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The Sims 4: City Living introduced a number of exciting, metropolitan elements to a game largely about life in intimate small towns. And along with the endlessness of the city and the glow of the lights came a brand new career – the Critic career, with branches for both art and food.
With the branches splitting early towards their specialties, each with several skills to build, it can be tough to decide which path is right for your Sim. In the guide below, we’re breaking down the hours, pay, promotional tasks, and more for the Critic career in The Sims 4.
Critic Career Overview
Choose Between Arts Or Food To Critique
Life in the metropolos of San Myshuno can overwhelm a fresh faced Sim with stars in their eyes, so they’ll need someone to dictate taste and culture in the city. And who better to do that than you?
In The Sims 4 Critic career, you’ll have your choice between two major staples of big-city living:
- Arts Critics attend events related to all things culture and arts, sharing their tastes on all things aesthetic.
- With all things creative on the line, you’ll need to not only raise your Writing skill, but to justify your expertise in Painting and either Comedy or an instrument.
- Food Critics instead focus their attention on restaurants, keen to taste it all as they search for the best dish they can find.
- Though you’ll begin focused only on Writing and Cooking, you’ll need to make good progress with Gourmet Cooking as well.
It’s best to decide which path you’d like sooner than later, as this career splits early, making you choose a path at Level Four.
As it is, the base game Writer career does pay more than the Critic career will in either branch, given your relatively short working hours and almost limitless ability to work from home.
They do become more profitable at higher levels, though, so if online snark is your Sim’s passion, keep at it!
Helpful Traits And Moods For The Critic Career
As with any career based in anything artistic in The Sims 4, the Creative trait is inarguably one of the most helpful for either of the Critic career paths. It allows your Sim to become Inspired more often than normal Sims, which definitely helps in a writing job!
From there, though, the best traits will be different between both career branches. For example, Food Critics may benefit from being Foodies, while Arts Critics would glean more from traits like Music Lovers or Art Lovers.
General Critic Career (Levels 1-3)
|
Level |
Hours |
Rates |
Promotional Requirements and Daily Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Paper Deliverer (1) |
Sunday-Friday 6 AM – 11 AM |
$21/hour ($105/day) |
Practice Writing |
|
Story Researcher (2) |
Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10 AM – 5 PM |
$29/hour ($203/day) |
Write a Column Reach Level 2 in the Writing skill |
|
Beat Reporter (3) |
$34/hour ($238/day) |
Write a Column Reach Level 3 in the Writing skill |
Arts Critic Career Path
|
Level |
Hours |
Rates |
Promotional Requirements and Daily Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Snooty Pundit (4) |
Friday-Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 12 PM – 5 PM |
$47/hour ($235/day) |
Review a Performance or Write a Column Reach Level 2 in the Painting skill Reach Level 2 in either Comedy or an instrumental skill |
|
Show Scout (5) |
Friday-Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 4 PM – 9 PM |
$66/hour ($330/day) |
Review a Performance or Write a Column Reach Level 4 in the Writing skill Reach Level 3 in either Comedy or an instrumental skill |
|
Refined Reviewer (6) |
$93/hour ($465/day) |
Review a Performance or Write a Column Reach Level 5 in the Writing skill Reach Level 3 in the Painting skill |
|
|
Cultural Connoisseur (7) |
Friday-Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 12 PM – 5 PM |
$130/hour ($650/day) |
Review a Performance or Write a Column Reach Level 4 in the Painting skill Reach Level 4 in either Comedy or an instrumental skill |
|
Chief Critic (8) |
$182/hour ($910/day) |
Review a Performance or Write a Column Reach Level 7 in the Writing skill |
|
|
Syndicated Superstar (9) |
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 12 PM – 5 PM |
$273/hour ($1,365/day) |
Review a Performance or Write a Column Reach Level 8 in the Writing skill Reach Level 6 in either Comedy or an instrumental skill |
|
Grand Steward of the Arts (10) |
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 12 PM – 5 PM |
$545/hour ($2,270/day) |
Review a Performance or Write a Column |
Food Critic Career Path
|
Level |
Hours |
Rates |
Promotional Requirements and Daily Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Chow Chaser (4) |
Monday-Friday 10 AM – 4 PM |
$49/hour ($294/day) |
Review Food or Drink or Write a Column Reach Level 3 in the Cooking skill |
|
Food Stall Frequenter (5) |
$73/hour ($438/hour) |
Review Food or Drink or Write a Column Reach Level 5 in the Cooking skill Reach Level 4 in the Writing skill |
|
|
Restaurant Rater (6) |
Monday-Friday 1 PM – 7 PM |
$110/hour ($660/day) |
Review Food or Drink or Write a Column Reach Level 2 in the Gourmet Cooking skill Reach Level 5 in the Writing skill |
|
Local Gourmand (7) |
$164/hour ($984/day) |
Review Food or Drink or Write a Column Reach Level 4 in the Gourmet Cooking skill |
|
|
Expert Epicurian (8) |
Monday-Friday 10 AM – 4 PM |
$230/hour ($1,380/day) |
Review Food or Drink or Write a Column Reach Level 7 in the Writing skill |
|
Kitchen’s Worst Nightmare (9) |
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 10 AM – 4 PM |
$345/hour ($2,070/day) |
Review Food or Drink or Write a Column Reach Level 6 in the Gourmet Cooking skill Reach Level 8 in the Writing skill |
|
Curator of the Finest Flavors (10) |
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 11 AM – 4 PM |
$441/hour ($2,205/day) |
Review Food or Drink or Write a Column |
The Arts Critic does come out a couple Simoleons ahead, but with so much variety between the career paths, follow your heart instead of the money!
All Rewards And Items Unlocked In The Critic Career
Finally, we’ve got a complete list of every item, CAS option, and social interaction unlocked as part of the Critic career in The Sims 4.
Everything Unlocked In The Sims 4 Critic Career
|
Level |
Items and Interactions Unlocked |
|---|---|
|
General Critic Career (Levels 1-3) |
|
|
Paper Deliverer (1) |
N/A |
|
Story Researcher (2) |
|
|
Beat Reporter (3) |
“Recommend Local Hangout” “Respond to Mail” |
|
Arts Critic Career Path |
|
|
Snooty Pundit (4) |
“Review Performance” |
|
Show Scout (5) |
“Study Art” |
|
Refined Reviewer (6) |
Room with a View Painting “Praise Art” |
|
Cultural Connoisseur (7) |
True Performer’s Performance Space “Snub Art” |
|
Chief Critic (8) |
“Critically Connected” perk (offers 20% off the purchase of any art in Build/Buy) |
|
Syndicated Superstar (9) |
N/A |
|
Grand Steward of the Arts (10) |
The Critical Throne toilet |
|
Food Critic Career Path |
|
|
Chow Chaser (4) |
Spare Utensils Wall Plaque “Review Food/Drink” |
|
Food Stall Frequenter (5) |
Fine Outdoor Eating “Laud Meal” |
|
Restaurant Rater (6) |
“Belittle Meal” |
|
Local Gourmand (7) |
This Cake is No Lie |
|
Expert Epicurean (8) |
“Improve Dish” |
|
Kitchen’s Worst Nightmare (9) |
N/A |
|
Curator of the Finest Flavors |
Golden Bowl of Fruit Only the Best Dining Room furniture |
With so much cool stuff between the two career paths, we’ve got a
guide to Build/Buy cheats
that unlock everything for you so you don’t need to switch.