The Sims 4: Cottage Living

It's nice to play an expansion that focuses less on celebrity, socializing, and consumerism and more on a simple life where you can work the land and be a good environmental steward. The Sims 4: Cottage Living may still work in some consumerism elements -- your little cottage and shed can always be improved, and wouldn't it be nice to have a comfy bed for a better night's sleep after a hard day's work? -- but the goals here, by and large, are to care for plants and animals and then have them care for you in turn with their eggs, milk, fruit, and vegetables. And just like any good farmer, you'll have the chance to show off your hard work to your fellow country dwellers -- especially if you manage to grow some oversized produce worthy of entering in the local fair.

There's real satisfaction in all of this. Hatching eggs and watching the chicks grow into hens, researching and experimenting in the garden to create bigger and better crops, and taking good care of your livestock and having them reciprocate affection -- it makes all the hard work seem worthwhile somehow, much like these activities tend to do in the real world. When an animal leaves or a plant dies because you couldn't look after it properly, there's a sense of guilt and sadness. And if you should happen to tire of your solitary existence in your cottage, there's always plenty of traditional Sims activities to fall back on, from transforming your modest home into a rural mansion to becoming a socialite. You can even combine the country vibe with a more modern lifestyle by, say, becoming a famous gardening blogger. The Sims 4: Cottage Living is a bit more than a standard Sims expansion -- it's an invitation to try an entirely new way of living.