The Sims 4 Legacy Challenge dares Sims players to build a thriving ten-generation legacy out of nothing but an undeveloped Sim with few resources but countless obstacles (and opportunities).
The initial character begins the legacy challenge on an empty lot with only §1800, forced to survive on ingenuity while working toward a suitable home for a spouse, children, and grandchildren.
Players continue through ten generations of matriarchs and patriarchs until the tenth generation head of household (HOH) passes away. Each HOH bestows their wealth and knowledge to the next generation of the legacy challenge, but conflicting personalities can threaten the family’s prosperity.
What kind of life will you leave for your great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandchildren?
Will your descendants survive all ten generations of the legacy challenge?
Sims 4 Legacy Challenge Rules
When Pinstar introduced the Legacy Challenge to the Sims community, it included gameplay stipulations that kept players on equal footing while still allowing for creativity.
These are the most common rules you’ll find in the legacy challenges:
Start a single young adult character on an empty lot with §1800.
No cheats or mods that impact gameplay (clothing mods permitted).
No restarting the challenge after traumatic events.
The household must reside on the legacy lot for the entirety of the challenge.
HOHs in all generations must adhere to the original succession plan.
Legacy characters can only use an anti-aging cream onceduringthe entire challenge.
Legacy characters cannot resurrect a Sim from the dead using death flowers.
Spouse income doesn’t count toward legacy points.
Players should feel free to try many variations of the challenge and create their own adventures, as long as the rules remain consistent.
You can play the Legacy Challenge with the free Sims 4 game available for free on PC, Mac, Playstation, and Xbox – no purchase or download necessary. All you need is a dedication to your Sims legacy.
Sims 4 Legacy Challenge is not an official Sims 4 extension but a fan-created test for players who needed a bigger challenge, although it’s very well-received by Sims 4 players and game creators alike.
Players share legacy accomplishments and pitfalls with friends and other simmers through popular online forums dedicated to the Sims community. Players can expose each other to new challenges and offer advice while competing with each other for the most impressive SIM legacies.
So how do you start a Sims 4 Legacy Challenge?
Step One. Create the First SIM of the Legacy Challenge
Start your legacy challenge by creating a new one-person household in Create-A-Sim (CAS). Verify you start your character at the young adult age. Do not include anyone else in the household at this point. You will need to build your life, including your relationships, from scratch.
Outside of the age, you have complete creative control of the character’s name, gender, traits, aspirations, clothing, and appearance.
Sims 4 players can also complete the challenge as their favorite characters from extension packs, such as the alien character in The Sims 4 Get to Work extension.
Pro Tip: Pick your last name carefully. You will pass the name down for ten generations.
Step Two. Pick a Lot
The founder Sim starts in an empty lot. This lot will be where your legacy family lives for 10 generations, and they vary in size and price. Options may be limited. If you don’t see an empty plot you like, bulldoze the building in a more desirable plot to obtain it.
The lot options in one Sims 4 neighborhood
Size matters when you pick a lot:
Too small of a lot – you will not have a lot of space to expand in future generations, which can hinder everyday life
Too large of a lot – you will pay more upfront and pay more in taxes, but if you can keep up with the bills, future generations will get by easier.
Your founder Sim will spawn to their new home, where the game will automatically be in “Live Mode”. Pause “Live Mode” to give you a little more time to prepare yourself for game-play.
Click on “Build” once you spawn to pause “Live Mode” so you can complete setting up the challenge.
Side Note: The original Sims 4 Legacy Challenge required players to start on a plot at least 50×50 in size. Due to changes to the in-game economy, this rule no longer applies.
Step Three: Set Your Funds to §1800.
All legacy challenge players begin the game with §1800 or less.
Starting with only $1800 is difficult, as it’s significantly less than typical gameplay. You will need to find creative ways to budget and save in the beginning (more on that later).
Players will need to adjust the amount manually using a cheat code. This is the only time Sims 4 players get to use a cheat code throughout the entire challenge. .
How to Use the Sims 4 Money Cheat
Step One: Select (CTRL+SHIFT+C) on your keyboard to summon the command line.
