Forget motherlode, it's time to earn your own money! With the new The Sims 4 Business & Leisure expansion pack, set up your own business and expand your activity. This brand-new DLC was released on March 6, 2025 on PC, Mac, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS4 and PS5. While you're waiting to play it, take a look at the gameplay trailer, unveiled on February 18, 2025.
" Wake up and smell the coffee! It's time to shape your future and throw "ink" in the expressive town of Nordhaven! In The Sims 4 Business & Leisure expansion pack, we invite you to discover which artistic passions allow you to flourish. Set up a small business to proudly show off your handcrafted creations and earn simflouz by mastering two new skills that will shape your future and add color to your life every day. Your dreams are waiting for you! It's time to launch yourself into the creative career you've always dreamed of! "
We were able to discover this pack during a long presentation, and this preview won us over! So here we are, in the small, Scandinavian-inspired town of Nordhaven. It comprises just two districts (an old industrial area and the old town), with 12 plots of land. Both are very community-oriented, with squares where Sims can get together to exchange ideas and discover new things.
This world is accompanied by a modern, uncluttered BB in Scandinavian style. The colors, shapes and decorations should enable players to build interiors that are up to date. The same goes for the new clothes and accessories, which offer a style that's both casual and chic. From toddlers to adults, there's something for everyone.
But let's move on to the most important thing of all: the new game system introduced by this expansion pack. Two major new features deepen and transform the game. The first concerns land: with The Sims 4: Business & Leisure, you can assign two functions to the same piece of land.
So it's now possible to have a residence on the same plot as a café, a shop, a sports hall... As in A Louer, you can assign a function to a room, making it public, private or reserved for employees. Architects can have a field day, constructing several buildings on the same plot of land, creating multi-storey buildings...
The other big revolution in this game is the business. This pack is very different from Au Travail: here, there are no careers, no rungs to climb. Instead, Sims become entrepreneurs: they set up their own business, choose their employees, their selling prices... A wide range of options are available, since almost every skill can be turned into a business.
Gym, nightclub, art gallery, bookshop, pastry shop, florist... Your skills become an opportunity to earn money. And you can combine themes to create more varied stores! A nursery/massage parlour, a bowling alley/karaoke room, a knitwear shop/tea room... Yes, this expansion's crosspack has been very well thought-out: the more DLC you have, and therefore the more potential skills, the more business opportunities you'll have.
It's time to create your business. Choose your name, your logo, the activities to be carried out in your business, the tasks to be performed by each employee... Set prices (per purchase or per hour spent), select your target audience... Then wait for the customers to come. A system of fame and goodwill can help your business grow, just like the celebrity system.
You can have as many businesses as there are Sims in the household, but only one can be open at a time in the field. The business belongs to a single Sim, but he or she can pass it on to anyone he or she wishes - even children! In fact, they too can create and manage their own business. If your Sims dies, their business is automatically transferred to a family member.
To manage this transmission, your Sims can give classes, and teach their skills to others. These classes are events with objectives and tasks to accomplish, and can be a source of income for your Sims.
Finally, let's talk about the new skills and activities in this pack: tattooing, pottery and candy-making! Pottery lets you create functional objects such as gardening pots and decorative vases. Tattooing will transform all your Sims, for better or for worse...
CAS has a new tattoo system: stencils and stamps can be combined and superimposed to create unique designs, colored or not. You can also draw your own original designs... If you can master your mouse or joystick like a pencil. Tattoos can be uploaded to the gallery for anyone to download and use.
An unusual new character is also making his appearance in the world of The Sims. To quickly improve your business, you can turn to a certain Trashy, a character hidden in his raincoat, who hangs out in a dark alley, on the side of the dustbins... But beware: appearances can be deceptive.
And speaking of iconic Sims characters... The thieves are back in the game! An update to the base game reintroduces thieves for everyone. Lock your doors and hide your silverware...
Our review of the expansion pack:
We were able to play the new pack on PC, already owning a great deal of The Sims 4 DLC.
Business and Leisure is an interesting pack, which should quickly become a must-have due to the two game mechanics introduced with this DLC: the ability to create a business from any skill, and the possibility of dividing a plot of land into several public or private buildings.
In detail, the DLC is fun and offers a wide range of gameplay possibilities. It integrates very well with the other packs, but also with the popular challenges, well known to the gaming community.
The more packs, and therefore additional skills, you have, the more different businesses you can create. However, not all skills are equal in the job market. Location also plays an important role! More populated worlds will attract customers more quickly and easily. So, depending on your story or your need to earn money, you need to know how to adapt.
Developing your business is going to take a lot of time and hard work. On the plus side, your Sims' skills will improve rapidly as a result.
The biggest weakness of this pack is its world: Nordhaven is pretty, but it feels too small and empty. The lack of gathering places and shops doesn't make you want to explore the neighborhoods.
So this pack is a great addition to The Sims 4 universe!
We can't wait to play with this Business & Leisure pack!
Dates and Opening Time
On March 6, 2025
Prices
€39.99
Official website
www.ea.com
