The Sims 4 Spa Day Game Pack Refresh Review: Time to Hit the Spa… Again! (PC)

The Sims 4 Spa Day is the second Game Pack for The Sims 4. It was met with a positive reception in its initial release in 2015. In 2021, on September 7th, the popular Game Pack received a big update, adding more gameplay and content. The question is: was it worth it? Is Spa Day better than before, or still the same? From new aspirations to manicures and pedicures, let’s dive into The Sims 4 Spa Day to find out.

The refreshed version of The Sims 4 Spa Day comes as a free update to those who already own the original Game Pack. You do not need to pay extra for the new content. Those who purchase the Pack after the update will get both the original and new content.

The Sims 4 Spa Day is now available for PC, PS4/PS5, and Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S.

STORY – LET YOUR SIMS UNWIND

The Sims 4 Spa Day doesn’t actually have a story. There aren’t any new major characters or neighborhoods. The whole concept of Spa Day is pretty simple: your Sims get to go to the spa and relax, whether it’s getting a massage or performing yoga or sitting in the sauna. Your Sims don’t even have to go to the spa venue to do all this stuff. They can relax right at home. They can buy themselves a yoga mat or have a mud bath in their own bathtub. You can even get your Sims their own sauna if you want.

You get 4 new venues with Spa Day; a gym and 3 spas. The gym is your standard gym, but the equipment is new with Spa Day, all very sleek and shiny. The spas, on the other hand, are a completely new type of venue. You’ll typically get meditation cushions, baths, saunas, massage tables and chairs, and yoga mats; everything you need for a session of pampering and relaxation. You’ll also get lockers to change your Sims’ clothes, as well as showers and toilets. Some of the spas also come with facilities so your Sims can grab a bite to eat. The spa venues also come with two new types of NPC: yoga instructors and masseurs/masseuses. Yoga instructors will lead yoga sessions, and masseurs/masseuses give your Sims massages.

This is the Perfect Balance Spa, one of three spas that come with Spa Day.

The one thing you do have to note is that after the Spa Day refresh, the new objects will not be added to the original venues. You’ll have to enter Build Mode and add these yourself. You won’t miss out on anything if you don’t though. These new objects are just new designs of original objects, not brand-new objects with new gameplay. You can replace the old stuff with newly-designed yoga mats or massage chairs if you want, but don’t feel obliged to. (Note: Whilst the new objects are mainly redesigns of original objects, the new massage chair and table is portable and can be carried around in your Sim’s inventory, so they can offer their massaging services anywhere.)

GAMEPLAY – MORE WAYS TO RELAX

One of the purposes of the Spa Day refresh was to add more gameplay. Before the update, your Sims could do yoga, sit in the sauna, get massages, meditate, and have special baths. You can still do all of that, but now you can do even more.

MENTOR OTHERS OR PROFIT FROM WELLNESS

You’ve observed the yoga instructors teaching classes. You’ve received massages from the masseurs/masseuses. However, your Sims couldn’t do any of that stuff themselves. What if your Sims could lead a class, or give another Sim a massage? Thanks to the refresh, your Sims can now take the lead role, as long as they have at least level 2 of the Wellness Skill. They can instruct a group of Sims in yoga and lead meditation sessions. They can also offer massages, as well as pedicures and manicures. Your Sims will even get paid for their efforts, and quite generously, too. This is a great way for your Sims to make some money from the Wellness Skill. They could even make a career out of it, if they so wished, or a side-line to their day job.

Your Sims can now give others massages for money, as well as offering other services.

Giving other Sims a massage or pedicure/manicure is very easy. If you have a massage table or chair available, you can approach any visiting Sim and offer them your services. You don’t need to befriend them first or register as an official masseur/masseuse. Your Sim will just briefly speak to the other Sim and they’ll happily go along with it.

Leading yoga classes and meditation sessions, on the other hand, is a little more temperamental. For example, to lead a yoga class, you first need to select the yoga mat at the front and select the option to lead a class. That’s easy enough, but then you need to find some Sims to take part in your session. It’s not always easy getting Sims to come over. You may have to find some Sims and instruct them to join your class. They should obediently head over to a free yoga mat, ready to begin the class, but it’s not always that straightforward.

The Sims might get stuck and the action gets cancelled out, or they don’t make it in time. If you can’t get any Sims to join your class, it’ll automatically get scratched. The good news is that you can try and start the class again immediately, but it can still be a pain getting it going.

GET THE YOUNG ONES INVOLVED

There’s good news for your young Sims: they can now partake in Wellness activities! Children can now do yoga (which builds their Motor Skill) and meditate (boosting their Mental Skill). Children can only do the Family Friendly yoga exercise, but it’s better than nothing. Children can also lead yoga and meditation sessions, but they won’t get paid for it. There are some things that children cannot do, such as get massages. They also can’t get manicures and pedicures, which is odd, since you can give their nails a makeover in Create A Sim. Still, at least the kids can get more involved than before. On an additional note, toddlers can use the yoga mat, too, but they can only play on it.

