Info about The Sims™ 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack:

Official game description:
What's Included in this pack
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About the Game
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Strengthen family bonds, make friends or enemies, and discover your Sims’ truest selves with The Sims™ 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack. The ways your Sims relate to those around them — from family members to Sims they’ve just met — are evolving. Both planned events like sleepovers and unexpected milestones like having a midlife crisis will shape your Sims and their relationships.  
**KEY FEATURES**  
*   **A Lasting Impact** — Key choices and milestones will help to shape who your Sims are. Unlock and change personality traits throughout your Sims’ lives as they cope with midlife crises, respond to family requests to move in, and more. Self-discovery is a lifelong journey.  
*   **Social Dynamics** — Sometimes Sims just click. Your Sim might have natural social chemistry with a Sim they meet at a party — or they might naturally clash. Your Sim will now have preferences that determine which Sims they are socially compatible with and which Sims are more likely to become their enemies.  
*   **Family Ties** — The bonds between your related Sims are important and complex. As they experience life together, there will be opportunities for both drama and unity that will affect family dynamics and Sims’ relationships with their family members.  
*   **Perfect for Families** — Located along an ocean bay, San Sequoia was once a small fishing village and has grown into a bustling town. It features quiet suburbs, a lively rec center, a tight-knit community, and even an influential local family — the Robleses.

Release date: Mar 16, 2023

Categories: Life Simulation, Family Management, Social Simulation, Character Development, Multiple Endings

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 18; verdict: Low Concern — Traditional Paid-DLC Model; summary: The reviews concern paid The Sims 4 family-themed DLC/expansion packs. Every flagged theme centers on the upfront cost of the pack, the feeling that base-game content was gated behind a paid expansion, and a general 'cash grab' sentiment toward the pack lineup. One recurring complaint is a Steam-versus-EA platform delivery bug, which is a technical issue and not monetization. No review describes a real-money in-game shop, gacha pulls, loot boxes, currency obfuscation, battle passes, or pay-to-win purchases. Under the override rules, traditional DLC/expansion and base-price complaints cannot raise the score above 20, so the monetization profile is assessed as low concern.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $20.00 - $25.00
  - Reasoning: The community repeatedly states that the full 40 EUR price is too high and recommends waiting for a sale, often at 50% off. This suggests a fair price around half of full price, which is approximately $20 USD. A few reviews consider it worth full price, but the majority view is that it is overpriced, so the upper bound should be slightly above $20 but still well below $40. Thus, the fair price range is $20–$25.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The provided reviews contain no clear numeric playtime for The Sims 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack. 'I played for over half a year' describes a calendar duration rather than a specific number of play hours, and it does not map to game completion, story completion, session length, or endgame. 'You'll end up spending hours' is vague and provides no numeric session length. The remaining comments discuss features, price, bugs, and DLC compatibility without playtime figures. Therefore all playtime metrics are null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Enjoyment is gated behind a long infant-care slog; the cutest infant moments may never arrive on short or normal lifespan and are brief even on long lifespan. Official DLC and several features are reported as dull, while modded content is viewed more favorably.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Infant reaching its cutest moments (dancing, crawling, trying new foods)
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Absolute slog to reach the best infant moments; Short or normal lifespan can prevent reaching those moments; Infant phase ages up soon after the slog; DLC content described as boring and dull; Family dynamics add only a moodlet; Rabbit hole cinema is boring and pointless; world quality is poor
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: Lifespan setting: short or normal may never reach the best infant moments; Long lifespan still requires a slog but allows reaching them; Brief enjoyment window before the infant ages into a toddler; Official DLC quality versus community mod quality affects perceived enjoyment; Feature quality affects whether family dynamics and cinema feel worthwhile
- Player Archetypes:
  - Family Legacy Storyteller (buy)
    - Motivation: Creating family stories and raising virtual children.
    - Playstyle: Plays multi-generation households with a focus on parenting, child interactions, and narrative choices.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Milestone Progression Completionist (no buy)
    - Motivation: Completing milestones and progressing through structured pack content.
    - Playstyle: Raises infants with milestone tracking, aims for full progression, and avoids unrewarding grind.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Build Buy and CAS Creator (no buy)
    - Motivation: Creating and customizing Sims, outfits, and builds.
    - Playstyle: Spends most time in Create-a-Sim and Build/Buy, evaluating packs for aesthetic assets.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Value-Conscious Sale Shopper (sale)
    - Motivation: Getting sufficient content value without paying full price.
    - Playstyle: Waits for sales, compares DLC value, and buys only when the discount matches the amount of gameplay.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Overall very positive reception (weight 0.24): Many reviewers regard this as one of the best expansion packs for The Sims 4, exceeding expectations and being highly recommended. It is considered a must-have for family players.
