Did you know that there’s a whole host of content in The Sims 4 catalog that’s normally hidden from players? Get access by way of the Debug cheat!
The Sims 4 is full of “stuff.” Furniture, activities, decorations, appliances, and more can all be found in the Buy/Build catalog for us to use in furnishing houses, community lots, and secret locations. There are thousands of pieces available to simmers if you have DLC, giving you everything you could ever want! Right?
Right?
Nope!
In addition to all the content we have regular access to, the game is stuffed with hidden items we can’t find in the catalog. This includes things like small handheld objects sims may occasionally handle (such as mousetraps, cleaning spray, TV remotes, and screwdrivers), set dressing for the neighborhood like building shells, fences, and greenery, and items we only get when certain circumstances are met like Birth Certificates and Diplomas. However, a lot of these hidden objects make for useful decor items and if you’re a collector in particular, there’s a lot of great stuff in there.
Use The Debug Cheat To Unlock More Goodies!
Since all this stuff is already in the game, why not tap into it for more items to adorn your builds and collector’s cases with? It’s really easy to do thanks to the debug cheat.
We’ve discussed in the past that the developers of The Sims 4 programmed a variety of cheats into the game for testing purposes, many of which they left behind for players to use if they wanted to. One such cheat is the debug cheat. It’s very easy to remember, which makes it even better!
More on SNOOTYSIMS: Did you know there’s even more building power hidden behind cheats & other secrets? We’ve got your guide to even better builds with 11 cheats and other tips!
The Debug Cheat
You will need to activate TestingCheats before using the debug cheat, like most other game-changing cheat codes. Once that’s ready to go enter Buy/Build mode and type the code bb.showhiddenobjects and hit Enter. You might need to switch to a new category in the catalog before you see the hidden objects begin to populate, but typically the game will pause for a brief moment while it loads up everything so you’ll know you entered the code correctly.
What does the Debug Cheat Unlock?
Using this cheat will give you access to a bunch of new content, found primarily in Buy→Decorations. Do note that not all items unlocked by the cheat are decor items.
There are a few main items you can expect to see once you’ve entered the debug cheat:
- Collectibles – Crystals, Voidcritter cards, Sugar Skulls, wall-mounted fish, feathers, City Living posters, decorative eggs, and Military medals are just some of the collectible objects you’ll find available to purchase
- Craftables & Conjurables – Knitting projects, wood carvings, underwater photos, spirit candy, Simstagram food prints, photo booth picture frames, carved pumpkins, and telescope prints are among the items you’ll gain access to with this cheat
- Task Props – Fish and Rodent food, hand tools (like wrenches and paintbrushes), perfume bottles, a deck of cards, and even the infamous Crumplebottom assault purse are all accessible with the debug code
- Environmental Decor – Ramps, pathways, walls & fences, fire hydrants, parking stops, alien plants, and a bunch of plants and rocks. The flora in particular is often cloned or slightly varied from purchasable items we can find in Build mode with the advantage of costing nothing to place.
Why Use The Debug Cheat?
The debug cheat can be useful to players for a variety of reasons. If you’re after a certain collectible that’s been extremely elusive, you can unlock it this way. Want specific decor items for a space that you know aren’t normally buyable? Use the cheat. Looking for clutter objects to add legitimacy to a space, such as adding random tools to a sim’s workshop? Find them in debug. Want to landscape your property without breaking the bank? Free debug plants in the catalog will help you out. There’s really something for everybody as part of this cheat!
Where Can I Find Debug Objects?
While you can do a catalog search for “debug” it will only show a small handful of the unlocked items, which isn’t ideal. If the item has an actual name you can search the catalog by its name, but otherwise the only way to locate debug objects you’ve unlocked is by going through the catalog. Most objects are decorative which helps concentrate a lot of it, but otherwise objects are typically categorized in a way that makes sense (like the chairs you can carve at the woodworking bench can be found in the Comfort category).
If you’re a mod user you can download Better BuildBuy by Twisted Mexi, a mod that makes debug items unlockable with a simple click thanks to the “Organized Debug” feature. With this mod, you can also use the eyedropper tool to debug objects that don’t have their own catalog presence. It’s a fantastic mod and one I definitely recommend!
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a way to add more items to your builds without downloading CC, there’s a wealth of options available that are just hidden in the catalog. Luckily the developers made them accessible to us by way of a simple debug cheat, and with that cheat, you’ll gain access to collectibles, craftables, scenery, and more. Do you use debug mode in your builds? What’s your favorite hidden object? Let us know in the comments!
hi this didn’t work it said command fail please tell me why it said that
Hello there Clara, the bb.showhiddenobjects cheat still works, as of our latest game test today. You can also follow these cheats to access the debug items of the game.