The Sims 4: How Maxis is Overhauling Build Mode and New Create-a-Sim Screens

In an interview with gamesTM, The Sims 4 designer John Berges has spoken about how Maxis is making build mode more accessible than ever.

Berges says that they want to make Build Mode easy and fun to use, like LEGO, while retaining the depth that's always been there. 

“What we really wanted to capture is the feeling of playing with blocks as a kid. You can pick stuff up, move them around – the game is always going to adapt to what you do, it’s not going to tell you to do anything – and you can keep placing things. It’s really about exploring the possibilities and letting that guide your creativity. It should be fun to make mistakes.”

The Sims 4 Gallery, an online space where you can upload and share the buildings you create, will allows those without much of a flair for interior design to use the houses made by other players and place them in lots within their game worlds. Maxis is also creating styled rooms which can be selected and grouped together to form a full house without needing to do any decorating.

Maxis hopes that Sims fans who are only interested in the life-simulation aspect of the game will be enticed to use Build Mode thanks to these new features.  

“I’m hoping that players who are uncomfortable with Build Mode – who maybe found it a bit daunting in The Sims 3 – will use styled rooms and manipulate rooms and that will get them into Build Mode. I want everyone who plays The Sims 4 to be building in The Sims 4.”

Houses in The Sims 4 will still be limited to three storeys though an attic space can effectively be used as a third floor, Maxis has confirmed. The studio has however left open the possibility that this may be increased eventually. 

Meanwhile, plenty of new images of the game's Create-a-Sim mode have been revealed thanks to the beta being tested out by select Sims players. 

The gallery below is comprised of images posted on Sims VIP. 

Finally, two new videos have emerged which look at Sim traits and aspirations as well as walking styles. You can also check out an official Create-a-Sim trailer here. 

The Sims 4 launches on September 2nd for PC and Mac. While past Sims games have included toddlers and pools in the base game, The Sims 4 won't and Maxis has said "trade-offs" were necessary in order to bring about the team's vision.