Urban living brings fresh challenges
The Sims 4: City Living, developed and published by Electronic Arts, is a paid expansion that enhances the base game by introducing urban apartment life in San Myshuno. It adds new apartments ranging from modest units to penthouses, each with preset traits like noise and occasional maintenance issues. This urban environment reshapes gameplay by offering communal living, diverse districts, and interactive venues, giving players an authentic city-life experience while maintaining the core mechanics and accessible style of The Sims 4.
City Living focuses on apartment-based gameplay where Sims can rent preset lots but cannot modify building exteriors. San Myshuno consists of four districts—Arts Quarter, Spice Market, Fashion District, and Uptown—each filled with unique locations like food stalls, art galleries, and karaoke bars. These districts encourage exploration and interaction, offering new challenges and varied experiences. While apartments provide new living dynamics, the expansion maintains the familiar Sims mechanics, blending city-specific hazards with classic life simulation elements.
Apartments and city districts
Social events and career progression
The expansion introduces city-wide festivals such as Romance Festival, Spice Festival, GeekCon, and Humor and Hijinks Festival, providing structured social activities for Sims. New careers in Critic, Social Media, and Politics expand progression options, while the Singing skill enables participation in karaoke performances and street events. NPCs appear in festival environments and public areas, enhancing city life, though there are no specialized activist or political NPCs beyond career-related interactions.
Final thoughts
The Sims 4: City Living deepens urban gameplay by combining apartment living, social festivals, and city-centric careers with the base game's life simulation framework. While apartments are limited to preset lots and the expansion does not upgrade graphics or engine systems, it successfully adds depth and variety to urban experiences. Repetitive festivals and constrained customization may limit long-term novelty, but the expansion is recommended for players looking to explore structured city life and dynamic social interactions within The Sims 4.
Pros
- Authentic urban apartment experiences with unique district challenges
- Festivals and city activities diversify social interactions
- New city-focused careers and skills provide progression options
Cons
- Apartments are preset; exterior customization is not possible
- Festivals can become repetitive over time
- No graphical or engine improvements beyond base game
