Having celebrated its 20th anniversary, The Sims 4 series continues to boggle the minds of gamers with its intricate and immersive worlds. From quaint Victorian Willow Creek to the deserts of Strangerville, or even to the hip artsy streets of San Myshuno, the amount of detail and thought put into the game is truly overwhelming.
With such rich worlds, the game is bound to have some juicy secrets and entertaining references that even its die-hard fans may have missed. That said, let's take a look at some of the most surprising easter eggs found in the series so far.
Updated on June 21st, 2020 by Anastasia Maillot: With The Sims 4 evolving as a game with every new expansion, such as the latest Eco Lifestyle addition, fans are constantly finding new cool things and amazing details by pushing the boundaries of the game. While some details are more obvious, others often get overlooked even by the sharpest eyes.
From developers referencing bits of pop culture like movies, TV series, and songs, to adding in features that don't really do or mean anything, these easter eggs give fans something to dig for when playing the game. Here's five more details hardcore Simmers may have not picked up on.
15 15. Strange Things In Strangerville
Those who have completed the Strangerville storyline will be more than familiar with the strange vines and growths that inhabit the lab of the neighborhood. Eventually, they lead the main Sim to the Mother Plant, a giant monstrous creature that seems to be behind everything strange going on.
This plant looks strikingly similar to the Demogorgon that's seen in Netflix's super popular sci-fi horror series, Stranger Things. The leaves of the head part, in particular, resemble the original monster quite a bit, and it wouldn't be a surprise if many things in this game pack had been inspired by Stranger Things in general.
14 14. Moana Murals
In Island Living, Simmers were given a brand new public bathroom with a very cool entrance depicting a male and female in these cute, island-themed paintings. If these look familiar to any Disney fans, it's because they are indeed very similar to a famous Disney animation that came out back in 2016.
Moana has very much the same themes and vibes as Island Living, and it wouldn't be a surprise if the development team had taken at least some form of inspiration from the movie when making these murals.
13 13. Bicycle Race By Queen
There aren't that many easter eggs in general in Discover University, but as is often the case with objects and their descriptions, it does have a few that reference some popular culture in a nifty way. One of the biggest additions in this expansion was the bicycle, which was something fans had been requesting for quite some time.
The "Bicycle... Bicycle!" object is particularly interesting because its description references a song from the group Queen, called "Bicycle Race," which certainly fits the general theme.
12 12. Puddle Shapes
There's nothing more annoying than having a Sim break a faucet and watching as water pools on to the floor. However, next time this happens, rather than having a Sim clean the mess wait until the puddle grows big enough to discover a funny and super creative easter egg by the developers.
At its biggest size, the puddle can actually be edited by picking between a few different styles. One of these shapes the puddle into a giant water duck on the floor. Why anyone would need this, well, it's unclear. That being said, it's a cool thing to do.
11 11. Konami Cheats
Hardcore gamers will definitely appreciate references to some historically famous gaming trivia if they happen to be the owners of the Toddler Stuff Pack. The Trapped Tots object, which is basically a small toddler door, has an interesting description which is a reference to a famous Konami cheat code.
This code became known for always being the same and making an appearance in a bunch of different games from Konami, as well as in games outside of Konami's influence. Many websites also have this code embedded as a small easter egg for devoted fans, including Twitch and Google Hangouts. Even Amazon's Alexa has its very own reaction to it.
10 10. The Tragic Clown Painting
Any hardcore fan of The Sims franchise knows who the Tragic Clown is, but not many are aware of how to get this bizarre character in The Sims 4. By purchasing the painting by the same name and viewing it, a sim will gain the sad moodlet called "Tragic Clown is tragic". Not only that, if a sim wears the clown's costume, it will permanently carry the "Tears of a Clown" moodlet that will continuously make them sad. Sims will gain the ability to juggle or cheer up people around them, but also make everyone sad with the "Such Tragedy" moodlet others gain from their presence.
