The Sims 4 Cottage Living Guide Animals, Gardening, Fair

When it first came out, hearing the name immediately brought to mind a peaceful village life surrounded by greenery. Then I jumped into the game, bought a cow, two chickens, and a llama, and realized we were actually talking about "chores" rather than peace. Before I knew it, my Sim's social life had completely stopped; all I did all day was clean up manure and collect eggs.

But strangely enough, that's exactly the whole point of the pack. It wants to give you that non-stop, always-busy rhythm of rural life.

And weirdly, I ended up liking this aspect of it. Plus, you don't even have to build a full-blown farm—just buying a couple of chickens and throwing them in your regular backyard adds a really nice touch to the game.

Henford-on-Bagley

The new world is quite different from the crowded Sims cities we are used to. There are lush green fields, dirt roads, and a small town square (Finchwick). For those dreaming of building a massive farm from scratch, the spacious lots over in Old New Henford are just perfect.

Agnes Crumplebottom is back with us, too—that grumpy old lady who chases romantic couples around with her handbag. Every village has someone like that, right? It's exactly these little details that make the game feel so much like a true "life simulation."
Animals (and never-ending chores)

The most time-consuming part of the pack is definitely the animals. They aren't just decor—you get milk, wool, and eggs from them. But once their numbers start to grow, daily care can seriously turn into chaos; I’ll admit, I wanted to give up at one point.

Wild animals are a whole other story. If you befriend the rabbits, they help you weed the garden, which is great. But foxes are an absolute disaster—they can steal the eggs you spent all day hoarding in the coop in the blink of an eye. Putting a fence around the coop is a literal lifesaver, speaking from experience.

Simple Living and those giant pumpkins

If everything in the game feels too easy, I'd say turn on the "Simple Living" lot challenge. The era of ingredients magically appearing out of the fridge is over. Want to make an omelet? You have to check if there are eggs in the coop first. It can be exhausting for those who love fast-paced gameplay, but it takes cooking out of a routine and turns it into almost a survival mode, which has its own unique charm.

The oversized crops mechanic also makes gardening quite competitive. Growing a giant pumpkin in the middle of your garden is a hassle in itself, but the real fun is taking it to the Finchwick Fair and showing it off to the townsfolk.

Cross-Stitch

I honestly loved this. After spending all day wading through the mud in the fields, having your Sim sit down quietly in front of the fireplace to cross-stitch... you can't help but be reminded of your grandmother all of a sudden. It's also a sweet way to exchange gifts within the family.

(Just a quick note: the countryside-style CAS clothes that come with the pack are beautiful, but there are so many of them that searching through can get tedious. Mods like Codayada that split the CAS screen into columns will definitely make your life easier.)

How does it play with families?

Cottage Living works really well for family gameplay because everyone in the house has a job to do. While the adults are wrestling with the crops, the kids can go outside and play with the rabbits instead of wandering aimlessly around the house.

I think it also provides a solid foundation for Legacy-style, multi-generational playthroughs—the feeling of that ramshackle, single-chicken cabin being passed down to the grandkids as a massive farm over the years is just a great feeling.

So, should you buy it?

If you play Legacy saves, love family-themed or gardening-heavy gameplay, or if you just want to add a bit of challenge and daily hustle to the game, you should definitely give it a try.

But if you always take your Sims bar-hopping, if apartment living and a fast-paced career are more your style, or if you're saying, "I can't be bothered with cleaning up after animals and growing tomatoes," then this pack is probably not for you.

"Ready to make your Sims' family life feel real? Dive into our [The Sims 4 Growing Together Guide] to learn about milestones, stay-overs, and real family chaos."