Info about The Sims™ 4 Businesses & Hobbies Expansion Pack:

Official game description:
WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS PACK
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About the Game
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Pursue new skills and live a life of accomplishment in The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies Expansion Pack\*. Make your home in Nordhaven — a world of opportunity where you can chase your dreams among a passionate community. Create wearable art with the new Tattooing skill, and even earn Simoleons for it. Or, craft functional pieces with the new Pottery skill and charge for lessons as you improve. Savvy Sims can turn their wildest dreams into profitable businesses, so use your imagination to create something special. Run your business out of your home or purchase a Small Business Venue lot, hire employees, decide how to charge, and make the rules!  
**KEY FEATURES**  
*   **Open Your Dream Business** — Dream big and create a small business that will leave your Sim feeling fulfilled. Make and sell pottery or other crafts, provide a service like tattoos or classes, or come up with something unique. Use the selection tool to designate space in your home for doing what you love – and making a living at it – or purchase a new Small Business Venue Lot. With the new Ticket Kiosk you can run the business you want, charging customers for entry or for time spent. Run a family business and hire your Sim’s household, or meet the perfect candidate and offer them a job. Explore the possibilities with the new Small Business system.  
*   **Make Your Mark** — With the new Tattooing skill you can give Sims pre-made, custom, or dedication tattoos. As you level up your skill you’ll unlock more stamps and stencils, and increase the odds of excellent results. Body art is about freedom of expression and to celebrate that you can now freely create your own designs in Tattoo Paint Mode. Tattoos can even be layered. Share your custom Tattoo designs with other Simmers using the Gallery, or browse for Tattoos to use in your game.  
*   **Mold Your Future** — As you hone your Pottery skill using the Pottery Wheel, more designs – like functional tea sets, planters, incense burners, and more – will become available to you. Finish your pieces in the Pottery Kiln; there are plenty of options for glazes. At higher levels of the Pottery skill, Sims can use the Japanese art of Kintsugi to create beautiful pieces from broken ceramics.  
*   **A World of Possibility** — Build your future in a town steeped in history. Nordhaven is the perfect place to pursue the things you care most about, like creative and inspiring hobbies. Sims can attend Meetups to mix and mingle with those who are passionate about the same hobbies – they may even find someone to mentor them in their favorite skill. Sims can become mentors at high skill levels, or they can build their legacy by hosting Classes and Lectures. Listening to a Lecture is one of the ways a Sim may earn Mastery Perks. Hobbies are best when shared, so explore the new neighborhoods of Gammelvik and Iverstad to meet like-minded Sims!  
*   **Your Business Your Way** — You can run your business by the books, or cut a few corners, and as you build your Business Reputation, you’ll earn Business Perks along Dreamer, Schemer, and Neutral routes. You don’t have to pick just one! Sims with the new Idealist trait might prefer to run Dreamer businesses, whereas Shady Sims may enjoy being Schemers. These choices could impact Sims’ lives outside of their businesses.

Release date: Mar 6, 2025

Categories: Life Simulation, Business Simulation, Small Business Management, Home Business Ownership, Crafting, Pottery Skill, Tattoo Customization, Social Simulation

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 15; verdict: Fair / Traditional DLC - No Predatory MTX Evidence; summary: The provided reviews focus on traditional paid DLC/expansion feedback. They praise one DLC as worthwhile or worth full price, complain about its upfront price and sale timing, compare it with another DLC, and one reviewer regrets paying because the base game is broken. No review describes real-money microtransactions, loot boxes, gacha pulls, paid power, paid convenience, battle passes, or an in-game cash shop. Under the audit rules, traditional DLC and base-price complaints cannot push the score above 20.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $20.00 - $30.00
  - Reasoning: The community feedback consistently frames the standard full price as too high for the amount of content delivered, with the majority advising players to wait for a discount. Quotes like 'still overpriced' and 'don't buy it full price' show that the perceived fair value sits meaningfully below the current $39.99 base price. At the same time, positive comments such as 'Surprisingly good DLC that I was happy to pay full price' and 'worth the money' indicate the content is genuinely valued when the price is right, preventing the fair range from dropping too low. Balancing the widespread sale-waiting sentiment with the acceptance by some buyers at full price, the community's perceived fair base-game price clusters in the roughly $20-$30 USD band, i.e., a moderate discount off the current $39.99.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 0.7h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: Only session-length evidence is usable for playtime metrics. One review reports the player's first 40 minutes with the DLC, giving a precise reported session length of about 0.7 hours. A second review says the player played for an afternoon, suggesting longer sessions, but it is too approximate to replace the exact 40-minute figure. The '24 hours' and 'thousands of hours' references are in-game business mechanics, not player playtime. No review reports finishing the DLC, completing a story, or reaching an endgame, so those metrics are null.
