Find out everything you need to know about the new romance features in The Sims 4 Lovestruck, including Turn Ons & Turn Offs, Romantic Satisfactions, and Romance Dynamics.
As a life simulation game, romance has always been a part of The Sims franchise. The first game had a Hot Date expansion pack, which introduced new romance interactions and community lots – and now, we’re finally getting a similar treatment with The Sims 4’s Lovestruck expansion pack.
From using a dating app and going on different kinds of dates, there are various new features that Sims can jump into to spice things up.
With that in mind, you’ll also want to know how Turn Ons and Turn Offs, Romantic Satisfactions, and Romantic Dynamics work in this game, as these features heavily affect your Sim’s love life. We’ve compiled everything you need to know about them below.
Turn Ons and Turn Offs
Turns Ons and Turns Offs add an extra layer when it comes to romancing other Sims aside from considering their traits. The way this works is that you can customize what things draw your Sim’s attraction to another Sim and, in reverse, what they’d like to avoid.
Just like Likes and Dislikes, Turn Ons and Turn Offs can be set during Create-A-Sim (CAS). Under the same tab of Likes and Dislikes, clicking the magnet icon will bring you to various categories of Turn Ons and Turns Offs.
Your Sim can have multiple Turn-Ons and Turn-Offs throughout different categories. Here’s a list and an explanation for all of them:
- The Way of Life refers to attraction to specific skills, careers, and wealth
- Characteristics refer to attraction to traits and personalities
- Romance Styles refer to the different ways Sims show and receive love
- Physical refers to attraction to a Sim from the way they look and dress
When using the Cupid’s Corner dating app, there’ll be an indicator of whether or not a particular trait from your match is a Turn On or a Turn off for your Sims. Additionally, as your Sims get to know their date, they’ll also be able to ask questions regarding these.
Romantic Satisfactions
Keeping the spark alive in The Sims 4 has been pretty straightforward for a while now. Once you’ve tied the knot with someone, unless your Sim does something extreme like getting caught cheating, you’ll unlikely run into relationship issues.
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That said, with Romantic Satisfactions coming into the play, your Sim will actually be required to maintain their relationship. While your Sim and their partner may share a romantic relationship together, their Romantic Satisfaction may be completely different from each other.
In Lovestruck, your Sims’ Romantic Satisfaction reflects how fulfilled they feel in their relationship. One way to build this up is by having positive romantic experiences. This is where Turns Ons and Turns Offs also come in handy.
The more you pay attention to a Sim’s Turn Ons and avoid their Turn Offs, the easier it is to get high satisfaction. On the other hand, triggering a Sim’s Turn Off is a straightforward way to get their satisfaction plummet.
After getting to know a Sim for a while, you’ll eventually be able to check your Romantic Satisfaction with them. A Sim with the Lovebug trait can do so quickly compared to one with the Romantically Reserved trait.
Romance Dynamics
Romance Dynamics reflect how your Sims feel and interact with their partner, reflecting their overall relationship. Similar to the Family Dynamics feature from the Growing Together expansion pack, this can be set on Sims individually during CAS.
Alternatively, you can also progress the game long enough until your Sims build their own Romance Dynamics based on their relationship situation. These will not only cause your Sims to socialize a certain way with their partner but also affect their mood in your playthrough.
Here’s a list of the Romance Dynamics in The Sims 4 Lovestruck:
- Wholesome: Sims who genuinely love each other
- Steamy: Sims with a relationship that focuses on physical intimacy
- Strained: Sims that are romantically together but unhappy with each other
- Unpredictable: Sims in a complicated relationship where they keep going back and forth together
It’s entirely possible for your Sim to be unhappy with their relationship. When something like this happens, you can either choose to work it out or go on a Romantic Repair Date. If you have enough points, however, buying the Romance Dynamics Dissolver potion from the rewards store is also a solid option.