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Updated November 8, 2026

The Sims 3 expansion packs, in order

All 11 Sims 3 expansion packs in order with release dates, what each adds, the stuff packs, which packs are best, and where to buy The Sims 3 today.

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How many expansion packs does The Sims 3 have?

The Sims 3 has 11 expansion packs. The first, World Adventures, came out in November 2009. The last, Into the Future, came out in October 2013. The game also has 9 stuff packs, which add items but no new gameplay.

EA released The Sims 3 in June 2009. It still sells the game and its packs today, on the EA app and on Steam. The base game and each pack cost $19.99 on both stores, on the day we checked. Prices change in sales, so check the store before you buy.

We took the dates from Wikipedia and from GamingScan. Both lists give the same date for each pack. The dates are for North America.

What are the Sims 3 expansion packs in order?

These are all 11 expansion packs, from the first to the last:

OrderPackRelease dateWhat it adds
1World AdventuresNovember 18, 2009Travel to Egypt, France, and China. Photography, martial arts, and nectar making.
2AmbitionsJune 1, 2010Careers that you play in person, self-employment, SimBots, and the world Twinbrook.
3Late NightOctober 26, 2010Nightlife in Bridgeport, a fame system for celebrities, vampires, and mixology.
4GenerationsMay 31, 2011Activities for each life stage, such as sleepovers, proms, and home movies.
5PetsOctober 18, 2011Cats and dogs that you control, horses on PC and Mac, and Appaloosa Plains.
6ShowtimeMarch 6, 2012Singer, acrobat, and magician careers, tours with SimPort, and Starlight Shores.
7SupernaturalSeptember 4, 2012Witches, werewolves, and other supernatural Sims, alchemy, and Moonlight Falls.
8SeasonsNovember 13, 2012Seasons and weather in every world, holidays, and festival lots.
9University LifeMarch 5, 2013University with majors and aptitude tests, and the Jocks, Nerds, and Rebels groups.
10Island ParadiseJune 25, 2013The world Isla Paradiso, houseboats, scuba diving, resorts, and mermaids.
11Into the FutureOctober 22, 2013Time travel to Oasis Landing, Plumbots, hoverboards, and future descendants.

Some packs share ideas with packs of The Sims 4. For example, Into the Future has Plumbots, and Supernatural has witches and werewolves. To compare the two games, read our guide to The Sims 3 vs The Sims 4.

What are the Sims 3 stuff packs?

Stuff packs add clothes, furniture, and decor, but not new systems. GamingScan lists these 9 stuff packs:

  • High-End Loft Stuff
  • Fast Lane Stuff
  • Outdoor Living Stuff
  • Town Life Stuff
  • Master Suite Stuff
  • Katy Perry's Sweet Treats
  • Diesel Stuff
  • 70s, 80s, and 90s Stuff
  • Movie Stuff

Wikipedia dates Katy Perry's Sweet Treats to June 2012. We could not confirm the exact dates of the other stuff packs on a page that we opened, so we do not list them.

Players often say that the stuff packs are not worth the full price. In Steam threads such as "Which Sims 3 DLC are worth it?", players tell new buyers to get expansion packs first.

Which Sims 3 expansion packs are the best?

Generations, Seasons, and Late Night are the packs that players rank highest. Snooty Sims puts them in that order at the top of its ranking. Its full list, from best to worst, is:

  1. Generations
  2. Seasons
  3. Late Night
  4. Supernatural
  5. Pets
  6. Ambitions
  7. University Life
  8. World Adventures
  9. Island Paradise
  10. Into the Future
  11. Showtime

Steam players give a similar answer. In the threads that we read, Ambitions, Seasons, and Generations get the most votes, and many players also name Supernatural.

How to pick your first pack

  • For family stories, get Generations.
  • For weather and holidays in every world, get Seasons.
  • To follow your Sim to work, get Ambitions.
  • For a city, fame, and vampires, get Late Night.
  • For magic and werewolves, get Supernatural.

