Let’s be real. Playing The Sims 4 without cheats is like trying to eat a salad at a carnival. You can do it, sure, but why would you when there’s a giant plate of metaphorical funnel cake right there? Whether you’re tired of your Sim passing out in a puddle of their own making or you just want to build a mansion that would make a billionaire weep, you need to know how to enable cheats on Sims 4. It’s the first thing almost every player looks up. Honestly, the game feels designed to be poked and prodded.
Maxis has always had a bit of a "wink-and-a-nudge" relationship with cheating. It’s not like other games where you’ll get banned. Here, it’s practically a core mechanic. But if you’ve been clicking around your keyboard and nothing is happening, there’s usually a very specific reason why. You’ve gotta trigger the console first.
Getting the Cheat Console to Actually Show Up
First things first. You can’t just type "money" into the air and expect Simoleons to rain down. You need the command console. It’s a little white box that pops up at the top left of your screen. To get it, you need to hold down a specific combination of keys depending on what you’re playing on.
- PC users: Press Ctrl + Shift + C all at once.
- Mac users: Command + Shift + C.
- Console players (PS4/PS5/Xbox): You’ve gotta hold down all four shoulder buttons (L1, L2, R1, R2 or LB, LT, RB, RT) at the same time.
Once that bar appears, you’re halfway there. But here is where most people trip up. They start typing codes and get frustrated when nothing happens.
The Master Key: TestingCheats True
You have to tell the game you’re ready to break the rules. Type testingcheats true into that box and hit enter. You should see a message that says "Cheats are enabled." If you don't see that, or if it says "Command failed," check your spelling. It’s "cheats," plural.
Pro tip: On consoles, enabling this will permanently disable Trophies or Achievements for that specific save file. The game will give you a big scary warning about it. If you’re a trophy hunter, you might want to rethink this or keep a "clean" save on the side. PC and Mac players don't have to worry about this; your achievements stay intact regardless of how many millions you cheat into your bank account.
The Big Ones: Money and Needs
Most people want to know how to enable cheats on Sims 4 because they are broke. We've all been there. You start with 20,000 Simoleons and it’s gone after buying a decent fridge and a bed that doesn't give your Sim a backache.
If you just need a quick infusion, type kaching or rosebud. Both give you 1,000 Simoleons. If you’re feeling more ambitious, motherlode drops 50,000 into your lap. But if you want to be a true architect of chaos, use the Money [number] cheat. Type "Money 1000000" and boom—you’re a millionaire. No questions asked.
Then there’s the "UI" of life. Sims are needy. They’re always hungry, always tired, and always need to pee at the worst possible moment. If you have testingcheats on, you can Shift-Click (or press A+B/X+O on console) on your Sim. Select "Cheat Need" and then "Make Happy." Their bars will turn green instantly. It’s a literal lifesaver when you’re trying to manage a household of seven toddlers and everyone is screaming.
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Building Without Boundaries
For the builders out there, the standard tools are... restrictive. The game wants you to follow the laws of physics and "zoning regulations." Gross.
The most important build cheat is bb.moveobjects. This allows you to place items anywhere, even overlapping other items. Want to put a toilet in the middle of the kitchen? Go for it. Want to clutter up a shelf with thirty different plants? Easy.
There are also the "hidden" items. Maxis hides a ton of environment objects—like cars, rocks, and specific FX—behind a wall. To see them, use:
- bb.showhiddenobjects (This unlocks "Debug" items)
- bb.showliveeditobjects (This unlocks world objects like trees and street signs)
After you type these, go to the search bar in Build Mode and type "DEBUG." You’ll see thousands of items you never knew existed. Just be careful; some of these items don't have names and can be a bit glitchy if you place them in weird spots.
Changing Who Your Sims Actually Are
Sometimes you realize your Sim's "Hot-Headed" trait is actually making the gameplay miserable. Or maybe you forgot to give them a chin. Normally, once you leave the Create-A-Sim (CAS) screen at the start of the game, you’re locked in.
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To fix this, enable your cheats, then type cas.fulleditmode.
Now, when you go to a mirror or dresser to "Change Sim," you’ll have access to everything. Body sliders, traits, age, names—everything. It’s basically a total identity overhaul. I use this constantly when the game’s "story progression" generates a townie wearing a top hat, a diving suit, and eyeball rings. Someone has to fix the fashion in Willow Creek.
Why Do My Cheats Keep Turning Off?
This is a common headache. You’ll be playing, try to use a cheat, and it just... won't work. Usually, this happens because you’ve traveled to a different lot or restarted the game. Testingcheats true often resets when you hit a loading screen.
Get into the habit of typing it every time you start a session. If you're on PC, there are mods like McCmdCenter (MCCC) by Deaderpool that can "force" cheats to stay on permanently. It’s a game-changer if you’re tired of the console.
Dealing with the "Simulation Lag" and Glitches
Let's talk about the dark side. Sometimes you enable cheats because the game is being buggy. Sims will stand still for three hours while their house burns down. We call this simulation lag.
If your Sim is stuck, don't panic. Use the resetSim [Firstname] [Lastname] command. It teleports them to a "safe" standing position and clears their action queue. It’s the "have you tried turning it off and on again" of the Sims world.
A Warning for Mod Users
If you use mods like UI Cheats Extension or various "Adult" mods (we know they're out there), they often have their own ways of enabling cheats. If you've just updated your game and your cheats aren't working, it’s almost always because your mods are outdated. The Sims 4 updates frequently, and those updates tend to break the code that mods rely on. Always check your Resource.cfg file and make sure "Enable Script Mods" is checked in your game options.
Practical Next Steps for Your Game
Knowing how to enable cheats on Sims 4 is just the entry point. To really master the game, you should start experimenting with specific career and skill cheats.
- Skip the Grind: If you want your Sim to be a Master Chef immediately, use
stats.set_skill_level Major_HomestyleCooking 10. You can do this for any skill; just replace the name and the number. - Promotion on Demand: Use
careers.promote [CareerName]to climb the ladder without ever actually doing any work. Very relatable. - Death Management: If a Sim dies and you aren't ready to say goodbye, you can actually cheat them back to life or turn them into a ghost instantly using the traits system.
The best way to learn is to keep the console open and try things out. Most of these commands are logic-based. If you mess up, the worst thing that happens is the command doesn't work. Just remember to save your game before you start a massive cheating spree, just in case you accidentally delete the floor and can't figure out how to put it back.
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Go ahead and open that console. Your Sims are waiting for their million-Simoleon windfall.