Maxis' Moderation Guidelines for The Sims 4

This document outlines what EA considers acceptable and unacceptable content for hosted TS4 content on Overwolf’s platforms. The moderation guidelines set forth below are intended to supplement CurseForge’s moderation guidelines and policies. To the extent these TS4 Moderation Guidelines conflict with CurseForge’s moderation guidelines and/or policies, the TS4 Moderation Guidelines will take precedent.

The Sims 4 ESRB Rating and Description

The Sims 4: ESRB rating of T (Teen). T-rated titles have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. 

The Sims 4 has the following three content descriptors:  

(i) Crude Humor: Depictions or dialogue involving vulgar antics, including "bathroom" humor. 

(ii) Sexual Themes: References to sex or sexuality. 

(iii) Violence: Scenes involving aggressive conflict. May contain bloodless dismemberment. 

The ESRB describes The Sims 4 as follows: The Sims 4 is a “sandbox” simulation game in which players  create, customize, and control characters called “Sims” through their daily activities. Players are free to  pursue a variety of daily goals as they observe and attempt to influence other Sims in town. 

Players can  socially interact with Sims to build relationships, and are free to pursue more intimate encounters, such as the ability to kiss, hug, or engage in “Try for Baby” and “Woohoo” (i.e., sex) with another Sim: this action depicts the Sims squirming, giggling, and moaning under the covers until hearts float around the bed. 

Sims maintain their health and hygiene through eating, exercising, bathing, and using the toilet. They sometimes vomit or urinate on themselves if their comfort level or hygiene is not properly managed. Some interactions lead to fighting, which is depicted by sounds of struggle and partially obscured “fight-cloud” effects; other animations include Sims getting electrocuted by household  appliances, being eaten by a giant carnivorous plant, or dying in fires—a Grim Reaper arrives, turning  dead Sims into urns.

The Sims 4 Moderation  

All Mods made available on CurseForge must comply with the following guidelines.

● Mods must not contain explicitly violent content. 

○ Mods that allow for Sim violence are prohibited. 

○ Violence or fighting in The Sims may be depicted as playful, obscuring any actual physical contact for fighting Sims behind cartoon dust clouds. However, Sims do not attack, physically hurt, maim, or kill other Sims.  

○ Depictions of blood, gore, graphic injury, weapons or related violence in the form of  gameplay mods or custom content are prohibited. 

● Mods must not modify the game to allow for nudity, sexual content, and/or inappropriate romantic or sexual relationships. 

○ Content created to simulate Sim nudity, sexual content, or sexually explicit clothing is  prohibited. In the Sims kissing, cuddling and making out are allowed. Sims do not have  sex, they “Woohoo” or “Try for Baby”.  

○ Content which modifies the game to allow for inappropriate or unwanted relations between Sims, including but not limited to, Sim romance outside of appropriate age stages, animals, or allowing child or teen life stage romance with older Sims is prohibited. 

○ Content which disables consent for romantic interactions is prohibited. 

● Mods must not contain any content related to the use of alcohol, smoking, vaping, or using any other drugs. 

○ Content which adds cigarettes, cigars, vape pens (or any other vaping mechanisms), or other smoking functions are prohibited. This also includes content which promotes a  lifestyle featuring any of the above. 

○ Content which features drugs, drug paraphernalia, whether as gameplay mods or  custom content objects, or clothing that promotes smoking, vaping, or any other form  of drug use is prohibited. 

○ Mods may not alter The Sims 4 consumables to simulate the effects, naming, or  promotion of alcohol, drugs or any other illegal substances. 

● Mods must not contain content representing real world figures, societal conflicts, cultural conflicts, or politics. 

○ Real people or references to real people or public figures as content in any Mod is prohibited. 

○ Religion, religious symbols, real world histories, or other themes that discriminate or carry derogatory connotations are prohibited. 

○ Representation of wars or universal conflicts (historical or otherwise) are prohibited.

○ Representation of political preferences, positions, ideologies, or any other political or  sociopolitical conflicts are prohibited. 

●  Mods must not contain any illegal or undesirable activities. 

○ Mods in which the player may engage in or promote deviant lifestyles are prohibited. 

○ Mods that contain references to, or that simulate, gambling or betting are prohibited. 

○ Mods that allow for, or assist in, cheating or other anti-competitive behavior are prohibited. 

●  Mods must not incorporate or contain any content that violates or infringes any trademark, copyright, moral rights, or other intellectual property rights of any third party, including any  right of privacy or right of publicity. 

○ Real world brands, brand names, logos, or any defining marks for other IP (Apple, Gucci, IKEA, etc.) are prohibited. 

○ The names and depictions of real world locations, buildings or landmarks are prohibited. 

○ Third party-owned images, characters, voices/audio, music, and spoken and/or written words owned by a person or entity other than the Creator of the content are prohibited. 

○ Names, images, or likenesses of real world people, unless of the Creator themselves, are prohibited.

●  Mods must not be presented in a way which suggests they are “official”, or otherwise affiliated or endorsed by EA. For example, any artwork used to promote the Mod must not resemble the look and feel of official EA pack art, or use the TS4, Plumbob or other EA logos or materials.

●  Mods must not promote, nor be sponsored by, any commercial brands.

●  Mods must comply with EA’s Mod Policies for The Sims, available at https://help.ea.com/en/help/the-sims/the-sims-4/mods-and-the-sims-4-game-updates/

●  Mods must not incorporate or contain any software or program that damages, interferes with or disrupts another's network, computer, or property, such as denial of service attacks, spamming, hacking, or uploading computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, cancelbots, spyware, corrupted  files and time bombs. 

●  Mods must not contain content that is abusive, hateful, harassing, profane, defamatory, threatening, obscene, sexually explicit, vulgar, offensive, indecent, illegal, or unlawful. 

●  Mods must be made available to all users for free. Mods cannot be sold, licensed, or rented for  a fee, nor can Mods contain features that would support monetary transactions of any type. 

●  Mods must comply with the ESRB Rating and content descriptors (above). 

Any Mod which violates these guidelines is prohibited from being hosted on Overwolf’s platform(s).