How fast do relationships decay in The Sims 4?
Sims 4 relationship decay: how fast friendship and romance fade
Friendship in The Sims 4 loses about 1 point a Sim day, and romance 3 to 6 points a day, faster the higher it is. Any interaction that changes the score pauses decay for a full Sim day, so Sims who talk once a day never lose any. Here are the rates by level and the traits that change them.
Friendship decay
Friendship always moves toward 0: a positive score falls and a negative one rises. From the top, it takes about 92 Sim days of no contact to reach 0.
| Friendship score | Points toward 0 a Sim day | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 60 to 100 | 1 | Good Friends |
| 35 to 60 | 1.5 | Friend |
| −20 to 35 | 1 | Acquaintances |
| −70 to −20 | 2.5 | Disliked |
| −100 to −70 | 4 | Despised |
Romance decay
Romance fades much faster the higher it is: from the top, about 24 Sim days to reach 0.
| Romance score | Points toward 0 a Sim day |
|---|---|
| 75 to 100 | 6 |
| 50 to 75 | 5 |
| 25 to 50 | 4 |
| 0 to 25 | 3 |
| −50 to 0 | 1 |
| −100 to −50 | 2 |
How to stop decay
- Any interaction that changes the score pauses decay for 24 Sim hours. Talk, text or call once a Sim day and the relationship never decays.
- Between two Sims neither of whom you play, decay only runs while the score is between −20 and 20. Townies who are friends stay friends.
- Some traits slow or stop decay, and some speed it up:
| Trait | Track | Decay × | Only with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beloved | friendship | No decay | Everyone |
| Loyal | friendship | ×0.5 | Best Friends, Bromantic Partner, Henchman, Friend, Frenemies, Good Friends |
| Thoughtful Child | friendship | ×0.5 | Best Friends, Bromantic Partner, Henchman, Friend, Frenemies, Good Friends |
| Close-Knit | friendship | ×0.75 | Good Friends |
| People Person | friendship | ×0.75 | Friend, Acquaintances, Frenemies |
| Workaholic | friendship | ×1.1 | Everyone |
| Close-Knit | friendship | ×1.15 | Friend, Frenemies, Acquaintances |
| People Person | friendship | ×1.25 | Disliked, Despised |
| Beloved | romance | No decay | Everyone |
| Workaholic | romance | ×1.1 | Everyone |
The game tunes decay per Sim minute; the tables show it per Sim day (1,440 minutes). Close-Knit, People Person and Workaholic are Snowy Escape lifestyles.
More from the Sims 4 database
- How long Sims live
- Every aspiration
- Every collection
- Every milestone
- The rewards store
- Every want
- Likes and dislikes
- University degrees
- Where to catch every fish
- Grafting chart
- How bills work
- Vet guide: pet illnesses
- Weather by world
- Plant harvest times
- How fast needs drop
- Every sentiment
- Character values
- Emotions and skills chart
- Club activities
- Holiday traditions
- Every way to die