Alright, diving into a bit of history, Sims fans might remember the franchise trying out multiplayer stuff back in the day with “The Sims Online” and “The Sims: Bustin’ Out.” Both had their moment but eventually, the plug was pulled in 2008. Fast forward, and it seems like Maxis, the brains behind Sims, isn’t really pushing for multiplayer anymore. They’re all about those Expansion and Game Packs, sticking to that plan for years now.
How to Play Sims 4 Multiplayer
But, if you’re really itching for that Sims 4 multiplayer vibe, there’s a glimmer of hope with a mod called “S4MP.” Launched in 2019, it’s been kept up-to-date, working with all the new Sims Packs and Expansions. This mod’s pretty much what you’d hope for in an official multiplayer mode. To get into it, check out sims-multiplayer.com or hit up their Patreon page if you feel like chipping in towards its development.
Before jumping in, the person hosting needs to set up a Sims 4 household with everyone’s characters. And everyone playing should make sure their Mods & Scripts settings are on.
Installation and Setup for the Multiplayer Mod
Setting up S4MP takes a few steps. Download the mod, unzip it, and run the S4MP Launcher.exe as an admin. To keep antivirus software from throwing a fit, you might want to let it know the launcher’s cool. Then you’ve got to make sure the game’s document and folder paths are correctly set up, which varies depending on your system. Also, tweaking your Firewall settings to be friendly with S4MP will help keep things smooth.
To start playing together, choose “Play on LAN” in S4MP, pick a save game, and share the how-to-connect details with your friends. When everything’s working, you should get a heads-up that the mod’s good to go as you launch Sims 4.
Playing together with S4MP is pretty neat. You can have from two up to a bunch of friends in one session. For the best experience, everyone needs to be running the same Sims 4 version and have the same packs. If you’re using custom content or mods, those need to be the same across the board too. The game play’s focused on just one household, keeping things more manageable.
So, even though Maxis isn’t making Sims 4 multiplayer a thing, this mod steps up to fill that gap. It’s a solid option for anyone wanting to share their Sims life with friends.