy as the world's most renowned adventurers.
Along the way, form bonds with Selvadoradan locals — maybe even the famous Bonehilda — and embrace the culture and its traditions to immerse Sims in the journey. The Jungle Adventure pack is essential for this thrilling storyline, and combining it with Outdoor Retreat adds even more survival elements to the adventure.
2 The Aspiring Entrepreneur
Build a Business Empire From the Ground Up
- Recommended DLC: Businesses & Hobbies and Get To Work
The Aspiring Entrepreneur storyline is perfect for Sims who have big dreams and a passion for hustle. Using the small business system from Businesses & Hobbies or retail stores from Get To Work, Sims can launch anything from a grocery store offering hand-picked produce and home-cooked meals to a stylish tattoo parlor offering classes in artistry.
As profits rise and reputations grow, sprinkle in competition with rival companies, tough business decisions, or even a scandal or two to keep things spicy. Over time, players can evolve the business or pass it down to the next generation for a true legacy feel.
3 Ambitious Politician
A Sim's Ultimate Rise to Power
- Recommended DLC: City Living and Get Famous
For the Ambitious Politician storyline, create a Sim with dreams of changing the world — or at least ruling it. This Sim will be put to work rallying Simtizens to their cause, participating in protests, securing votes, and climbing the ranks of the politician career. Use the fame and reputation system from Get Famous to build a public image that inspires loyalty (or stirs controversy).
The Sims 4: 12 Best Celebrity Storylines
Fans can partake in a variety of celebrity storylines in their Sims 4 playthroughs with the following ideas.
Will this Sim become a beloved hero, fighting for the people, or a cunning manipulator who leverages their fame for personal gain? Combining City Living and Get Famous makes this storyline come alive, with opportunities for speeches, public scandals, and power plays that keep this ambitious character's rise anything but predictable.
4 Dorm Life
Study Hard, Party Harder
- Recommended DLC: Discover University and Lovestruck
Dive into the bustling world of university life with a Sim living in a dormitory at either Britechester or Foxbury Institute. The Dorm Life storyline has players trying to balance coursework and extracurriculars, from joining a debate or sports team to sneaking into the secret society for clandestine adventures. The Discover University expansion provides endless opportunities for campus activities, and the Lovestruck pack is a good complement for sparks of romance.
The chemistry and attraction systems ensures Sims encounter classmates they can’t resist — or maybe can’t stand, leading to spicy love triangles, steamy dorm flings, or even a blossoming college sweetheart romance. From hectic finals to late-night hookups, Dorm Life is a rollercoaster of emotions, academic ambition, and unforgettable memories.
5 Secret Affair
Love, Lies, and Scandal in Plain Sight
- Recommended DLC: Lovestruck
The Sim in the Secret Affair storyline is living a double life, juggling a picture-perfect family or relationship while secretly falling for someone forbidden. The Lovestruck pack adds depth to this storyline with its chemistry system, creating a magnetic connection this Sim can’t say no to. In combination with some famous romance mods, players can make this steamy love story even more scandalous.
Navigate secret rendezvous, stolen smooches, and the constant risk of exposure as the storyteller decides whether to keep the affair hidden or let the truth unravel in messy ways. Use mood swings, attraction dynamics, romantic satisfaction, romantic boundaries, and emotional consequences to craft a tale of forbidden romance and betrayal. Whether it ends in heartbreak or a new beginning, the Secret Affair storyline will keep players and the audience on the edge of their seats.
6 Fixer Upper
Transforming Homes and Lives, One Renovation At A Time
- Recommended DLC: Tiny Living, Dream Home Decorator, and City Living
Turn a Sim’s love for design into a thriving career by renovating spaces and transforming lives. Start small with Tiny Living, mastering the art of creating efficient yet stylish microhomes. Use Dream Home Decorator to take on client gigs, crafting personalized makeovers for houses and apartments alike, with the high-rise units in City Living adding a metropolitan flair to their projects.
The Sims 4: The Best Packs For Builders (& Some For Legacy Players)
The Sims 4 has a huge amount of stuff, game and expansion packs, Here are the very best choices for builders and family-oriented or legacy players.
For players who want even more customization, building mods can enhance the experience by adding unique furniture, layouts, and tools to create truly one-of-a-kind spaces. Whether you’re turning cramped apartments into chic studios or designing dream homes for clients, the Fixer Upper storyline blends creativity with fulfilling gameplay.
7 Eco-Friendly Community
Reduce, Reuse, And Recycle
- Recommended DLC: Eco Lifestyle and Seasons
In a world where environmental consciousness is more crucial than ever, The Sims 4 Eco-Lifestyle expansion pack offers the opportunity to immerse players in the joys and challenges of building an eco-friendly community. Using the pack's features and mechanics, players can tell an uplifting storyline about a neighborhood focused on sustainability and environmental conservation.
Harness renewable energy sources like solar panels, wind turbines, and dew collectors to reduce a Sim's eco-footprint and take control of their impact on the environment. Builders can also become a crucial part of the storyline, creating a neighborhood of eco-friendly homes and community gardens.
8 Island Romance
Love Is in the Air - and on the Shore
- Recommended DLC: Island Living and Lovestruck
Similar to the Eco-Friendly Community storyline, players can take a more romantic approach with an Island Romance storyline. The Island Living expansion pack introduced mermaids to the list of occult species in The Sims 4. Along with it came a new world, Sulani, where conservationists are trying to clean the beaches and the ocean to preserve their homes and the animals who live there.
This storyline idea begins with a Sim in the conservationist career who is inspired by the clean beach movement and is determined to better the environment. Along the way, this Sim meets a mermaid/merman and falls head over heels for them. This storyline allows players to explore mermaid powers and abilities like summoning playful dolphins, changing Sims' moods, or even controlling the weather.
9 Post-Apocalypse
Survival. Hope. Resilience.
- Recommended DLC: StrangerVille, Eco Lifestyle, and City Living
Perhaps the feel-good storylines about cleaning the Earth are not appealing. Explore a doomed storyline about surviving the apocalypse instead. After the world’s environmental efforts fail, the planet is left in ruins, plagued by pollution, disease, and catastrophic destruction. Survivors must navigate this harsh new reality, made especially difficult if they are dealing with the mysterious infection from the Strangerville pack.
The Sims 4: 7 Mods For Post-Apocalyptic Gameplay
For anyone trying to put their Sims through something a bit more harrowing, these Post-Apocalyptic mods for The Sims 4 should do the trick.
Using the Eco Lifestyle pack, these Sims focus on rebuilding their shattered world with a focus on sustainability. They scavenge for resources, set up eco-friendly systems, and work tirelessly to restore balance and hope amid the desolation. Every day is a fight for survival and a quest to reclaim a future from the remnants of a once-thriving world.
10 Haunted Mansion
A Captivating Storyline Filled With Secrets and Paranormal Phenomena
- Recommended DLC: Paranormal Stuff and Spooky Stuff
Imagine the main character moves into a seemingly ordinary house, unaware of the dark history that shrouds its walls. As they settle in, strange occurrences begin to unfold — unexplained noises in the dead of night, objects moving on their own accord, and eerie apparitions haunting the corridors. It soon becomes clear that this house holds secrets, and the Sims who live there are determined to uncover the truth.
Add spooky lore to the haunted house, such as murder mysteries or shady business, to make the storyline more entertaining. Master the medium skill from The Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff Pack and become a paranormal investigator to uncover the mystery of the haunted mansion. Sims can slowly renovate the haunted mansion and transform it into a place of harmony where Sims and spirits can coexist.