The Sims 4 brings back Wants and Fears as part of the base game but they work a bit differently than they did before. They’ve also replaced Whims as of Patch 132.
Hello, Wants and Fears!
Goodbye, Whims!
As EA explains in the Patch notes:
This base game update replaces whims and includes a large selection of Wants that your Sims will want to achieve or Fears they want to overcome. This feature is on by default and you can toggle them off in the “Gameplay” options menu.
Wants and Fears are influenced by your Sim’s traits.
Let’s explore how Wants and Fears work in The Sims 4 and how they influence your Sim’s behavior.
How do Wants work in The Sims 4?
Wants in The Sims 4 are desires primarily driven by your Sim’s traits. They closely align with your Sim’s traits. The activities your Sim engages in and the places they visit can also trigger new wants.
Think of Wants as a revamped version of the Whims they replaced.
There are three different types of wants in The Sims 4: long-term, short-term, and reactionary wants.
When you go to a different place, such as a bar, the reactionary want will make your Sim want to get a drink. If you go to the gym, the reactionary want may make your Sim want to do a particular workout.
Examples of Wants available in The Sims 4
Admire Yourself in the Mirror
Confident Sims may suddenly get the urge to admire themselves in the mirror. They’re not necessarily narcissistic, they’re just in a very good mood.
Fish for Compliments
This friendly interaction lets your Sim fish for compliments. This want is typical for self-absorbed Sims. They need other Sims to confirm just how amazing they are.
Plant Something
If your Sim has a green thumb and they’re pursuing the Freelance Botanist aspiration, they’ll want to plant something all the time. These Sims enjoy getting their hands dirty and planting lots of seeds. Growing their own garden is one of their favorite activities.
How do Fears work in The Sims 4?
Fears in The Sims 4 are temporary emotions that get triggered whenever your Sim is having a negative experience. Each trait triggers a specific type of fear. Your Sims can choose to confront and overcome their fears or let them govern their lives.
Fears in The Sims 4 are very realistic. You’ll get a quick notification whenever a specific fear surfaces in your Sim’s mind.
This will give you a clue as to what to do next. Your Sim can confront and conquer their fears or continue to live a life governed by fears.
Unexpected events can often trigger various fears in your Sim’s mind. For example, if they witness a fire, they might start fearing fire and have trouble putting out fires in the future.
Swimming when your Sim’s energy level is low will trigger the Fear of Drowning.
The first batch of fears focuses on teenage-specific fears. Kevin Puri is the epitome of uncontrollable fears. He’s got a lot of fears.
Let’s hope that future game updates bring additional fears to the table.
You can disable Wants and Fears in Sims 4
To turn off Wants and Fears in The Sims 4, go to Game Options, select Gameplay, and uncheck Show Wants and Fears.
This feature is on by default.
You don’t have to use Wants and Fears in The Sims 4 if you don’t want to. You can go to game settings and toggle them off.
Conquer your Fears or let them control you
Whenever that initial fear trigger shows up again, your Sim can choose to conquer their fear or let it control their life.
Conquering Fears gives Satisfaction Points. Sims can earn 100 Satisfaction Points for every fear they conquer.
There’s also the possibility that your Sim might never conquer a specific fear. They might have that fear forever. They might never forget the day when a random fire burned down the house.
But that’s OK.
You also have the option to discuss fears with other Sims.
List of fears available in The Sims 4
Fear of Unfulfilled Dreams
This Sim feels unfulfilled and dissatisfied with how life is going. They will occasionally become upset with their life direction.
They constantly doubt their decisions and wonder if they should have chosen differently.
If your Sim fails to fulfill their dreams, they’ll get Tense from feeling they’re missing out on their dreams. They’ll experience anxiety and then they’ll get angry from feeling they’re losing control over their life direction.
As you can see in the screenshots above, my Sim has the Freelance Botanist aspiration. She keeps getting the Fear of Unfulfilled Dreams after repeatedly failing to grow a cowplant.
Fear of Being Judged
Those judgment eyes feel like they are staring right at your Sim. Sims that have this fear will often become tense and anxious.
This type of fear can paralyze your Sims leaving them unable to think properly.
Fear of Failing Classes
Sims that have this fear are constantly feeling the pressure of passing their classes. They will also have trouble focusing in class.
No matter how hard they study, there’s always this thought they might fail their exams.
Fear of Rejection
Every time your Sim interacts with another Sim, they fear they might get rejected.
This fear can sometimes prevent him your Sim walking up to other Sims and talking to them.
Fear of Disappointing Your Parents
Teenagers strive to please their parents and make them proud. But the thought of potentially letting them down is there all the time.
What if they make a mistake? What if they fail to get good grades? Their mind is full of “what ifs”.
Fear of the Dark
These Sims have a strange fear of night and darkness. They really need to find a way to manage their fear if they want to hang out with their friends when night falls or go to the prom.
This fear can potentially cause intense anxiety.
Fear of Being Cheated On
These Sims need to talk with their partners about this issue as soon as possible. If they don’t do that, their relationship will continue to have problems until they find a way to deal with it.
If your Sim has the Jealous trait, they’ll often experience this annoying fear of being cheated on.
Note: This guide is a work in progress. I’ll add more wants and fears as I come across them in the game.