Sims 3 mods are pieces of code which change the way the Sims 3 game works. They stretch the boundaries of the possible, allowing you to make Sims as thin as a rake or as fat as a house, enabling teen pregnancy, changing the color and texture of elements outside the lot, and so much more. The scope of mods is only limited by the imaginations of the talented coders who make them.

Are Sims 3 Mods Legal?

Yes. EA is aware of Sims modders and supports the practice as long as it is done responsibly. You should be aware that some mods will override actual game files, (it depends on the mod, some mods replace in game files, others act as addons.) In some cases, mods may negatively impact your gaming experience, especially after patching. It is a good idea to make a back up of your save files, and to be prepared to reinstall your game after adding a new mod. All mods in this article have been player tested and should not cause trouble, however it is impossible to know what will happen in future updates. Modding the Sims is not for the technophobe, but it is quite doable and the upsides are generally regarded as far outweighing the downsides.

Package Mods for Sims 3

As mentioned before, there are many different types of mods. This article will deal with package mods.

Helper Monkey

Install helper monkey is the best way to install package mods on the Sims 3. This little application handles all the hard work for you and removes the element of human error from mod installs.

(You will need to be a member of Mod The Sims to download this and the other files mentioned in the article, membership is free.)

Install Helper Monkey

If you want to install your mods manually (for some reason better known to yourself,) here is a guide which walks you through the steps:

How To Manually Install Package Files

On to the mods:

Rick & Delphy's CAS Slider Hack

This slider hack is actually comprised of two packages, one which controls the body sliders, and one which controls the facial sliders.

As you will know, when you create sims, the slider's control how fat and how thin they can be, not to mention how muscly or untoned they are. The game only goes so far though, limiting your ability to make skeletal sims or rotund slims. This slider hack fixes that problem and allows you to under and over slide the sliders for dramatic results.

The facial sliders hack does the same thing, just with the facial controls. Being able to under and overslide allows you to create truly unique sims.

If you're feeling tentative about messing with your copy of the Sims 3, I would encourage you to install the body hack. The body slider hack does not overwrite any files and is a good starting point for newbie modders.

Download The Hack Here

Other popular mods include:

AwesomeMod

AwesomeMod allows you to change many of the restrictions and mechanics in the game. With AwesomeMod, sim written books can be bought in the store, the nudity filter can be removed, you can plant on any lot, sims will no longer freak out because they find their path blocked and jealousy becomes a thing of the past! There's really not enough space here to do AwesomeMod justice, but if you've ever wondered how a world with no rules would function AwesomeMod will help you realize that dream!

Get More Info on AwesomeMod + Download

If you really want to get into modding the Sims 3, I would advise joining Mod The Sims http://www.modthesims.info , a forum and community where Sims nuts share their experiences, mods and offer support to one another. Membership is completely free and you will receive access to the latest mods and Sims 3 information.