Quick Links
The Sims 4has been expanded so many times over its lifespan that even the base game is now very different to how it began. One of the most notable additions is lot challenges and traits. These can bring new levels of difficulty to your game at the click of a button.
One of the most commonly used lot challenges is Off-the-Grid, where you try to live without water or electricity. This is a lot of fun but can be difficult, especially if you usually rely heavily on electronics. Here’s everything you need to know about how to enable and survive Off-the-Grid.
How To Enable Off-The-Grid
If you haveIsland Livingthen you’ll notice that onMua Pel’am in Sulanithere are already a couple ofOff-the-Grid enabled lots: one blank lot, and theAdmiral’s Wreckage, which is built in the shape of a washed-up shipwreck. There’s also theShipping Views, a lot inEvergreen Harbor.
However, you aren’t confined to those lots and worlds sinceOff-the-Grid can be enabled on any residential lot. To enable this Lot Challenge follow these steps:
You canchoose up to 12 Lot Challenges. If you wish to chooseLot Traits,you can do this by selecting thequestion mark iconsunder the house icon. This will allow you to chooseup to three lot traits.
Those withCottage Livingcan also add theSimple Living Lot Challenge,which requires you to have ingredients for cooking in your inventoryfora true self-sufficient experience.
Recommended Lot Traits For Off-The-Grid Living
You cangive yourself a little boost with Lot Traits. This can be especially useful for anyone who wants to gofully self-sufficientand grow their own food. These are themost useful Lot Traits,and how they can benefit you.
Chef’s Kitchen
This traitimproves meal quality for anything cooked on this lot.If you are relying oncoolboxes and bbqs for cookingthen this can helpavoid a number of negative moodletsfrom repeated or low-quality meals.
Great Soil
The great soil trait will enable you togrow better quality fruit, herbs, and veg, increasing the chance ofhigh-yield, high-profit producethat will also make good quality meals.
Homey
This trait is a fantastic complement to the previous two andoffers faster skill-building for cooking, handiness, mixology, and gardening.This will enable you to grow and cook higher quality food faster, as well as fix any household issues more easily.
How To Build An Off-The-Grid Lot
AnOff-the-Grid lot will have restrictions on specific items. Some items will not work at all, while others have a limited selection that will work. Here are the details:
To identify which electronic and plumbing items are functional off-grid you canselect only items with the Off-the-Grid function in build mode.
How To Filter To Show Off-The-Grid Compatible Items Only
This filter is under themain build tools down the left-hand sideof the build menu, rather than in with the other filters. Just follow these steps:
Using this category selection you canchoose items to furnish your house, depending on how authentic you want the experience to be.
Even with only the base game,you will still have access to a toilet, bath, shower, sink, stove, and fridge. However, all these items will havevery limited use.
Tokeep food coolin your fridge you canadd ice, which will melt over time. You can alsogather waterfrom lakes, rivers, or the sea tofully use plumbingfor a limited time.
You cankeep your bladder and hygiene needs in the greenusing off-the grid items, but doing so will give you somenegative moodletsfor using tepid water, as well as having to scrub things to clean them.
Similarly,you’re able to use the fridge and stove,but verylimited recipesare available andfood won’t last as longas usual in the fridge, even with ice.
How To Generate Your Own Power And Water Off-The-Grid
If you want togenerate your own water or powerthen there are several items available. When working out which ones to buy you need to look at the following:
Roof-mountedsolar panels and wind turbines cannot be upgraded butdo not require maintenance or cleaning.
Water Generating Items
These can all beupgraded to improve reliabilityand eventually be made unbreakable. TheAtmospheric Water Generatorrequires you topurchase fuel at 25 bits and piecesat a time, or you can usebiofuel from an Insect Hotel.
$560
$1,260
$1,870
+7 Industrial
Level 5
You’ll need torecycle items in a Home Recyclerthat costs $845 togain bits and piecesor recycle them at a community lot.
Power Generating Items
Solar panels require cleaning,rather than maintaining, but thereliability stat reflects how often you need to clean them. Ground wind turbines aresusceptible to lightningwithout upgrades. Both have options for roof or floor-mounted styles.Once again, there is also agenerator that requires fuel.
$716
$572
$680
$540
$1,172
How many of each item you need will depend on the size of your household as well as how many electronic items you use, how often you take baths etc.
