The Sims 4 has been alive for nearly 11 years, with more packs, updates, and content than we ever imagined. But with every new addition, there’s a growing list of features that once had potential—only to be left in the dust.
In his latest video, onlyabidoang breaks down 20 forgotten or abandoned Sims 4 features, and honestly? It’s a rollercoaster of wasted potential and head-scratching decisions.
Let’s take a tour through what EA hyped up… and then quietly ghosted.
The Forgotten Sims 4 Features
🏆 1. Achievements
Started strong in the base game, then stopped evolving entirely after Seasons in 2018. New careers, skills, and gameplay? No new achievements to match.
📊 2. Sim Stats
Remember those quirky lifetime stats like showers taken or times woohoo’d? Vampires is the only pack that ever added anything to this tab—and then it was never touched again.
🚶♀️ 3. CAS Walkstyles
The last new walkstyle was added in 2017. Newer ones exist in gameplay (like death walks or buffed walks), but you can’t choose them in Create-a-Sim. Abandoned before it even got started.
Mod fix: Walk in Style by onlyabidoang or cepzid’s walkstyle mod brings back the style.
🖼️ 4. Screenshot Memories
Turn screenshots into emotional memories? Cool concept, completely ignored since launch—except for adding the “Scared” emotion in 2021. A feature begging for a full rework.
🌿 5. PlantSims
Introduced in 2017’s one-off PlantSim Challenge, then left as a temporary, shallow occult with minimal features. Still no update, even with enchanted by nature.
Mod fix: Expanded PlantSims by SpinningPlumbobs gives them real gameplay and transformations.
🎶 6. Sims Sessions
A one-time music festival event in 2021. Performances from Bebe Rexha and others seemed like the start of something seasonal… but nope. The stage and items are still in-game—just hidden.
🧱 7. Curved Walls
Added in 2022, released buggy, and never fully supported. Most doors/windows from newer packs still don’t work with them, and visual glitches remain.
🧩 8. Scenarios
Introduced in 2021 as mini-challenges with multiple outcomes. Started strong, then abruptly stopped. No new scenarios since 2023. That main menu button? Still there.
🎸 9. Musical Instruments
After 2018’s Get Famous, there have been zero new instruments. No drums, saxophones, flutes—nothing. A core life sim feature left to rot.
🏊♂️ 10. Pool Activities
Swimming pools returned in 2014, but haven’t had new content since 2019. Where are the diving boards, slides, or poolside games?
📋 11. Simology Panel
This panel is now a cluttered mess, with up to 12 systems crammed into one menu. No UI update yet, even as new systems (like ailments or luck) keep piling on.
Mod fix: Better Simology Panel by SimMattically helps reorganize everything cleanly.
♻️ 12. Pack Refresh
The Spa Day refresh in 2021 was a hit. Since then? Nothing. Dine Out, Outdoor Retreat, Get to Work—all prime candidates, but EA dropped the idea completely.
🧹 13. Gameplay Kits
Bust the Dust was the only kit to add new gameplay—and after its buggy launch, EA never made another. Now we get CAS and Build/Buy kits only. Yawn.
🧬 14. Lifestyles
Cool idea introduced in Snowy Escape. Your Sims gain habits and behaviors—but EA never added more. And cross-pack integration? Basically nonexistent.
🏙️ 15. Neighborhood Action Plans (NAPs)
Released with Eco Lifestyle, these were meant to shape neighborhoods dynamically. But no new NAPs were ever added, and old ones are buggy and repetitive.
📱 16. Social Bunny App
Intended as a Sims version of social media in High School Years, it never grew past teen experiences. Adult Sims still post about prom. Posts are generic and barely change with personality or mood.
🏞️ 17. Destination Worlds
Once exclusive vacation-only worlds. Now? Abandoned. We haven’t had a proper one since 2018 (not counting Batuu), and newer worlds are all residential anyway.
🎉 18. Holiday Traditions
Seasons brought customizable holiday traditions. But since 2018, nothing new has been added—even though cross-pack integrations could’ve made this so much richer.
🎯 19. Resolutions
Tied to New Year’s holidays. You can set a goal, get satisfaction points, and that’s it. No expansion, no connection to newer content like bucket lists. Wasted.
🗺️ 20. Secret Worlds
Remember Sylvan Glade, Forgotten Grotto, and Planet Sixam? We haven’t had a true secret world since 2015. These days, EA gives us rabbit hole caves instead.
Final Thoughts
These aren’t tiny complaints. They’re systems that were marketed as core gameplay—features that added depth, personality, and progression to your Sims’ lives. And instead of expanding them, EA left them to collect virtual dust.
Whether it’s abandoned CAS walkstyles, underdeveloped Sims Sessions, or lifestyle systems that never went anywhere, the list is long—and growing.
“Every time a new pack drops, it introduces a new system… and then forgets the last one existed.” – onlyabidoang
Here’s hoping one day we get a patch (or several) that revisits these forgotten features. Until then, modders are doing the heavy lifting.
Want more Sims retrospectives, gameplay deep dives, and hidden system breakdowns? Find it all at Sims4Life.
Source: onlyabidoang
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the last Sims 4 feature to get abandoned?
While many features have been forgotten, Scenarios, Social Bunny, and Lifestyles were among the most recent to lose support.
Why doesn’t EA update these features?
Many speculate it’s due to limited development resources, shifting priorities, or EA’s preference for launching new packs over updating older content.
Are there mods that fix abandoned features?
Yes! Mods like Walk in Style, Expanded PlantSims, Better Simology Panel, and others help fill in the gaps where EA has left things behind.
Will pack refreshes return?
It’s unlikely. Spa Day was the only pack to ever receive a refresh, and EA has shown no signs of continuing that initiative.
What’s the best way to request EA revisit old features?
Engage on EA forums, submit feedback via EA Help, and support creators like onlyabidoang who spotlight these issues and keep the conversation alive.