- Strong family gameplay focus (weight 0.2): Many reviewers praise the pack for greatly enhancing family-oriented play, including raising children and multi-generational interactions. It is repeatedly called the best or one of the best packs for family gameplay.
- Excellent build and CAS items (weight 0.19): The pack's build/buy objects and Create-A-Sim clothing are frequently described as wonderful, stylish, and among the best in expansion packs. Reviewers appreciate the variety, quality, and compatibility with other DLC.
- Infants and toddlers well implemented (weight 0.19): The pack is praised for its detailed infant and toddler content, including new interactions, skills, quirks, and objects. The realistic infant care and developmental stages are standout features.
- Milestones add meaningful progression (weight 0.17): The milestone system is widely enjoyed for giving goals, tracking important life moments, and integrating with other packs. It is seen as a fun and rewarding addition that improves realism.
- Adds many new features and activities (weight 0.16): Reviewers note a wealth of new gameplay features such as stayovers, midlife crises, sleepovers, and activities like riding bikes. The pack is seen as content-rich and worth the purchase.
- Personality and compatibility systems praised (weight 0.15): The ability for Sims to develop and change personality traits, along with the compatibility system, is well received for adding depth and differentiating Sims. It makes relationships and social interactions more meaningful.
- High quality world and aesthetics (weight 0.14): The new world, San Sequoia, is described as beautiful, cute, and well-designed, with great lots and a lovely atmosphere. The aesthetics and swatches are also highly appreciated.
- Miscellaneous positive details (weight 0.12): Various small features like the family meal, baby carrier, sleeping bags, and cute interactions are appreciated. These add charm and enjoyment to the pack.
- Realistic parenting challenges appreciated (weight 0.12): The pack is commended for delivering realistic parenting gameplay that can be both fun and challenging. It adds depth and immersion to raising Sims children.
- Deepened family relationships and dynamics (weight 0.1): Reviewers highlight that family relationships become deeper, more meaningful, and dynamic, with new systems like family dynamics and compatibility. These features make family play more immersive and realistic.
- New social and memory systems (weight 0.09): Features like social compatibility, memories, and expanded social interactions are seen as adding depth and realism. The memory system and social dynamics are highlights for some players.
- Good for child and teen gameplay (weight 0.08): The pack adds substantial content for children and teens, including new aspirations, activities, and items. The child aspirations and reward traits are particularly praised.
- Works well with other packs (weight 0.08): Reviewers frequently mention that this expansion integrates seamlessly with other DLC, especially Parenthood and High School Years, enhancing the overall experience.
- Gives new life to Sims 4 (weight 0.06): The expansion is seen as a refreshing update that makes the game feel more complete and interesting. It revitalizes gameplay for many players.
- Grandparents and extended family improved (weight 0.05): The pack gives grandparents a more active role, such as visiting and helping with grandchildren. This adds a new layer to family gameplay.
- Recreation center is a nice addition (weight 0.04): The recreation center and library are highlighted as great places for Sims to meet and socialize. They add to the community feel of the world.
- Mixed feelings on some content (weight 0.04): A few reviewers find some parts just okay or have minor criticisms, such as the amount of teen CAS items. However, the overall sentiment remains positive.
- Diverse and inclusive content (weight 0.03): The pack adds diversity through new families and inclusive features like science babies. This is appreciated for reflecting a broader range of experiences.

Common complaints:
- Should be in base game (weight 0.16): A common sentiment is that the features and items in this pack, especially infant gameplay and social dynamics, should have been included in the base game for free. Reviewers believe it is greedy to paywall such core life stage content.
- Milestones are meaningless (weight 0.16): The milestone system is often described as useless, arbitrary, and not reflective of Sims' lives. Milestones are also bugged, with some disappearing or being impossible to complete.
- World is empty and bland (weight 0.16): The new world is criticized for being large but empty, with fake buildings and few lots. It lacks interesting features and does not resemble its real-world inspiration.
- Numerous bugs and glitches (weight 0.15): The pack suffers from many technical issues, including glitches, bugs, and broken features. Some reviewers report over 1000 bugs across all DLCs and note that old bugs have returned.
- Infant care is tedious (weight 0.14): Caring for infants is extremely demanding, draining both Sims and players. Infants cry non-stop, require constant attention, and can cause Sims to die from exhaustion.
- Infants are glitchy (weight 0.13): Infants frequently glitch, causing problems such as invisible Sims, stuck animations, and inability to perform basic interactions like picking up or putting in crib.