Step Two: Type “testingcheats on” in the command bar. The words “cheats are enabled” will appear in a dialogue box under the command bar.
Step Three: Type “money 1800” in the command bar, which will immediately adjust the character’s funds to $1800.
Step Four: Type “testing cheats off” to disable cheats, so you don’t get tempted to use them during the challenge.
Step Four: Select the Succession Laws for Your Legacy Challenge
“In this world, the only thing certain are death and taxes,” ~ Benjamin Franklin
This famous quote rings true in Sims 4 Legacy Challenge. The first Sim will inevitably die. When the character dies, the game will appoint a new Sims legacy family leader according to your succession rules.
Succession rules allow you to set the tone for your family legacy. Each character who becomes the new heir over the course of the game will have a significant impact on how the characters carry on your legacy, so choose your succession rules carefully.
You have a wide range of options to customize your succession laws so that the options are virtually limitless. Restrictive succession laws can prohibit natural succession, but indiscriminate succession laws make it more likely for an unsuitable family member to ascend to HOH.
The options available to you when you set your succession rules for your legacy challenge are:
Gender law
Equality – men and women have equal opportunity to become heir.
Strict equality – each heir must be the opposite gender of their successor.
Patriarchy – men become heir over women, who only become leader when no male is available.
Strict patriarchy – only men can succeed previous patriarchs. Women can never become heir.
Matriarchy – women become heirunless no women are available, then a male can become heir.
Strict matriarchy – women are the only ones who can become heir.
Bloodline law
Foster- foster children take priority over naturally born offspring during succession.
Strict foster – only foster children can become heir. Naturally born offspring can never become heir.
Modern – Biological offspring and adopted children have equal opportunity to become heir.
Traditional – biological offspring take priority over foster children during succession.
Strict traditional – only biological children can become heir. Adopted children can never become heir.
Heir law
First born – the oldest child is named heir, according to when the child joined the family.
Last born – the youngest child is named heir, according to when the child joined the family.
Merit – the child who completes the most aspirations becomes heir. In the case of a tie, the child with the highest score in a single skill will become heir.
Strength – the children have the opportunity to forcefully take the title of successor from each other, with the title starting with the oldest child.
Magical strength – potential heirs will have a magic duel to determine the successor in a magic realm.
Random – a random selection of all eligible children will become heir.
Exemplar – children with specific family oriented traits (selected by the player in the beginning of the game) receive priority during succession, with first born rules serving as the secondary determining factor.
Magical bloodline – the heir with the strongest magical bloodline will become heir, with first born rules acting as the secondary determining factor.
Democracy – followers online will determine the next heir.
Species law (Sime 4 Goes to Work only)
Xenoarcy – heirs must alternate between human and alien.
Xenophobic – heirs must be the same species as their successor. No character of another species can ever become heir.
Brood – heirs must be born from their successor, regardless of gender.
Tolerant – all species can become heir.
Enter your selections in the notes under “manage household” to remind you of the family’s destiny.
Step #5: Acquire the Necessities
When you start a legacy game, you only have $1800 simoleons in your bank account and the ground underneath your feet.
No house. No toilet. No refrigerator. No television.
You need to use the few simoleons you have to create your legacy from the ground up. Literally.
First, you need the basic necessities of life. However, you can’t even afford the basics. You’re going to need to be very careful about how you spend.
Pro Tip: You can use roofing material to build a shelter for free (you’ll thank me later).
You will have virtually no money after you buy home essentials, so you will need to find a way to earn a living.
Players establish a career path for each legacy family member (take the character’s personality into consideration when picking a career for the best results).
Each career comes with a starting hourly salary. All options have potential for a respectable ending salary, but your character will thrive on certain career paths better than others. Choose wisely, especially considering the unique obstacles that come with the legacy challenge. Your end salary will depend on your professional choices throughout your career.
Use the starting and ending salaries for Sims 4 career paths to help you choose your career path:
Tech Guru (start-up entrepreneur): §31/hr – §516/hr
Writer (author): §25/hr. – §465/hr
Writer (journalist): §25/hr – §287/hr
Legacy players should consider choosing a first job with a high or moderate starting salary, as they will need the money.
