The Sims 4 Crystal Creations Stuff Pack review: Is latest Stuff Pack worth it?

Crystal Creations is the newest offering to arrive in The Sims 4, marking the second Stuff Pack to be released within a year since the DLC type came back into the spotlight.

As the third Pack launched so far in 2024 following the fantastic Castle Estate and Goth Galore Kits, the Sim Guru team is off to a strong start this year with what's being added to the game for Simmers to play with. 

If you're a crystal-lover like me and consider yourself (or your Sims) to be a bit of a magpie with an affinity for the shinier things in life, underwhelming CAS aside, this is one shiny Stuff Pack that'll fit right at home in your collection.

Sparkly new gameplay

One of the features that I was most intrigued about in Crystal Creations was of course the new Gemology Table and the accompanying Gemology Skill. I love it when Sims can create and display something around their home, and being able to create accessories that they can then wear was incredibly exciting to me.

There's a lot of depth here as well with this, as it was mentioned in a blog post prior to launch that over 1,000 "permeations" can be made. You're able to choose plenty of different styles of rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, and select both the particular crystal and metal that you'll be using to make something with. 

Crystal Creations adds Gold, Rose Gold, and Silver metals; and three new crystals; Amber, Jade, and Moonstone alongside the already existing ones. This gives you plenty of different customisation options to play with, as you can mix and match both when crafting jewellery to give them different appearances or certain effects when they're charged with the new Charging Grid.

The Charging Grid is absolutely one of my favourite features here, and I love that the Sim Guru team has worked it into the lunar cycles that were added prior to Werewolves' launch.

As someone who has their own crystals and is incredibly interested in (and has spent many a night in the past researching) their benefits, I love seeing all of the different effects Sims can get from doing this. It ties in brilliantly with Realm of Magic, and it's a natural accompaniment for your Spellcaster Sims to delve into the art of crystal work.

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For example, Sims can - once they've crafted an item with the Gemology Table - place them onto the Grid. This grid can then be moved in Live Mode so it's outside, and between 7 PM and 7 AM, they'll 'charge up', meaning that when worn, Sims will then receive these benefits.

If you charge one of these during a Full Moon, they'll fast-charge as well, meaning that keeping tabs on where the moon's at on any one particular night is very important.

These benefits come from the Crystals that you use, with something like Simanite helping a Sim's school and work performance and boosting the time it takes to finish their homework. Shinolite, on the other hand, will mean Sims are more likely to give birth to twins and triplets, and Jade can help them to find crystals around the home randomly.

There are plenty of these available, so you can play around with what works for each particular Sim when going to design something. A completed design can also be displayed in-world, sold, or listed on Plopsy if you want to turn it into more of a money-making venture for them as well!

I've been taking my Sim to the Arts Quarter of San Myshuno to sell mine, as I've often spotted lots of crystals when going to craft fairs in real life, so you can have some more gameplay behind selling them too instead of directly selling them via your phone or Plopsy.

You can even plant and grow a Crystal Tree too to get more crystals from within the home lot, which unlocks as you progress through the Gemology skill. This is done by creating a Seed-Shaped Gemstone on the table (which is another feature this table gives you, allowing you to refine and shape crystals into gemstones shaped like hearts and plumbobs).

Overall, gameplay-wise, Crystal Creations has knocked it out of the park, with the smaller-sized DLC packing a lot of fun here (and is up there with my personal favourite, Paranormal Stuff).

Underwhelming CAS offering

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On the other end of the spectrum, though, we've got the Pack's Create-a-Sim content, which is by far my least favourite.

It's not that it's bad per se, more that it's not really my style (with the exception of the new hairstyles, particularly the bun). Stuff Packs aren't going to be able to have huge amounts on offer across all three categories, and there are plenty of new accessories Sims can wear that I love which can be created in-game, so that does make up for it somewhat for me.

There's still a fair amount on offer here, though, with everything that I counted to be available in CAS as follows:

• A new legging style
• A bracelet from Child Sims
• Five new hairstyles, four of which Child Sims can wear
• Four new outfits
• One necklace, two rings, one earring, and an earring for Child/Toddler Sims
• Six new tops, one of which is for feminine frames
• Two pants
• Three shoes

Dark Academia-themed Build/Buy mode

Lastly, we have the Dark Academia stylings of Build/Buy mode, which I've used to furnish my Sims' space shown in the image above and is a beautiful addition to the ever-expanding catalogue. 

There's lots of dark wood here, with scattered cluttered items that show off different gems and tools - it all feels very Indiana Jones-esque (if Indy was a gem collector, that is). 

I'm particularly fond of the new loveseat, and the lunar-themed wallpaper will fit right in when designing a room for a Sim with has an interest in either crystals or the many Occults in The Sims 4.

You'll even find a new bookshelf with a ladder affixed to it (that you sadly can't swing along a la Eglantine Price in Bedknobs and Broomsticks), display shelves, and more kitschy decor that I'll be reaching for time and time again when decorating a space.

The Verdict

Overall, Crystal Creations is a no-brainer addition to your game if you like your Sims to get crafty and make some beautiful crystalline pieces to wear or sell.

Its CAS mode may be slightly underwhelming for me, but it has some gorgeous new hairstyles and a beautiful set of items to furnish a Sim's home in Build/Buy mode - making this one Stuff Pack that's sure to have something for you regardless of whether you're intrigued by the new gameplay elements or not.

4/5

Reviewed on PC. Code provided by the publisher.