You can read our short and sweet Nifty Knitting review here.
A general overview of Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack items can be found below the review.
Writing this Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack review took a few goes. First impressions of the pack weren?t great – the pack felt like it was missing something and compared to the previous community-voted pack, Laundry Day (a personal favourite), it felt like it was missing something.
But the whole point of a Sims 4 Stuff Pack is that it just adds?.stuff. And once you start digging into things, The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting does add loads of stuff, even if that stuff feels a bit unfinished.
Nifty Knitting: Loads of objects and things for elders to do
Elders are often neglected in The Sims 4 and this pack adds a bit more to their existence. Sure, it’s kind of clich? to have grandma sitting around on a rocking chair thinking back to her youth, but for Simmers who enjoy realistic gameplay, this is a good way to expand on their stories.
Paired with the new Lord/Lady of the Knits aspiration, there is some good replay value for Simmers who enjoy crafting stories.
The Sweater Curse is a bit of fun for mischievous players and the game and the ?Teach To Knit? is cute for enhancing family-style play for legacy Simmers.
More bang for your buck
The real value for money in The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack is all the additional objects that Sims can knit ? both clothing and objects.
The pack is worth the price for those alone if you are a builder/decorator. The clothing, as well as the knitted objects, can all be unlocked with cheats, so if you just want to build cute little rooms, knock yourself out.
In fact, when we were taking screenshots for this review, we actually gave up (sorry!), because there were just so many swatches in debug mode for all the knitted items…. and we might have accidentally not saved a whole bunch of them.
But the standard items that shipped with the pack are a bit underwhelming. The craft type items in the Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack are kinda cute, if a bit samey. However, some are vastly similar to items from Tiny Living, which leads us to the point of the not so good bits about this pack.
Why Nifty Knitting feels incomplete
We?ll start with the most obvious. Many of the objects look very similar to the ones that came with Tiny Living. And Bowling Night Stuff, but ahem? we?ll leave that for another day.
Not that recycling is a bad thing, but many of the packs released lately feel like they could have been combined into one central expansion pack idea. That criticism isn?t exactly new, though.
The release of My First Pet Stuff Pack came under fire for doing exactly that when it followed the release of Cats and Dogs.
Plopsy flopsy
Plopsy, while useful for knitted items, cannot be used to list or sell any other items, making the replay value of one of its biggest appeals somewhat of a let-down. But, like we said, we must remember that the point is to add stuff…not gameplay.
And here’s the thing: because of the community involvement, the developers were transparent about how things work and why this was not an option, the disappointment in discovering that was a bit easier to take.
The best part about the Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack was the blog posts which detailed and shared the development journey. It was a reminder that open and clear communication not only helps players understand the complex process of game development but also softens the blow when packs do not live up to expectations.
We love speculation and hints as much as the next Simmer, but sometimes it helps to know a little bit more rather than shooting in the dark for something that might never happen. You know, like an underwater or Star Wars or whatever it may be Game Pack, right?
We’re not advocating for removing the mystery or excitement and the hype form the anticipation of all packs. Please do not do that… but Simmers (including us!) can get a bit carried away when there is a leak about a new Sims 4 pack – intentional or not.
Striking the balance between a complete disconnect between the Sims community and the process of releasing new packs – especially in these strange times – is a tremendously difficult task. We don’t have the answers, but things like the blogs and the six-month road maps do help a lot. That, however is veering from the topic at hand: a review of The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack.
Overall, like most Stuff Packs, Nifty Knitting is a nice-to-have. If you want a little treat for your game, it’s quaint enough to be worth it. But if you’re on a tight budget, you’re better up saving up or waiting for a sale on Game Packs or Expansion Packs.
Added after publication: The biggest annoyance with Stuff Packs is that they are increasingly feeling like they could have simply been added to another pack. There are almost 20 Stuff Packs for The Sims and while they are all nice-to-haves in their own way, they all come with a litany of problems. Some Simmers are reporting that Sims with the knitting aspirations are neglecting basic needs to the point of near-death in favour of knitting. Giving the Stuff Packs a rest in favour of major bug fixes or better game packs would be a good idea.
Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack: Overview
New Objects
Below is a brief overview of all the build/buy objects that came with The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. These include the debug items – although not in all their swatches.
New CAS items
New Radio Stations
- Focus
- Metal
New Skill
- Knitting
Other New Features
- Knitting system
- Knittable clothing for babies
- Plopsy – an online craft store for The Sims 4
New Aspiration
Lord/Lady of the Knits (Creativity) – This Sim has yarn running through his/her veins and will stop at nothing on his/her quest to craft the perfect knittable.
- Humble Knitter – Knit for 5 Hours ? Start 3 Knitting Projects while Inspired ? Knit on a Rocking Chair
- Thread Setter – Achieve Level 4 Knitting Skill ? Knit while listening to Music ? Sell a Knitted Object on Plopsy
- Dream Weaver – Complete 10 Excellent Knittables ? Successfully Gift 3 Knittables ? Achieve Level 6 Knitting Skill ? Successfully Show Off your Knitted Sweater to another Sim
- Lord/Lady of the Knits – Donate 5 Knitted Items to Charity ? Achieve Level 10 Knitting Skill ? Complete 5 Legendary Knittables ? Teach another Sim to Knit
Reward trait: Sacred Knitting Knowledge – Sims with this trait gain enhanced benefits to teaching other Sims how to knit. Sims are also immune to the foul magic of the Sweater Curse, and can dispel afflicted Sims from its snarly grasp. Lastly, Sims have the ability to craft unique knitted items, like a very special companion from a strange land, or The Forbidden Sweater which, honestly, is forbidden for a reason.