If you are trying to mod your Sims 3 but do not know how you have come to the right place as I will show you how to install Sims 3 mods today. It is not a complicated process, but there are some key steps to make it work, so continue reading if wish to learn how to set up Sims 3 mods.
Install Sims 3 Mods Package Files/Setup and Files
If you are looking for great Sims 3 mods and do not know which ones to download, you can check our best Sims 3 mods article and decide from there.
Apr 19, 2015 - Inspired by the lighting in the film Frozen, I created a new lighting mod! I wanted to do something fairytale-esque, so voila begin the testing 3 Features: Bright, disney-esque colors New auroras!.
- Burnt Waffles Lighting Mod Sims 3 An extremely useful mod that adds functionality to manage the population of your town. The mod provides manual interactions for altering sims either individually or by whatever criteria you can think of. This mod has a few useful add-ons as well.
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- If you truly want to take your Sims world to the limit, you’ll want to get the HQ Mod.
Sims 3 Lighting Mod Download
Before Starting
If you installed custom content like mods or hacks before by using the Helper Monkey/Monkey Bars, first you need to uninstall Monkey Bars/Helper Monkey and delete all the old framework files from your The Sims 3 path files. Also, you need to install the latest versions of the mods you are planning to download, so check the pages of the mods just in case they may have moved the newest version to somewhere else. If you do not do these 2 steps correctly, your custom content may not work.
Make Your Game Accept Custom Content
The DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 3 folder – note the contents are folders like DCBackup, DCCache, InstalledWorlds, Saves, etc. (click the image for full size)
Go to The Sims 3 Folder in My Documents: NOT in Program Files!
Before you try to mod your game, you need to make your game accept custom content. First of all, download FrameworkSetup.zip.
Now, carry that file into the directory of The Sims 3 in My Documents. The default location of that directory is as follows for different operation systems:
Windows Vista/7: C:UsersDocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 3
Mac OS: /Users//Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/
Extract the Files
Extract the FrameworkSetup.zip file you just downloaded by right-clicking on the FrameworkSetup.zip file and choosing Extract Here. A new folder called “Mods” will now appear.
Check the New Folders
Open the Sims 3 Mods folder. It should look like the picture above. There should be two folders, one called “Overrides” and other one called “Packages”, and one file called Resource.cfg. Open the folder called “Packages”.
There should be two files in the “Packages” folder inside the Mods folder: NoBuildSparkles.package and nointro.package. If they are there, this means you completed the most important step, which is the setting up your game to accept custom content.
Test the Mods
Test if the packages are working properly. NoBuildSparkles.package and nointro.package are already two mods installed for you to test things out, so launch your game and see if they are working properly.
nointro.package: As you can understand from its name, No Intro completely skis the EA Intro video before the game menu, so you can see very quickly if you set up properly to install mods.
NoBuildSparkles.package: In the native game, there is a small sparkles effect whenever you build something. Nobuildsparkles completely eliminates that. Go play the game and build something; if no sparkles effects appear, it means your mods are working in-game. Congratulations!
If they are not working as intended, you need to start over. Delete the Mods folder and start again from Step 1.
Download a Mod
Find a mod that you want to play with. The Sims 3 modding community is huge with different mods for all the DLCs. If you are looking for a great list, check out our best Sims 3 mods to download.
Download the mod you want to play with. See if there are any special instructions about the mod’s compatibility and installation. If not, continue on.
Place the Mod In Your Packages Folder
The file you have downloaded will be a compressed file like a .zip or .rar. Extract the files and place the .package file into your DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 3ModsPackages folder – the same place where your NoBuildSparkles.package and nointro.package mods are.
If you want to delete any mod, you can simply delete the related .package file.
And that is it! This is how to install mods on Sims 3, with 10 easy steps. Just tweak your game to accept custom content, download the mod and paste it into your Packages file. Fast and not that complicated, and it makes thousands of different The Sims 3 mods available to you for free if you want to spice things up with the classic life simulation game. If this article helped you install Sims 3 mods, let us know below!
You can also check out our articles for 15+ Best Mods For The Sims 4, 16 Games like the Sims to Play Online
Sims 3 offers something unique that no other Sims game provides to players – the chance to walk freely with no loading screens across any game world in the game.
Many have moved onto playing the Sims 4 since it has so many modern updates, but plenty of people love the Sims 3 for its charm and all the memories. Not to mention all the amazing mods out there.
