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The first thing you need to know about the new Sims 4 stuff pack, Tiny Living, is that it won't be to everyone's taste. This content is very much catered towards builders and focused around building tiny homes.

As with all packs, there's something for everyone. But, if you never build, then you will lose some of the enjoyment of this pack. The Tiny Living pack focuses on a popular aspect of building, and by doing so, hugely increases both the enjoyment and challenges associated with it.

Create-A-Sim Clothing

Create-a-Sim offers a few cozy items in this pack, but they are fairly limited. There are some chunky knitted jumpers, a couple of top and jacket combos, and a shirt. These can be combined with a new simple skirt, some combat style bottoms, as well as some strait plaid ones. A new pair of pajamas are welcomed, as is the simple dress. However, that's pretty much all you get.

There is a nice matching necklace and earrings, as well as a pair of glasses, but there are no new shoes, shorts, or smarter items. More noticeably, there are no clothes at all for children or toddlers, although they do get the three new hairstyles, which are available for all.

In this pack, the Create-a-Sim items appear as a nice little bonus, rather than any kind of focus. Many are similar to things we have, and while they are well designed they aren't stand out. The matching necklace and earrings are a highlight along with the hairstyles and the pajamas, but nothing is a huge "must-have" for those who love to spend their time in CAS.

Build And Buy Items

Tiny Living only partially lives up to its name when it comes to the Build and Buy items. The items themselves are tiny, but there are a lot. Most of them occupy just 1-2 grid squares, and what's more, is the fact that they don't take up all the space in those squares. They have been sized down a fraction make them feel more compact and appropriate for a small space.

In terms of quantity, there is a good selection of objects. Most are focused around living space, with items including chairs, a sofa, a rug, lamps, tables, and more. There are also two dressers, a new single bed, a small desk, and a narrow bookcase. You can also find some clutter items, a couple of all-in-one media centers, and the infamous Murphy Bed.

Mostly the swatches match, but sometimes the accent colors and the woods seem a little off, meaning a bed with a turquoise cover doesn't easily match some of the pieces using the same accent. However, most items include black and white, and plain light and dark wood versions, so you can match up that way.

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The best thing about the new objects is their functionality. The small media centers are wall-mounted and include a tv, stereo, and bookcase, while the desk is one square and the new lamp can fit on it along with a computer and one other piece of clutter. This means that not only is the new furniture great for tiny homes, it's also perfect for dorm rooms.

Gameplay

The gameplay element of this pack centers around building, which could be the sticking point for anyone who doesn't like to build. It introduces a new mechanic that allows builders to challenge themselves by making a house that fits the new parameters set out by the game's new Tiny Home Residential lot type.

A micro-home is 32 tiles or less, a tiny home 33-64, and a small home 65 - 100. A small home will offer two buffs, similar to the existing house traits, and this increases as the size decreases, with a micro-home offering six in total. The normal lot traits appear to still be functional in this mode.

These buffs are the main purpose of the new mode and offer some boosts to Sims, making tiny living both more attractive and realistic by lowering bills and providing incentives. However, there are some new aspects of gameplay outside of this.

The Murphy Bed is the biggest and most game-changing object in the pack. Not only is it a literal death-trap, which can (and does) kill sims, but it also adds some new interactions to ghosts.

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After one of my sims perished under the bed, I added his ghost to the household. I was then able to possess other sims for energy, leaving them drained in a similar manner to when Vlad makes a visit. I was also able to wake them up and warn them, re-enacting my death in a freaky game of charades that rendered them slightly terrified.

Tiny Pack, Big Fun

Overall, this is a very strong stuff pack offering, but its appeal will likely depend on how you play your game. The Create-a-Sim items are minimal, but very practical. The Build and Buy items are great space savers, but also fit really well with existing items, especially those from Discover University and Bowling Night Stuff.

There are a couple of faults with the pack, but for the price, the value it offers is very high. What it will ultimately come down to is how much you enjoy building and if the new items are to your taste. For me personally, this pack is superb and will add a huge amount to my game for a long time to come.

A PC copy of Sims 4: Tiny Living was provided to TheGamer for this review. Sims 4: Tiny Living is now available for PC. It will be released for PS4 and Xbox One on February 4th.

Sims 4 Tiny Living

The Sims 4: Tiny Living Stuff is an addon pack for EA's The Sims 4, themed around downsizing. It adds a new residential lot, space-saving furniture items, and new cosmetic items for your Sims.

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