How to Enable Cheats in Sims 4: A Complete Guide

The Sims 4 has one of the most robust cheat systems of any life simulation game — and EA built it in intentionally. Whether you want unlimited Simoleons, need to unlock build mode items, or want to tweak your Sim's needs and skills, cheats are a core part of the experience for millions of players. Here's exactly how to access and use them across every platform.

Opening the Cheat Console

Before any cheat can work, you need to open the cheat input box — a text field where you type commands directly into the game.

The method depends on your platform:

A small white input bar will appear at the top of your screen. That's where you type your cheat codes.

The Required First Step: testingcheats true

Most of the powerful cheats in Sims 4 require you to enable testing mode first. Without this, many commands simply won't work.

Type the following into the cheat console, then press Enter:

testingcheats true 

You should see a confirmation message: "Cheats are enabled."

This single command unlocks a much wider range of cheat functionality — including shift-clicking on objects and Sims to access hidden options, which would otherwise be unavailable.

To disable cheats again (some players prefer this for normal gameplay), type:

testingcheats false 

🎮 Essential Cheat Codes Worth Knowing

Once testing cheats are active, here are the most commonly used commands:

Money cheats:

• motherlode — Adds §50,000 Simoleons to your household
• kaching — Adds §1,000 Simoleons
• money [amount] — Sets your household funds to an exact number (e.g., money 100000)

Need and mood cheats:

• sims.fill_all_commodities — Fills all needs for every Sim on the lot
• fillmotive motive_[need] — Fills a specific need (e.g., fillmotive motive_hunger)

Build mode cheats:

• bb.moveobjects — Lets you place objects anywhere without grid restrictions
• bb.showhiddenobjects — Unlocks hidden debug objects in buy mode
• bb.showliveeditobjects — Reveals even more world objects for placement
• bb.ignoregameplayunlocksentitlement — Unlocks career-reward objects without earning them

Skill and career cheats follow a structured format:

• stats.set_skill_level [SkillName] [1–10] — Sets a Sim's skill to any level
• careers.add_career [career name] — Adds a career to a Sim

How Cheats Behave Differently Across Platforms

The cheat console works on all platforms, but the experience varies meaningfully depending on where you're playing.

On PC and Mac, entering cheats is faster and more precise — you're typing on a keyboard, which makes longer commands like stats.set_skill_level Major_Cooking 10 straightforward to enter. The PC version also gives you access to additional mods and cheat tools (like UI Cheats Extension) that expand functionality far beyond the built-in console.

On consoles, the input process is slower because you're using an on-screen keyboard via controller. Many experienced console players memorize short, frequently used codes like motherlode rather than longer stat-based commands. Some players also find that not all cheats available on PC function identically on console, particularly more obscure debug cheats.

⚠️ What to Know Before Using Cheats

Achievements and trophies: Enabling cheats — specifically testingcheats true — disables the ability to earn in-game achievements for that play session. If you're working toward milestones or aspirations through normal gameplay, be mindful of when you activate cheats.

Save file behavior: Cheats don't permanently corrupt save files in any documented way, but using commands like bb.moveobjects aggressively can occasionally cause visual glitches in a lot. Most players keep a separate save for cheat-heavy gameplay just as a habit.

Expansion and Pack-specific cheats: Many cheats are tied to specific packs. For example, cheats related to Vampire powers require Vampires, and farming skill cheats require Cottage Living. If a cheat isn't working, verify the relevant pack is installed and active.

Case sensitivity: Cheat codes are generally not case-sensitive in Sims 4, but spacing matters. stats.set_skill_level with a missing underscore won't execute correctly.

Variables That Affect Your Cheat Experience

How useful cheats are — and which ones matter most — shifts considerably based on your situation:

• Game version: EA updates Sims 4 regularly. Occasionally, patches adjust or break specific cheats temporarily. If a code that previously worked stops responding, checking community resources for patch notes is worthwhile.
• Installed content: Your pack library directly determines which cheat categories apply to your game.
• Play style: Players using cheats to explore build mode creatively have entirely different needs than those using cheats to skip skill-grinding during story-focused gameplay.
• Technical comfort level: The shift-click interactions enabled by testingcheats true offer significant additional control, but they require some familiarity with the interface to use efficiently.

The cheat system in Sims 4 is intentionally flexible — but which commands are genuinely useful depends almost entirely on what kind of Sims player you are and what your current game looks like. 🎯