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes:
  - Home Business Manager (sale)
    - Motivation: To run and grow home-based businesses with employees and multi-industry management.
    - Playstyle: Registers businesses, manages employees, plans lot sizes and industry schedules, and runs shops from home.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Custom Tattoo Creator (sale)
    - Motivation: To create and apply custom tattoos on Sims.
    - Playstyle: Uses the tattoo drawing feature, tries to make symmetrical designs, and experiments with occult Sims.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Value-Conscious DLC Buyer (sale)
    - Motivation: To get worthwhile Sims 4 content without overpaying.
    - Playstyle: Waits for sales, weighs pack features against price, and selectively buys DLC that adds value.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Legacy Storyteller (buy)
    - Motivation: To tell long-term legacy and rags-to-riches stories through business gameplay.
    - Playstyle: Builds family or challenge narratives, integrates businesses into generational play, and pairs the pack with Get to Work.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: legacy; Rags to Riches
    - Reference games: The Sims 4: Get to Work


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:
- Worthwhile and high-quality DLC (weight 0.93): Many players consider this pack among the best Sims 4 DLCs, praising its value, quality, and game-changing content. It is seen as a complete pack that brings together the best charms of previous packs.
- Small business system is game-changing (weight 0.84): The small business venue allows ownership of almost any type of business, including spas, gyms, studios, and pools, opening many gameplay options. It enables running multiple businesses from a single lot and expands with owned packs.
- Enables creative and varied businesses (weight 0.82): Players can run just about any business imaginable, such as daycare, gym, magic classes, cat cafes, and more, using diverse themes. The social group activity system allows creativity about what the business is about.
- Excellent cross-pack integration (weight 0.79): The pack combines exceptionally well with activities from most other packs to create highly varied businesses, such as mini clubs with Get Together or magic training grounds with Realm of Magic. Cross-pack gameplay is well done and adds a lot of depth.
- Tattoo system is super fun (weight 0.73): The tattoo skill and custom tattoos allow incredible customization, including free-paint mode that can create permanent makeup, bruises, and skin details. Playing as a tattoo artist is enjoyable.
- Pottery skill is fun and profitable (weight 0.69): The pottery skill is widely enjoyed and can easily be turned into a business, such as running a pottery shop or studio. It includes interactive pieces like planter pots and incense burners.
- Strong build/buy and CAS items (weight 0.58): The pack includes good quality build/buy and Create-A-Sim models and textures, with versatile clothing and Scandinavian modern minimalist furniture. The items are mostly unobtrusive and easy to combine.
- Good pack overall (weight 0.51): The pack is generally well-received, with players loving it and enjoying everything it offers. It fulfills the core purpose of the game and is fun.
- New world Nordhaven is beautiful (weight 0.48): The Scandinavian-inspired world of Nordhaven is praised for its beauty, lively atmosphere with hobby meetups, and great lore. It is considered one of the best Sims 4 cities.
- No major bugs encountered (weight 0.42): Several reviewers reported no major bugs at the time of review, with smooth gameplay and no problems faced. The pack ran perfectly after disabling mods.
