The Sims 4 has a lot going for it, explaining its status as one of the biggest life sims in gaming. One of its standout features is its Build and Buy mode, which has allowed players to create incredible homes for their Sims over the years. From tiny beach shacks to sweeping hillside mansions, The Sims 4's Build mode gives players the tools to create whatever house they wish, limited only by their imaginations. Buy mode is an essential tool in this process, as it gives players the means to fill their Sims' homes with not only the items they need to live, but the clutter the house requires to look lived-in.
These items are essential for builds in The Sims 4, as they enhance gameplay and realism, while also helping fill a house and make it feel like a home. Even without any expansion packs or add-ons, there are hundreds of items in The Sims 4's base game for players to use in their builds. Some of these items are both decorative and functional, and updates happen all the time that add functionality to items that were once only decorative. One such item is the shoe rack, a piece that's often overlooked but received functionality which was once only available with an expansion pack.
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The Sims 4's Buy Mode Items Combining Functionality with Decor
The shoe rack may seem like a clutter item for a wardrobe, bedroom, or by the front door to a house, but the item received an update alongside The Sims 4: For Rent release. The shoe rack can be filled with shoes, making it a dynamic item that reflects the Sims living in the home, but it can also be clicked on to determine if the Sims are allowed to wear outdoor shoes, house slippers, or socks inside the house.
Wearing outdoor shoes, house slippers, or socks inside the house was a feature introduced in The Sims 4: Snowy Escape, as it was the first The Sims 4 world inspired by an Asian country where shoes are not worn indoors. However, setting this preference was limited to players who owned the expansion pack.
Bringing New Gameplay to The Sims 4 Base Game
Before the The Sims 4: For Rent update, the only way to have Sims remove their shoes indoors was through The Sims 4: Snowy Escape's indoor shoe sign, which designated the property as a place where wearing outdoor shoes indoors was prohibited. With the update, any household in the base game can use the shoe rack to designate their preference, without needing The Sims 4: Snowy Escap e or The Sims 4: For Rent.
Many cultures and countries across the world don't wear shoes indoors, so this is an inclusive feature that is likely to be welcomed by those players. However, because it wasn't a functional item before the update, and because it's an item that's easily overlooked in favor of other items, it's likely that many The Sims 4 players are unaware of the shoe rack's functionality. This is a pity, as removing shoes indoors does a lot for immersion and inclusivity. The shoe rack is a far more flexible item than The Sims 4: Snowy Escape's sign, which is more suitable for community lots than residential lots, and is something players should look at using next time they play.
The Sims 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 70 /100 Critics Rec: 26%
- Released
- September 2, 2014
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Maxis
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Cross-Platform Play
- Xbox, PlayStation, and computer versions of Sims 4 are all separate games incompatible with each other
- Cross Save
- no
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
