Ghosts in Sims 4: How to summon, tame and… survive

Ghosts in Sims 4 are full-fledged participants of the gameplay, capable of dramatically changing the course of events. They can scare the Sims, spoil life or, conversely, help in everyday life. Some spirits become loyal friends, and others – a real nightmare for residents. It is important to understand how the mechanics work, what are the features of spirits and how to interact with them. Let’s see how to summon ghosts in The Sims 4 and what to do if you want to get rid of them.

When ghosts appeared in The Sims 4 and how they changed

The trick with spirits appeared in 2014 with the first major post-release update. Until then, the death of a character was final, the sim disappeared without the possibility of returning. With the introduction of ghosts, gameplay received an important expansion: now deceased characters could stay in the game, retaining some of their memories and skills. Initially, their functionality was rather limited.

The first versions of ghosts

In the beginning, ghosts were translucent figures that appeared at night. They could not interact with objects, only wander aimlessly around the plot and scare the Sims. Ghosts retained the colour associated with the cause of their death. Spirits who died of hunger were yellow, those who drowned were blue, and those who died of fire were orange.

Over time, they became more active. The developers added the ability to show emotions, then – to interact with the environment. Ghosts began to leave visible signs of their presence: switching lights on and off, swaying objects, affecting the Sims’ moods and feelings.

How did the ghosts change in the add-ons?

Ghosts in The Sims 4 have undergone significant changes since the game’s release. Initially they only existed silently in the shadows, but thanks to updates, they became active participants of the gameplay. The developers gradually added new emotions, abilities and mechanics, making their behaviour more realistic and diverse. Let’s take a look at the most significant changes:

1. 2014 – the first versions of ghosts could appear on plots if a sim died. They could not communicate with living characters. The only thing they could do was scare them.
2. 2015-2019 – during this period, the developers added emotions and individual characteristics for spirits. Now the behaviour of a ghost depended on how he died. And what kind of relationship he had with living characters before his death. Unique abilities for each type of ghost appeared. Spirits who died laughing could infect others with their mirth.
3. The Sims 4 Paranormal (2021) -a major update brought haunted houses that became a full-fledged element of gameplay. It also added the ability to summon spirits, make contact with them via Ouija boards, perform exorcism rituals, and even make friends.
4. The latest updates – the artificial intelligence of the ghosts has become much more sophisticated. Now they can randomly interact with the environment and choose whom to scare, and with whom to befriend. Ghosts began to react to the emotions of Sims, affect the mood, cause fear, joy or anger.

Ghosts in Sims 4 have evolved from passive shadows of the past into active participants of the gameplay. They can help characters and seriously interfere, creating chaos in the house or maintaining order depending on the situation. Thanks to this, they have become a full-fledged part of the game world, and mechanics – an important component of gameplay.

How to summon and inhabit ghosts in The Sims 4

For ghosts in Sims 4 to appear in the house, you need to create conditions for them. The most obvious way is to wait for the death of the character and wait for his spirit to return. But there are other methods as well:

1. Ouija board communication – allows you to summon a specific ghost if it is associated with the house.
2. Using cursed objects – antique items can be carriers of spirits.
3. Living in a haunted house– increases the likelihood of them appearing.
4. Friendship with spirits – if you treat ghosts well, they can stay in the house.

Spirits can be added to a family, which opens up new possibilities of interaction. They can help in the house, keep the house in order, or even raise children.

Interacting with ghosts in The Sims 4: befriend or fear them

Ghosts in the game can range from good-natured helpers to aggressive entities that will deface furniture and scare residents.

Modes of interaction include:

• maintaining friendly relationships – allows you to control the behaviour of ghosts;
• conflicts-can lead to poltergeists and chaos in the home;
• adding a ghost to the family – gives access to unique abilities;
• exorcising spirits– rituals can be used to clear the house of unwanted guests.

Some Sims have special traits that allow you to get along better with ghosts or, conversely, feel uncomfortable in their presence.

Skills of ghosts in The Sims 4

Each spirit has unique skills. Depending on the cause of death, ghosts can:

• pass through walls – travel without restriction;
• teleport – instantly change location;
• levitate objects  – lift and move things;
• affect the mood of living sims– to bring fear, joy or sadness;
• leave traces in the house – change the temperature, switch lights on and off.

Some ghosts have additional features depending on their character and emotions at the time of death.

How to get rid of ghosts in The Sims 4

Sometimes ghosts in the game create problems that you want to get rid of. You can do this in several ways:

• exorcism rituals – allow you to clear the house of entities; talking to a
• conversation with a ghost – some spirits may leave voluntarily;
• relocating a ghost – moving to another house or neighbourhood;
• destroying a cursed object – if a ghost is associated with an object, it can be exorcised by destroying that object.

In some cases, ghosts can disappear on their own if you don’t interact with them or remove them from the sim’s familiar list.

Conclusion

Ghosts in Sims 4 make the gameplay more diverse. They add a mystical atmosphere, new mechanics and interesting situations. Their presence can be helpful and problematic. Whether it’s worth summoning spirits depends on the player’s goals. For those who like unusual stories and unexpected twists and turns, interacting with ghosts will open up new facets of the game. For the rest of us, there is always the possibility to perform an exorcism ritual and return the house to its usual atmosphere.