The Sims 4: High school years, everything you want to know about the next expansion

Adolescence is in the spotlight at the beginning of the holidays! The first emotions, the stress of exams, the illusion of preparing for the prom… The franchise does it all At this stage of our life sims with new features that will surely enrich the how to play.

During an exclusive live demo dedicated to the press, the developers answered our questions. Here are their answers…

What if a teen doesn’t have enough grades to graduate? Should I repeat?

• If you don’t get good grades, you don’t graduate. You do not repeat the course, but you can request the degree online. Not having a diploma affects certain careers and prevents going to university. But it is not definitive. Also, if the Sim has a high enough skill level, he can still be accepted into college.

High school is a time when teenagers tend to rebel. Can we skip class and go to the park with our friends or maybe have a pre-party?

• Attention, no alcohol in the game (laughs). But yes, you can skip class, go to another class or go to a house, but Sims will be called to order if they go too far, they even risk being excluded.

Were you inspired by certain films focused on the transition to adulthood?

• Yes, there are a lot. CW teen movies, Disney, Euphoria… We wanted to capture that typical American style, like in Grease. This is also part of the “Art Deco” content that we have chosen. But you can rebuild everything, remake the high school from High School Musical 2 for example. Riverdale and First Kill also inspired us. We also talked to teenagers asking them what was really important to them.

How does the sexual orientation system work with trans Sims? Are they seen as the gender they live with?

• It is based on the gender the Sim identifies with. When you create a Sim, you always choose the “male” or “female” option. This is how the Sim identifies himself and it is on this decision that the system is based.

What are the different types of after-school activities or clubs?

• There’s the chess club, the computer club, the cheerleaders, and the football team. We also have two jobs: Simfluencer and Video Game Streamer. You have enough to earn enough to live very comfortably.

New ways to die and new places to crack-crack?

• Yes, there is the big wheel, the “tunnel of love” and the haunted house. These are great places to do this, but if you get caught you could be kicked out of there for a while. There is also the photo booth. For new kills, if you severely sabotage a locker, there could be consequences. Sims can also tell each other spooky urban legends that can scare them to death.

The Sims 4: High School Years will be available on July 28 on PC and Mac (via Source Y Vapor), and on PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to check our current impressions: TRY The Sims 4: Werewolves, watch out for the full moon!

Find The Sims 4 and its expansions on Amazon.