- Great customization and interactivity (weight 0.42): There are many interactive objects and great customization opportunities, such as custom tattoos and free-paint. The build aspects are worth it and the pack is fun to play with and build with.
- Adds a whole new play style (weight 0.37): The pack introduces a new play style that makes sense and adds a lot more to The Sims 4 quality of life than expected. It allows being in the city while on your home lot and actual events happen.
- Home lot business ownership (weight 0.37): Players can start a business on their home lot without buying a separate lot, and can select a specific area for a small business under a residential lot or rental property. This makes staying-at-home play more convenient.
- Good for new players and versatile (weight 0.35): The pack is a great expansion, especially as a first expansion, and is good for new simmers. It offers a lot of variety in gameplay and is one of the better options.
- Employees and customers behave well (weight 0.3): Hired Sims no longer follow rabbit-hole work patterns and are seen working when visiting the business venue. Customers in a tattoo shop wait, talk, and get tattoos in an orderly fashion, and hiring works smoothly.
- Houses are well-designed and enjoyable (weight 0.23): The houses in this pack have layouts that are not a mess and are worth saving, such as the single mom's tattoo parlor/house. Renovating and decorating the houses is enjoyable enough to keep players busy.
- Collecting and selling on Plopsy (weight 0.23): Collecting collection items is enjoyable, and there are more items to sell on Plopsy, making staying-at-home play more convenient. Selling individual meal servings in display cases has a workaround.
- Makes Get to Work retail irrelevant (weight 0.18): The small business system is a better way to run a food establishment than Dine Out's notoriously glitchy restaurants and makes the Get to Work retail system near completely irrelevant.
- Art still broken for profit (weight 0.09): The art system remains broken in a way that lets an art gallery make thousands, which some players exploit. This is a minor bug but notable.

Common complaints:
- Tattoo design tools are inadequate (weight 0.68): The tattoo creation system lacks symmetry options, has difficult controls, and does not save colors properly. Drawing with a mouse or tablet is frustrating and there is little creativity possible.
- Employees fail to show up (weight 0.55): Hired employees do not appear at work and may not be listed in the manage employees menu, preventing players from staffing their businesses. They cannot be fired or quit, leaving the business understaffed.
- Many technical issues and crashes (weight 0.55): The game suffers from general glitchiness, queued actions canceling, occasional crashes, and over 1000 bugs. These issues are not patched quickly and moderators rarely respond.
- Overpriced and not worth it (weight 0.54): Many players feel the expansion is not worth full price, especially given the amount of bugs and lack of content. It is often described as overhyped and expensive.
- Customer behavior is illogical (weight 0.49): Customer Sims do not perform tasks in a logical order, leave messes, forget drinks, and walk off with books. They may take entire servings for the price of one and disappear, breaking the business system.
- Nordhaven lacks lots and content (weight 0.47): The new world Nordhaven is disappointing due to insufficient lots and missing features like natural aurora. Some players cannot access it at all as it appears blank or does not show up.
- Custom tattoos cause visual bugs (weight 0.45): Custom tattoos can cause Sims to turn completely black, including occult Sims, and the tattoos themselves may black out or disappear. This is a major feature of the pack, so the bug is particularly frustrating.
- Businesses cannot be closed properly (weight 0.39): Once opened, small businesses often cannot be closed; they remain open for thousands of hours, causing exhausted Sim owners to work themselves to death. The business may also disappear from the tab or show as not owned.
- Limited new activities and content (weight 0.37): The pack only adds a few new activities like tattooing, pottery, and candy making. There is not much about hobbies despite the DLC name, and the CAS elements are mundane.
- Missing features from Sims 2 (weight 0.37): The expansion feels like a simplified version of Sims 2 Open for Business, missing details like checkout (auto-pay), 'Make Many > Single Serving', and other staple features.
- Cannot combine business and rental (weight 0.32): Players cannot run a business on a rental lot that is also residential, limiting creative property setups. This is particularly unrealistic for European-style settings.
- Lack of business management options (weight 0.32): There is no restock option, pricing control is poor with default prices too low, and displays are limited. Only three employees can be hired and the same employees are shared across all businesses.
