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Unused/Scrapped Content

This article is about content that did not make it into the final version of multiple Sim games.

This article lists all features that existed in a beta version of games in The Sims series and features that were planned and showed in concept art but got cut later in development. This also includes content removed from the final versions by patches.

Multiple games

Sam Micelli concept art

In late December 2023, the portfolio of Sam Micelli was discovered, containing various screenshots and sketches from The Sims 2, 3, and 4. Most of them, including all from after World Adventures, did eventually make it into the game somehow, but a fair few before that didn't.

The Sims

Base game

• Several objects seen in pre-release media were cut from the game, including a shelving unit, ownable cars, a thick white balustrade fence, and more.
• House11 is seen in various pre-release screenshots of the game. It still exists in the retail game but is inaccessible without cheats. The lot is completely empty, missing even portals, mailboxes, and trashcan.
• A coffee table appears in various screenshots but not in the retail game. Coffee tables were eventually introduced in Hot Date, with the beta coffee table appearing as one such object.
• The game code still contains references to several cut skills: cleaning (used by some NPCs), gardening, music, and literacy.
• An unused sting for when ghosts appear can be found in the sound files. It is similar to the other two stings that do play in the game.
• Time of days and years were going to be used to show the current date and time in the game's interface but never seen the light of day (Begins in 1997 or on some lots 1996).^[3]
• Birthdays and Sim ages were going to be the main feature (27 for adults and 9 for children) and (Birth Day, Birth Month, Birth Year, and even Birth Hour and Birth Minute) but was scrapped.^[3]
• There is an unfinished feature to receive investment opportunities over the telephone.
• Foundations were planned for the game but were scrapped. The idea was later implemented in The Sims 2.
• Diagonal stairs, windows, and doors were conceptualized but were scrapped before release. Diagonal doors and windows were later implemented in The Sims 2 and later entries in the series. However, diagonal stairs have not been added to any mainline Sims game so far.

Unused Objects

Livin' Large

• An early version of the Koala Kola Vending Machine can be seen in a Livin' Large screenshot. The item was ultimately cut before release and eventually appeared in The Sims Online.

Hot Date

• Several trees and plants were cut from Hot Date and reused for The Sims Online: Pinkuredi Cherry Tree, Joshua Tree, Agave, Prickly Pear, Saguaro Cactus, and Cholla. Graphics are missing but other data still exists in the files.
• Vault Door was cut from Hot Date and reused in The Sims Online. It exists in complete form in the expansion's files but lacks a build mode catalog entry.
• Weapons Wallhanging was also cut from Hot Date and reused in The Sims Online, though few remnants exist in the files.
• Several buyable skins do not appear due to spelling errors in the filenames of the textures and CMX files.
• An unfinished feature can be found in the code to hire a limousine instead of a regular cab.
• Inside the Downtown controller's code are unused closure lines, stating that all of Downtown will close at 2 AM. In the released version of the pack, Downtown is open 24 hours a day. The lines read:
  • "All right people, you know the drill. This town has a strict 2 AM curfew and don't pretend like you don't know. Move it!"
  • "OK, OK, let's go people! It's 2 AM. Some people need to get up in the morning. Everyone go home. Now...I mean it."
  • "Don't you people ever sleep? Perhaps you just moved here, so I'll go light this time. Downtown closes at 2 AM. Now let's move, nothing to see down here, go home now."

Vacation

• A pickpocket NPC was planned for Vacation but only textures remain. He was supposed to resemble the burglar but with a unique face with a five-o-clock shadow. The concept was eventually realized in The Sims 2: Bon Voyage with the Unsavory Charlatan NPC.
• Minigolf courses are seen in various promotional renders and concept art for Vacation but are curiously absent from the expansion pack. They were eventually included with Makin' Magic.
• An interaction to hug pine and palm trees exists in Vacation but is disabled.

Unleashed

• A tileable bridge object was planned for the game and can be seen in developer screenshots, but was ultimately not included.
• The Pet Trainer contains leftover code for an interaction allowing a litter of kittens or puppies to be sold. Developer notes associated with unused dialogue for the feature indicate that it was intentionally cut before release.

Superstar

• An unused Information Kiosk object exists in the Superstar files, but is missing data required to make it show in the buy mode catalog.
• The doors for Superstar and Makin' Magic contain unfinished code for interactions to manually lock and unlock them. Lockable doors would eventually appear in The Sims 2: Open for Business.
• Unused stings exist for joining the Fame career and gaining promotions. The retail game uses regular career stings instead.
• Awards for poor performance in the Fame career were planned and references can be found in code. The retail game only has awards for an excellent performance.

Makin' Magic

• A Makin' Magic head (c209ma_tattooman) does not appear in the game due to spelling errors in the filenames of its textures.
• Several unused skins exist for additional Gypsy NPCs with a more stereotypical "carnie" look, suggesting that NPCs may have originally manned the funhouse rides.
• An interaction with animations for children to kiss toads exists but is disabled. The BHAV contains a routine to specifically block Toad Sweat from being generated when child Sim kisses a toad.

The Sims: Bustin' Out

An advert showcased a rather different look for Goldie Toane, where she has lighter skin and sports a blonde ponytail. Fran Foofaraw is also shown living at Pixel Acres, possibly indicating she was an NPC instead of just a promotional Sim.

The Urbz: Sims in the City

Logo

The logo used in pre-release content was replaced sometime around July 2004.

Console

The Robot Street Performer was explained in the Prima official game guide, but has not been known to appear in the released game, meaning he was likely cut very late in development.

Handheld

GBA color scheme

In the final build of the Game Boy Advance version, the user interface is typically colored orchid purple. However, early screenshots depict the UI as being deep purple (with an indigo tint). This would end up being the color used exclusively in the DS version.

