In The Sims 4, cheat codes allow players to dramatically alter their world's weather and climate, instantly triggering blizzards, heat waves, and lightning. Cheats are integral to The Sims franchise and essential for the complete Sims 4 experience. Despite what the name implies, cheating in The Sims 4 isn't just allowed; it's actively encouraged by EA.

The game's cheat codes are accessible across all platforms via the in-game Cheats Console, which is intentionally made easily accessible and intuitive to use. However, to manipulate weather conditions, you must have The Sims 4: Seasons expansion. This paid expansion was released in 2018 and introduced weather effects that influence your Sims' moods and social interactions. This is an important factor to consider when building relationships between your Sims, and cheating the weather is an effective way to make sure these interactions go the way you want them to.

How To Activate & Use Cheats In The Sims 4

It Only Takes A Few Button Presses To Open The Cheats Console

To access the Cheats Console, you'll need to press a specific sequence of keys, which varies by platform. Once activated, a message displaying "Cheats enabled" will appear. This allows you to use the game's advanced cheat codes in The Sims 4. The table below shows what button sequences to use to activate cheats on the console you're playing on:

Note that even though cheating is allowed, using certain cheats could disable trophies and achievements. When you first attempt to activate cheat codes, a warning will appear letting you know of this. If this doesn't concern you and you want to enhance your gameplay experience, freely proceed. It's recommended to back up your saves, particularly using custom content.

It's recommended that you back up your saves, particularly using custom content, before you begin entering cheat codes into the Console.

Following this setup sequence, a text box will appear in the upper left corner of your game screen. At this point, you can start to enter cheat codes. For instance, you can enter the code "motherlode" to instantly earn 50,000 simoleons, although there are legitimate ways to make money in The Sims 4. To enable weather cheats, type the code "testingcheats true" and hit enter.

All Weather Cheats In The Sims 4

Change The Weather At Your Whims

Before utilizing weather cheats, ensure that weather effects are enabled in the Environment tab of the Options menu. Weather changes will apply to all neighborhoods, except for The Sims 4's hidden neighborhoods like Deep Woods or Sylvan Glade, where you must re-enter the weather cheats. Note that some maps have permanent weather conditions that remain unaffected by cheats.

To change the weather in The Sims 4, use the cheat code 'weather.start_weather_event X', replacing X with the specific weather condition you want to activate. The names of the weather cheats are fairly self-explanatory, and you can find them listed below:

All Season Cheats In The Sims 4

Choose Which Season You Want It To Be

Changing the seasons in The Sims 4 involves a different approach than altering the weather. Use the command 'seasons.set_season X', substituting X with the number corresponding to the desired season, as indicated below:

In addition to changing the season, this command allows for further customization. Using the three last codes in the table above lets you adjust the duration of each season or skip certain seasons entirely, adding depth to your game's world.

All Sims' Season Traits In The Sims 4

Change How Sims React To Different Weather Conditions

Changing the climate has tangible effects on your Sim moods in The Sims 4, influencing their responses and behaviors like in reality. You can use cheats to modify how Sims react to specific weather conditions, altering their traits or moods, and even summon a lightning strike to target a Sim.

Lightning can strike randomly, hitting objects, Sims, or potentially nothing at all. It's possible to hear thunder and see a flash, but the actual lightning bolt might occur off-screen.

To utilize these cheats, first obtain the Sim's in-game ID using the command 'get_sim_id_by_name [first name] [last name],' which provides an ID number. This ID can then be used in subsequent cheats to affect the selected Sim:

Altering season traits offers several benefits. For instance, becoming a Storm Chaser allows your Sim to control and become immune to lightning during storms, enabling your Sim to gain a happier mood under such conditions and become Energized by the weather. This adds a unique and quirky dimension to the gameplay of The Sims 4.