The Sims Freeplay is adding a whole new area for your Sims to live in the latest update.
They’ve put together this super helpful FAQ on the official website.
I’ve also posted my video below so you can see exactly how it works before you get your hands on it!
Note: Please check out the updated FAQ for June 2022.
“Sul Sul,
Welcome to Sim Springs – a tumbleweed town with untapped potential waiting for your Sims to rebuild it from the ground up! Do your Sims have what it takes to save Sim Springs from an oily fate? To help make sure you can hit the ground running, our game team have put together this FAQ. Before you begin, reach Player Level 20 and visit the new bus stop in SimTown!
Event Overview
Q – What is Sim Springs all about?
A – Sim Springs is a huge new map location that’s divided up into a series of neighborhoods! The first neighborhood launching in our Coastal Living update is called Sandy Suburbs. The wide-open blank areas on the rest of the desert map will have additional neighborhoods added in future updates. There are four “fixer upper” house lots in Sandy Suburbs that all need a little bit of love:
- Tumbleweed Terrace
- Dusty Dwelling
- Arid Apartments
- Wellspring Library
It’s up to you to upgrade the lots, then improve the Sandy Suburbs neighborhood, then finally Sim Springs! We know you’ve been asking for more places to build without demolishing all of your favourite lots in SimTown, so the first three houses are residential lots for your Sims to eventually move in to! The fourth lot in each neighborhood will always be a special one – a brand new ‘Community Lot’ type!
Q – Woah, tell me more about the ‘Community Lots’!
A – They function similarly to residential home lots. You can customise them any way you like, but you won’t be able to move Sims in (exactly like the Hotel Highrise apartment). In Sandy Suburbs, this community lot is a library! All the items in your Home Store ‘Living Room’ category tab are completely free to use to decorate this space (free items can’t be transferred to any other lot). How would you style a dream library if you didn’t have to worry about Simoleons?!
Q – Can I build all four new lots simultaneously?
A – The home lots appear a little differently to other houses in SimTown. Instead of paying for each house lot individually, in Sim Springs you work on one house at a time to build up the neighborhood. Once you finish work on one lot you will unlock the next. After each lot is complete, you can then work on upgrading Sim Springs as a whole instead – the map will change and evolve as you progress!
Q – This all sounds exciting! So how do I start the event and get to Sim Springs?
A – We’ve added a new bus stop located right near the party boat in Sim Town! You can’t catch the bus until after you reach Player Level is 20 or above, but once you’ve been to Sim Springs, you’ll get a new permanent map navigation icon on the bottom right of the screen with some palm trees to take you back to Sim Springs whenever you like.
Q – Who is Johnny Zest and why is he at the new houses in Sandy Suburbs?
A – Johnny is an entrepreneur that owns the homes in Sandy Suburbs! He needs your help to transform the neighborhood and save Sim Springs from being demolished. Check in with Johnny on the progress of each house and he’ll tell you all about the rich history of Sim Springs and the story about how you can help transform this town.
Q – There are multiple tasks per day for each house lot, how long does it take to complete one house?
Each house event in Sandy Suburbs will run for 10 days. It’s up to you to start making each house better through a series of challenges over those 10 days. As you complete each house lot you’ll receive milestone prizes along the way and a gorgeous new house template grand prize that you can place anywhere – in SimTown or even in Sim Springs!
Most of the daily tasks to upgrade Sim Springs need to be completed in Sim Springs or in the Sandy Suburbs neighborhood!
Check out the Information tab in the Sim Springs menu that explains all the details if you get stuck.
Q – How much time do I have in between completing each house lot before I start on the next one?
A – There is a rolling start of 7 days break in between each one, or you can start the next house straight away – it’s up to you!
Upgrading Sim Springs
Q – I’ve completed all four houses in the neighborhood. What’s next?
A – Once you’ve completed all the daily tasks in all four lots in Sandy Suburbs, there’s plenty more to do! We’ve created optional neighborhood tasks so you can improve the neighborhood to increase its ranking and make it the envy of SimTown. Visit the Sim Springs menu to view the optional neighborhood tasks. They have no timer and no penalties so there’s no pressure to complete them.
As you improve the neighborhood ranking of Sandy Suburbs from “Ghost Town” to “Ultimate” you’ll see a number of visual upgrades that evolve the desert location over time to make it look like a real oasis! Can you spot the new trees, asphalt roads, the greener grass and even lamp street lighting?
Q – If you rank your neighborhood to the highest ranking of ‘Ultimate’, what happens?
At each milestone you’ll receive rewards that include increasing the greenery and trees and improving the roads in the town view of Sandy Suburbs. Additionally, for the first time, you’ll unlock special ’autonomy’ actions that Sims perform on their own if the item is accessible! As you upgrade Sim Springs, your Sims of all age groups can learn how to:
- Use a study desk
- Use a computer at a table
- Read books
We can’t wait to see your Sims studying hard in the new library community lot and even back in SimTown – these actions can be used everywhere once they’re unlocked.
Q – What are the benefits of upgrading Sim Springs?
A – Sim Springs has a ‘Happiness’ rating that reflects the overall level of commitment you’ve given to upgrade the town. This is measured by the number of tasks that have been undertaken across every Sim Springs neighborhood, including Sandy Suburbs. Upgrading each neighborhood and Sim Springs in turn gives your town map more and more special features to be proud of. Plus, if you visit a friend’s town, you can see their version of Sim Springs and what upgrades they’ve unlocked and vice versus!
Q – How do I track my progress?
A – Check out the smiley face icons at the top of the Sim Springs menu to see how your overall Sim Springs progress is tracking!
Prize Overview
Q – Alright, let’s talk about the rewards! What range of things can I earn along the way?
A – At the completion of three house lots, you’ll receive a grand prize template of the lot you’ve just finished! As we mentioned earlier, you can also unlock a new ‘Community Lot’ grand prize house lot! In our latest update this is a Library that showcases how impressive the new rewards from the event are – these include a two stories of freestanding book shelving, modular reception desk, private study nooks, bean bags, plus displays, pillars and staircases full of books and so much more!
Then there are the unique Sim Springs rewards including the map upgrades and new ‘autonomy’ actions.
Q – What’s this Extra Zesty Prize I can see?
A – Each house lot has a bonus prize that can be won by maintaining a daily streak of tasks during the final stretch of days and getting it all done on time in the first go. Success earns a bonus prize – the Zesty Prize! If you miss a day however, the Zesty Prize for that lot is gone for good.
Q – Is there a way to still get the prizes if I miss out?
A – Unfortunately there’s no other way to earn the Extra Zesty prize after missing it at this stage. However, all other prizes can be won at any point, regardless of if you complete the events on time or not!”
