Collaborating with our Community on The Sims 4 Desert Luxe & First Fits Kits

Our players make The Sims every day. They play to express their individualism, interests and aspirations. They inspire us to keep innovating and improving. They’re creators in every sense of the word.

Say sul-sul to XUrbanSimsX and Aveline! Jenn, who goes by XUrbanSimsX on YouTube, films The Sims 4 game-play videos with intricate backstories for her Sims which made her a great community candidate to consult on The Sims 4 First Fits Kit*. Rosa, known across the Sims community as Aveline, creates The Sims 4 speed build content on Youtube and she offered up her building expertise to further shape The Sims 4 Desert Luxe Kit.* 

XUrbanSimsX and Aveline were fully immersed in the kit creation process, from digging into real world references, to exploring the initial concept art, to reviewing the final in-game items. We sat down and spoke with each creator about their history with The Sims and their experiences collaborating on the new kits.

        1. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your history with The Sims?

Rosa: I love to play video games, which I've been doing for the vast majority of my life. Before I played video games myself, I used to watch my sister play, so gaming has basically always been a part of my life and what I love to do. I think I started playing The Sims when I was 9 or 10 with the first iteration of The Sims. The Sims was also one of my safe spaces that helped me find reprieve from not having an easy time in school due to classmates. I now do The Sims builds on YouTube for a living, so you could easily say it has taken up a lot of time throughout my life.

Jenn: I've been a huge fan of The Sims franchise for a very long time. In fact, I started playing The Sims back in the early 2000s when the game originally launched and haven't looked back since. Being the introvert I am, The Sims really opened up my world! It allowed me to channel my inner creativity, and gave me a platform to share my love and passion for the game with thousands of other players. I cannot fathom where I'd be if it weren't for The Sims!

        2. How does it feel to be one of the first community members to consult on a kit with The Sims 4 team? 

Rosa: I'm so incredibly honored! I spend so much of my day-to-day on The Sims, and now there's a kit coming that I've had a say in and that's honestly just a major honor. It's been a very unique experience, and very exciting to see the whole process and be a part of it, but also very cozy to sit down with the team behind the kit. It was very enjoyable and I was super excited for every call we had.

Jenn: It feels surreal! If you told my younger self one day I'd be consulting with The Sims team on a kit for the game, I wouldn't have believed you! It's an absolute honor and a dream come true.

        3. Can you describe the kit you collaborated on and what is special about it?

Rosa: It's a luxury kit with desert feels that fits perfectly in expensive homes and in high-end spa settings. The items are made with natural materials, so some can also fit in bohemian settings as well. It has a very natural and lavish feel to it, it's all very sleek! I think the items turned out beautiful and also very unique. The kit definitely has its own vibe compared to many other packs made for the game so far.

Jenn: What makes this kit so special is it's the first of its kind. It specifically focuses on kids’ clothing that is both fun and fashionable. While simultaneously offering a nice variety of pieces that players will be able to use over and over again, while integrating perfectly with other existing items in CAS (create-a-sim)!

        4. What are some of your favorite items that you helped to collaborate on in the kit? 

Rosa: I would have to mention the three-seater couch which I was very adamant that we needed in the kit, so we'd end up with a full set. It adds diversity to the kit, so you can use it in more settings than just for outdoor-use. The chair is probably also one of my favorite items that ended up looking so luxe and nice, and I know there are a couple of items other builders are going to have a lot of fun with in particular, such as the awning and the squared table, which you can stack (and don't worry, it looks good stacked!).

Jenn: I have to say, I'm a huge fan of the sweater with that adorable backpack! The swatches give it such a playful but casual look and the detail that went into this piece wows me everytime. The sneakers are an all-time favorite. I'm really excited to get my hands on those! Oh, and the smart watch as well. I'm all about details and I think the smart watch really does compliment the kit well.

        5. What was your favorite part of the collaboration process with The Sims team?

Rosa: I love seeing the SimGuru post concept art, so I thought that bit was very exciting. It was also one of the first steps, which made me really sit there thinking, "Okay, this is actually happening, I'm consulting on this kit.” Another part that stood out to me was finally seeing the things in the game after a few months; it felt very special and rewarding! But honestly, just talking to the kit team and hearing how excited they too were about the kit and how happy they were with how it was turning out, and them complimenting each other's work, was so nice to see and hear. It's a very passionate team and it showed!

Jenn: This is such a tough question, mostly because I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience as a whole. I must say being able to have the opportunity as a player myself to give feedback and choose to an extent what items I think would fit the kit best was so much fun!

        6. You’re an avid builder. What are you most excited to build with the new items in The Desert Luxe Kit? Which packs do you think would complement this kit nicely?

Rosa: I'm mostly excited to use it for something like a high-end luxury home. I especially love to build family homes, and it's fun exploring them in different styles so they fit with different kinds of households. While the kit is very unique to itself, I see it fitting very well with packs like Spa Day GP and maybe Fitness SP, but also for a different and more bohemian kind of vibe, it would go well with some items from the City Living EP. Since it's such a unique set of items, I'll definitely have to experiment with it once I have the items in my own game, but I'm really looking forward to that part.

        7. How do you think that specific kits for kids will enrich a Simmers gameplay? Which packs do you think would complement this kit nicely?

Jenn: Simply by creating more options for their children. Kits also allow players to pick and choose what assets they want in their game based on what appeals to them. It also breathes new life into existing items/packs they may already have. The Parenthood Gamepack and Kids Room Stuff come to mind first, but I also think some of the items in this kit would compliment Eco Lifestyle and Cottage Living. 

The Sims 4 First Fits Kit is available September 1 and The Sims 4 Desert Luxe Kit releases  September 14, for The Sims™ 4 on PC and Mac via Origin™ and Steam®, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One systems.

*Requires The Sims 4 (sold separately) and all game updates. For PC, see minimum system requirements for the pack.