How do you use cheats in The Sims 3?
Sims 3 cheats
Press Ctrl + Shift + C, type a cheat, and press Enter. This list has 47 cheats from patch 1.67.2.024037: 29 console cheats and 18 Shift-click options. 28 of them need testingCheatsEnabled true first. motherlode adds §50,000 and kaching adds §1,000.
From The Sims 3 patch 1.67.2.024037, Steam, base game.
The Sims 3 includes 47 cheats in the Steam base game on patch 1.67.2.024037. You open the cheat console with Ctrl + Shift + C on Windows or Cmd + Shift + C on Mac.
Some commands work right away, such as kaching for 1,000 Simoleons or motherlode for 50,000 Simoleons. However, 28 of the 47 cheats require you to turn on testing cheats first.
Every cheat
Showing all 47 cheats.
Money
| Cheat | What it does |
|---|---|
kaching | Adds 1,000 Simoleons to the active household. |
motherlode | Adds 50,000 Simoleons to the active household. |
familyFunds Goth 100000needs testingCheatsEnabled | Sets the money of the household you name to the exact amount you type. It replaces the old total rather than adding to it.household: the household's name, usually its last name. amount: the new total, a whole number of 0 or more. |
freeRealEstate on | Makes every lot free to buy while it is on, so you can move a household into any house without paying for it. |
Sims and households
| Cheat | What it does |
|---|---|
moviemakercheatsenabled trueneeds testingCheatsEnabled | Lets you select and control Sims outside your household by Shift-clicking them, and opens a few interactions made for filming. |
resetSim Bella Goth | Resets a stuck Sim: it cancels what the Sim is doing and sends them home in a neutral state. |
ageUpToNPCneeds testingCheatsEnabled | Switches an option on or off: a toddler in your household who ages up becomes a Sim the game controls, not you. |
unlockOutfits on | Shows the career outfits and service uniforms in Create a Sim. Type it before you open Create a Sim. |
Build and buy
| Cheat | What it does |
|---|---|
buyDebug onneeds testingCheatsEnabled | Adds a debug category to Buy mode with objects you can't normally buy, like ones the game places in the world. |
restrictBuildBuyInBuildings offneeds testingCheatsEnabled | Type off to lift the limits on Build and Buy mode inside buildings. Type on to put them back.on|off: off lifts the limits. |
alwaysAllowBuildBuy trueneeds testingCheatsEnabled | Keeps Build and Buy mode open during a fire or a burglary, when the game normally closes them. |
moveObjects onengine command | Lets you place and move objects where the game normally refuses, like on top of each other or where Sims stand. |
constrainFloorElevation falseengine command | Type false to raise and lower the terrain even where objects or Sims stand on it.true|false: false lifts the limit. |
disableSnappingToSlotsOnAlt onengine command | While you hold Alt, objects stop snapping to slots like table tops and shelves, so you can place them freely. |
World and town
| Cheat | What it does |
|---|---|
enableLotLocking trueneeds testingCheatsEnabled | Lets you lock and unlock lots from the lot's info panel in Edit Town. |
discoTags | Switches the map tags to a flashing disco look, and back. |
mapTags offneeds testingCheatsEnabled | Shows or hides the map tags, the icons over lots and Sims. You see the change most in map view. |
discoverAllUnchartedIslandsneeds testingCheatsEnabled | Marks every uncharted island as discovered for the active household. Uncharted islands come with the Island Paradise expansion. |
Shift-click menu
| Cheat | What it does |
|---|---|
| Modify Traits for Active Sim needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click a Sim, then pick Modify Traits for Active Sim.Opens the trait picker for your active Sim, so you can change their traits. |
| Edit Sim in Create a Sim needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click a Sim, then pick Edit Sim in Create a Sim.Opens Create a Sim for the Sim, so you can change their looks and clothes. |
| Add to Active Family needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click a Sim, then pick Add to Active Family.Moves the Sim into your household. |
| Trigger Age Transition needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click a Sim, then pick Trigger Age Transition.Ages the Sim up to the next life stage right away. |
| Disable Autonomy needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click a Sim, then pick Disable Autonomy.Stops the Sim from acting on their own (free will off for this Sim). |
| Enable Autonomy needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click a Sim, then pick Enable Autonomy.Lets the Sim act on their own again. |
| Make All Happy needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click the mailbox, then pick Make All Happy.Fills the needs of every Sim in your household and removes their bad moodlets. |
| Make Friends For Me needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click the mailbox, then pick Make Friends For Me.Turns up to 5 Sims your active Sim has not met yet into friends. |
| Make Me Know Everyone needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click the mailbox, then pick Make Me Know Everyone.Makes your active Sim an acquaintance of every Sim in town. |
| Make Needs Static needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click the mailbox, then pick Make Needs Static.Stops the needs of the Sims you control from dropping. The same option then reads Make Needs Dynamic, to undo it. |
| Force Visitor needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click the mailbox, then pick Force Visitor.Sends a random Sim from town to visit your home lot. |
| Force NPC needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click the mailbox, then pick Force NPC.Calls a service Sim to your lot, like the maid or the repairman. |
| Set Career needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click the mailbox, then pick Set Career.Puts your active Sim in a career at the level you pick. |
| Add Supernatural Sims to the World needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click the mailbox, then pick Add Supernatural Sims to the World.Adds supernatural Sims of the kind you pick to the town. |