- Lack of depth and content (weight 0.12): The pack is criticized for lacking depth beyond initial features, with little replay value and repetitive gameplay. Many feel it does not feel like a full expansion.
- Overpriced at full price (weight 0.12): Many reviewers feel the pack is too expensive for the content it offers. They consider it not worth the full price and note a poor cost-performance ratio.
- Burnout mechanic is frustrating (weight 0.1): The burnout mechanic is seen as annoying and poorly implemented, occurring frequently and requiring excessive time to resolve. Many players feel it cannot be disabled and normal fun activities do not help.
- Catering to children only (weight 0.1): The pack focuses heavily on children and infants, leaving other life stages with little content. Elderly Sims and adults receive almost nothing new.
- Missing bonus items (weight 0.08): Some players did not receive advertised bonus items, such as the child carrier, and early access items were not available through Steam. Bonus items also disappeared for some.
- Midlife crisis poorly designed (weight 0.08): The midlife crisis mechanic is criticized for being repetitive, with only four varieties and objectives that are often impossible to complete. It may also require packs the player does not own.
- Family dynamics disappointing (weight 0.08): Family dynamics and social compatibility features are barely noticeable, often defaulting to strict or not working as expected. They add little to gameplay beyond a moodlet.
- Toddler milestones broken (weight 0.07): Toddler milestones and reward traits are frequently broken, with some not working or being impossible to achieve. This has been an ongoing issue with no fix from EA.
- Peekaboo interaction bug (weight 0.05): The peekaboo interaction with infants is buggy, causing adults to zone out or sit/stand incorrectly. It only works properly if the adult is holding the infant.
- Steam and EA app issues (weight 0.05): Purchasing the DLC through Steam can remove EA/Origin DLC, and the EA app is required to play. Valve support says this is intended behavior, causing frustration.
- Inappropriate NPC behavior (weight 0.05): NPCs and household members exhibit odd behaviors, such as making white cake non-stop, maids cleaning only the grill, and Sims not knowing about new infants until introduced.
- F.O.M.O. and marketing criticized (weight 0.04): The use of F.O.M.O. tactics and timed exclusive items is seen as a horrible practice. Reviewers dislike being pressured to play during specific periods to get content.
- Community moderation lacking (weight 0.03): Moderators rarely respond to bug reports and seem disengaged, making players feel ignored. The community is also described as toxic and childish.
- Mods break with patches (weight 0.02): Game mods often need updates after patches, causing problems with the DLC. This adds to the frustration of an already buggy experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Core family gameplay focus (weight 0.97): The pack centers on family-oriented gameplay, allowing players to raise children, manage households, and experience family life. It adds depth to everyday family interactions and entertainment.
- Infant care and skills (weight 0.26): Infants require constant care, with quickly decaying needs and new interactions like learning to crawl, stand, and blow kisses. The DLC expands infant potential beyond the base game's decorative babies.
- Milestone system central feature (weight 0.24): Milestones are a key selling point, tracking important moments and achievements for Sims of all ages, from infancy to adulthood. They integrate with other packs and help shape Sim development and personality.
- New objects and interactions (weight 0.17): The pack adds many build/buy objects, CAS items, and interactions, including bicycles, splash pads, playmats, sleeping bags, and tree houses. These enrich family gameplay and activities.
- New world San Sequoia (weight 0.16): The expansion introduces a new world, San Sequoia, with day/night visuals, residential lots, a library, and a community center. It provides new locations for family outings and activities.
- Family dynamics and relationships (weight 0.13): A new family dynamics system adds moodlets and relationship depth, allowing different parent-child dynamics. It ties into personality traits and social compatibility.
- Parenting mechanics and child aspirations (weight 0.11): New parenting mechanics and child aspirations allow players to guide children's growth, with traits that help them excel when aging up. Child-rearing gameplay is enriched with new interactions and goals.
- Burnout and midlife crisis (weight 0.11): New mechanics include burnout, layoffs, and midlife crises, adding realism and challenge to adult Sims' lives. Midlife crisis events can be shortened by completing tasks.
- Stayover and visit system (weight 0.09): A stayover system allows Sims to stay at friends' houses, and relatives like grandparents can visit and help out. This adds more family interaction.
- Toddler quirks and age stages (weight 0.08): Toddlers have unique quirks, such as liking playing in water, and distinct age stages. The toddler pool is shallow, based on healthy parenting ideas.
- Family activities and outings (weight 0.07): The pack adds family activities like bicycle rides, jogging with baby, family meals, and baby showers. These enrich family gameplay and bonding.
- Milestones recorded on profile (weight 0.07): Milestones are recorded on the Sim's user profile, organizing information into topics when clicked. This helps players track important life events and achievements.
