The new Sims 4 expansion pack, Growing Together, adds depth to all the life stages, particularly infants, toddlers, and elders. There are also new objects (and a new place to WooHoo), new interactions, and a whole new world called San Sequoia.
Sims expansion packs tend to fall on a spectrum. On one end there are packs like Vampires and Get Famous that add giant, world-changing features that are distant dreams to the regular person, like becoming a werewolf or journeying to the Star Wars universe. And on the other end are packs that hone in on nitty-gritty real-life elements, like Parenthood and Seasons.
The upcoming expansion pack Growing Together, which launches on March 16, falls fully on this latter end. The pack offers substantial expansions to early life stages, including babies and toddlers, as well as the elder life stage, which is the last one in a Sim’s lifespan, and also one sorely neglected by previous packs. From a gameplay preview, it’s clear that this is a pack that drills down on the reality of the Sims, and the day-to-day interactions and minute details that are appealing for a specific subtype of players drawn to realism. (It’s me, hi, I’m the specific subtype of players).
In a way, Growing Together seems to be a rebuff of the Parenthood pack. The latter focused mostly on parents, children, and teens. But Growing Together will add much-needed special features like milestones, and relationship compatibility, along with smaller details like new aspirations for children, new quirks for toddlers and infants, and new interactions for elders. Though the expansion is separate from the March 14 base game update that introduces the infant life stage, this pack expands on what that life stage has to offer.
Some of the new quirks are silly and charming, adding detail to a young Sim’s growth across their early years: An infant Sim can be a Messy Eater, but toddler Sims get a little more sass with Picky Eater and Hates Bedtime.