Since the game is a bit older now it’s fair to say that mods could be added to it to make the play experience feel much better.
As such I’ve made this list of the best Sims 3 mods that you can add to your game to spice things up like never before.
25. Ultra-Plain Eyes
If you want the eyes of your sims to just look more natural then download this mod and give it a try.
It changes the masks that EA uses for the vanilla game and makes them look better in terms of illumination and coloring.
The changes are plain, but very easily noticeable!
24. Ultra-Plain Faces
Building off the previous mod we have this other one that improves face styles.
This mod makes typical sim faces look much more realistic by improving the faces and facial expressions that you see in the base game.
The mod is basically an overlay for every face in the game that makes them look plainer and less cartoony, adding some much appreciated realism to The Sims 3.
23. Zerbu’s Ultimate Career Mod
Rabbit holes have been a thing in the Sims since the first game was released.
In fact, it wasn’t until Sims 3 when some careers started having the option for your sim to work on a specific lot. And you still needed to have them do tasks yourself because they were part of career expansions.
However with this mod you’ll be able to have your sims go to a specific lot and have them do tasks in the time that they should be working.
Let’s say, for example, that your sim is a chef.
You can assign any given lot as their location of work and have them go there to do activities during the time that they’re at work.
Instead of going to a rabbit hole, your sim will then go to the selected lot and do any specific number of activities before they go home.
They might even slack off there which would be unfortunate. But hey, at least you’ll see what they’re doing and they won’t be just disappearing into a virtual car to go nowhere.
22. More Traits For All Ages
This mod allows sims to have many more traits than the game allows by default.
As such you’ll be able to have your sims earn more traits as time goes on.
For example, sims that age up will automatically receive new traits even if you’re not controlling them.
This makes the entire game experience much more interesting by giving more personality to every sim in the world you inhabit.
Many sims often feel bland, but this mod changes that completely.
Just be very sure that you want this mod installed on your file before saving, though.
You cannot revert any trait changes by simply removing the mod. Even after removing the mod, Sims will remain with the traits and you might need to remove them manually using console commands. Test this out on a new save file if you wanna be extra careful.
21. No Intro Mod
Even though this mod is quite simple and doesn’t really add a lot to the game, many people find it extremely annoying having to wait such a long time to get the game started.
One of the main issues that many Sims games have had(when it comes to basic issues and not bugs) is that intros are way too long and people just want to jump straight into the action. This is true for most video games, but the Sims loves their intro screens.
This is a judgment error from EA but hey, I think we’re all used to those.
Thankfully the No Intro mod allows you to jump straight into the action without having to wait or watch any intro video when you first boot up the game.
Don’t let your sims wait around – install this mod and start living their life as soon as the game boots up. Regions won’t have any intro videos and you’ll be able to play as soon as you select them.
20. Traveler Mod
The Traveler mod is the best mod that you can download if you like to have your sims constantly moving from one town to another.
This free mod makes it so that whenever you move a sim from one place to another on any other map, they will not lose any of the relationships the they have.
One of the worst things that you can have happening to a legacy save is losing all of the progress you’ve made with a sim because you want them to move elsewhere.
This is great for people who like to play long legacy saves and have their sims move to different locations over time.
Now the mod does edit the way things work inside the files, so if you have any other mod that greatly alters the base game file it may clash with this one and neither will work. Proceed with caution if you’re big into modding.
19. Tagger
The Sims 3 has the biggest maps of any Sims game, because plots don’t load individually but the map stays loaded at all times when you play.
This is amazing as it makes gameplay feel much more realistic. But it does present one key problem: it becomes incredibly difficult to locate things, people, and houses.
That’s why the Tagger mod was created – it allows you to tag stuff much better than you can do in the base game.
One of the main problems of the vanilla tag system is that you can’t really create custom tags and the criteria that the game uses isn’t as effective.
This mod completely overhauls the original system and makes it far more user friendly. You can create custom tags and the selection becomes much more dynamic when the entire map is in motion.
Another great thing about this mod is how amazingly compatible it is.
Tagger works well with every other mod. And it even works well in custom maps too.
You can download modded maps and use the mod to your heart’s content – you’ll be able to tag whichever you like on maps that aren’t even included in the base Sims 3 game!
18. Woohooer
Woohooer allows you to take a much more liberal approach to dating and relationships than EA allowed in the original game.
With the Woohooer mod you’ll be able to have teenage sims get pregnant, and even male sims will be able to become pregnant as well. This is kind of an anything goes situation.
