The Sims 3 is 15 years old, but still going strong. Many fans like it even more than the newer Sims 4. If you are one of those nostalgic Sims lovers, you can find a complete list of cheats for PC and PS3/Xbox 360 here.
The Sims 3 is a beloved life simulation game where you have control over every aspect of your Sims' lives. Do you want to amass wealth without the hassle of working for it? Do you want to shape your Sims' needs and relationships effortlessly? Cheats are the answer!
Cheats in The Sims 3 can unlock new possibilities and streamline your gameplay experience. In this guide, we'll walk you through the various cheats available in The Sims 3 for PC and consoles.
Originally designed as a debugging tool for developers, video game cheats give you and your characters extraordinary abilities, such as never-ending lives, infinite ammo, or a massive head. These features, not originally intended for the gaming public, often made their way into the released version by accident or for added enjoyment. As players discovered and spread the word about these hidden gems, cheats quickly became a cherished part of video game culture. Over time, the deliberate integration of cheats into games became a common practice, serving to enhance both the replayability and accessibility of games, thereby securing their role in game development.
How to Use Cheats in The Sims 3 On PC
Before you can enter cheats in The Sims 3, you need to activate the cheat console. On PC, simply press CTRL+SHIFT+C simultaneously. You can enter the cheats in upper or lower case. If you want to run a cheat more than once, separate the first entry of your code with a semicolon and add a "!".
Next, type "testingcheatsenabled true" into the cheat console and press ENTER to enable cheats.
All The Sims 3 Cheats
The cheats listed below will work on PC. Simply type them into the cheat console, omitting the brackets [] and replacing x with the desired value.
Money Cheats
- kaching: Gives you 1,000 simoleons
- motherlode: Gives you 50,000 simoleons
- familyfunds [family name] x: Sets the household's funds to x simoleons
Buy and Build Mode Cheats
- moveobjects on/off: Allows you to move objects anywhere, disregarding placement restrictions
- fadeobjects on/off: Objects disappear/reappear as soon as camera approaches
- disablesnappingtoslotsonalt on/off: Objects no longer get stuck in slots when pressing ALT (on/off)
- constrainfloorelevation true/false: Edit terrain on/off
- terraintype desert: Sets terrain type to Desert
- terraintype temperate: Sets terrain type to Grassland
- buydebug: unlocks every item in buy mode
Technical Cheats
Attention, some of those Cheats can cause bugs. Use with caution.
- help: Displays console commands
- help [cheat name]: Shows description of the cheat
- exit: Closes the cheat console
- quit: Quits the game
- fullscreen on/off: Activates/Deactivates full-screen
- fps on/off: Shows Framerate (on/off)
- vsync on/off: Switches vertical screen synchronization on/off
- jokeplease: Shows a joke
Live Cheats
- deleteallcharacters: Deletes all Sims in the neighborhood
- resetsim [name surname]: Resets Sim to its house
- hideheadlineeffects on/off: Switches speech bubbles on/off
- unlockoutfits on/off: Unlocks/Locks special outfits
- stretchskeleton [x]: Scale Sim up or down by a factor of X (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, etc.)
- freerealestate: All houses are free
Relationship/Needs Cheats
Make sure you have enabled Cheats by using "testingcheatsenabled true." Now go to your personal mailbox and click on it while holding down the SHIFT key. You now have many editing options. For example, you can customize the needs of your Sims or influence relationships. Here are a few examples:
- Static needs, such as hunger or the urge to urinate, will fill up over time instead of going empty.
- Click on a Sim (while holding down the SHIFT key). You can now edit it using "Create Sim".
- You can change the relationship between two Sims with one click. To do this, click on the relationship bar and drag it to the desired position.
- The same applies to the needs bar.
- If you click on the mailbox of another Sim's property, you can build there, buy objects, etc.
Cheats On PlayStation 3 And Xbox 360
For console users, activating cheats varies by platform: On PlayStation, press L1 + L2 + R1 + R2. On Xbox, press LB + LT + RB + RT.
A window will open warning you not to use cheats. You will no longer receive any trophies or achievements. To be on the safe side, make a copy of your savegame.
In the "Miscellaneous - Decorations" category (Build and Buy mode > Buy > Decorations), you will now find the Magic Llama, which you can place on your property. You can also use it from your inventory.After placing the llama, select it and activate a cheat of your choice. You can use it as often as you like.
Now you're armed with all the cheats you need to enhance your Sims 3 experience. Experiment with these cheats to customize your gameplay and enjoy your virtual world to the fullest!