The latest Behind the Sims Summit was a whopper, with nearly three hours of new content and gameplay. But one of the most incredible things about this live stream was learning how much new content is coming to every Sims 4 player with the Infants update on March 14, 2023. There’s more content in this free base game patch than in some of the paid Kits and Packs. Here are the top five things I can’t wait to experience in-game.
Diversity
Sim babies have always been maddeningly limited in terms of diversity and customizability. Currently, the game only has three skin tones for babies, and if one or both of the parent Sims have a custom skin tone, their babies might even change colors periodically.
Yes, really. You can’t even change them out of their yellow butterfly onesies – without custom content (CC), that is – so adorable booties, cuddly accessories, and sweet hairstyles are out, too.
But Maxis is taking yet another big leap toward diversity representation with the Infants update. Newborns – the life stage now known as Babies – will soon have as many skin tone options as older Sims. Newborns will look much more like their Sim parents.
Infants – the new life stage – will have even more customization options, with clothing separates and sets, hairstyles for all hair lengths and textures, glasses with adjustable straps, and helmets with loads of fun designs. Infants can have stork bites, too – baby birthmarks that tend to fade with age – that come in a wide range of natural-looking swatches for Sims of all skin tones.
Some Redditors have already reported Toddler Sims aging up with new medical wearables from another recent update, so it’s probably safe to assume that will happen with glasses, stork bites, and helmets, too. It’s a big thing to make features like these available to Simmers, but it’s even cooler to know that diverse Sims of all sorts will soon start showing up in-game.
Sims can even have Science Babies with other Sims, regardless of whether they have a romantic relationship. This opens up a new world of storytelling possibilities, such as surrogacy, sperm donors, platonic co-parents, and more. So we’ll soon have more than just diverse Sims – we’ll have more relationship options, too!
Multigenerational Gameplay
With the Infants update, the Newborn life stage will be shorter, but all other life stages are getting extended. Of course, this means longer lifespans overall, giving Simmers more time to complete their Aspirations and enjoy their lives. But more importantly, there’s more time for intergenerational gameplay.
As it stands, Sims who wait until they are Adults to have children often don’t live long enough to meet their grandchildren. With extended life stages and overall longer lifespans, Elder Sims will get to watch their children and even grandchildren grow up.
With all the new milestones, keepsakes, and other exciting things coming in the Growing Together EP releasing just days later, this means more time to make memories that Sims of all ages and stages can enjoy and reminisce on.
Family Interactions
No more standing beside the bassinet, running through the same six pie menu actions over and over again, picking up and putting down the baby after every single step. All Sims are getting new ways to interact with Newborns and Infants, making them less tedious and more interactive.
Adults will now hold their Newborns until they’re done taking care of them, and they can even show them off to other Sims. But younger generations can get in on the fun, too. For example, Child Sims can actually play with their younger siblings now with a new Entertain interaction, play Peek-a-Boo if they’re in a friendly mood, or engage in a little bit of sibling rivalry.
And perhaps most importantly, they’ve fixed the stupid broken high chair that every Sims player hates. Now caregivers can help Infants try out new foods in the high chair, bonding with them while they explore the world with their mouths as real-life babies do. But they’ll still get most of their nutrition from a bottle or breastfeeding, which Adult Sims will soon get to do sitting down! Finally, Sim parents can kick their feet up for a minute and enjoy their babies.
Attachment Mechanic
No more chucking the baby in the household inventory until it’s time to age them up! (You know who you are.) The new attachment mechanic coming with the Infants base game update will make your Sims’ parenting choices matter.
Infant Sims have all the same needs as Sims of other ages, which their caregivers are responsible for tending to. Infants who are well cared for by their caregivers will feel secure, even if they’re left to cry for a few minutes, while infants with less attentive parents may feel neglected more easily.
Infants have moodlets that give clues to their attachments, such as Well Cared-For, and their caregivers will also have moodlets and socialization options related to their Infant’s attachment status.
Long-Term Consequences
But attachment goes beyond the Infants life stage. Infants who receive excellent care from their caregivers can receive the Happy Infant trait or even Top-Notch Care. On the other hand, if their caregivers are particularly neglectful, an Infant can earn the Unhappy Infant trait.
These added traits impact how secure and confident they are as a child and beyond. Happy Infants will generally believe that the Sims around them are good and trustworthy, while Unhappy Infants will be more naturally suspicious of others.
Infants also now have chosen traits that make every baby unique. These new traits are similar to the Toddler traits already found in-game. Infants can be Sunny, Cautious, Sensitive, Calm, Wiggly, or Intense. Depending on the traits you choose, an Infant can be easy to care for, rambunctious, or skeptical of new things and situations.
Combine this with the additional family dynamics and compatibility coming in the Growing Together EP, and I’m hopeful that this is the beginning of many more traits that impact gameplay showing up in the Sims.
Of course, these are just a few of the amazing new things coming to the Sims 4 base game with this free update. There are also tons of new objects and special interactions with other packs like Nifty Knitting, Cats and Dogs, and more for players to discover.
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