The Sims 4 Cheats Guide: How to Enter Codes and Which Ones Actually Work
To use cheats in The Sims 4 on PC, press Ctrl + Shift + C (Command + Shift + C on Mac), type the code and hit Enter. Many advanced cheats need testingcheats true first. On PlayStation and Xbox, hold all four shoulder buttons to open the console, but be aware that enabling cheats there disables trophies for that save.
This guide groups the codes by what you want to do: money, needs, skills, careers, relationships and building. A troubleshooting checklist at the end covers the most common reasons a cheat "does nothing".
Step 1: Open the cheat console
| Platform | Open the console | Shift-click equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | Ctrl + Shift + C | Shift + left click |
| Mac | Command + Shift + C | Shift + click |
| PlayStation 4 and 5 | L1 + L2 + R1 + R2 together | hold Circle, press Cross |
| Xbox One and Series X/S | LB + LT + RB + RT together | hold B, press A |
A text box appears at the top of the screen. Type the cheat without quotation marks and press Enter. Use the same shortcut to close it.
Open the console once you are in a loaded game: Live mode, Build mode or the world map. Money and needs cheats only work when a household is loaded.
Step 2: Turn on testingcheats
Typing testingcheats true (or testingcheats on) unlocks advanced cheats and extra options when you Shift-click Sims, objects, the mailbox or the ground. On its own it changes nothing: it is simply a switch.
Key things to know:
- It resets every time you restart the game. Enter it again at the start of each session.
- It can switch off when you travel between lots. If an advanced code suddenly stops working, re-enter it.
- On consoles it disables trophies and achievements for the current save file only. The game shows a warning first, and your other saves are not affected.
- To turn it off, type testingcheats false. On console this does not restore trophies for the affected save.
Before experimenting, use "Save As" to create a separate copy of your game. If something goes wrong, you can load the original in seconds.
Money cheats
There are two different ideas here: add a fixed amount, or set the household balance to an exact figure. Mixing them up is the most common mistake.
| Cheat | Effect | Needs testingcheats |
|---|---|---|
| kaching | adds 1,000 Simoleons | no |
| rosebud | adds 1,000 Simoleons | no |
| motherlode | adds 50,000 Simoleons | no |
| money 25000 | sets funds to exactly 25,000 | yes, according to some guides |
| sims.modify_funds 5000 | adds, or with a minus sign removes, the amount | yes |
| FreeRealEstate on | move into any residential lot at no cost | no |
| FreeRealEstate off | restores normal lot prices | no |
How to use them well:
- Need a little cash for furniture? Use kaching or rosebud. Each entry adds 1,000.
- Planning a large build? Use motherlode. Five entries in a row add 250,000 Simoleons.
- Want a rags-to-riches challenge? Enter FreeRealEstate on from the world or neighborhood map, move in, switch it off with FreeRealEstate off, then type money 0.
Remember that money replaces the balance rather than adding to it. If a family has 90,000 and you type money 25000, they are left with 25,000.
Needs and mood cheats
Needs (hunger, energy, hygiene, social, fun) and a Sim's emotional state are separate systems. Full need bars do not remove a sad moodlet after an argument, and a happy Sim will still get hungry later.
| Cheat | Effect |
|---|---|
| sims.fill_all_commodities | fills every need for the active Sim |
| stats.fill_all_commodities_household | fills needs for the whole household |
| fillmotive motive_hunger | fills hunger only |
| fillmotive motive_energy | fills energy only |
| fillmotive motive_hygiene | fills hygiene only |
| fillmotive motive_social | fills social only |
| fillmotive motive_fun | fills fun only |
| sims.give_satisfaction_points 1500 | grants 1,500 satisfaction points |
You can also do this from the menu: turn on testingcheats, Shift-click the Sim and choose the option that makes them happy. The same menu lets you pause need decay, which is handy for long build sessions. Switch decay back on afterwards.
Satisfaction points are spent in the Rewards Store on traits and perks. They do not change mood or household funds.