How To Check Power And Water Levels
All items will have apower or water consumption value. The more you use high consumption items the higher your bills will be. If you are generating your own power and electricity you do seem to be able to goa little into deficit,but you will pay for this with your bills. If youskip those bills or burn through too much power you will be cut off.
To see how much power and water you are generating and usingclick on the mailbox and select Show Bills Information.You’ll see the following menu appear:
You’ll see all yourbills broken down hereincludingif you are over or under on power and water consumption.In this instance, the household is using more power than they are generating, but less water.
You canset the excess to sell automatically or store it.This is important as some regions get more rain, others more sun andenergy and water generation does change with the weather. This deficit was caused by trying to use solar panels in a gloomy season.
Keep an eye on these statsand you’ll learn to manage your individual household.
Tips For Off-The-Grid Living
The main thing you need to worry about with Off-the-Grid living iskeeping your Sims needs high. Limited plumbing and electronics meanoptions for cooking, bathing, and bladder are restricted.Ways to increase your Sim’sfun are also limiteddue to the lack of computers, game consoles, TVs, and stereos, whilesocial needs have to be met in person.
However, there are ways around these things. Here are some tips for meeting each Sim need when playing Off-the-Grid.
Bladder
You can still have anduse a toilet, but you may not always be able to flush it.The easiest way to deal with this need is touse an Off-the-Grid compatible toilet, or usethe ‘pee bushes’from Jungle Adventure, Werewolves, or Get Together.
you may alsocollect water from any surrounding river, lake, or seathat you can walk up to. Doing this willenable you to flush the toilet.
Alternatively,you can pee in a pool or the ocean, or more politely,use the bathroom facilities on a public lot.
Hunger
There area few Off-the-Grid options for food.Astovewill give you limited options of items that can be cooked on the hob, includingGrilled Cheese, Eggs and Toast, Tomato Soup, and Fish on a Stick.However, for cooked food, if you use aBBQ,all the regular options are available,making it a better option.
Afridgethat’s functional Off-the-Gridwill allow you to use it as an icebox and makeQuick Meals,as well asGarden Salad and Fruit Salad,while aregular coolerjust allows you to prepareQuick Meals.
You can alsogrow your own fruit and veg, as well as catch your own fish.A bonfire orcampfire can be used to roast fish,and fresh fruit and veg can be used in basic recipes if you are also doing theSimple Living challenge.
If you have Cottage Living, theproduce stall by The Gnome’s Arms in Henford-On-Bagleyoffers a great range of items you may purchase to cook or grow.
Thecheapest and easiestway to grab agood mealis to head down toa local park.Usually, there isplenty of BBQ foodto go around.
Energy
Energy regenerationisn’t affected by the Off-the-Grid traitsince you just need to sleep. However,tasks like cleaning require more energyin an Off-the-Grid lot due to scrubbing, so keep an eye on those energy levels.
Fun
Fun can be more difficult to keep on top of sincethe failsafe options of TV, gaming, and music are unavailable. However, there are anumber of other activities,depending on the likes of your Sim and the DLC you have. TheseOff-the-Grid compatible activitiescan all offer fun.
You can alsogain funfrom other everyday activities, includingcooking, jogging, swimming,and of course,woohoo.
YourSims phone is usable Off-the-Gridbut haslimited functionality. Most internet is unavailable, but you canchat and post on Social Bunny.
You can alsoplay games and use Trendi.
Social
Without pen pals, internet chat, and forums to troll you have togo and talk to other Sims in person. Unless youcheat and chat on the phone or use the Social Bunny appthat somehow sneaks under the filters.
Hygiene
You canclean your teeth and take a bath or showerusing an Off-the-Grid compatible item, butyou’ll get a negative moodletfrom the tepid water. To keep yourself clean and happy,use the local gym showers, or collect water before you shower.
How To Get A Job
If you want to get a job while living Off-the-Grid, you’ll need toleave your lot and travel to a community area,where you can use your electronics properly, then find a jobusing your phone or laptop.
The Sims 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Developed by Maxis, The Sims 4 is a life simulation game in the vein of its predecessors. It launched in 2014, becoming one of the biggest-selling PC games of that year. In 2022, the base game became free-to-play, while paid DLC continues to be released on a regular basis.