The use of the hue for the DS version, along with the fact that many websites listing the GBA version still use indigo-colored screenshots, seems to suggest this was a late change in development.

Personality system

A pre-release screenshot sourced from The Sims Zone (uploaded in April 2004) reveals that a possible personality system, akin to the point system used in The Sims and Bustin Out', was planned.

Social interactions

IGN's trailer for the game showcases numerous differences:

• The social backgrounds for Crystal and Lincoln Broadsheet differ from their unique ones in the final game, that being a navy blue background with a friendship icon.
  • It also differs from the friend background (obtained by raising the social meter to 50 or higher), which is light blue with yellow smiley faces.
• Many conversation icons have Xs (e.g. "Talk About the Coffee Shop"), suggesting their art was unfinished by the time of IGN's video capture.

Darius' surname

Pre-release screenshots showcase Darius' full name as being Darius Peacock. This name was kept in the Spanish and Italian localizations; otherwise, he is mononymously known as Darius in all versions.

The screenshot also shows the player gaining relationship points with Darius by bragging, but in the final game, the "brag" conversation topic loses 2 points.

Minigame sign

In IGN's trailer, the Simoleon sign differs from the final build.

Unused dialogue

Many characters appear to have unused dialogue pertaining to a cut conversation topic, likely "Talk About Pets".^[5]

In the final game, no dialogue appears when hugging or kissing an Urb, though there are interjections in the files. Some Urbs who cannot be romanced in normal gameplay, such as Daddy Bigbucks and Harlan King, do have dialogue for such interactions.

Mission 5, Goal 1 - Reality Show Dialogue

Lincoln Broadsheet: Hey, have you heard the recent news? A local TV station is filming a new Reality Television Show.

Interesting, but I don't watch much TV: Me neither, but don't let that stop you from going up to Paradise Island and signing up. If you do well I could write a big article about you.

Are they still letting people sign up?: I think so. Head up to Paradise Island and see for yourself. And if you do well Id [sic] love to write an article on you.

The above text can be found next to Lincoln Broadsheet's Work Study dialogue, suggesting the player would learn about the reality show from him. In the final game, the player's rep group leader begins the mission.

The Sims 2

Base game

Beta UI and Family/Friends motives

A screenshot from a beta version of The Sims 2 shows a very different Sim detail HUD, including the motives "Family" and "Friends", which in the released game were merged into one "Social" motive.

Weather

Early beta footage of The Sims 2 reveals that there was precipitation in the form of rain and lightning planned for the base game. It was also shown that Sims could die from lightning strikes whilst in hot tubs during thunderstorms. It was cut from the original 2004 release because the rain effects leaked into the indoors.

The weather feature was later included in The Sims 2: Seasons.

Power Outage Scenario

Due to the fact that weather was cut from the final game, the power outage scenario was cut too. Apparently when there is a thunderstorm your Sims' power will go out and you must keep their fun up similar to throwing a party. when you win the scenario you will be rewarded with a wind turbine (wind turbines came back in Garden and Mansion stuff pack). The text file still have a functional data but it is unknown of how to trigger it, it also has the wind turbine meshes (the Blades and the Pole) in the objects file. Here is the text string in all its glory:

The SimCity Power Company is experiencing problems in your service area, and we're hoping to have your power back on in about 7 hours. In the meantime, during this crisis, would you like to try to keep your family in a decent mood?

1. Feelin' Great
2. Not Too Shabby
3. Okay
4. Lame
5. Grrr… Argh…
6. Crashing and Burning

If you win the scenario your Sims' power goes back on and you will get a wind turbine that will prevent the power from going out during a thunderstorm, you will also get a notification, it reads: "Congratulations! You won the Power Outage Scenario. Power or no, you've got that special spark."

If you lose the scenario your Sims' power will still goes back on but your Sim's family, friends or roommates might get their relationship with your Sim will drop. You will get a notification, it reads: "You've lost the Power Outage Scenario. Your family's miserable, and at this point, turning the lights back on will hardly help. Oh, well. Keep the candles burning…"

Big Boss Scenario

According to strings viewed in SimPE, the Big Boss NPC was planned to be added to the game alongside his own scenario, similar to the Headmaster, where Sims would've invited him for dinner and given him a tour of their house.

Engagement Scenario

In this Scenario you must build up a romantic relationship with your Sims and judging by the ending it's possible that your Sim will propose at the end of the Scenario and will play the proposal (accept and reject) cinematics depending on the score. This was cut from the game possibly to avoid it from getting too repetitive. Somehow the score name can still be found in the game's files, here is the score names:

1. Hot! Hot! Hot!
2. Getting Warmer
3. Tepid
4. Sprung a Leak?
5. S.O.S.
6. Abandon Ship!

If your Sim wins the scenario a notification will appear, it reads: "Congratulations! There are wedding bells in your future. You won the Engagement Scenario!"

If your Sim loses the scenario a notification will appear, it reads: "You lost the Engagement Scenario. Oh, well. The single life's not so bad."

Memories System

Inside the "Live Text" package file, there is an unused system for memories that will affects the Sims well being by their mood and memories. This system was going to cellulated the mood and memories' intensities, Here is the system in its text form:

Give your Sims memories to keep them happy throughout their lifetime. Memories and Needs are combined to calculate a Sim's mood.