Start-up entrepreneurs, authors, space rangers, and comedians make for demanding yet dependable career paths for Sims starting from nothing. As long as the character can balance career and family.
You can dig for change and sell inventory items to supplement your income before your character finds a job. Spend sparingly in the beginning, as you’ll need every simoleon you can get.
If you can’t manage to afford a home with the limited resources available to you, you’ll need to start a new challenge run. A strong start can lead to easier gameplay during later generations.
Step Seven: Start a Legacy Challenge Family
Once you have your founder SIM financially established, you need to find a romantic interest.
You will meet people throughout your daily lives. Eventually, you will find an eligible character that matches your sexual orientation. For an easy relationship with your first spouse, nourish romantic relationships with similar characteristics.
Players should make family relationships and parenthood a priority for all characters. If the head of the family doesn’t have an heir, the game ends. You probably won’t pick a character who hates children as a mate for your first Sim unless you want a deliberate obstacle.
The first Sim provides players with the greatest control of family relationships. However, family dynamics can get complicated. You don’t know how many offspring you will have or what personality traits will get passed down to which child.
While a large family ensures that someone can continue the bloodline, a small family has fewer expenses and more opportunities to develop familial bonds.
Hint: Start your legacy challenge with a small family that includes a single child or two children. Allow future generations more opportunities to reproduce as your budget can afford it with a max of four children per generation.
Step Eight: Watch Your Legacy Unfold
The first Sim watches their child turn into a young adult and become a parent, transitioning your character from adulthood to middle age. Eventually, the first generation patriarch or matriarch will die. When the inevitable happens, the succession rules establish a new heir.
The new legacy character inherits the household inventory as well as the household’s responsibilities and debts. The second generation HOH must respect generational traditions (succession laws), but their different style can lead to positive or negative change.
Family members will have the choice to embrace the new leader, who will likely serve as HOH for their entire life, or to reject the decision either vocally or physically.
The first SIM’s prominent influence in the first generation and second generation often dwindles with each new generation but is never completely gone.
The legacy challenge is completed once the 10 generation HOH dies. Players can continue playing the household until the bloodline ends.
Based on the gaming habits of current Sims 4 players, a legacy takes 20 – 30 days of regular play on average.
Wealth is one of the simplest ways to determine the success of your legacy challenge compared to other players. However, completing the legacy challenge is an accomplishment in itself.
Some players use a more detailed point system that takes each character’s accomplishments into account. This method is more detailed, but it also requires an additional time commitment and strong organizational skills.
If you did not make it to the end of your ten generation legacy challenge, you are not alone. It takes time to create a legacy.
Now you can play a new challenge run with a twist!
Bonus Content: Two Additional Legacy Challenges
Inspired users have enjoyed Pintar’s legacy game so much that they made their own niche legacy challenges that follow the same general rules but with more targeted outcomes.
We choose to cover the Outta This World Legacy Challenge and the Stereotypes Legacy Challenge but feel free to explore the other Sims 4 Legacy challenges or create a legacy challenge of your own.
Outta This World Legacy Challenge
To start the Outta This World Challenge, your founder SIM must find a job in the scientific career path. It can also help to give the character traits that lend to success in this field of work. Eventually, the scientist will get abducted by aliens. While abducted, the alien will impregnate you (regardless of gender). To make things even more out of this world, this legacy challenge requires each character to have a different aspiration. The different personalities will play out in exciting ways all while playing with alien characters.
Generation One: Give Me Space
Aspiration – soulmate
Traits – romantic, genius, ambitious
Career – scientist
Generation Two: A Whole New World
Aspiration – outdoor enthusiast
Traits – clumsy, vegetarian, outgoing
Career – politician
Generation Three: This Isn’t Sixam Anymore
Aspiration – computer whiz
Traits – geek, loner, goofball
Career – tech guru
Generation Four: Let Me Shine
Aspiration – musical genius
Traits – self-assured, foodie, ambitious
Career – entertainer or culinary
Generation Five: The Humble Life
Aspiration – best selling author
Traits – art lover, romantic, author
Career – wild card
Generation Six: Livin’ Large
Aspiration – painter extraordinaire
Traits – active, materialistic, bro
Career – critic
Generation Seven: Back To Basicsl
Aspiration – painter extraordinaire
Traits – active, materialistic, bro
Career – critic
Generation Eight: B*tches Get Riches
Aspiration – serial romantic
Traits – mean, lazy, snob
Career – business
Generation Nine: But Really, Who Am I?