This mod goes well with the Kinky World add-on too, and modders recommend using them together for a true and more realistic Sims 3 experience.
Woohooer works well as a stand-alone too but you’ll need to download special clothing for teenage and male sims that become pregnant, as the base game’s clothes aren’t made for these things to work well.
17. The Sims 1 Music
Here’s a really cool one for you old school gamers.
This mod simply replaces all of the default Sims 3 music with songs from the original Sims 1 soundtrack.
I feel like this was made for everyone who played The Sims back in the day, back when there was no sequels so it was just called “The Sims”.
I’m sure it’ll help help you reminisce of the good old times of classic BGM songs from The sims without having to go back to playing the (somewhat outdated) older games.
It’s a simple mod, but it’s undeniably one of the best that an OG simmer can get.
16. Sims 3 Loading Screen Replacement
This simple mod changes the way loading screens look in the game by adding new features and messages to the default ones.
In fact, the main goal of this mod is to take you through a trip that passes every single expansion pack made for Sims 3.
Look at this as a loading screen replacer that will help you enjoy the original Sims 3 loading screen with features of all the other expansion packs of the game!
The creator also made sure to add some humorous remarks on the screen which aren’t present in the original game.
15. The Sims 3 GPU Add-on Support
When the Sims 3 was made and the last patch was released, there still weren’t many of the current modern GPUs in the market.
As such, many GPU models are not automatically used by the game when you first run it.
This mod changes the list of GPUs that the game automatically sets to simplify the task of having to do so manually.
As such, if your powerful GPU isn’t included in the default list for Sims 3, it’s highly likely that this mod will increase the performance of your game by a notch or two.
PC gamers will definitely want to look into this mod.
14. Northeney
Northeney looks like one of those traditional coastal US towns with a ton of cozy houses and a lighthouse.
It sort of resembles the town of Windenburg that was added to the Sims 4 with the Get Together DLC, but it has a less “German” and a more “American” feel.
It’s quite a cool location to visit and an amazing place where you and your sims can live for the rest of their days. And it’s a pretty easy mod to install if you like new worlds to visit.
13. Cronor
Are you tired of the beautiful sceneries that made Sims 3 such a popular game?
Would you rather visit a dreaded place where darkness seems to overshadow everything?
Then Cronor is the place you’ll want, and this mod has it all.
If you install this mod it’ll add a new location into the game. It’s a technological place where nature is overblown by technology and it’s got one hell of a creepy Matrix vibe to it.
12. Like for Like Build & Buy Mode
The build and buy modes of Sims 3 are not the finest aspects of the game.
There are many things that could be better organized, and some prices just feel a bit off and not realistic at all.
This mod was made to correct that.
You’ll be able to better browse the pages as well as have prices that feel much more accurate.
11. Children Can Care for Their Siblings
Those of you who have taken care of a child when you weren’t grown-ups yourselves probably feel a bit frustrated by the fact that child sims cannot interact with babies as they would in real life.
I mean really, a 13 year old can at least hold their baby brother right?
Thankfully this mod corrects this little oversight. Install this and you’ll be able to have your children take care of toddlers and help them with basic needs.
You can have your baby’s brother take care of him while you’re not around – much like it would happen in real life if you decided to head out for a night on the town. Granted I don’t have kids so I wouldn’t know… but that’s why we play the Sims right?
10. “No Stretch” Children Can Series
Let’s face it: children are almost useless in The Sims 3.
But much like the previous item, this mod allows children to perform adult interactions without stretching, and making them feel as natural as possible.
Basically the mod converts a lot of adult motions in the game into children ones, which allows children to perform the same actions as grown up without having to move in a weird way.
It also enables them to perform actions that weren’t originally possible in the base game, such as interacting with fireplaces.
9. Canning Station Overhaul
Now this mod completely changes the way Grandma’s Canning Station works in the game.
It fixes a lot of annoying bugs that it had, but it mainly helps the station feel much more realistic by changing the way items on the station look.
For example, each loaf of bread now looks different depending on the jam that it uses.
Gone are the days where every piece of toast looks like it has purple jam plopped on top. Granted, this is a small change but certainly a pleasing one.
8. The Third Person Mod
Have you ever wanted to play The Sims 3 as if it was any other adventure game?
Well this mod allows you to feel like you’re really living life through your sim’s eyes thanks to the implementation of a fully controllable third person mod. With this add-on you’ll be able to move around with the WASD keys as if it was any other PC game.