| Force Opportunity needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click a building like a workplace, then pick Force Opportunity.Starts an opportunity tied to that building. |
| Force Event needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click a building like a workplace, then pick Force Event.Starts a work event at that building. |
| Teleport Me Here needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click the ground, then pick Teleport Me Here.Teleports your active Sim to the spot you clicked. |
| Delete It needs testingCheatsEnabled | Shift-click an object, then pick Delete It.Deletes what you clicked: an object, or a Sim other than your active Sim. |
Game and screen
| Cheat | What it does |
|---|---|
testingCheatsEnabled true | Turns testing cheats on. The cheats marked as needing it start to work, and Shift-click opens extra cheat menus on Sims, the mailbox and the ground.true|false: true turns testing cheats on, false turns them off. |
quit | Closes the game. |
jokePlease | Prints a random joke in the console. |
enableLlamas on | A joke command. It only shows a message that llamas are on or off; nothing else changes. |
hideHeadlineEffects on | Hides the thought and speech balloons over Sims' heads, along with the plumbob and skill meters. Type off to show them again. |
speed 3needs testingCheatsEnabled | Sets the game speed. 0 pauses, 1 to 3 are the normal speeds, and 4 runs time very fast through the current action.0-4: 0 pauses the game, 4 is the fastest speed. |
helpengine command | Lists the cheats the console knows. Add part of a name to list only the matching ones. |
fadeObjects offengine command | Sets whether objects fade out when the camera gets close to them. Sims never fade. |
slowMotionViz 4engine command | Slows down what you see, for screenshots and videos. Game time keeps its normal speed.0-8: 0 is normal, 8 is slowest. |
fps onengine command | Shows the frame rate in the upper right corner of the screen. |
fullscreen offengine command | Switches the game between full screen and a window. |
How to open the console and enter cheats
Press Ctrl + Shift + C on Windows or Cmd + Shift + C on Mac to open the console. Then, type the command you want to use.
If you forget a command name, type help to list the cheats the console knows. You can also add part of a name after help to list only the matching cheats. Some cheats take words like on, off, true, or false to switch their effects.
What testingCheatsEnabled true unlocks in the game
Type testingCheatsEnabled true into the console to unlock 28 additional cheats. Without this command, console cheats like buyDebug on, familyFunds, and moviemakercheatsenabled true do not work.
This setting also unlocks the Shift-click menu on Sims, the mailbox, buildings, objects, and the ground. Shift-click the ground and pick Teleport Me Here to move your active Sim to that spot right away. Shift-click a Sim to change their traits, open them in Create a Sim, or age them up.
The mailbox holds several household shortcuts when you Shift-click it. Pick Make All Happy to fill needs for your household and remove bad moodlets, or pick Make Needs Static. You can also pick Make Friends For Me to turn up to 5 Sims you have not met into friends.
Cheats to use first for money and building
For quick money, type kaching to add 1,000 Simoleons or motherlode to add 50,000 Simoleons to your active household. If you want a specific total, turn on testing cheats and type familyFunds Goth 100000 to set a household's funds. You can also type freeRealEstate on before moving so you can buy any lot without paying.
Builders often start with moveObjects on to place items where the game normally refuses. You can pair this with disableSnappingToSlotsOnAlt on, then hold Alt so objects stop snapping to slots like shelves and table tops. For extra items, use testingCheatsEnabled true and then buyDebug on to add a debug category to Buy mode.
When a Sim gets stuck, type resetSim Bella Goth to cancel their current action and send them home. For screenshots, type hideHeadlineEffects on to hide plumbobs, skill meters, and thought balloons over Sims' heads.
Cheats in every life sim
| Game | Open the console | Money cheat | Unlocks the rest | Cheats in our list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Sims 4 cheats | Ctrl + Shift + C | motherlode adds §50,000 | testingcheats true | 81 |
| The Sims 3 | Ctrl + Shift + C | motherlode adds §50,000 | testingCheatsEnabled true | 47 |
| The Sims 2 cheats | Ctrl + Shift + C | motherLode adds §50,000 | boolProp testingCheatsEnabled true | 52 |
| Paralives cheats | Ctrl + Shift + C | JACKPOT adds $50,000 | Nothing: every command works | 138 |
Each count is the cheats players can type in that game, read from its own files. Debug and developer commands are left out.
Questions
How do you open the cheat console in The Sims 3?
Press Ctrl + Shift + C on Windows, or Cmd + Shift + C on a Mac. A bar opens at the top of the screen. Type a cheat and press Enter. These cheats are for the PC and Mac game.
How do you get more money in The Sims 3?
Type kaching to add 1,000 Simoleons or motherlode to add 50,000 Simoleons to your active household. With testingCheatsEnabled true active, you can also use familyFunds to set a household's money to an exact number.
How do you fix a stuck Sim in The Sims 3?
Open the console and type resetSim followed by the Sim's name, such as resetSim Bella Goth. This cancels what the Sim is doing and sends them home in a neutral state.
How do you edit a Sim in Create a Sim after starting?
First, type testingCheatsEnabled true in the console. Then, Shift-click the Sim you want to change and pick Edit Sim in Create a Sim to change their looks and clothes.
How do you unlock career outfits in Create a Sim?
Open the console and type unlockOutfits on before you open Create a Sim. This command shows the career outfits and service uniforms in Create a Sim.
Why are some cheats not working in The Sims 3?
In The Sims 3, 28 of the 47 cheats require you to turn on testing cheats first. Open the console and type testingCheatsEnabled true before you use those commands or Shift-click menus.