1. The memories' has an original and current strength.
2. The Great Memory is the powerful positive memory that might keep your Sims' moods up for a long time and fades out slower: "This is a great memory and it's keeping your mood up, but you shouldn't let yourself forget it. Find someone and take the time to to share it with them it will build its strength back up. Make sure your tale doesn’t fall on uncaring ears, though; an unreceptive audience can hasten a weak memory's demise."
3. The Nice Memory is weaker than the great memory and might keep your Sims' moods up for a while but and fades out faster: "This is a nice memory, but don’t dwell on just one happy moment. You have weaker memories that you should be more concerned about."
4. The Forgettable Memory is a weak negative and will fades out faster: "This memory is something you'd much rather forget, and it's bringing down your mood. Don’t bottle it up inside, vent about it! The more you talk about it, the sooner you can move on. Try to pick someone who cares, however, as you can do more harm than good if no one wants to listen."
5. The Awful Memory is the powerful negative memory and might lowers your Sims' mood for a long time and will fades out slower: "It's awful to live in the past, but unfortunately you have some stronger bad memories dragging you down; maybe you should try to work through those first."

Hospitals & Ambulances

There exists unused animations of getting in an out of an ambulance's back door, likely for pregnant Sims going into labour. Additionally, the birth action is listed as a "home birth" implying a birth not at home was intended at some point. In the family album for the Pleasant family, a scene of what appears to be a mock up of a hospital is there, though it is likely that the hospital was intended to be a rabbit hole, like The Sims 4's hospital birth mechanic if Get to Work isn't installed.^[6]

Unused Objects

The Sims 3

Since the game had lots of development and pre-release public promotions, and there being a lot of placeholder icons in the base game's code, there was a lot of cut content in The Sims 3's base game, including, but certainly not limited to, early names, early street layouts, early logos, removed objects, cut functions, and cut modes.

The Sims 3 (console versions)

The Sims 3 (Nintendo 3DS)

User Interface

• The UI for the Sims 3's 3DS version originally featured a style similar to The Sims 2 Pets for PSP.
• The karma powers button also resembled a Yin-Yang but now features a magic wand.

The Sims 3 (Wii)

Looking through the files of The Sims 3 for Wii reveals many concepts for the game that were cut early on, presumably due to the Wii's limitations or time crunches. Surprisingly, a lot of things were planned for this game that are unfortunately not present:

Wonder Mode

An early version of Karma Powers that features some unused powers.

List of Wonder Powers only seen in the games files and never seen in-game:

• Leprechaun: Spawns a leprechaun that increases household funds
• Alien Abduction: Allows the player to select a sim from map view to start an alien abduction. Switches to normal view and a UFO takes the targeted Sim away for a certain period of time. The Sim when coming back will get an "illuminated" positive Moodlet
• Cupid: Cupid will spawn and shoot one sim standing next to an enemy, making them fall in love
• Instant Promotion at Work: The sim using this power will instantly receive a promotion
• Control Weather rain/sun: Unlocks the Control Weather wonder with different weather options to apply. Burning Sun, Pouring Rain, Pudding Thick Smog, 24 hours of Light, 24 hours of Darkness
• Control the Grim Reaper: Allows the player control of the Grim Reaper with powers to shorten lifespan and revive ghosts.
• Control Ghosts: Allows the player control of ghosts. Can interact with sims to frighten them so they pass out or become instantaneously older. The ghost can be chased by sims with the insane trait
• Control Burglar: (official description in the game files): Once in control the player can have a blast, messing up NPCs houses you can even get some free objects from it, with the risk of making your neighbors angry if they realize it
• Pregnancy: Turns a female adult sim pregnant
• Zombies (official description in the game files): Turn your neighbors into zombies for a certain time. They change skin color and move like Zombies. While they are Zombies, all Moodlets disappear if they are playable Sims. Once they go back to normal mode, the Zombies get a "back from the dead" Moodlet which has a very positive impact
• Gnome: When used, it would've spawned a gnome that uses his powers to change the weather to whatever he wishes

List Wonder Powers that were cut from the game with official descriptions:

• Fountain of Youth: Turn back the hands of time! Decrease any sim in age by one life stage. (Previously named Instant Youth)
• Fast Forward: Are you tired of a sim being too young? Age them forward by one life stage
• Pyromaniac: You would not believe how fast some objects catch on fire...
• Get Lucky: Be the Wizard of Relationships! Make two sims become friends or lovers. (Possibly a newer version of Cupid)
• Chaos Maker: Turn any Sim into a boiling culdron of rage! Make sure you're not too close if you don't want to be a part of the mayhem. (Possibly an older version of Fury)
• Touch of Poison: Have fun with this stomach-churning power, ad nauseam!

Scrapped Lifetime Rewards

List of Lifetime Rewards only seen in the games files and never seen in-game:

• Weather-o-matic: Probably would've given the sim a machine that lets you change the weather to anything

List of Lifetime Rewards that were cut from the game with official descriptions:

• Free Week of Life: You liked so much this life that you wanted more? Well, you'll have some more time for you... Have fun! [sic]

Scrapped Weather Features

Weather was originally planned to have much more of a role within the game and attention to detail.

