The Sims 4: Snowy Escape

The Sims 4: Snowy Escape is the tenth expansion pack for The Sims 4. It was announced on October 19, 2020, and its trailer premiered the next day. It was released on November 13, 2020 for all platforms.

This expansion centers around activities such as snowboarding, skiing, sledding and mountain climbing, as well as the new lifestyles game mechanic. It includes Mt. Komorebi, a snowy, Japanese-inspired mountainous world featuring new types of weather. Owning The Sims 4: Seasons is not required to play the pack.

This pack features various elements of Vacation Island from The Sims: Vacation, Takemizu Village and Three Lakes from The Sims 2: Bon Voyage and Shang Simla from The Sims 3: World Adventures, as well as Mount. Fuji in The Sims Online and Melbourne in The Sims 2 for console.

Official description
Chase Your Thrills – Test your Sim’s skill and endurance with activities on the mountainside! Grab skis for a downhill ride, strap on a snowboard to shred, or bundle up on a sled with another Sim. Prefer going up? Build their rock climbing skill and challenge your Sim to reach the mountain peak during daring, sometimes dangerous, excursions.

Find Your Zen – Let your Sim’s worries float away in the natural hot springs, then unwind over hot pot around the kotatsu table or socialize while hiking through bamboo forests and snowy terrain. Bask in the serenity of mindful walks and soothing music to take control of your emotions and discover your inner zen.

Create Your Sanctuary – Whether you prefer the traditional details or modern touches of Japanese-inspired furniture and decor, you can incorporate shoji doors, windows and screens, tatami mats, and more to design a home that complements your life. Take your shoes off at the genkan entryway in the soft glow of paper lanterns overhead, or build your own rock garden outside!

Define Your Lifestyle – Unlock new personality and relationship effects with the introduction of Lifestyles and Sentiments. Lifestyles manifest in response to your Sim’s actions and habits, changing their behaviors appropriately. Similarly, shared experiences inspire Sentiments and have a lasting impact on Sims’ relationships to each other, affecting their social interactions.

World and neighborhoods
The expansion features the world of Mt. Komorebi - a snowy and mountainous region with Japanese-inspired architecture based on two Japanese islands, Honshū and Hokkaido. It has both residential homes and rental lots, allowing Sims to both live and vacation there. With the pack's associated base game update, Sims are also able to vacation in any other residential world.

Lifestyles
This pack also features a new game mechanic called lifestyles. These work similarily to traits, however they are acquired through normal gameplay by exhibiting certain behaviors. Lifestyle traits gives Sims various emotions or gameplay elements that provides more in-depth personalities for Sims. Lifestyles will have to be maintained otherwise they will be lost or replaced with another lifestyle trait. The pack includes 16 lifestyle traits.

New additions
New Objects
 * Food stalls
 * Hot pot
 * Hot springs
 * Kotatsu tables
 * Party bush
 * Snowpals
 * Tent
 * Vending machines

New Traits
 * Adventurous
 * These Sims seek out new and unique experiences!


 * Proper
 * These Sims tend to disapprove of other Sims' improper behavior such as Mean or Mischievous socials, but find themselves happier in Formal Outfits and have a much easier time with Friendly and Romantic socials.

New Skills
 * Rock climbing
 * Skiing
 * Snowboarding

New Aspirations
 * Extreme Sports Enthusiast (Athletic) - This Sim wants to explore Mt. Komorebi's wilderness and participate in extreme snow sports.
 * Snow Student - Go Down the Bunny Slope · Use a Vending Machine or the Computer to purchase a Remedy or Deterrent · Use a Mt. Komorebi Info Board
 * Thrill Seeker - Achieve Level 3 Rock Climbing Skill · Complete a Hiking Trail · Actively Ski, Snowboard, or Rock Climb for 3 Hours · Encounter a Kodama or Forest Spirit
 * Trailblazer - Perform High Intensity Skiing or Snowboarding on an Intermediate or Expert Slope · Successfully Reach the Peak of Mt. Komorebi · Endure an Injury Sustained from Skiing, Snowboarding, or Rock Climbing
 * Peak Pioneer - Survive 3 Wildlife Attacks Unscathed · Achieve Level 8 Skiing, Snowboarding, or Rock Climbing Skill · Successfully Complete High Intensity Skiing or Snowboarding on an Expert Slope or Rock Climbing During Inclement Weather
 * Reward trait: Survival Instinct - These Sims will always escape wildlife attacks unscathed, manage to avoid injury from Skiing, Snowboarding, and Rock Climbing more often than other Sims, and have a natural resistance to inclement weather.


