The five worst Sims 4 bugs ever, from glitchy launches to persistent problems

GamesSimulationThe SimsThe Sims 4The five worst Sims 4 bugs ever, from glitchy launches to persistent problemsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesSimulationThe SimsThe Sims 4The five worst Sims 4 bugs ever, from glitchy launches to persistent problemsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: EA)

The Sims 4: Growing Together

I have so much love forThe Sims 4that it often borders on frustration. Don’t get me wrong: when the game is good, it’s brilliant, but with all the bugs and glitches I run into in an average playthrough, I’ve learned to take most of them on the chin after whining about them on the internet.

Nobody is perfect, and buggy games are evidence of that – even when it comes to the most beloved life sim franchise ever. But with one of theickiest Sims 4 bugs everrearing its ugly head once again inThe Sims 4 Lovestruck, I’m getting a bit nostalgic for all the glitched-out messes that came before. If you’re fancying a frankly agonizing trip down memory lane, join me as I recount the five worst bugs ever to grace The Sims 4 in its ten short years of existence.

The incest bug

(Image credit: EA)

The Sims 4 High School Years

Affected packs:The Sims 4: High School Years; The Sims 4: Lovestruck

If you’ve found that the latest update has given your Sim some uh, less than appropriate feelings for their family members, you might be having flashbacks to July 2022. For the blissfully unaware, the High School Years expansion pack brought with it a host of new systems. The fashion-forward Trendii app was not the offender, but something about the free base game update that landed just before the pack’s launch had some players noting their family members acting…a little strange, let’s just say. From elders wanting to date their grandsons to daughters asking parents to the prom via inappropriately romantic promposals, it all got a bit too “in the family” for the community’s liking. Thankfully this issue was quickly squashed, and I’m sure EA is on the case to clean up the mess it made with Lovestruck already.

The insulting meanie bug

(Image credit: EA)

The Sims 4 Lovestruck gameplay trailer screenshot showing a blonde woman with long hair and a purple crop top making a heart with her two hands while smiling

Affected packs:The Sims 4: Lovestruck

While we’re on the subject of The Sims 4’s latest, you can add extreme mood swings to the list of bugs alongside all that incest. Lovestruck allows us Simmers to create more meaningful romantic stories for our Sims, including setting their romantic and physical boundaries, NPCs being able to ask you out on dates, and turning those dates into fully-fledged outings. However, it was on one of these (supposedly) romantic ventures that I ran into the"overly mean"bug that is totally spoiling the mood for Simmers everywhere. Look, I know my Sim has the Mean trait already, andsureshe was a werewolf on a date with a vampire, but no sooner had she sat down at the dinner table to offer a friendly hello, her date immediately declared her his sworn enemy. I know it’s not just me; Simmers have reported unbidden insults flying left and right in the latest pack, as well as NPCs taking friendly interactions as acts of war. I can only hope that this bug gets fixed ASAP. My little lupine Sim deserves to find her Fated Mate, and right now, even Moonwood Mill’s resident meaniepants Greg would find her unbearable.

Create-A-Horror story

(Image credit: EA)

sims 4 create a sim

Affected packs:Sims 4: Werewolves; Sims 4: Growing Together

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It’s happened to us all: you’re in Create-A-Sim, mind your own business, when your Sim’s face suddenly caves in on itself. You let out a sigh, take a screenshot for Reddit, and restart your computer. The truth is that CAS bugs are so common these days that I can’t remember where they began. One Redditor’s hilariouswerewolf glitchthat saw their lycanthrope resembling a 2004-era emo band had me reflecting on my own shocking creations back when the pack launched, but there must have been others. Concave-headed infants after Growing Together added a new life state? Toddlers with"melted heads"organgly protrusionsresembling spider legs? Overly-sensitive detail slidersdisfiguring your Simbeyond recognition in detail edit mode? Simmers have put up with a lot over the years, and I wonder if we will ever see a non-buggy Create-A-Sim at this late stage in this generation’s life cycle.

Not being able to find the dining room

(Image credit: EA)

The Sims 4 100 infants challenge

Affected packs:All

Unhappy couple bug

(Image credit: EA)

Games like the Sims

Affected packs:The Sims 4: My Wedding Stories

The Sims 4 Lovestruck’s dating app is already more chaotic than Tinder

CATEGORIESPC GamingPS5Xbox Series XPlatformsPlayStationXbox

CATEGORIES

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Proxi

The Sims creator’s first game in over 10 years is an AI life sim that uses your real memories: “The more I can make a game about you, the more you’ll like it”

The Sims creator’s first game in over 10 years is an AI life sim that uses your real memories: “The more I can make a game about you, the more you’ll like it”

Sims 2 still of a range of sims against a blue backdrop

MySims' Switch launch is cute and all, but it has nothing on the best old school Sims 2 games that really deserve a port

MySims' Switch launch is cute and all, but it has nothing on the best old school Sims 2 games that really deserve a port

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Latest

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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis board game models and tokens laid out on a board

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

1

Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

2

Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

3

Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

4

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

5

Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

1

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

2

Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

3

Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

5

Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor and Nicola Coughlan as Joy in Doctor Who Christmas special Joy to the World

1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

1

Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

2

Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

3

Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

4

Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

5

Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

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