Occult is a new addition to The Sims 4, appearing in the Island Living Expansion Pack, and one of the available creatures from this expansion is a Mermaid. In Create A Sim (CAS), players can choose to either do a Normal Sim or an Occult Sim. By choosing the latter, they will get a list of all possible creatures, one of which is a Mermaid. Playing as this mythical creature brings a whole new set of unique interactions and limitations to the table, which can possibly freshen up the experience for players who have already seen everything there is to see in this game.
Mermaid Sims have two looks: their normal appearance and a Mermaid form. In the second one, Simmers get to choose their Mermaid’s tail design, color, and so on. Although it’s possible to create a Mermaid in CAS, there are other ways to transform a Sim into one. Regardless of what option players choose, they can rest assured with the fact that they’ll access something new and different in a game that is already jam-packed with content as is.
Updated on August 5, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: The Sims 4 is a game that has enjoyed a pretty wild trajectory. The release was marred with controversy, and EA took its sweet time to iron out the kinks and include features that should’ve been in the game from the get-go. The loss of the open world was a huge blow, but players slowly got used to this as the steady stream of content, DLCs, and updates did a great job of making this game quite diverse and exciting once again.
There are many ways for players to spice up their playthrough of The Sims 4, including the act of transforming their beloved Sims into supernatural creatures who have their own unique caveats. This includes the mermaid, a half-human half-fish creature that has been integrated pretty niftily into the game. Here’s how to become a mermaid in The Sims 4, and things they should be aware of.
How To Become a Mermaid In The Sims 4
There are four methods to become a Mermaid in The Sims 4: in CAS, Eating Mermadic Kelp, using cheats, and having kids with a Mermaid.
As mentioned before, while in CAS, if Simmers click on the + icon to add a Sim, they will get an option to add an Occult. Once players pick it, a new Mermaid Sim will appear, and they can customize it to their heart’s content. It’s easily the simplest way to become a Mermaid in the game, but players who want their Sim to stumble upon the opportunity to transform within the game world itself can try out other options instead.
The second method, eating Mermadic Kelp, can be obtained in many ways:
- Fishing
- Diving for treasure
- Asking a dolphin to bring a treasure
- Exploring the cave in Mua Pel’am
The easiest way is to purchase it or use cheats. For the first one, Mermadic kelp can be bought from the Rewards Store for 500 Satisfaction Points. It’s a natural and easy way to transform into a Mermaid, and players who don’t want to cheat to obtain this item will find several opportunities to procure it in the game without many issues.
Meanwhile, to obtain it by using cheats, open the cheat console by pressing:
- Ctrl+Shift+C for PC
- Command+Shift+C for Mac
- R1+R2+L1+L2 for Console
- All four shoulder buttons for Xbox One
Afterward, type Testingcheats True or Testingcheats On, and The Sims 4 cheats will become enabled. After that, type:
- bb.showliveeditobjects
- bb.showhiddenobjects
Then, head to the Search Box in Build Mode and type Mermadic kelp. It’s free, so Simmers may buy as much as they want. Most people might frown at the idea of using cheats to unlock this transformation, but others would argue that the cheats of The Sims 4 are just as crucial to the game as other pillars of its gameplay. After all, some of the most iconic cheats in gaming stem from The Sims series, so there’s no reason to frown upon using the same to unlock a Mermaid transformation if players don’t want to roleplay to such an extreme extent.
When players have obtained a Mermadic Kelp, make the Sim who wants to transform eat it and have them swim in less than 24 hours to become a Mermaid. If 24 hours have passed and the Sim didn’t swim, they’ll stay normal. It’s pretty easy for Sims to miss out on this opportunity, so make sure to prioritize it if being a Mermaid is extremely important in a playthrough.
Other than using cheats to buy Mermadic Kelp, Simmers can use them to directly transform Sims into a Mermaid. After enabling cheats, type traits.equip_trait trait_OccultMermaid in the cheat console. This is definitely recommended for players who want to turn into a Mermaid as soon as possible without necessarily going through all the hoops required to achieve the same.
The last method is by having a child with a Mermaid. If the Sim is human, and they married a Mermaid, there’s a 50% chance that the kid will be born with Mermadic abilities. And if both parents are Mermaids, their child is guaranteed to be a Mermaid. But keep in mind that their abilities won’t appear until they are Teens.
Mermaid Abilities
In a Mermaid’s Needs list, there’s Hydration instead of Hygiene. Therefore, any water-related activity will fill up this need, including showering, swimming, drinking water, and so on. It’s a simple yet unique change that will slightly tweak the way players control Mermaid Sims in the game.
In addition, Mermaids use Hydration Points to summon dolphins, do special interactions with Sims, or, if the player owns the Seasons Expansion Pack, change the weather. Suffice it to say, players should make the most of these Mermaid powers in water, since players have unlimited Hydration Points while in contact with water.
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Abilities |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Mermaid’s Kiss |
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Aquatic Lure |
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Summon Ocean Threat |
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Siren’s Lullaby |
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Call Over Azure Dolphin |
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Change Weather |
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It’s worth noting that each ability costs 30 Hydration Points except for the Weather abilities, where each one costs 75 Hydration Points. Some abilities don’t cost anything, like sunbathing or sleeping in the water.
How To Turn Back To Human
If players don’t wish to play as a Mermaid anymore, there is a way to turn back. All they need to do is make their Sim eat two Mermadic Kelp. The first one will give them the Heightened Sensations Moodlet. After eating the second one, they’ll become human once again.
There is another way to become human by using cheats. After the cheats are enabled, players need to type traits.remove_trait trait_OccultMermaid. The Sim should be back to normal after that. Regardless of what method players employ, there’s no denying that being a mermaid definitely makes for a fresh change of pace in The Sims 4, especially if players might be getting tired of controller regular Sims over and over again.
The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.