- Save corruption renders game unplayable (weight 0.27): Save files can become corrupted, making the game unplayable. This issue has been reported since December 7, 2023.
- Bugs with placing objects (weight 0.25): Objects like whiteboards cannot be placed, preventing teaching classes. Glitches also occur when painting ceilings, causing buttons to disappear.
- EA splits packs excessively (weight 0.25): The Sims 4 splits content across too many packs, and features that should have been included in previous expansions are sold separately. This leads to high costs for players.
- Gallery and save issues for businesses (weight 0.18): Small business ownership, ranks, perks, and activities do not save to the gallery, and every business must be set up in a new save instead of being placed from the gallery.
- Business lot types not recognized (weight 0.18): Store types like retail, lounge, and bar are not recognized as small business venues, requiring conversion and limiting options for target customers and activities.
- Limited lot and business plots (weight 0.18): There are not many business plots available, and EA is stingy with the number of lots compared to early maps. Nordhaven should have had more lots.
- Bugs with painting and tattoos (weight 0.18): The 'paint by reference' feature breaks and turns canvases blank, and using too many custom tattoos causes glitches due to a low limit.
- F.O.M.O. timed events criticized (weight 0.1): The use of F.O.M.O. timed events with exclusive account-bound items is seen as a way to gain players instead of adding meaningful content.

Gameplay feedback:
- New skills and activities (weight 0.86): The pack adds new skills such as pottery, tattooing, and candy making. These skills come with perks and can be used in businesses or for personal enjoyment.
- Tattoo system with customization (weight 0.84): The pack includes a tattoo system that allows players to create custom tattoos, use stamps, and apply them to Sims. There is also a tattoo career where you design tattoos for other Sims.
- Small business management system (weight 0.7): The pack introduces a comprehensive small business system where players can create and manage various businesses, hire and fire employees, assign tasks, and customize uniforms.
- Diverse business types (weight 0.64): Players can run many types of businesses, including cat cafes, museums, farms, after-school care, restaurants, retail shops, spas, yoga studios, and more. The system supports high flexibility.
- Employee management features (weight 0.49): Players can hire up to three employees, assign them tasks, and even instruct them to build robots. Employees can greet customers and perform services like tattooing.
- Pottery skill and business (weight 0.44): A pottery skill is added, which can be used to run a small business selling pottery. The skill includes interactive pieces and can be combined with business management.
- Home business operations (weight 0.37): Small businesses can be run from home lots, either residential or tiny residential, allowing players to start a business on their home lot. However, businesses cannot be combined with rental lots.
- Cross-pack integration (weight 0.37): The small business system integrates with other expansion packs, allowing businesses to use mechanics from packs like Spa Day and Get to Work. This enables cross-pack gameplay and business types.
- Business customization and perks (weight 0.37): Players can unlock perks, customize employee uniforms, and set business activities. The social group activity system is used to define what a business is about.
- New world and build items (weight 0.31): A new world called Nordhaven is included, featuring hobby meetups and world lore. The pack also adds build/buy content like Scandinavian modern minimalist furniture and Create-A-Sim items.
- Business ownership and registration (weight 0.3): Players can buy business lots, register them, and operate multiple businesses on one lot for different time slots. Opening a business involves a phone call.
- Teaching and mentoring (weight 0.3): The pack includes a whiteboard for teaching classes and a mentor-apprentice relationship system. Players can host lectures and mentoring sessions.
- Business revenue and customer interaction (weight 0.3): Businesses can charge customers by the hour, and selling to customers does not require talking to them. Leaving the business open earns money from visitors.
- Miscellaneous gameplay additions (weight 0.27): Other features include bicycles, violin playing by kid Sims, and the ability to quit high school as a legacy teen. There is also a gallery system for saving lots.
- Painting and art features (weight 0.23): A 'paint by reference' feature and a free-paint mode allow players to create art. This can be used for tattoos and other creative endeavors.
