As part of the Sims 4's massive wave of expansion packs, stuff packs and game packs, the Paranormal Stuff Pack offers an extra booster shot of occult options for players to explore. Much like other Stuff Packs, players should expect a small amount of themed content, this time centering around the paranormal. The main draw comes from a few highlighted objects that provide some new functionality and gameplay options.
The big new additions with the Paranormal Stuff Pack are all themed around the supernatural and, more specifically, ghosts. One of the more major inclusions is the new Haunted House lots, which are described as locations where ghosts can cause mischief for any resident Sims. The haunted houses sound fairly similar to the Spooky lot trait that causes ghosts to appear more frequently on a certain lot, though there is a distinct difference in the frequency of ghost appearances, with Haunted House Lots spawning far more ghosts.
With all of the new ghostly activity, it's fitting that the Paranormal Stuff Pack also adds a few ways for Sims to deal with their new spectral roommates. The new Crystal Ball and Seance table furniture items can help Sims attempt to communicate with the ghosts haunting their homes, along with a wider range of functions. Sims can also become freelance paranormal investigators with a new career path, helping other Sims rid their homes of spirits and gaining new Medium skill levels in the process.
The Cyrstal ball and Seance table are the two main functional items added in this pack. Beyond contacting the dead, the Seance table can also be used to summon ghosts and even turn a Sim into a spirit for a limited amount of time. The Seance table also brings back one of the Sims series recurring characters, the skeleton maid Bonehilda. Players can summon Bonehilda to help them keep their home tidy or help keep Sims safe from aggressive ghosts that may haunt a location.
The Crystal Ball doesn't have any unique uses on its own, though it does light up and shows some ghastly faces when placed on an active seance table. There are also two new ghost NPCs added in this expansion: Temperance and Claude René Duplantier Guidry. Temperance is a unique hostile ghost that will actively try to curse objects in a Sim's home and interrupt seances. Guidry is a much more helpful ghost, acting as a useful source of information on dealing with ghosts.
The Paranormal Stuff Pack also includes a few more mundane pieces of furniture and clothing. The furniture is the kind of Victorian-styled chairs, rugs and paintings that would be expected to show up in a haunted house. There are 39 new furniture items in total, according to the Origin Store's page on the expansion. There's also a handful of new clothing and hairstyle options for all ages of Sims, though these don't really seem to fall under the Paranormal theme.
This stuff pack focuses on the new interactions with ghosts, with the actual furniture and clothing feeling as though it fell by the wayside. There are some interesting hairstyles, and the new Victorian-era paintings are thematically cool, but they don't feel like they fit under the paranormal theme that the pack advertises. That being said, there are certainly Simmers who will enjoy the content on offer.
Players that enjoy the Sims series's supernatural side will probably get a lot of use from the Paranormal Stuff Pack's $9.99 asking price. The seances and haunted houses feel like a mechanic that could be used for one playthrough but would easily feel repetitive after a while. Those who prefer more realism in their Sims experience wouldn't be missing out by skipping over this one.