The Sims 4: Unveiling the Ultimate Desires and Terrifying Fears

In patch 132 of The Sims 4, the introduction of new features, Wants and Fears, has transformed gameplay. These dynamic traits are influenced by the Sim's environment in real-time, resulting in the development of specific desires and fears that impact their virtual lives in significant ways.

The implementation of these features has opened up a plethora of new stories and in-game adventures that revolve around the unique personalities of each Sim. To truly immerse oneself in the game, players must diligently keep track of their Sims' wants and fears, and respond accordingly. While it is possible to disable the Wants and Fears system, this guide is intended for players seeking a more engaging and immersive virtual experience in The Sims 4.

Wants

is a desire that Sims strive to achieve over a longer period of time. It reflects their personal aspirations and goals.

A short-term Want is a fleeting and immediate desire that Sims feel compelled to fulfill in the moment. It could range from simple tasks to spontaneous adventures.

A hidden Want is a deeper, unexpressed desire that Sims may not be consciously aware of. It adds complexity to their personalities and can be discovered through specific interactions or events.

These various types of Wants contribute to shaping the dynamic and individualistic nature of Sims in their daily lives.

A short-term Want

A reactionary Want

Wants, represented by

How to Change Wants

, reflect a Sim's desires and include aspirations such as starting a family, getting married, or engaging in conversations with other Sims. Long-term Wants are persistent and require a significant amount of time to accomplish, while Short-term Wants are more fleeting and can be completed quickly. Reactionary Wants, on the other hand, are entirely influenced by the Sim's current situation and mood. For example, when the Sim visits a park, they may develop a reactionary Want to play a game of chess.

Completing Wants not only rewards players with satisfaction points to spend in the Aspirations Reward Store but also creates room for new Wants to emerge. Wants typically update and alter automatically and the most effective way to eliminate them is by fulfilling them.

Players have the option to prevent a Want from refreshing automatically by using the thumbtack icon to pin it. This allows them extra time to fulfill the specific Want. If players are not interested in fulfilling certain Wants, such as flirting with the mailman or other acquaintances, they can easily modify them.

To change Wants, players can reset them by following these instructions:

Enter the Settings menu.

Navigate to the Gameplay tab.

Toggle the “Wants and Fears”button off and on again.

This launches a completely new set of Wants for a Sim.

Players who do not fulfill their Sim’s Wants and neglect them are at risk of their Sim gaining a Fear of Unfulfilled Wants.

Fears

The Sims 2, a previous installment in The Sims series, offered players limited choices for handling their Sims' Fears, primarily through avoidance. However, in The Sims 4, players take a more direct approach to conquering their Sims' Fears.

Fears are temporary traits that can be found in the Simology Panel alongside the regular and acquired traits that Sims develop over time.

Unlike naturally spawned traits, fears develop gradually as Sims navigate their virtual lives. Consequently, a Sim can have more than three fears simultaneously.

How to Overcome Fears

Just as Traits impact a Sim's emotions, Fears have a negative effect on their lives and can result in intense negative Moodlets. Sims who possess specific Traits, such as Paranoid, Jealous, and Commitment issues, are particularly prone to experiencing certain Fears. These Fears range from a fear of darkness to anxiety about being betrayed - offering a diverse array of unsettling experiences for Sims in The Sims 4.

Confronting fears directly is the ultimate method to overcome them. In the Simology panel, fears are prominently displayed in red. By hovering over them, you can obtain information on the fear itself and strategies to conquer it.

Listed below are all the Fears present in Sims 4, along with their triggers and solutions.

Fear	Trigger	Solution
Fear of Failure	Poor performance in Sim’s career or creating low-quality artwork and cooking bad food.	Create something excellent and use the “Show Off Work” interaction, or “Ask for Performance Review” at the workplace.
Fear of Fire	Witness a fire break out	Confront a fire and extinguish it
Fear of Death	Witness a loved one pass away	Talk to another Sim about “the Fear of Death” or give a “Death Flower” to the Grim Reaper
Fear of Crowded Places	Crowds at parties, events, or festivals.	Use “Funny Socials” with Sims in crowded places, whilst feeling “Confident”
Fear of Being Cheated on	Poor performance at WooHoo sessions and irregular interactions with the loved one	Use the “Talk about Relationship Fears” interaction with partner
Fear of Unfulfilled Dreams	Neglecting Sim’s Wants	Complete any Want and use the “Discuss Fears” interaction with another Sim
Fear of Being Judged	Mean interactions with another Sim	Approach the Sim and use the “Work out Differences” interaction
Fear of Dead-End Job	Not receiving promotions at work	Use special interaction “Regain Passion” before going to work
Fear of Ghosts	Negative encounters with ghosts	Fight the ghost, using Mean interactions
Fear of Swimming	Scary incidents while swimming, such as drowning	Go swimming whilst feeling “Confident”
Fear of the Dark	Scary encounters at night	Hang out at night whilst feeling “Confident”
Fear of Cowplants	Get swallowed and spat out by a Cowplant	Milk a Cowplant while being “Confident”
Fear of Disappointing Parents	Bad interactions with parents	“Discuss Fears” with parents
Fear of Failing Classes	Fail a class.	Attend classes and work hard whilst feeling “Confident”
Fear of Failing Tests	Fail a test.	Pass a test while being “Confident”
Fear of Homework	Not doing homework	Complete homework whilst feeling “Confident”

The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.