- Collection and selling features (weight 0.23): Collection item gathering and selling via Plopsy are included. Players can also sell food and coffee from their businesses.
- Residential and rental integration (weight 0.23): Small businesses can be run underneath a residential lot or rental property, but cannot be combined with residential rental. A BnB business must be closed every 24 hours.
- No loading screen when switching (weight 0.2): Players can switch between the city and their home lot without a loading screen, and actual events happen in the city.
- Business limitations (weight 0.2): Only one business can be open at a time, and businesses do not require a cash register to check out customers. There is no 'Make Many > Single Serving' option.
- Emphasis on creation and invention (weight 0.15): The game emphasizes creation and invention as a core mechanic, adding a new play style that integrates game-wide.

Performance notes:
- White Screen on World Entry (weight 0.11): A player reports encountering a white screen when attempting to enter the world, which prevents them from starting or continuing gameplay. This blocking issue can make the game unplayable for affected users.
- Occasional Unexpected Crashes (weight 0.11): Players experience sporadic crashes during gameplay that interrupt sessions without warning. These unexpected crashes reduce stability and can cause lost progress or frustration.

Recommendations:
- Wait for a sale (weight 0.55): Many players recommend waiting for a discount rather than paying the full price, citing the current price as too high for the content offered. Buying on sale is a common suggestion across multiple reviews.
- Highly recommended DLC (weight 0.52): Despite some criticism, many players highly recommend this DLC, especially for those who enjoy business gameplay and own multiple packs. It is praised for its infinite possibilities and cross-pack integration.
- Good for specific playstyles (weight 0.48): The pack is recommended for players who enjoy Rags to Riches, legacy play, or managing multiple businesses, and for those who create many different sims. It is also suggested for players who don't mind business stress.
- Not worth buying (weight 0.42): A number of players advise against purchasing this pack, citing missing features, unrealistic mechanics, and overall lack of value. Some simply say 'Save your money' or 'Don't do it'.
- Bugs need fixing (weight 0.38): Several reviews mention that the expansion has issues, particularly a whiteboard bug, and recommend not buying until these are fixed. Some would change their negative recommendation to positive once the issues are addressed.
- Compare with Get To Work (weight 0.18): Several reviewers compare this pack to the 'Get To Work' expansion, suggesting that for retail stores, Get To Work might be better. However, others recommend buying this pack specifically for shop-related gameplay.

Other player notes:
- Similar to other Sims 4 packs (weight 0.4): It is compared to Get To Work, Dine Out, Get Together, and fitness/spa packs, with one calling it a combined improved version.
- Favorable Sims 2 comparisons (weight 0.17): The pack is compared to The Sims 2 Open For Business, with some saying Sims 2 handled business mechanics better.
- Patch fixes not effective (weight 0.17): The latest patch with 150 fixes did not fix the 'paint by reference' issue or the kids stretching while playing violin issue.
- Cross-pack interactions included (weight 0.17): Includes cross-pack interactions with Get Together, Realm of Magic, and other packs.
- Bug reports growing unsolved (weight 0.17): Bug reports are tracked on the game's official forums and the list continues to grow with updates and DLC releases, with many help requests without solutions.
- Houses savable and shareable (weight 0.16): Houses from this pack can be saved and placed as copies in other worlds, and brightened-up houses can be shared on the Sims 4 gallery.
- One of best expansions (weight 0.11): Considered one of the best expansions they've ever made.
- Small business data not saved (weight 0.1): Small business ownership, ranks, perks, and activities are not saved to the gallery.
- Lots of content remaining (weight 0.09): The pack offers a lot of content, with features still remaining after playing until tired.
- Only DLC worth money (weight 0.09): Compared to other DLC, this is the only one really worth the money.
- Game relies on modders (weight 0.09): The game relies on modders rather than the developers improving it.
- Content dry money grab (weight 0.09): Accused of being content dry and a money grab by EA.
- Turning hobbies into work (weight 0.09): The concept is turning hobbies into work.