Scrapped Month System:

• The game would've started in January
• Weather would've gradually changed from one season to another
• Rainy days would've decreased from January to July and then gradually increased from July to December
• Sunny days would've increased from January to July and then gradually decreased from July to December

List of Cut Weathers:

• Windy days (official description in the games files): Wind varies from day to day. It tends to be windier during the rainy season. Wind has the following effect on the game: Leaves blow in the air on particularly windy days, Plants require additional gardening attention after particularly windy days, When it rains and it's windy at the same time, outdoor Sims play an animation at random showing them struggling with their umbrella, Going to surf on a windy day gives a "great waves" moodlet
• Sunny days
• Hail, lightning/thunder and snow, as mentioned by EA for marketing
• Burning Sun, Pouring Rain, Pudding Thick Smog, 24 hours of Light, 24 hours of Darkness
• Hurricane and Earthquake (Could've just been leftover code from The Sims 2: Castaway on Wii)

Scrapped Weather Rules:

• Rain waters plants, which helps with gardening
• Fishing Sims will find that fishes bite more when it's raining (fishes jump out of the water and are more active during rain)
• It's always sunny on your wedding day
• The weather cannot be the same more than 7 days in a row
• Electrical appliances (fridge, oven, etc.) break if left in the rain (you can see them sparkling in the rain)

Scrapped Weather Moodlets:

• Dancing in the rain: Given to sims with Loves Water trait when out in the rain
• Great Weather
• Poor Weather
• Great Waves
• Wet

Scrapped Raincoats and Umbrellas:

• Purchasable umbrellas and raincoats
• Sims who don't have an umbrella or raincoat and who don't have the Loves the Outdoors or Loves Water traits try to find shelter when it rains

Scrapped Weather Related Wants:

• Take a long walk in the sun (stay outside for 3 hours on a sunny day)
• Take a walk in the rain (only for Sims with Loves Water trait)
• Don't get rained on for a week (only for hydrophobic Sims)
• Buy an umbrella

Scrapped Crafting Features

The game was originally planned to include a crafting system and store. There is leftover code in the game files for craftable patterns, objects, furniture, the materials used for crafting and different skills related to crafting. There isn't much, this is everything that was found.

Crafts Store:

Would've likely been where Sims go to buy crafting components and take crafting skill lessons. The rabbithole for this building still remains in the game but is not interactable in the current and beta builds.

List of different scrapped crafting related features:

Craftable Patterns:

• Dining table
• T-shirt
• Necklace
• Surfboard

Craftable Objects:

• Furniture
• Clothes
• Jewelry

Crafting Skills:

• Furniture crafting
• Clothes crafting
• Jewelry crafting
• Extreme sport crafting

Crafting Components(materials):

• Ebony
• Green dye

Scrapped Transportation

The game would've allowed the player to purchase bikes and skateboards. Sims also would've had the ability to upgrade cars and repair broken cars, bikes and skateboards. After buying an expensive car the sim would've gotten an Awesome Ride moodlet.

Scrapped Travel Options:

Sims would've been able to travel around the town via the methods:

• Bus
• Bike
• Skateboard
• On Foot

Skateboards now only remain functional at the skate park.

Scrapped Sim-Related Content

Scrapped Appearances:

In an older build of the game, almost every sim in the game has a different appearance. Some Sims were wearing clothes or accessories that are not available in the final release. Additionally, some sims who were previously housed in the older version are now homeless or have moved houses.

Scrapped Traits:

• Hate Water (Possibly a placeholder name for Hydrophobic. Found only in game files)
• GoodJudgeofCharacter ^[sic] : Nothing gets past these Sims. They learn any target Sim s character traits upon first socializing with them.
• StrongImagination ^[sic] : Everyday interactions and opportunities receive grandiose names and descriptions. Gains higher Happiness rewards from reading, writing and playing video games.

Scrapped Baby Lifestage:

Two baby portraits can be found in the files of a prototype version for the game. Baby furniture such as cribs can still be found in the current version of the game if a house is purchased furnished, though it remains nonfunctional. Cribs cannot be bought in buy mode.

Other Scrapped Features

A list of planned features that never made it into the final game.

• Relaxo Spa Rabbithole (Spa building exists in the game but cannot be interacted with)
• Cafe Rabbithole (Unknown if this building ever had functionality or was planned to. Remains decorative)
• Miracle High school (The old name used for the school rabbit hole)
• Business & Journalism careers (There seems to be a business tower rabbithole but with no functionality)
• Politics Career (In an older version of the game there is a interaction icon as well as doors leading into the city hall rabbithole, indicating that a politics career might've been planned.)
• Baby and Young-Adult life stages
• Purchasable Pets/large dogs (might've been leftover/reused code from Sims 2 pets on Wii)
• Memories and photo album
• Pools in build mode (Pool found in the backyard of a purchasable home in the beta version)
• Instant swap into swimwear when touching sand or water
• Birthday cakes
• Adoption service
• Beach Boulevard street name
• Wedding days
• Burglars
• Writing
• Video Gaming
• CAS Sim Saving option (It was likely you would've been able to save Sims similar to other versions of TS3)
• Alien and Zombie life states (it is unknown if aliens would've been playable and the zombies were described as just Sims with green skin)
• Golden Egg and Water grocery items (Neither of which are able to be bought but still strange and not found in the current game)

The Sims 3: Pets (PS3 / Xbox 360)

Two Xbox 360 prototype builds of the game were discovered by Cut Into Fourteen Pieces and uploaded to redump.org in January 2019. The first prototype is dated May 17th, 2011, while the second is from May 31st, 2011. Another prototype, compiled on May 19th, 2011, was later released by Obscure Gamers.

A separate build, dated September 8th, 2011, and believed to be identical to the final retail version, was released by kabojnk. Like the prototypes, this build contains developer debug commands that allow ghosts to be resurrected and edited in Create-a-Sim.

Although gameplay is mostly complete across these prototypes, many textures, icons, and text descriptions are missing or incomplete in the earlier builds. Some differences are noted from the final product.

Title Screen

The title screen and main menu differ across all prototype builds.

In the May 17th and May 19th builds, the title screen is rudimentary: simply a stripped-down version of The Sims 3 for console’s title screen with only a gradient background.

The May 17th build’s main menu is also a highly simplified version of its predecessor, showcasing an animation consisting of a basic sliding PNG, lacking the dynamic effects present in the final release.