 * Mt. Komorebi Sightseer (Location) - This Sim wants to explore Mt. Komorebi's culture and experience everything it has to offer.
 * Explorer - Eat Food at the Festival of Snow, Light or Youth · Take a Selfie with the Mt. Komorebi Mascot · Collect a Simmi by Popping Open a Simmi Capsule · Swim for 1 Hour in Wakaba's River
 * Backpacker - Soak for a Long Time in a Hot Spring · Wear a Festival Costume from a Vending Machine · Go Sledding 3 Times · Eat Food Using Chopsticks
 * Globetrotter - Socialize at Onsen Bathhouse · Make a Wish On or Collect a Forest Spirit · Take it Slow and Become Emotionally Mindful
 * Reward trait: Worldly Knowledge - These Sims are better at socializing during Social Events and enjoy ordering food from market stalls. They also can "Negotiate a Discount" at market stalls, which gives them an advantage over other bargaining techniques.

New NPC
 * Yamachan

New Career
 * Salaryperson

New Lot Assignment
 * Onsen bathhouse

New Radio Station
 * Japanese Folk

New Weather Type
 * Thundersnowstorm

New Types of Death
 * Death by Falling From Heights
 * Death by Vending Machine

Other New Features
 * Forest spirits
 * Hiking
 * Sledding
 * Snow
 * New WooHoo spots: Hot springs and ice cave

Controversy
There has been a controversy surrounding the depiction of Japanese culture in this pack. In the reveal trailer, a Sim is shown bowing at a shrine, and another Sim is shown wearing a robe which has a design that resembles the war flag used by Japan during World War II. South Korean players have found these depictions offensive, as they relate to the colonization of Korea by Japan. Koreans were historically forced to worship Japanese shrines under Japanese rule.

On October 23rd, SimGuruGraham announced that the trailer had been edited to not show the shrine worship. The developers have also removed the bowing interaction from shrines and edited the design of the robe shown in the trailer.

Trivia

 * While a physical copy of The Sims 4: Snowy Escape was released in some countries with a disc included, a physical copy was not released in some countries such as Australia, which is unusual considering Australia always releases physical copies of expansion packs in retail stores that stock PC games such as EB Games and JB Hi-Fi. It is unknown whether a physical copy will be released.
 * However, EB Games Australia released a digital download for the Play Station 4, which can be retrieved from their website. Physical copies of the PC version can also be bought from international sellers on such online shopping sites such as eBay or Amazon but these can sometimes be considerably pricey due to shipping and different currency prices.
 * The Sims 4: Snowy Escape is the first pack in the franchise to include a world serving as both a vacation and residential world.
 * The Sims 4: Snowy Escape is the second non seasonal based pack in the franchise to include weather, the first being The Sims: Vacation.

Gallery

 * -|Images=

Alternative

 * contradash - diva
 * Glass Animals - Tangerine
 * NIKI - Switchblade

Japanese Folk

 * Ilan Eshkeri, Steve McLaughlin - Shincha
 * Steve McLaughlin, Ilan Eshkeri - Bancha
 * Ilan Eshkeri, Steve McLaughlin - Hojicha
 * Steve McLaughlin, Ilan Eshkeri - Kukicha
 * Ilan Eshkeri, Steve McLaughlin - Gyokuro

Pop

 * Jhené Aiko - LOVE
 * Starrah - How It Goes
 * Kari Kimmel - Danger!