- Midlife crisis and self-discovery (weight 0.06): Adults can experience midlife crises and self-discovery, with personality traits that can change during certain moments. This adds depth to adult Sims' lives.
- Integration with other packs (weight 0.05): The pack ties in well with every other pack, supporting combined play with Parenthood, High School Years, and more. Milestones and systems integrate seamlessly.
- Compatibility and social features (weight 0.05): A compatibility system indicates relationship compatibility with a puzzle piece icon, affecting personalities and relationships. Sims with common likes bond faster.
- Infant sleep and needs (weight 0.05): Infants have sleep needs and wake up crying when their sleep meter is not full. They require constant attention from parents.
- Memory and milestone recording (weight 0.04): The pack includes a memory system that records infant milestones and other important interactions. Sims remember certain interactions.
- New lot type community center (weight 0.03): A new lot type, the community center, serves as a social meeting place. It includes a rec center for gatherings.
- Improved infant and toddler AI (weight 0.03): The expansion improves movement AI and graphics for infants and toddlers, making them more lifelike. Autonomy system enhancements allow better interactions.
- Content for younger Sims identity (weight 0.03): The pack focuses on younger Sims shaping their identity, with content for children and teens. It includes rebellious teens and loose teeth events.

Performance notes:
No performancepoints

Recommendations:
- Wait for a sale (weight 0.24): Many reviewers strongly advise waiting for a discount, often around 50% off, before purchasing this expansion. The common sentiment is that the content is not worth the full price but becomes worthwhile on sale.
- Ideal for family gameplay (weight 0.23): The pack is highly recommended for players who enjoy family-oriented and legacy gameplay, child-rearing, and realistic family dynamics. However, those not interested in these themes may not find it worthwhile.
- Essential for simulation players (weight 0.1): Some reviewers consider this pack a must-have for realistic life simulation fans, comparing it to essential packs like Seasons. It is seen as a worthy investment for those deeply invested in their saves.
- Mixed feelings on bugs (weight 0.1): A few reviewers mention frustrating bugs such as the burnout mechanic and general instability, leading to reluctant recommendations or refund requests. Others note that mod conflicts may be the cause rather than the developers.
- Buy only if other packs owned (weight 0.06): Some players advise against buying this pack unless you already own all other expansions, or suggest buying other half-price packs first. It is seen as less essential compared to other DLC.
- Paired well with other packs (weight 0.03): Reviewers note that this pack works even better when combined with Seasons and Cats & Dogs, and is best paired with the Parenthood Game Pack.
- Consider cheaper alternatives (weight 0.02): A reviewer suggests buying the small kit with the changing table and infant play rug instead of this DLC, implying better value elsewhere.
- Steam purchase warning (weight 0.02): One reviewer warns against purchasing this DLC through Steam if other DLC is owned on the EA app, likely due to compatibility issues.

Other player notes:
- Massive bug count with DLC (weight 0.06): The game with all DLCs may have over 1000 bugs, and the official forums have growing bug report lists. Many technical issues go unresolved.
- Worthy investment compared to other packs (weight 0.04): Reviewers consider this expansion pack a better value than other Sims 4 packs, with some calling it better than all others. It is described as a worthy investment.
- Essential or optional depending (weight 0.04): Compared to Seasons, some feel it is essential while others see it as a pack you can buy later after other packs. Opinions vary on its priority.
- Mentioned alongside Parenthood (weight 0.03): The pack is mentioned in connection with the Parenthood Game Pack. It suggests they complement each other for family-focused gameplay.
- EA has low trust scores (weight 0.03): Electronic Arts has a TrustScore of 1.1/5 on Trustpilot and is marked 'Não recomendada' on Reclame AQUI as of 10/10/2025. These reflect poor consumer satisfaction with the company.
- FOMO timed event system (weight 0.02): The game uses an F.O.M.O. timed event system where exclusive items are tied to your account only if you play during a specific window. This pressures players to log in during events.
- Less features than older base games (weight 0.02): Compared to The Sims 3 and 2, whose base games have more various features. The reviewer feels this pack doesn't measure up to older titles.
- Adds life to the game (weight 0.02): The Sims 4 is a very fun life simulation game even without this DLC, but this DLC adds life to it. It enhances the overall experience.
- Less impressive than Sims 3 Generations (weight 0.02): One reviewer directly compares this pack to The Sims 3 Generations and states that the older pack is a lot better. This suggests disappointment with the new pack's depth.
- Missing preferred memory system (weight 0.02): The reviewer would have preferred a memory system like the one found in The Sims 2 or The Sims 3. The absence of such a system is seen as a drawback.