This Sim’s kids are joining him in a yoga session.

NICE NEW NAILS AND FACIAL PACKS

If you like fancy nails, then you’ll love this brand-new feature. For the first time ever in not just The Sims 4 but the history of The Sims franchise (unless you count mods), you can decorate your Sims’ nails! Not only can you change the color, but you can also choose the length and shape, and choose from different designs. Your Sims can get some seriously glamorous nails. The good news is that you don’t need to head to the spa to get a pedicure or manicure to get your Sims’ nails done.

You can customize your Sims’ nails right in Create A Sim, whether you’re creating a new Sim from scratch or jumping into CAS in Live Mode. You can change your Sims’ nails as much as you want, but bear in mind that certain designs may only be exclusive to certain nail shapes. Toe nails can also be done, but only in solid colors.

Sims of all age groups and genders can benefit from getting their nails done, even toddlers. Only teens and older can get the really long fancy nails though. There’s more good news: if you don’t own Spa Day, you still get to customize your Sims’ nails in the base game. You won’t get the long glam nails, but at least you won’t miss out.

These nails were designed by Ebonix, a Sims Creator.

Another new feature added to Spa Day is facial packs. Before, your Sims wore face packs when having a special soak. Now, your Sims can purchase and wear facial masks that they can wear anywhere. Even kids get to wear cute animal facial packs. To get them, you must have the brand-new mini-fridge that contains the facial packs. With the mini-fridge, you can purchase and wear a variety of facial packs, each with their own effects and benefits. It’s disappointing that you can’t buy them from the normal fridges though.

NEW WELLNESS ASPIRATIONS AND A NEW CHALLENGING TRAIT

With all this new stuff your Sims can do, there’s something you need to make the most of it: new aspirations! You don’t just get one new aspiration; you get three! These are Zen Guru, Self-Care Specialist, and Inner Peace. Each of these heavily involves the old and new activities in Spa Day. Self-Care Specialists want to monetize from Wellness activities, Inner Peace Sims want to totally unwind and be at ease, and Zen Gurus want to teach others about mindfulness.

These new aspirations really push you to explore what Spa Day has to offer. However, these aspirations are unique to The Sims 4. Whilst other aspirations have four levels to climb, the new Wellness aspirations only have one level each. The tasks for each of the aspirations are pretty challenging though. For example, one task requires you to make 5000 Simoleons from offering Wellness services. Another requires you to reach level 10 Wellness in order to fulfil the task. One thing for certain: these aspirations will keep your Sims busy.

The new aspirations and trait all center around the spa and Wellness Skill.

There’s also a new trait that comes with Spa Day. The High Maintenance trait ensures that visiting the spa becomes a part of your Sim’s daily routine, or at least doing something relaxing. If your High Maintenance Sim doesn’t do something Wellness-related for a while, they’ll plunge into a negative mood for several hours. The last thing you want is your Sim in a bad mood, hindering their performance at work or their ability to socialize with other Sims. The only cure is to send them to the spa for a while. This might seem like a pain, but your High Maintenance Sims can be managed. Besides, isn’t life (or video games) full of challenges?

GRAPHICS AND AUDIO – NEW CLOTHES, DESIGNS, & NAILS, BUT NO NEW MUSIC

With the refresh, you get one new outfit, which is a tracksuit, available to all age groups. It only comes in 5 colors, which is a shame, but it’s still pretty cozy for your Sims to wear. It would have been nice if some more new clothes had been added as well.

Sims of all ages and genders get this new cozy tracksuit to wear.

What about the new objects? The objects in Spa Day have a nice sleek look to them. The new objects are no different. The new-look yoga mats, meditation cushions, mini-fridge, and massage tables and chairs all look great. Some of the base game objects from The Sims 4 have also been updated with new colors, specifically the towels. You’ve got everything you need to create that perfect modern spa, now with more variety in design and color. It would have been great if we’d got more new stuff though, such as new furniture, or even new decorations. 

One brand-new thing in Spa Day is nails. The graphics for The Sims 4 has been criticized for looking too cartoonish, but they’re actually pretty realistic. Nails are no exception. The nails look gorgeous, and they haven’t cut any corners creating them. There are no jagged edges or blurry designs. What’s great is that not only do you get a variety of colors, but also shapes. You can have short clean nails or long pointy nails. You’ll have a lot of fun trying them out on your Sims. It would be nice to include more designs though, such as flower designs or glittery nails. Maybe in the future?

Just a small point to make in regards to the audio. Unless mistaken, there doesn’t seem to be any new songs added to the game. The original release of Spa Day added the New Age radio station, perfect for creating a tranquil mood at the spa or at home. They could have taken the opportunity to add some new songs to this station, but it seems they didn’t. It feels a little like a missed opportunity.

The Sims 4 Spa Day was reviewed on PC.