Sims 4: Laundry Day Stuff Review: The DLC Literally Everyone Wanted

Sims 4: Laundry Day is not your average stuff pack. Everything from the name to the features were devised not by the Sims creative team, but by the players—An industry first. The Sims team acted more as administrators. There were votes for every aspect of the pack, from the objects, the clothes, to the art design. This makes a review hard. Can we really critique the Sims team for doing exactly what the community asked for?

Let’s start at the stuff pack’s core: laundry. Five objects define the DLC—a washing machine, a dryer, a stackable wash/dry unit, a clothesline and a washing tub. The aesthetics of these objects are perfect, but the playability lies in the interactions. I loved the fact watching the laundry spin can give Sims the dazed moodlet. It’s also a nice touch to make Sims clean out the lint. If you don’t, a fire could start and all your friends will know you died from doing laundry. The additives are the aspect of laundry that makes gameplay more interesting. Unlock more interactions, add flowers or food scents from your inventory to your clothes. Trust, other Sims will notice how beautiful you smell and it’s really funny to watch it happen in real time.

The addition of the washing tub and clothesline also gives Laundry Day another dimension. The Sims who opt to hand wash will also get a workout that contributes to their exercise skill. It’s oddly satisfying to watch them break a sweat and struggle, especially since the Sims who use the washing machine look way too happy. The clothesline animations are my personal favorite. When you transfer your load, you’ll watch the clothes drip water for half a day before they dry.

The one aspect of laundry that could use work are the process of folding and putting away. Considering the dresser has barely any uses, it would have been nice to see a Sim actually fold (maybe Sims with the neat trait fold well and slobs fold terribly) each piece of clothing and walk to the hamper to put them in. An animation trail from the washer, to a surface to fold, then to the dresser where they have to neatly fit them in would have brought the pack to another level. Although the option to “check pockets” is a realistic touch, instead of seeing the Sim reach into the pockets, they simply bury themselves inside the laundry basket.

Laundry is tied into the responsibility trait, which is a cool way to spice up how your kid can end up as a decent person. There’s also an option to upgrade, a plus for any Sim who's looking to increase their mechanical skills. It’s a nice alternative to reading a book or fixing regular household appliances because there’s actually payoff—you can make your cycle complete faster or quieter.

As for the objects in the DLC, they are all great and needed in the game, which isn’t always the case. This is probably because the community voted for them all. There were over 100 options during the vote… which is crazy to think about. The wicker furniture, wall shelves, succulent plants, industrial hanging light bulb, and six seater round dining table are the standouts. We also ended up with so many carpets, something I didn’t realize were in high demand from players who like to build and design. The frequency definitely made me want to incorporate rugs into my homes more often. The new door, bay window and sinks (how did we end up with two?) combined with the new shelving gave me an excuse to build a multi-purpose mud room, which undoubtedly makes any country abode feel warmer and homeier.

There’s a decent number of clothes for a stuff pack as well, and they are all something you’d picture someone wearing at the beach with the wind blowing through the cotton. Plain summer short sleeve shirts and tanks, ripped jeans, an oversized henley and layered open buttoned shirts give Sims the, “I woke up like this,” look. I would have liked one of the hairstyles to be a tight curl option, but in the end, that was the community's choice, not the content creators.

In conclusion, The Sims 4: Laundry Day Stuff is one of the handful of stuff packs that is definitely worth the $10 price tag. The Sims team’s experiment paid off and it’s interesting to see a stuff pack with barely any complaints from the community. The pack is certainly a new dynamic, considering past stuff packs tend to get the harshest criticism for lack of gameplay and objects that don’t add much to the game. While laundry in real-life is a rudimentary activity, it’s always been weirdly enjoyable through the history of The Sims and this version is no different.