- Game-altering like Get Together (weight 0.02): Compared to Get Together in terms of being game-altering. It changes gameplay significantly, similar to that expansion.
- World better than San Sequoia (weight 0.02): Compared to Tomarang from For Rent, which the reviewer finds much better than San Sequoia despite being smaller. This highlights San Sequoia's shortcomings.
- Favorite DLC for some (weight 0.02): The reviewer considers this one of their favorite DLCs. This indicates strong personal preference for the pack's content.
- Purchased for CAS and family (weight 0.02): The reviewer bought it exclusively for the Create-A-Sim and family dynamics features. These aspects are the main draw for them.
- Community acceptance questioned (weight 0.02): The reviewer questions how the community accepted this DLC positively. They express surprise at the positive reception.
- Separate small kit needed (weight 0.02): A small kit with a changing table and an infant play rug exists as a separate purchase. This adds extra cost for essential items.
- Compared to overpowered packs (weight 0.02): Compared to 'Wedding Stories' and 'Bust the Dust', which are also described as too overpowering. This suggests similar issues with balance or impact.
- Bought for treehouse feature (weight 0.02): The reviewer bought the expansion specifically for the treehouse. This single feature drove the purchase decision.
- Mixed critical reception scores (weight 0.02): The Sims 4 has an IGN score of 7.5/10, Metacritic 70%, IMDb 6.8/10, and Xbox Tavern 8.4/10. These scores show generally positive but not outstanding critical reception.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.2): Players are frustrated by constant burnout mechanics that take excessive time to clear, tedious and buggy infant care, and severe milestone and interaction bugs. Locking family features behind DLC and requiring additional purchases for midlife crisis tasks further aggravates the experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.19): Disappointment stems from the expansion feeling shallow and overpriced, with buggy milestone systems, an empty world, and features that many believe should have been in the base game. The lack of meaningful personality traits and the inability to disable events also contribute.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.06): Satisfaction arises from the milestone system adding goals and realism to family gameplay, improved relationships, and the beautiful San Sequoia world. Many consider the pack one of the best, enhancing the overall game experience.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.04): Enthusiasm is driven by new life added to the game through improved babies, build objects, and family dynamics. The pack introduces realistic difficulty and a challenging parenting experience that expands gameplay.
- Annoyance (weight 0.03): Annoyance is caused by doubled difficulty in raising children, frequent self-discovery trait spam, and technical issues like the pack not appearing in-game with unhelpful support. A rapid price drop also frustrates players.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Joy comes from fun milestones, cute infant-parent interactions, and charming scenarios like a single dad with his infant. The overall sim vibe and parenting ease bring happiness.
- Love (weight 0.03): Love is expressed for the game-changing family gameplay, including infants and the abundance of new objects and interactions. Players enjoy using pack items while playing with families.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Excitement is fueled by added social interactions, dynamic traits, and anticipation of exploring the new world. Features like memories, clothing, furniture, and bicycles add to the thrill.
- Delight (weight 0.03): Delight is found in the DLC map's year-round climate and the progression of raising babies from immobile to crawling, and toddlers from toddling to running. Family dynamics, milestones, and quirks add personalization.
- Confusion (weight 0.03): Confusion arises from baffling elements like the shallow toddler pool, unclear DLC value beyond tedious infant gameplay, and unexplained disappearance of bonus items.
- Regret (weight 0.03): Regret is felt for spending money on the game for the baby challenge and paying full price during infant hype, with some wishing they could return the pack.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Boredom sets in because the only gameplay is child-rearing, which becomes repetitive, and milestone and trait change notifications grow monotonous.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Appreciation is given for the expansion being one of the best and perfect for family players, with overall high praise for its quality.
- Exhaustion (weight 0.02): Exhaustion results from repeatedly restarting the game and using cheats to fix broken toddler and daycare milestones, and from the hundred baby challenge becoming tiring after only a dozen children.
- Happiness (weight 0.02): Happiness is brought by the memory system and infant milestones, and by the DLC releasing with minimal glitches and being somewhat mod-friendly.
- Affection (weight 0.02): Affection is inspired by incredibly cute babies and build objects, and by charming family scenarios like the science baby and dog.
- Liking (weight 0.02): Liking is based on the pack overall being very good, with particularly good build-buy objects and library.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Relief was experienced after removing the expansion, which made the game enjoyable again.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Interest was sparked upon discovering that the shallow toddler pool reflects healthy parenting ideas.
- Helplessness (weight 0.01): Helplessness is felt due to unresolved technical issues and bugs, with no response from moderators or support, making it feel like talking to a blank wall.}