By the May 19th build, the title screen remains unchanged, but the main menu is now closer to the final design. Its background features a static image of a male Sim playing fetch with his dog, the same render used on The Sims 2: Pets cover, superimposed over a backdrop of Sugar Maple Coast’s trees.

The May 31st build is similar in layout but features the final render of a Sim digging alongside his dog; however, the animation is incomplete, playing in a choppy, stuttering manner. None of the other final build renders are present at this stage of development.

Of note is the presence of "The Store" option, which is not present in the retail version. Selecting it would have opened the Xbox Marketplace.

Early Logo

This logo appears on the interface when pausing the game, resembling the icon for The Sims 2: Pets. Notably, by these builds, the finalized logo is already used on the title screen, calling into question the purpose of this icon.

Town Name

The town's name, Sugar Maple Coast, was left blank by the end of May, indicating the development team struggled to label the neighborhood, although its former name, Gilman Hill, was already in effect.

Beta Sims

• Peng Xu was named Fu Xu.
• Apocalypse Meow was named Apocalypse Angel.
• Eva Gilman had the inappropriate trait in addition to heavy sleeper, even though it is normally unavailable for toddlers.
• In addition, many Sims have slightly different appearances.

Cut Sims

Below is a list of Sims who were cut from the final release of The Sims 3 Pets on console. They were discovered in beta versions, thanks to Morgyn.

• Penumbra Plain was supposed to be Lilith Plain's cat, but cut from the final release of the game.
• Lily Gates was supposed to be the girlfriend of Ossie Madison and also pregnant with twins.
• Ossie Madison who was supposed to be the boyfriend of Lily and father to the twins.
• Jason Austen, a sim who was supposed to appear not only in The Sims 3 Pets on console but also The Sims 3 for console.
• Joseph Gilman is a cut Gilman family member who was supposed to make an appearance in Sugar Maple Coast but was cut from the final release.
• Adam Gilman is a cut Gilman family member who was supposed to be the husband of Cassandra Goth.
• Cassandra Goth was supposed to make an appearance as Adam Gilman's wife.
• Wolfgang Goth is a cut Goth family member who was supposed to be the child of Adam Gilman and Cassandra Goth.
• Gunther Goth, not to be confused with the actual Gunther Goth, was another child of Adam Gilman and Cassandra Goth.
• Fricorith Tricou was supposed to make an appearance in Sugar Maple Coast, possibly still living.
• Lilith Pleasant was supposed to make an appearance in Sugar Maple Coast but became Lilith Plain in the final version.
• Buck Oakley was supposed to make an appearance in Sugar Maple Coast but was cut from the final release.
• Flynn McGill is a cut sim who was supposed to make an appearance in Sugar Maple Coast. It's possible he might've been an early version of Eron Angel.

Families

• The Gilman and Kingsley households have swapped lots.
• Pennington Kingsley is absent.
• Some families have slightly reworded descriptions:
  • Branson family: "Their son Brock stars on several school sports teams and is an accomplished angler."
  • Dungworth family: "It is clear he is wealthy, but how he came by his money no one seems to know. The gossip is he made his fortune in Bridgeport before moving to the area to retire and spend time with his daughter."
  • Gilman family: "The Gilman family is the richest in town, as their sprawling estate attests. They are also among the oldest families in the area... The elderly Johnstone is the family patriarch, and a savvy businessman. He recently passed on the running of the family company to his son Vincent and spends his days with doting on his new granddaughter and dabbling in local politics."
  • Kingsley family: "...His wife has grown used to his particular ways, though it gets to her from time to time. His kids chafe from his need for everything to be just so."

Lots

• The Gilman Hill Graveyard is named Community graveyard. The map tag is also blue instead of red.
• Coastal Cave lacks a lot name.
• In the first prototype, Lobster Blues Restaurant is referred to as Lobster Blues Restaurant & Trading Company, explaining its multi-purpose use. By the May 31st build, this has been removed, with the lot name being blank.
• Some lots have different objects.

Objects

• The Ghost Zapper was originally called the Ghost Gun.
• The Ghost Positioning System 2.0's full name was the Ghost Positioning System 2.0 by Landgraab Industries.
• The LIRVX2K Teleporter's full name was the RVX2K Teleporter by Landgraab Industries.

Karma powers

Quake Maker from The Sims 3 for console was originally going to return, retaining its functionality and description. At some point, it was replaced by Solar Flare.

Mystery journal

Many of the mysteries are incomplete, lacking rewards and dedicated icons, with only the basic outlines present. However, The Pirate Treasure and Necessity is the Mother of Invention stand out as the most complete quests, with their text identical to the final version. In addition, Dog Days of Summer and Just Nine Lives to Live have an intermediate level of text written, needing only specific refinement to many sections. This makes The Socialite Club the least complete entry, with only its first chapter complete.

Interestingly, it appears Dog Days was originally going to contain the town's name, which also seems to be undecided at this point.

The Pirate Treasure

In the May 17th prototype, The Pirate Treasure followed a much longer narrative than in the final game. The player would have helped Ester Moth, the elderly owner of the town's bookstore, recover the journal of relic collector Garrett Shaw, which snowballs into finding numerous relics and the treasures of the Queen Bella's Revenge.

The mystery involved multiple investigation chapters, including recovering stolen doubloons, deciphering a translated ledger, and interacting with Samuel Gilman and Max Dalton, the latter aiding the player in locating the ship’s hidden treasure. The player retrieves his old velvet bag, containing yellowed letters meant for his beloved; the player mailed them to her descendants, receiving a locket to bury at his grave. The papers and the locket were the true treasures all along, with the burial implying Max’s spirit was finally laid to rest.

