How to Enable Wants and Fears in The Sims 4

How to Enable Wants and Fears in The Sims 4

As a seasoned Sim player with years of virtual life under my belt, I can certainly empathize with these fears and phobias that your Sim characters might be facing. Each fear is unique, yet they all share a common thread – the desire for happiness, success, and connection.


In The Sims 4, several elements contribute to making the game more lifelike and engaging, with Wants and Fears serving as a prime illustration of this realism. A Sim’s surroundings and character influence their emotions significantly, which they express not just through moodlets but also through Wants and Fears.

This guide intends to clearly illustrate the workings of the Wants and Fears system, a significant departure from its counterpart in The Sims 2. This system adds an engaging and intriguing aspect to gameplay that gamers should become acquainted with.

How to Enable Wants and Fears in The Sims 4

How to Enable Wants and Fears in The Sims 4

In The Sims 4 game, players have the flexibility to switch on or off their Sim’s Wants and Fears whenever they prefer. Though Fears may occasionally lead to unfavorable situations for a Sim, Wants provide an excellent method to enhance a Sim’s mood and accumulate points that players can later use in the Reward Shop.

To turn on or off the Wants and Fears in The Sims 4, players need to pause their game, navigate to Settings, and then click on the Game Options tab. In this tab, you’ll find a “Show Wants & Fears” option on the right side with a checkbox next to it. Simply tick the box if you want to play with Wants & Fears enabled, or leave it unchecked to keep them hidden.

How to Check and Complete Wants in The Sims 4

How to Enable Wants and Fears in The Sims 4

In The Sims 4 game, players should look for bubbles on the left side of a chosen Sim’s head at the bottom-left corner of the screen to find out their current desires. Although lifetime aspirations in The Sims 4 need to be pursued over a Sim’s entire life, these bubbles only show immediate needs. However, players can bookmark or save these desires so they don’t vanish, making sure that the Sim will get their reward even if it’s completed far into the future.

In The Sims 4, completing a Sim’s desire (Want) is achieved by carrying out the related task that your Sim desires. Frequently, the description of the Want will provide clear guidelines for players on how to satisfy their Sim’s particular desire.

How to Check and Overcome Fears in The Sims 4

In the course of a Sim’s life journey, they might develop Fears that can influence their overall mood. Fortunately, The Sims 4 offers strategies for managing these Fears and ensuring they don’t become a persistent burden across a Sim’s lifetime.

Here are all of the Fears in The Sims 4 and how to overcome them:

FearCauseSolution
Fear of being cheated on
  • Have the Jealous trait
  • Mediocre WooHoo with partner
  • Lack of attention from a partner
  • Catch a partner romancing others
Discuss Fear of being cheated on with a partner
Fear of death
  • Near-death experiences
  • Death of close relatives or friends
Discuss Fear of Death with other Sims
Fear of fire
  • Experience a fire
Extinguish a fire
Fear of ghosts
  • Have a negative experience with a ghost Sim
Fight a ghost
Fear of the dark
  • Have a negative experience at night
Go outside at night with the Confident moodlet
Fear of swimming
  • Have a negative experience while swimming
Swim for an hour with the Confident moodlet
Fear of failure
  • Perform poorly at work
  • Craft poor quality items
Show off a crafted item or ask for a performance review
Fear of a dead-end job
  • Not receiving a promotion or raise in a while
Use the Regain Passion interaction on the Sim before going to work
Fear of Cowplants
  • Eat a Cowplant’s cake
Milk a Cowplant with the Confident moodlet
Fear of being judged
  • Be the target of Mean social interactions
Use the Figure Out Differents interaction on two Sims
Fear of crowded places
  • Visit a crowded lot
Use three Funny social interactions while in a crowded lot
Fear of unfulfilled dreams
  • Not completing Wants in a while
Complete a want and then use the Discuss Fears interaction on another Sim
Fear of failing after-school activity
  • Be a Low Confidence Sim
  • Have the Overachiever trait
Complete the daily task for an after-school activity with a Happy moodlet
Fear of disappointing parents
  • Drop out of high school or university
  • Share negative sentiments with caregiver
  • Low Confidence Sim
Use the Absolve Fears interaction on a deceased caregiver’s urn or use the Set Expectations interaction with a living caregiver
Fear of failing classes
  • Be a Low Confidence Sim
  • Have the Overachiever trait
  • Have low grades at school
Do Extra Credit Work on Homework after asking a teacher for it
Fear of failing tests
  • Fail an exam or pass an exam with a low grade
Prepare for exam with the Focused moodlet
Fear of homework
  • Not doing homework in a while
Complete homework two days in a row with the Focused moodlet
Fear of being inferior
  • Be a Low Confidence Sim
Get B or higher grades at school or gain more than five levels in a Skill
Fear of horses
  • Have a negative experience with a horse
  • Have the Paranoid trait
Use the Discuss Fear of Horses interaction with other Sims or have nice interactions with horses
Fear of eviction
  • Receive a fine from the Property Owner
Successfully use three friendly or flirty interactions with the Property Owner
Fear of being alone
  • Have a low relationship meter or bad romantic satisfaction with a partner
  • Have the Lovebug, Unflirty, or Cat Lover trait
Use the Seek Validation interaction on a romantic partner, use the Practice Affirmations interaction on a mirror or seek Couples Counseling using the Cupid’s Corner app
Fear of intimacy
  • Have the Socially Awkward, Noncommittal, Unflirty, or Romantically Reserved trait
Use the Discuss Comfort Levels or the Share Intimate Thoughts interactions with a close friend

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2024-10-24 03:23