- Expansion pack with teasers (weight 0.09): The pack is an expansion pack with teasers that look fun.
- Home business not very profitable (weight 0.09): Home business does not feel very profitable, which fits the theme.
- Non-logical mechanics but sells (weight 0.09): The pack has many non-logical mechanics but still sells well.
- Very few bugs (weight 0.09): The pack has very few bugs.
- Timed event system (weight 0.09): The game has an F.O.M.O. timed event system with exclusive items bound to your account if you play during the event.
- Violin bug thread closed (weight 0.08): The forum thread about the violin bug is closed.
- Early bonus influenced purchase (weight 0.08): An early purchase bonus influenced the decision to buy the pack.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.29): Players are disappointed that the expansion lacks substantial content, with many features that should have been included in the base pack or previous expansions. Persistent bugs, such as the paint-by-reference bug and custom tattoo glitches, remain unfixed, and the world Nordhaven is smaller than expected. The pack feels overhyped, overpriced, and missing simple features from older Sims games.
- Frustration (weight 0.29): Frustration stems from persistent bugs in small business management, including employees doing nothing, save corruption, and features like the whiteboard and tattoos being broken. Many players cannot access the new world or run businesses properly, and the constant use of FOMO marketing instead of substantial content adds to the annoyance. The lack of basic options like tattoo symmetry and logical customer behavior further exacerbates the issue.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.16): Players feel satisfied when the pack works well, enjoying features like home businesses, tattoos, pottery, and collecting. The ability to make money from open businesses and the pack's compatibility with other packs for varied businesses contribute to this satisfaction. Many find the expansion well-made with few bugs and appreciate the clear customer vs employee distinction and additional selling options.
- Love (weight 0.16): Players love the pack when it functions smoothly, particularly the tattoo machines and the Business & Hobbies concept. The pottery aspect, running a growing business, and the variety of business ventures are highly praised. Many find the gameplay fun and worth the price, especially the tattoo skill and associated features.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.1): Players enjoy the variety of fun businesses and the ability to play as a tattoo artist. The small business focus, new perks, and creative freedom to make businesses for any activity, such as a cat cafe, provide significant enjoyment. Utilizing NPCs and visiting other sims' businesses adds to the fun.
- Annoyance (weight 0.05): Annoyance is caused by employees doing nothing all day, bugs like customers invading residential areas, and fired employees refusing to leave. The perception that Sims 4 splits packs too much and makes them expensive also contributes to this feeling.
- Impressed (weight 0.03): Players are impressed by the highly interactive new systems and the absence of major bugs at the time of review.
- Amusement (weight 0.03): The expansion is considered one of the funniest, with players amused by the ability to charge people to cast chaotic spells.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.03): Enthusiasm is driven by the small business system, cross-pack shops, and tattoo system, which open up many gameplay options. The tattoo paint mode and ability to run small businesses under other lot types are particularly exciting.
- Surprise (weight 0.03): Players are surprised that the DLC is surprisingly good and that customers and employees work without bugs.
- Anticipation (weight 0.03): Players look forward to future DLC and are excited to see what artists create with the free-paint feature.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Appreciation is expressed for the small business feature and kudos to the game dev team for an awesome pack.
- Confusion (weight 0.02): Confusion arises from issues like kiosks not working and customers unable to reach them, as well as uncertainty about how this business operation differs from Get to Work or other packs.
- Liking (weight 0.02): Players like the beautiful world, items, and clothes included in the pack.
- Pleasure (weight 0.02): Pleasure comes from enjoying planning business concepts like cat cafe, museum, tourist farm, and after-school care.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger is caused by save corruption and broken werewolf and vampire characters.
- Dislike (weight 0.02): Players dislike the weird clothes in the pack.
- Distrust (weight 0.02): Distrust stems from the developer claiming to fix a bug but not doing so and closing the forum thread.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Admiration is for the beautiful Nod-Heaven city.
- Amazement (weight 0.02): Amazement is due to the freedom to run any business and well-done cross-pack gameplay.}