The interactions with the ghosts align with the biographies of Samuel and Max. It also revealed a plethora of information:

• Garrett Shaw, a local relic collector, donated much of the maritime museum’s collection.
• The Lucky Dog relics were modeled after a small, squat dog named Barnacle, the mascot of one of the pirate ships. The artist was one of the men aboard.
• Ester's Books & Scrolls is named after its owner, Ester Moth, and contains various town records, including the ledger tied to the mystery.
• The Redbrick Community Theater is owned by the Angel family. Its current owner is Carlos Angel, while a relative, Miguel, managed it previously.
• The Angel and Wolff families served as caretakers of the Rock’s Edge Lighthouse for generations. The elder Wolff had passed away recently.
• Xavier Angel’s ranch was located near White Squirrel Community Garden, instead of Seastone Terrace by the lighthouse, which matches the area’s farmland geography. It is unknown why this was changed.
• A Sim named Benito Wolff was the son of one of the town’s original settlers; this makes the Wolff family part of the original population.
• The crypt keeper of the mausoleum was named Mara. However, in the final game, the crypt keeper is male and unnamed.
• Samuel Gilman is depicted as an angry and bitter ghost, and is ailurophobic (afraid of cats).
• Max Dalton, his former first mate, is friendlier and tells the player about Samuel’s fear of cats to make him talk.
• Samuel’s great-great-grandson buried the Queen Bella’s Revenge logbook at the Old Gilman Farmstead. Since Johnstone’s biography mentions he is "a many-times-great-grandson of Samuel," the digger is likely Vincent.
• In life, Samuel often joked with Max and buried three caches, each containing a fragment of a riddle revealing the treasure’s location.

This lengthy storyline was condensed into its final state by May 31st. Many broader elements remain, such as the untranslated ledger, the relics, the caches, the logbook, the mystery of Samuel Gilman, the anchor, and the treasures located deep within Coastal Cave. However, Garrett, Ester, and Max's roles are cut entirely, while Samuel is never interacted with. This also eliminates the need to visit or dig around the lighthouse, Old Gilman Farmstead, and Goth Manor. The ledger is instead found at Seastone Terrace and the cache is retrieved from one of the ponds in Central Park, with the ship's logbook trapped deep within the catacombs. Additionally, the pirate scimitars, along with the wheel of the ship, are found in a junk pile in Captain's Refuge, rather than Garrett's lockbox.

Overall, the reworked version keeps only the essential themes and story beats of the mystery, while also completely removing the hunt for the ledger, as well as Max Dalton’s story significance. A full summary of the original mystery can be read below.

Full summary

Ester Moth, the elderly owner of the town's bookstore, discovers a fragment of the journal kept by Garrett Shaw, a well-known collector of relics many years ago. She enlists the player's help in tracking down the missing pages, presumably because the sypnosis states Garrett is the player Sim's "distant cousin." Since Garrett was a locally famous oddball collector, the player investigates by asking townspeople about him. One Sim directs the player to the library archives, where an old newspaper clipping is found showing Garrett alongside Miguel Angel, the theater owner at the time. The current theater owner, Carlos Angel, fondly remembers Garrett from childhood and holds the key to Garrett’s safe deposit box in the town hall. Inside the box are a pirate’s scimitar and the missing journal pages, which are returned to Ester. The journal reveals Garrett is responsible for locating half of the objects in the town's musuem. Additionally, it details numerous relics, one of which was located within Xavier Ranch. A Sim explains it was named after Xavier Angel, and it was located near the White Squirrel Community Garden; the player possibly finds Octo Avis Second there. After a while, the police chief contacts the player, reporting that gold doubloons were stolen from the museum, with three still missing. One person found a "shiny coin" on the beach; this finder later admits to hiding a second doubloon in the junk pile behind the pub, presumably The Llama & the Hound. A shady figure then appears from the kitchen and hands the third doubloon to the player in exchange for "a favor to be named later." All three doubloons are eventually returned to the police. During the cleanup after the robbery, museum staff uncover an old, lost display originating from the same shipwreck as the doubloons. The curator concludes that the coins must have come from an unknown pirate ship, rather than the previously suspected settler shipwreck. The mayor tasks the player with investigating this new lead to attract more tourists. In preparation, Ester provides a worn ledger that requires translation. This ledger turns out to be the diary of a man shipwrecked on the town’s coastline long ago. His ship carried a small, squat dog named Barnacle, for whom he carved a figure. The player recovers this figure near the pond at 210 Old Cedar Mill Road, but no pirate artifacts are found. The ledger is returned to Ester, who notices a familiar name: Benito Wolff, the son of one of the town’s original settlers. The Wolff and Angel families served as caretakers of the lighthouse for many years, which now houses many belongings of the recently deceased elder Wolff. The player is warned to visit only during the day to avoid encountering "the ghost of the Perla." Inside, they find an old iron key marked with an unfamiliar symbol. An eccentric local recognizes the symbol as originating from Gilman Hill, the town’s original name, and advises the player to dig around the lighthouse perimeter for a potential lockbox. Something is unearthed that reveals the Queen Bella's Revenge was a pirate ship helmed by Samuel Gilman, who is buried at the graveyard named after him - Gilman Hill Graveyard. In addition, there was another pirate ship called The Hawthorne. The crypt keeper, Mara, explains that the rest of the Gilman clan is interred in the catacombs, also complaining about amateur ghost hunters loitering at midnight. Following her lead, the player tracks down one of these hunters, which reveals that Samuel’s ghost often argues with another spirit. Samuel’s ghost is irritable and uncooperative, so the player instead speaks with Max Dalton, his former first mate. Max is friendly and explains that Samuel became ill-tempered after passing. Although Samuel made Max swear never to tell the story of the Queen Bella’s Revenge, the oath did not include the ship’s log. Samuel is the only one who knows its location, but Max suggests an alternative: scare Samuel with a cat, exploiting his ailurophobia. Samuel begrudingly discloses his great-great grandson buried the logbook in his old house, the Old Gilman Farmstead. The player digs around the haunted estate and finds the decayed logbook, but only its recent pages survive. Clues from it point toward the ship washing ashore near the coastal cave, where a large anchor is excavated and put on display at Central Park. Afterward, the player somehow receives a call from Max Dalton, yearning to locate the treasure of the Queen Bella’s Revenge. The map, however, is hidden somewhere in the unexplored catacombs. Upon investigation, the player discovers that the map is actually three separate maps, each pointing to a different cache. Confounded, Max suggests checking the cache near the lighthouse first; inside, a scrap of canvas reads: "Dalton’s treasure lies where the sea kisses the land." Max laughs, recalling Samuel’s sense of humor, but admits he still doesn’t understand the meaning. The second cache is found near 1113 Rocky Pine Run, containing a captain’s hat and another scrap of canvas: "Dalton’s treasure lies where the waves are heard but never seen." Max calls Samuel an "old, salty dog" and notes that the final cache is said to be near Goth Manor. However, the player finds a recent dig spot. A Sim explains that his dog, Roby, discovered the box, but angry spirits attacked his house when they brought it home. The cache is subsequently mailed to the player, who immediately delivers it to Max. Piecing together the three scraps, the complete riddle reads: "Dalton’s treasure lies where the sea kisses the land. Where the waves are heard but never seen. Where creatures fly but no birds are found." The player deduces that the treasure must be in the coastal cave. As they depart to retrieve it, Max asks for his velvet bag to be returned afterward. The player attempts to go spelunking in the cave, but to no avail. They consult a guide to the local caves and discover a narrow tunnel only small pets could fit through. Their pet ventures through the narrow crevices and discovers a room overflowing with treasures; they find the velvet bag and bring it back outside. Within the bag are yellowed papers. Max explains they were letters he wrote to his beloved, but was unable to send them across the sea. He asks the player to mail them to her descendants, while the player also informs the mayor about the coastal treasures for excavation at a later date. Several days later, the household receives a thank-you letter from the recipient of Max’s letters. Along with the note is a locket, accompanied by a request that it be buried at Max’s gravesite. As they throw the last bit of dirt atop the locket, the player strangely feels at peace, and suspects Max does as well.

