How do you become a ghost in The Sims 4?
Your Sim dies, and then you choose. EA says that a pop-up appears with two options: Become a Playable Ghost, or Become a Freeroaming Ghost. You can also make a ghost in Create a Sim, with no death in the game.
Ghosts come with the base game. You do not need a pack. The Life and Death expansion pack adds more, such as ghost powers. This guide follows the EA Help page about ghosts, which we opened on the day that we wrote this post.
What is the difference between a playable and a freeroaming ghost?
A playable ghost stays in the household. You control it. A freeroaming ghost leaves the household. It haunts the lot where its urn or tombstone stands.
You can change your mind. Select the urn or the tombstone of the Sim and choose Add Ghost to Household. The Sim then becomes playable.
What is Rebirth?
With the Life and Death expansion pack, a third option appears: Rebirth. EA says that it is only for Sims that completed the Dreams Fulfilled tier of the Soul’s Journey. If the Sim did not complete it, the option is gray.
For other ways to bring a Sim home, read how to bring a Sim back to life in The Sims 4.
How do you make a ghost in Create a Sim?
Use these steps. They come from the EA page.
- Create any Sim.
- Select Pick a Cause of Death! at the top left of the Sim Molecule.
- Choose a cause of death.
- Select Toggle Ghost Overlay to switch between the living look and the ghost look.
You see only the deaths that your packs give you. Some deaths belong to one age. EA gives an example: only elders can die of old age. The urn or the tombstone of the new ghost is in the personal inventory of the Sim.
With the Life and Death expansion pack, the Ghost Full Body category shows outfits that only ghosts can wear.
Who can become a ghost?
EA lists these groups.
- Elder, adult, young adult, teen, and child Sims.
- All occult types.
- Elder cats and elder dogs, with the Cats and Dogs expansion pack.
- Elder horses, with the Horse Ranch expansion pack.
EA does not list babies, infants, or toddlers. A ghost cannot have a child. EA says this in its pregnancy guide. Read how to have a baby in The Sims 4 for the three ways to get one.
What do ghosts need?
A ghost has different needs from a living Sim. EA lists the replacements.
| Living need | Ghost need |
|---|---|
| Bladder | Goo Waste |
| Hunger | Ethereal Sustenance |
| Energy | Otherworldly Slumber |
| Fun | Spooky Diversions |
| Social | Ethereal Bonding |
| Hygiene | Apparition Cleansing |
Marriage and career progress do not carry over to the ghost. When two married Sims die, they are no longer married. They can marry again with the Ask to Stay Married interaction.
Why does my ghost say it is Moving On?
Ghosts fade over time. When this starts, a notification says that the ghost is Moving On. To stop it, select the urn or the tombstone and choose Strengthen Connection.
You can also let a ghost go. Choose Release Spirit to the Netherworld on the urn or tombstone. EA warns that you cannot bring this ghost back after that. Do not choose it by mistake.
What can you do with an urn or a tombstone?
EA lists many interactions. Some examples are Mourn Past Life, Possess, Engrave Epitaph, Read Epitaph, Leave Sugar Skull Offering, and Put in Inventory. By default, the game shows a tombstone outside and an urn inside. You can turn that off.
What powers does a ghost have?
The power of a ghost depends on how the Sim died. EA calls these the cause of death abilities. Here are examples from the EA list.
| Cause of death | What the ghost does | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Death by Fire | Starts random fires on the lot | Base game |
| Death by Drowning | Fears water, and puddles appear when it moves | Base game |
| Death by Electrocution | Gives Sims an electric shock | Base game |
| Death by Laughter | Makes nearby Sims playful | Base game |
| Death by Freezing | Can freeze Sims and put out fires | Seasons expansion pack |
| Death by Broken Heart | Is furious near romantic Sims | Lovestruck expansion pack |
| Death by Old Age | Naps a lot | Base game |
EA says that only elders can die of old age or of overexertion. Ghost colors also change with the mood. For example, an angry ghost is red, a happy ghost is green, and a fine ghost is white.
What is Ghost Mastery?
Ghost Mastery is a feature of the Life and Death expansion pack. Ghost powers use Stamina. When Stamina is low, the ghost looks more faded. It returns to full color when Stamina refills.
Use of powers earns experience. The ghost then moves up through five levels: Wispling, Ethereal Novice, Phantasmal Ascendant, Spectral Luminary, and Transcendent Wraith. Each level gives Perk Points for more abilities.
Good or evil
The Mastery Panel has an evil side, a neutral middle, and a good side. Evil powers earn Fear Essence. Good powers earn Goodwill Essence. EA says that a ghost can sell both to the merchant Waylon Warez to earn money.
The top evil power is the Otherworldly Curse. The top good power is the Benevolent Blessing. Both need the level Transcendent Wraith. Each also unlocks a tattoo only for ghosts: the Mark of Evil or the Mark of Good.
What is the Soul’s Journey for a ghost?
EA says that a Sim can still work toward its Soul’s Journey after it becomes a ghost. This needs the Life and Death expansion pack. Two tiers matter for this post. Rebirth needs the Dreams Fulfilled tier. The interaction Move Onto the Great Beyond needs the No Regrets tier.
Rebirth gives a Sim a new life. Move Onto the Great Beyond ends the ghost for good. Both use the urn or the tombstone. Plan the choice before you click, because EA states that Release Spirit to the Netherworld cannot be undone.
EA also lists an interaction for Rebirthed Sims: Recognize Familiar Name. It appears only on the old urn or tombstone of the Sim.
How do you stop ghosts on your lot?
With gravestones or urns on your lot, ghosts probably appear on their own. EA says that the No Ghosts Allowed Sign stops this. Place it in Build Mode. The sign comes with the Life and Death expansion pack.
Does LifeSim have ghosts?
No. We found no ghost feature in LifeSim. It is a free game in the browser, and it is a different kind of game. You live one life in a real city, and the people around you talk to you and remember you.
If you want a haunting, a Netherworld, and a Mastery Panel, play The Sims 4. Read LifeSim vs The Sims for the full comparison.
Questions
Do you need a pack to play a ghost?
No. EA says that ghosts come with the base game. Ghost Mastery needs the Life and Death expansion pack.
Can a ghost work or marry?
EA says that the career progress and the marriage do not carry over. Married Sims can ask to stay married after they die.
Can a ghost WooHoo?
With the Life and Death expansion pack, yes. EA calls it Possess WooHoo for two ghosts, and Transcendent WooHoo for a ghost and a living Sim. See the EA WooHoo guide for the rules.