Aspiration – nerd brain
Traits – good, unflirty, ambitious
Career – astronaut
Generation Ten: We’ve Got Each Other
Aspiration – successful lineage
Traits – family-orientated
Career – wild card
Stereotypes Legacy Challenge
Play out traditional stereotypes in the Stereotype Legacy Challenge, designed to poke fun at the stereotypes we saw during those traumatic teenage years. Each character plays a specific stereotype. Do the different stereotypes work well together as a family, or will the differences prove too powerful to overcome?
The stereotypes are:
Generation One: The Athlete (Self-Assured, Hot-Headed, Active)
Earn enough money to be able to put your heir into college until graduation.
Your home must have an office.
Generation Three: The Fashionista (Self-Absorbed, Snob, Wild Card)
Finish the World Famous Celebrity aspiration.
Master the Style Influencer career or the Modeling career
Master the Charisma, Photography, and Media production.
Become a 5-star celebrity.
Live in Uptown in Say Myshuno.
Be a college drop-out to pressure your dreams.
Generation Four: The Nerd (Geek, Loner, Wild Card)
Finish the Computer Whiz aspiration.
Master the Tech Guru career.
Master the Programming and Video Gaming skills.
Be best friends with your spouse.
Make at least 5 apps.
Generation Five: The Politician (Good, Outgoing, Neat)
Master the Politician career.
Master the Academic aspiration.
Master the Research and Debate skill and Charisma.
Attend University.
Marry a sim from the opposing university.
Be either in the Debate Guild (Britechester Uni.) or The Brainiacs (Foxbury).
Generation Six: The Doctor (Gloomy, Bookworm, Paranoid)
Master the Nerd Brain aspiration.
Master the Logic skill and Wellness skill.
Master the Doctor career.
Kill your sims soulmate before your sims become an Adult and later get married as an Elder.
Generation Seven: The Criminal (Kleptomaniac, Evil, Non-committal)
Master the criminal career.
Master the Mischief and another skill of your choice.
Master the Public Enemy aspiration.
Have 1 child.
Have a teen pregnancy.
Start this generation with $5,000.
Earn enough money to be able next generation through university.
*If you do not have access to mods get your sim pregnant within 3 days of their YA life.
*If the next heir is not female, get another sim pregnant and you get stuck with the baby.
Generation Eight: The Chef (Foodie, Perfectionist, Wild Card)
Master the culinary career.
Master the cooking, baking, and either mixology or gourmet cooking.
Master the Master chef aspiration.
Have a 5-star restaurant.
Have your sim’s spouse cheat and your sim find out.
Divorce your sim’s spouse when your sims become an adult.
Generation Nine: The Vet (Cat Lover, Dog Lover, Wild Card)
Have a 5-star veterinarian hospital.
Master the veterinarian and family-oriented skills.
Master the friend of the animals’ aspiration.
Never get married.
Adopt at least, 2 kids.
Generation Ten: The Creative Kid (Creative, Music Lover, Dance Machine)
Master level 5 in Acting, Entertaining, Painting, and Writing careers. You can do these careers in any order.
Master Acting, Writing, Painting, Singing, and 1 instrument of your choice.
Master friend of the world aspiration.
In Closing
The Sims 4 Legacy Challenge is a unique and challenging way to play The Sims 4 that can add hours of fun and engagement to the game. By following the rules and guidelines, players can create a successful and thriving Sim family that will stand the test of time.
Whether you’re a seasoned Sims player or a newcomer to the game, the Sims 4 Legacy Challenge is definitely worth trying out. So, gather your Sims, start planning, and let the legacy begin!
Dane started off gaming at the tender age of 3 with the first Atari console. His favorite video game genres are turn-based RPGs (can I get a shout out for Tactics Ogre?) and fighting games. Read more...
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