Just Nine Lives to Live

The basic idea of the mystery is present, though it is the only entry to lack dedicated chapter titles at this stage of development. The only major difference seems to be during the lighthouse chapter, where the player cat was to hunt lizards and spiders for Mr. Snugglywhiskers. Instead of hunting three of each, five were required.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

The mystery is identical to the final version. However, after the player sent an e-mail to the museum curator explaining the history of the silver mine painting, the curator would have berated them for telling such an outlandish tale, "firing" them as their assistant. It is unknown what the last objective would have been after this response, as it is not an epilogue, though it could have been to write another e-mail. The chapter would have finished after completing this step.

In the final version, the mystery ends on a more positive note; it concludes after sending the e-mail to the curator, whose response is not shown. The first part of the text was used as the epilogue.

The Socialite Club

The Socialite Club’s temporary synopsis does not appear to match its actual content, as it asks, "Why is this town here? What is its history? Such a mystery!" Much of the actual text is incomplete, though all chapter titles remain, differing notably from those in the final release.

The core mystery itself resembles the final version, but with several unique objectives that were later cut. One goal directed the player to kiss a Sim between delivering food and playing darts, which was likely removed to avoid forcing romantic interactions onto the player.

In the final game, the mystery ends after showing a Sim "scandalous evidence" from a trash can. However, in the prototypes, the quest would have continued after this point. The next step would have been to practice dancing with a Sim. Afterward, ghosts would somehow appear, and the player would have to speak with one ghost, labeled Ghost A; this is followed by meeting a ghost cat who requested a fish, and finally, dancing with a second ghost Sim. Talking with Ghost B would have completed the mystery.

According to the temporary epilogue blurb, dialogue with this second ghost would allegedly reveal that the town was built over a gnome village. This reveal about the town's history fits the original title and sypnosis of this quest, rather than it being entirely centered around the Socialite Club. Additionally, the presence of two ghost Sims and a ghost cat aligns with the ghosts that would be found in Gilman Hill Graveyard, which possibly indicates they represent Samuel Gilman, Max Dalton, and Piper Pixel. Furthermore, Ghost A only being spoken to once while Ghost B is more responsive corresponds with Samuel and Max's depictions in the May 17th build of The Pirate Treasure.

Skills

Browsing the "Add or Increment Skill" debug option will reveal all the skills present, ordered according to the game:

Diving

The hidden Diving skill was introduced in World Adventures, then retroactively added to The Sims 3 via Patch 42. This patch was released on October 29, 2012, a full year after The Sims 3: Pets was released on consoles.

Although the skill is present in the game, neither diving boards nor dive wells are available, making it impossible to dive.

Hunting oddities

The "Hunting" skill is actually the Digging skill (which is the final console version of Hunting for dogs).

Of interest is the "Ghost Hunting" skill, which was never an actual skill (hidden or otherwise), but a profession or activity. In the Sept. 8th (final) build, selecting the "Cat Hunting" option will add one level to the Hunting skill for cats, while nothing *visible* occurs selecting "Ghost Hunting".

