The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle

The Eco Lifestyle expansion pack for The Sims 4 was developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts, released on June 4, 2020. It arrived as a full expansion that shifted the franchise’s focus toward community-driven gameplay and environmental themes, and it required the base game to play.

The pack introduces the new world of Evergreen Harbor, a neighbourhood shaped by industrial pasts and opportunities for green transformation, plus mechanics that let Sims reduce their ecological footprint through recycling, upcycling, solar and wind power, and sustainable living choices. Core systems include the eco footprint mechanic that tracks neighbourhood-level environmental impact, Community Spaces where Sims vote on and shape local projects, new careers and activities tied to crafting and green technologies, and a wide range of build/buy items that support both gritty industrial and eco-friendly aesthetics.

Promotion for Eco Lifestyle used EA’s and Maxis’ marketing channels, including trailers, social media reveals, developer livestreams and creator showcases that emphasised the neighbourhood transformation mechanics, the eco footprint system and the Community Space voting. Marketing materials framed the expansion as both a gameplay systems add-on and a lifestyle simulator, highlighting how player choices could visibly change Evergreen Harbor over time and inviting creator demonstrations of sustainable builds and community projects.

Reception was mixed among critics and players, with praise focused on the ambition of the eco systems, the depth of community-driven mechanics and the new opportunities for storytelling and building; critics and many players appreciated the way neighbourhoods visibly changed in response to player actions. Criticism targeted performance issues at launch for some users and debate over how some systems were implemented or whether similar features should have been part of the base game, but the expansion found an audience among players who enjoy long-term simulation, neighbourhood transformation and eco-focused roleplay.