First introduced in The Sims 2, the hobbies system is back in The Sims 4 via a nifty and meaty update. You can now choose a hobby of your preference from 12 different categories that range from literature to the occult and a bunch of others in between.
Naturally, your first instinct is to follow your personal preferences when choosing which hobby to give to your Sims. However, what if you want something practical and beneficial within the game world while also being an all-around hobby to pick up? The cream of the crop, as they say. Well, several hobbies in The Sims 4 are better than most, and these should at least be considered during your playthrough.
10 Painting
A hobby that will demand a significant chunk of your Sim’s time and effort, painting can be a gratifying hobby to partake in. Creativity and the emotional state of your Sim will be the driving factors once you put this skill to the test. Painting, when your Sim is inspired, will also place multipliers on the experience that you can obtain after every completed project.
Certain paintings that were made while your Sim was feeling one particular dominant emotion can also affect the mood of the room where the painting is displayed. Keep this in mind, and don’t sell all your paintings as soon as possible. As a career path, painting can also be quite lucrative, but again, you will need to pour a lot of time into this hobby to see notable financial gains for your Sim.
9 DJ Mixing
Available after you install the Get Together Pack, DJ Mixing is a relatively new hobby to get into. While the potential to make decent bank with DJ Mixing is possible, you won’t see any considerable Simoleons flowing into your Sim’s bank account until you have this skill at a higher level.
What makes this particular hobby one of the best around is the buckets of fun that it brings to the table. Starting levels will unlock basics that will come in handy once your skill zooms past level five, and that’s where the enjoyment begins. You also get the chance to equip your Sim with their own Daft Punk-inspired helmet.
8 Music
Everybody wanted to be a singer or musician at one point in their lives, right? Not all are blessed with a penchant for creating beautiful melodies, but your Sim can certainly achieve that dream. Have your Sim learn how to play various musical instruments such as the guitar, piano, violin, etc.
The music hobby can open up a lot of interesting paths for your Sim's career. You can start busking to earn a little bit on the side, by playing your instrument of choice, specifically the guitar, anywhere and have Townies give you some tips. For a more authentic busking experience, install the City Living DLC, as this location features a busking platform.
In addition, improving your musical skills can even allow your Sim to write songs that you can license to earn more Simoleons. You will need to level up your music and instrument of choice to level 8 for this pretty lucrative skill. Music will always be present in any list concerning hobbies, as it is one of the most spiritually fulfilling to attain, even in the digital world of The Sims.
7 Rocket Science
It's not everyone’s cup of tea, but the career path that opens up with this particular skill and hobby can be one of the best. Taking up rocket science is aiming for the moon, literally. It is a fascinating skill to give to your Sims and can also prove to be quite beneficial over time.
Choosing rocket science will allow you to take part in the Space Ranger branch. This career path may not be in the upper ranks of the highest-paying jobs in The Sims 4, but it is certainly the most exciting. Plus, it does provide a decent salary, and the chances of obtaining some rare and valuable objects further increase the monetary potential.
6 Baking
Baking as a hobby already has some nice perks for your Sim’s sweet tooth, as you pretty much gain access to a treasure trove of delicious delicacies, but combined with some retail know-how? Baking is a scrumptious money-making hobby straight from the oven. In the beginning, your Sim can make a profit by selling baked goods to the local bakery.
Once you reach higher levels and have a slew of baking recipes unlocked, you can then shift to opening your bakery in the game. Create your theme, design the establishment to your liking, and supplement your Sim’s bakery with essential furniture. Customizing the bakery is certainly one of the most rewarding hobbies in the game.
5 Archeology
Included with the Jungle Adventure Game Pack, the archeology skill is another fun new hobby to introduce to your Sim. If your Sim is a rather adventurous soul, then this skill is something that you should check out.
This skill takes up to a level to fully max out, which means tons of fun activities can be unlocked along the way. For example, you can do some actual archeological work by digging up artifacts in Selvadorada like some Simlish-speaking Indiana Jones. While the stuff you dig up will vary in its value, it is an enjoyable activity. Plus, the higher your Archeology level, the more you will have to contend with an amateurish dig spot or a full-blown dig site, which also increases the chances of discovering unique objects.
4 Writing
Another 10-level skill and hobby for your Sim, the Writing skill will open up a slew of fun careers that will harness your Sim's creativity as a wordsmith. Level 1 Writing will provide your Sim with the choice to write a Children’s book, with later levels unlocking the ability to craft novels for different genres such as fantasy and science fiction.
Leveling up this particular skill is also quite fun, and some methods might be familiar to some of you, such as taking Thoughtful Showers for inspiration. Writing multiple bestsellers can also significantly increase your weekly salary. If nothing else, the ability to write Love Emails and send them to another Sim is an old-school way to be romantic, and everyone loves the classics.
3 Gardening
If you have Seasons and Cottage Living installed, then you have access to one of the more profitable and best hobbies in the game. Gardening can lead to some excellent activities, namely flower arranging. If you have a green thumb in real life, then all the better, as you will undoubtedly get more satisfaction from this hobby.
Planting specific plants will also net you a huge profit once harvest season sets in. If you already love gardening, then giving your Sims this skill set will rake in huge bundles of cash over time. It's definitely a worthwhile hobby to pursue in The Sims 4.
2 Arts And Crafts
This hobby is available through the Cottage Living DLC and is one of the more gratifying and relaxing hobbies to pursue in The Sims 4. While not exactly ranked highly as a potentially money-spinning endeavor for your Sim to pursue, Knitting and Cross-stitching unlock a broad selection of patterns that your Sim can make that you can then sell via the in-game online store, Plopsy.
Again, this hobby won’t accumulate wealth as fast as other skills as it falls under the ‘long game’ of Simoleon-making activities. That said, for the creative arts and crafts soul, this particular hobby will be extremely satisfying.
1 Woodworking
This one might be a surprise for some, but woodworking is not only an incredibly useful hobby in The Sims 4, but it can also be a pretty good source of income for your Sim. The downside here is that, despite how useful this skill and hobby are in the game, they often get overlooked by developers when updating the game. For one, selling woodwork furniture does not count towards earning or aspirations connected to that category.
By leveling up your handiness, your Sim will become a one-man creating machine. You can have your Sim start carving sculptures, which is satisfying at a creative level, and if you need to refill your bank, make high-quality dining tables and bathtubs—that is where the money is.