Regardless of species, in the older May builds, any Sim or pet can be given these skills, leading to glitched visual effects. Using the "Ghost Hunting" option will either display a bugged version of the Logic skill for Sims, or nothing in the skill panel, but the correct Hunting icon in the skill tab for cats. Opening the Skill Journal displays the Athletic icon and no text whatsover. This version lacks proper strings, revealing its filename in the skills tab.

The Cat Hunting variant incorrectly displays the Inventing icon in the skill panel, but correctly shows the feline Hunting icon upon viewing the skill tab and its Skill Journal. In the skill tab, this skill is called "Hunting" and is accompanied by the text, "TMP I'm a cat hunting description." The statistics and the skill milestones greatly resemble the final product, including all references to ghost hunting and telekinesis, but in a less refined state.

The Sims 4

Base game

Unused traits

Trait	Notes	Pack
Rebellious	This trait was originally discovered in the game files after patch 88, but it is left in an unfinished state and not in the game.[7] Not to be confused with the childhood phase of the same name in The Sims 4: Parenthood. A similar trait, disruptive, would eventually be included in The Sims 4: Enchanted by Nature.	&BG
Never Nude	There is no trait of it in the game files, but there is an unused Create a Sim animation that references the trait after being selected.	&BG

Create a Sim Photobooth

In a beta version of the game which allowed players to test Create a Sim, there was originally a feature where photos can be taken of Sims after they are finished, which a bunch of unique animations and backdrops of Willow Creek. In the final game, the photobooth was scrapped and some of the animations were reused but slightly altered for the camera photos feature in live mode.

Prototype World Select

In the files of the game, there is very early version of the world select. Instead of each world select having its own area on the UI, every world would have been present on a 3D model of a globe.

Playing Chess and Using Computer While Standing

A few unused animations show that Sims were planned to be able to play games of chess and use a computer without needing to sit down, but this never made it into the final version.

Child Romance

There are multiple files referencing children being able to romance each other. The interactions no longer exist, but the unused animations are still present in the game files.

Breakup Texts

Some animations reference being able to break up with another Sim on the phone, but it didn't make it into the final game. It was later added in The Sims 4: Lovestruck.

Test household

Hidden in the files is a test household, the Jacobs household, consisting of Darin Jacobs and Jaycee Beyer. Both have clothing from certain content packs, and Darin has traits only from expansion packs. They were probably used to test the game being able to load households with content packs not installed during an unknown patch. Since they were not planned to be in any world, they were cut from the game after testing and remain unplayable.

Audible Neighbor Activities

Originally in The Sims 4, players could hear sounds from their neighbors' houses, such as Sims playing music, watching TV, talking, microwaving food, cleaning, etc. This feature was removed with the Outdoor Retreat patch. It was intended to be disabled specifically for Vacation Rentals, as the sound effects wouldn’t align with the different setup of rental lots. However, it appears the feature was inadvertently disabled for all types of lots and was never reinstated.^[8]

Whims

Whims were a feature present in the game that were similar to wishes but were replaced with wants and fears in patch 132.

Get Together

Harvest stands

Harvest stands can be seen on the early concept art of The Sims 4: Get Together. Sims could probably purchase and/or sell harvestables using these stands. They were instead later included in The Sims 4: City Living and The Sims 4: Cottage Living. The one in City Living only allows Sims to buy produce, and the one in Cottage Living allows Sims to buy and sell produce.

City Living

Unreleased families

Four unused families intended for San Myshuno exist in the game files. Pond, consisting of Jimmy and his daughter Alaina. Powers, consisting of Randy, Lily, and their daughter Kennedy. Riveria, consisting of Rita Riviera and her roommate Memphis Waters. Campbells, consisting of Andy Campbells, Iko Yono, and Joel Meadows.

Beta Version of Penny Pizzazz

An unused version of Penny Pizzazz can be found in the game files. She was originally lighter, had pink hair, and wore bright pink clothing. However, she was later reworked into how she currently looks in the game as a separate Sim, while her beta version is unplayable.

Seasons

Snow Depth Prototype

During the development of The Sims 4: Seasons, Maxis tested a snow depth prototype in the Sage Estates neighborhood, with the snow layer raising everywhere except on roads and lots, where it remained flat. This was likely due to the feature not being fully implemented and was ultimately cut from the final release.^[9] Deep snow was later added to The Sims 4: Snowy Escape. Sims can potentially encounter it while on a mountain climbing excursion, making them walk much slower.

Island Living

Hammocks

In the files of the game, there is an unfinished model of a hammock without textures that was going to be in The Sims 4: Island Living. When using cheats to place it onto a lot in-game, it is not functional.

Snowy Escape

Shrine Interactions

Many shrine interactions that are present on the shrines at Mt. Komorebi in The Sims 4: Snowy Escape such as bowing and taking selfies infront of them were originally going to be in the pack, but were later removed after backlash from South Korean Simmers. These interactions are hidden in-game and can be reactivated using mods.

Oriental Roof Trim

A new roof trim was available during the early access of The Sims 4: Snowy Escape but was removed from the final release due to alleged "technical issues."

Journey to Batuu

Beta Lightsaber Animations

Early versions of animations of Sims using the lightsabers still exist in the game, but were later replaced with better and more polished versions.

MySims Kingdom

Princess Butter was originally planned to have considerably blonder hair and more pale skin than in the released version of MySims Kingdom.

The Sims Social

These celebrities were mentioned as appearing soon on the Sims Social Blog, but never appeared in the game.

Sources

• The Cutting Room Floor - The Sims For Windows
• The Cutting Room Floor - The Sims 2 For Windows
• The Cutting Room Floor - The Sims 3 For Windows
• The Cutting Room Floor - The Sims 3 For Wii
• The Cutting Room Floor - The Sims 4

See also

• Unused accessories
• Unreleased neighborhoods

References