The creator of the mod assures that the movement system was built from scratch, which is why it moves so naturally when playing in third person.
It really feels like the game was built for this.
Those of you looking to live a virtual life through a single sim will absolutely love this.
7. Retuned Attraction Mod
The retuned attraction system is a rework of the 1.42 patch that was implemented into the game, which makes certain aspects about attraction feel a bit unnatural.
For example, sims that can’t really stand athleticism could be attracted by the athletic prowess of other sims. Which made no sense.
With this mod the attraction system is fine-tuned to fix issues like this, without losing the essence of the vanilla system.
It also makes sims that get rejected less prone to asking the same sim out again, which adds one more layer of realism to the game.
6. Midnitetech’s Career Mods
There are many entertaining careers in The Sims 3, but there are still many of them that seem to be lacking – even with the addition of career expansions.
This mod overhauls the number of careers that your sim can chase after by adding a heck of a lot more into your options pool.
It makes the game much more expansive and allows you to create many new stories to live through.
5. GROW – Progressive Aging
There’s nothing as anticlimactic in Sims games as having your toddler become a full-grown child in a single day.
This problem is removed with the Progressive Aging mod, which makes aging happen with time instead of milestones.
This adds that extra layer of realism to The Sims 3 which seems to be more than needed in a game where everything is moving at a constant speed.
Note this mod only modifies the way teens and children age, making the transition to adulthood much smoother and much more realistic than it is in the base game. But it won’t affect adulthood in the same way.
This is really cool because unlike all previous Sims titles, here you’ll be able to see how children turn into grown-ups like it were real life.
4. Kinky World
Be warned: this is the most NSFW mod on the list!
It makes the act of woohoo-ing much more realistic by adding animations that make Sims have some, erm, romantic encounters.
This is the spiritual successor to the Wicked Whims mod that currently sits at the top of most download lists in the Sims 4 community.
You can grab animations made by the community’s most talented Blender artists, who have come together to create some very realistic(and VERY graphic) scenes to spice up your game to a whole new level.
Kinky World is the best mod for people looking for a realistic and mature Sims experience. It adds & amplifies that one element that is missing from most Sims games: sex.
3. Story Progression Mod
I’ll be the first to admit that the story progression implemented by EA in The Sims 3 is just not good enough.
This has been a recurrent issue in many Sims games (especially the third and fourth installations, which are the most complex of the bunch).
However in Sims 3 story progression was particularly bland.
This mod aims to change all that by altering the way characters interact with each other and how NPCs behave. This really does make gameplay much better and way more entertaining in long saves.
The mod was created to work in all versions of The Sims 3 so you can run this anywhere.
If you still enjoy playing this game more than Sims 4 then be sure to install this mod away. You’ll absolutely love the way things develop in legacy saves and it feels so much more natural.
Brntwaffles Sims 3
2. Master Controller
Master Controller allows you to better manage all of your NRAAS mods and makes the game understand how to run them better.
In fact, this is one of those mods that seems to not do much until you realize how much stuff goes on behind the scenes.
The processes of your Sims 3 game will run much better with Master Controller, so it’s one of the most recommended mods that you can download for your game before you install any other mods.
It’s (naturally) 100% free and pretty easy to install. Plus this makes it easier for you to manage many in-game variants using simple sliders.
You can even edit many of these things by yourself by accessing the mod’s documentation. Overall a masterpiece addition for any Sims 3 lovers.
1. Overwatch
Sims 3 Lighting Mod Brntwaffles
The Sims 3 is the largest Sims game ever made in terms of worldbuilding and managing the size of the worlds.
We all know how complex games can get when the story progresses for many generations. And with such a big world, it’s only natural and to be expected for bugs to happen from time to time.
However the Sims 3 might also be the buggiest Sims game ever made, which can be quite inconvenient when you play the same save for a while.
The Overwatch mod was made to combat the annoyances that often come with large scale gameplay.
The Sims 3 Lighting Mod
You might often walk into places where certain sims are stuck, and you can’t do too much about it sadly. You’d have to manually control everything and that’s just not viable.
Overwatch makes sure to reset the state of things from time to time, making your game run smoother and helping you to avoid facing unfortunate encounters where interactions become impossible. This is also useful in case 2 mods conflict with each other.
Burnt Waffles Lighting Mod Sims 3
The Overwatch mod is a simple but amazing add-on which makes The Sims 3 that much more of an amazing game.
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