The Sims 4 High School Years added the possibility of “crushes” for teens to the game, but crush mods have existed longer and (arguably) do it better.
Teens can develop (and age up with) crushes in the Sims 4 if you have High School Years, but it’s not the best system. There are lots of examples on the internet of this system backfiring or making things too difficult, such as when teens age up and still have crushes which can turn into terrible jealousy. If you use mods however, there are alternatives/better options for you than what came with the EP.
💚Modders are Crushing it!
We’ve got a few different crush mods that will improve or completely change the experience of developing crushes in the Sims 4. Check them out:
1. Small High School Years Tweaks by a.deep.indigo
This crush mod is a selection of small tweaks to the High School Years vanilla gameplay, and it affects crushes by making them a little harder to develop. Sims won’t get a crush from a single friendly interaction, and will take into account things like personality traits and likes/dislikes when developing crushes on other sims. Learn more about the mod (and the other tweaks it includes) here.
Expand your sims’ school experience with the Education Overhaul Mod!
2. Preteen: First Crush Pack by ItsKatato (adopted by a.deep.indigo)
This is an add-on to the Preteen Mod that allows preteen sims to have crushes. It’s a really clever system; you select your sim’s crush by following them on Simstagram, so it doesn’t feel out of place or take players out of the game. Because these sims are preteens there are limits on romance options for them, so there’s no worry about things getting inappropriate. With the mod your preteens can go on rabbithole dates with their crush with a parental chaperone, with a friend group, or just with their crush. They can also write about crushes in their journals.
The crush mod is somewhat limited right now but there are plans to add more features down the road, such as active date events, preteen relationship phases, and secret admirers! Give the mod a try and keep a lookout for updates in the future.
3. First Love by LittleMsSam
Children aren’t immune to developing crushes on others, and this crush mod recognizes that! There are unique interactions between child sims and their crush with a hidden relationship meter that slowly grows over time. As your sim interacts more with their crush new options will be available, and the effect will linger when your sim ages into a teen which gives you a chance to start a proper romance with a relationship boost. It’s a sweet little mod that gives more meaning to childhood feelings, and it’s definitely worth downloading!
Need some new CC clothing for your kiddos? Take a look at our favorites.
Final Thoughts
Crushes are vast and complicated and span many age groups, despite how they’re presented in vanilla Sims 4. With this trio of mods you can add the experience of precious & meaningful crushes to sims of nearly any age, further enhancing your gameplay with more realism and fun. We hope you’ve “fallen” for them, and happy simming!
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