Skill cheats
The format is stats.set_skill_level [skill] [level], with levels from 1 to 10. For example, stats.set_skill_level Major_Charisma 10 instantly maxes out Charisma.
| Skill | Code name |
|---|---|
| Cooking | Major_HomestyleCooking |
| Gourmet Cooking | Major_GourmetCooking |
| Programming | Major_Programming |
| Charisma | Major_Charisma |
| Logic | Major_Logic |
| Handiness | Major_Handiness |
| Writing | Major_Writing |
| Painting | Major_Painting |
| Gardening | Major_Gardening |
| Fishing | Major_Fishing |
| Guitar, Piano, Violin | Major_Guitar, Major_Piano, Major_Violin |
| Video Gaming | Major_VideoGaming |
| Rocket Science | Major_RocketScience |
| Comedy | Major_Comedy |
| Mischief | Major_Mischief |
| Mixology | Major_Bartending |
| Fitness | Skill_Fitness |
| Child skills | Skill_Child_Social, Skill_Child_Motor, Skill_Child_Creativity, Skill_Child_Mental |
Skills from expansion and game packs have their own names and only work if that pack is installed. If the game rejects the command, check the spelling: underscores and the exact skill name matter.
Career and aspiration cheats
| Cheat | Effect |
|---|---|
| careers.add_career [career] | gives the Sim a job |
| careers.promote [career] | promotes the Sim |
| careers.remove_career [career] | removes the job |
| careers.retire [career] | sends the Sim into retirement |
| aspirations.complete_current_milestone | completes the current aspiration milestone |
Career names are typed in English, for example careers.promote actor. If your Sim does not have a job yet, add the career first, then promote.
Relationship cheats
The modifyrelationship command sets the relationship between two Sims. Type each Sim's full first and last name.
- modifyrelationship FirstName1 LastName1 FirstName2 LastName2 100 ltr_friendship_main: maximum friendship;
- modifyrelationship FirstName1 LastName1 FirstName2 LastName2 100 ltr_romance_main: maximum romance;
- the same commands with -100 make the relationship hostile;
- relationships.create_friends_for_sim: gives a Sim a ready-made circle of friends.
To avoid typos, open the Sim's panel and copy the name exactly as it appears in the game.
Build mode cheats
These are the favorites for builders, and most of them work without testingcheats.
| Cheat | Effect |
|---|---|
| bb.moveobjects on | place objects anywhere, off the grid, overlapping and at any height |
| bb.showhiddenobjects | reveals hidden debug objects in the catalog |
| bb.showliveeditobjects | used together with the two above to reach debug objects |
| bb.ignoregameplayunlocksentitlement | unlocks items normally earned through careers |
| bb.enablefreebuild | allows building on lots where it is usually restricted |
To open the full debug catalog, enter bb.moveobjects on, bb.showhiddenobjects and bb.showliveeditobjects in that order, then type DEBUG in the Buy mode search bar.
FreeRealEstate on from the money section is useful here too: it lets you claim any residential lot for a project regardless of its price.
Create a Sim and other useful cheats
| Cheat | Effect |
|---|---|
| cas.fulleditmode | enables full editing of an existing Sim |
| traits.equip_trait [trait] | adds a trait |
| traits.remove_trait [trait] | removes a trait |
| death.toggle true | your Sims can no longer die |
| death.toggle false | restores normal rules |
After entering cas.fulleditmode, Shift-click a Sim and choose the edit option to open Create a Sim with every setting unlocked, not just appearance.
Why a cheat is not working: a checklist
- testingcheats is off or has reset. Enter testingcheats true again, especially after restarting the game or moving lots.
- A typo. Codes have no quotation marks and no trailing spaces. Numbers have no separators: 25000, not 25,000.
- Wrong household or screen. Money cheats apply to the active household in Live mode, and FreeRealEstate is entered on the neighborhood map.
- Missing pack. Skills, careers and objects from packs need that content installed.
- An outdated code. Some older debug commands from past guides no longer work after game updates. If a code fails after several checks, look up its current name.
- Mod conflicts. If you use mods, disable them temporarily and test on a clean game.
If The Sims 4 stutters on large lots even without cheats, especially with many packs installed, your system may be short on memory or processing power. Our gaming PC range is a good place to compare configurations.