Do you want a challenge to test your packs? Our legacy challenge generator is made for The Sims 4, but its rules work in The Sims 3 too.

Can you still buy The Sims 3 and its packs?

Yes. The EA page for The Sims 3 sells the base game through the EA app for Windows and Mac, the Origin for Mac store, and Steam. Each expansion pack and each stuff pack is a separate purchase.

The EA page lists these add-ons on the day we checked:

  • Each expansion pack and each stuff pack: $19.99.
  • A Worlds Bundle: $19.99.
  • Roaring Heights and Dragon Valley, as Gold Editions: $34.99 each.

Steam lists 19 add-ons at $19.99 each. The "Add all DLC to Cart" total is $379.81, before any sale. The game is also part of EA Play on Steam.

Is there a Sims 3 complete collection?

We found no official bundle with the base game and every pack. Steam has sold "The Sims 3 Packs Collection", with all 11 expansion packs and 8 stuff packs. SimsCommunity says that it did not include Katy Perry's Sweet Treats or the base game. Look for it in the Steam sales.

What about the Sims 3 Store?

The Sims 3 Store sold extra items for SimPoints. EA still has a Sims 3 Store page. We found no official notice that it closed, and no official date for a closure. One blog gives a closure date with no source, so we do not repeat it. Steam also warns that EA can retire online features with 30 days of notice.

Does The Sims 3 work on Windows 11 and Mac?

Mostly yes, on Windows. On Mac, you need the 64-bit version. The details are below.

Windows

EA said that it had "no current plans to update the Windows PC version", says SimsCommunity. Windows stays on version 1.69. In a Steam thread about Windows 11, some players say that the game runs well. Others had launch problems. One reply from March 2025 fixed the problem: run Sims3Launcher in Windows 8 compatibility mode.

Mac

The first Mac version is 32-bit. It does not run on macOS Catalina or later, says Wikipedia. Maxis released "The Sims 3 (64-Bit & Metal)" on October 28, 2020. Owners who had the game on Origin got it free. SimsCommunity says that it is a new install, and that your progress and content carry over. The EA page also tells Mac players to update to the latest launcher.

Consoles

The Sims 3 came to PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS, says Wikipedia. The expansion packs in this guide are for PC and Mac. You can find your saves on PC with our guide to the Sims 3 save file location.

Are all the Sims 3 expansion packs worth it?

Not for most players. All 11 packs cost far more than the base game. Buy one or two packs that match how you play. Wait for a sale for the rest.

Read the Steam threads before you buy. In "Worth buying all dlc" and "Should i buy all dlc?", players ask the same question, and most answers name only a few packs.

If you want a newer game, The Sims 4 has its own long list of packs. See our Sims 4 expansion packs list and our Sims 4 pack picker. If you want something new, read our list of games like The Sims.

Can you play your Sims 3 family somewhere else?

Yes. We make LifeSim, a free life sim in the browser and on iPhone. It can import a Sims 3 household from your Library, Exports, or SavedSims folder, or from a full save. Follow the steps on the Sims 3 import page.

In LifeSim, your family lives in a real city on a 3D map of Earth. The people there talk to you in your own words and remember you. The pets, the house, and the mod traits of your family stay behind.

LifeSim does not replace the Sims 3 packs. It has no Build mode and no packs to buy. If you love to build houses and collect packs, stay with The Sims 3. If you want to see your Sims live on in a new kind of world, try the import.

More Sims guides

Sources

New to life sims? Read what a life simulator is, or play LifeSim, a free online life simulator on a real map of Earth.

Sims 4 database

Look it up in the Sims 4 database, read from the game files: cheats, traits, careers, moodlets, deaths, packs, challenges, recipes, popular mods, pack finder, and the death odds calculator.

On this topic: what each pack adds, testingcheats, and motherlode.

Step by step: all Sims 4 how-to guides.

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