9 9. Sims 3 TV Shows
When your sims turn on the TV, you may have noticed something oddly familiar about the shows being played. For one, the short recordings seen are all from The Sims 3 game. For two, many of the shows are references to real-life TV shows.
If your sim decides to tune into the romance channel, a Victorian family drama will play. This show is a reference to Downton Abbey. Another obvious reference is a movie with mummies and adventurers, which is a tip of the hat to The Mummy series.
8 8. The Roomies From New Girl
In Oasis Springs there's a household known as the Roomies. One of the four roommates is called Zoe Patel, who is living with her three male roommates. Upon closer inspection, this household is suspiciously similar to the main characters of the popular TV show New Girl, starring Zooey Deschanel. It is believed Zoe Patel's name actually comes from the New Girl star's name. Even the description of the Roomies household states the roommates "seem to have stepped right out of a TV sitcom".
7 7. Homeless Camp In Del Sol Valley
If you have the Get Famous expansion, an unexpected easter egg is located under the bridge of Mirage Park. By using the screenshot game camera, fans were able to capture this snapshot of an underpass with an encampment. Since Del Sol Valley is based on the real city of Los Angeles, it is highly possible this is a reference to the increasing homelessness issue. Although such themes are difficult to explore in games, fans are sure to appreciate the way developers and designers chose to cut through the glitz and glam of Del Sol Valley with this small piece of reality.
6 6. Bella Goth And The Possessed
Bella Goth is without question the most iconic character of the entire The Sims series. Since the launch of the first game, she has been a strange and central figure of the Sims lore.
In The Sims 2, her mysterious disappearance had fans excited and puzzled, with multiple theories emerging as to what might have happened to her. In The Sims 4 Strangerville, we are faced with possessed Sims who speak in strange ways. One of the lines spoken actually references her, by calling her "our mother in red".
5 5. Emily The Sea Monster
If you travel to The Bluffs in Windenburg, chances are you will be able to spot something quite unusual in the sea. Die-hard fans of the series will recognize the sea monster from previous games like The Sims: Unleashed, where it would appear in Old Town. Officially named Emily, the sea monster can also be purchased as a small snow globe in the City Living expansion. Although Emily cannot be interacted with, it is clear she's a reference to the real-life legend of Nessie the Loch Ness monster.
4 4. Soot Sprites From Spirited Away
If your sims vacation to Granite Falls they have the opportunity to catch all sorts of critters and special animals. One of these insects is the Dust Spirit, which is a black round fluff ball found at night within the national park. These same creatures, or at least a very similar version of them, appears in the famous Hayao Miyazaki movie Spirited Away. It is safe to say the developers found the soot sprites from the movie adorable and included them as part of the collectibles in the game.
3 3. The World Of Sixam
In the Get To Work expansion, your sims can become scientists and conduct researches, as well as invent machines. If you reach a high enough level, your sims can build a wormhole generator, which will take you to a secret lot known as Sixam.
Supposedly Sixam is another planet or dimension, with rare collectibles and strange looking flora and fauna. If you reverse the name of the world, however, you will be surprised to find the name is actually a reference to Maxis, the creator of the franchise, but spelled backwards.
2 2. Paragons And Renegades
Once you purchase Get Together, clubs are added to the game. Two of the existing clubs are known as Paragons and Renegades, which are rival clubs. Although initially, it appears the Paragons are the Sim equivalent of preps and jocks, and the Renegades the alternative gothic kids, the real reference is to another EA game. In Mass Effect, the character's moral compass is measured by points in either Paragon and Renegade.
1 1. Kites Of Brindleton Bay
A rather entertaining sight awaits those who travel to Brindleton Bay's Cavalier Cove. If you walk by the beach and zoom into the background with the screenshot camera, you will see figures flying kites on the beach. These are not actually real sim characters, but rather 2D models that merely stand still at the beach and act as background decoration.