Sometimes the vanilla game animations in The Sims 4 can be… repetitive. Bland. Sometimes way too subdued, other times way too exaggerated.
And if you’re a story-based Simmer who loves capturing stories or creating them using TS4 graphics, the limitations can be extremely annoying.
Sometimes you just want to take pictures of your Sim running across rooftops, lounging in bathtubs, or joining in a mid-summer’s day dog-pile with their friends. And The Sims 4 vanilla can’t give you that.
But once again, Sims CC creators deliver.
We’re looking into the best custom poses this time around. Buckle up, grab a snack, and get comfy. Because there are a lot. I’ve divvied my choices up into three categories, just to make them easier to digest: Group Poses, Solo Shots, and Shots that Need Accessories.
Pretty self-explanatory so let’s dive right in.
Group Poses
Custom poses that look weird and slightly out of context if there’s only one Sim doing them. Grab two or more Sims for a great photoshoot and a good time.
To use these poses, you’ll need to install Andrew’s Pose Player. To position your Sims correctly (as the poses intend), you’ll need scumbabo’s “Teleport Any Sim” mod.
1. Sibling Poses by ratboysims
Whether your Sim’s kids love each other, hate each other, or are absolutely indifferent about each other, you can still score a sweet heartwarming photo of the two.
All you need is a pose player, a Sim teleporter (all links in the category description), and an absolutely sunny background.
I recommend the beaches of Sulani. Absolutely gorgeous any time of year.
There are four poses in this pack, and they’re only for Toddlers and Kids.
You can definitely have two Kids or two Toddlers (rather than one of each), but do be aware that some of these poses need Sim A to carry Sim B, so… Best to consider the logistics before setting up.
2. Sitting & Talking Pose Collection by ratboysims
This pack of 40 (!!) different poses is perfect for supposed “stolen shots” or story-building scenes. It’s funny how the simplest of actions (i.e., having a conversation) can be so darn complex.
Don’t get me wrong; I love the Sims 4 way of animated talking as much as the next Simmer. (Shout out to the way TS3 Sims talked, though; those animations were iconic.)
But sometimes you want something a little less cartoon-y and a little more … genuine. Realistic.
That’s where these poses come in.
From subtle eyebrow raises to tiny finger gestures, full-on leaning forward in anticipation to slumped back in frustration, these poses perfectly capture the bodily idiosyncrasies of having a spontaneous conversation.
3. Times of Friends by memoriesplasticine
Capture the camaraderie of your Sims with this cute Times of Friends pose back by memoriesplasticine.
Now, there are plenty of group shot poses out there. Trust me; I know.
But I love the poses that don’t make it look like your Sims are deliberately posing. Basically, studio setups versus candids and stolen shots.
I’m all for the latter – which is why this humble pack with two poses good for five to six Sims spoke to me. The models look relaxed. Completely at ease. Just another day out with their crew of ride-together, die-together friends.
Who are specifically not looking at the camera.
The first pose is good for a group of six Sims. The second can only accommodate five. There shouldn’t be any issues if you’re missing one or two people, though.
Nothing that the camera angle can’t hide, anyway.
4. “Let’s Walk Together” Pose Pack by clumsyalien
Another conversation pose pack?
Yes, but this time they’re standing.
For real, though. The little physical perplexities that shine through when conversing with someone else – it’s fascinating.
And there’s something strangely endearing about how soft the models look in this pose pack. It’s like they’re having a legitimately entertaining and/or stimulating conversation.
As with the Times of Friends poses, these poses are best suited for candid, unintentional scenes.
Solo Shots
It’s your Sims’ time to shine.
These solo poses put them squarely in the limelight (and focus) of the shot. These offer a variety of positions that your Sim can take without needing any sort of accessories or furniture around them (i.e., chairs, beds, etc.).
As always, you’ll need Andrew Studio’s Pose Player. But given that these are all independent standalone poses, you won’t need scumbabo’s Teleport Any Sim mod.
5. Model Poses 19 Posepack and CAS by HelgaTisha
For the sexy, saucy, and downright sassy Sim, these custom poses scream effortless power and natural badassery.
Let your Sim’s face and body do all the talking, because they definitely have a lot to say.
There are 14 original poses in this pack and five default CAS poses (specifically, the poses for the Evil trait). The original poses all have some level of confidence and sex appeal, with maybe a hint of smugness coloring the expressions.
Basically perfect for the Sims who know they’re hot.
You won’t really need anything else for these poses to work; just the Pose Player and a heckuva spunky attitude.
And maybe an appropriately-fiery background.
6. Solo Pose 3
It may be by a different creator, but this pose back is the literal counterpart of the previous Model Poses 19 pose pack.
Whereas that pack was perfect for strong, sassy, independent female Sims, this pose pack lets Male Sims strut their confidence and sultry gravitas in style.
Out of the ten poses, the majority have that assured, absolute alpha vibe to them; tall back, casual-yet-cool demeanor, slight peaco*cking. But there are two or three surprisingly bashful boy-next-door poses thrown into the mix.
7. Bad Bitch Redux by eslanes
If you’re looking for sassier, grungier, don’t-give-a-carp poses for ladies (again), this Bad Bitch Redux pose back by eslanes might be right up your alley.
Forget teasingly playful; these poses very much warn viewers to keep their distance, lest they get a fashionable leather boot up their arse and a few choice words thrown their way.
Intimidating, sure, but also visually pleasing. It basically portrays the raw power of the unbothered femme, and who doesn’t love that?
Got some Sims who aren’t afraid to stick it to the man? Grab these poses and start pressing ‘C.’
Poses that Need Accessories
So these are basically solo shots with props.
I figured I’d separate them from the group just so that it’s clear they need a little something extra to work – be that a bed, a desk, a chair, or a tiny pumpkin cupcake.
So no downloading these and wondering why your Sim is floating in mid-air.
As always, Andrew’s Pose Player is necessary. And for the poses that require furniture, you’ll also need the ever-dependable Teleport Any Sim mod by scumbabo.
8. Halloween Gift 2020 Collab with BackTrack by wasabi sims
For the batty babes, seductive sirens, underworld overlords, and ghoulish guys and gals, Halloween never truly leaves you.
It’s not so much a holiday as it is a state of being.
So say that loud and say it proud with these pretty spoopy poses by wasabi sims. There are ten all in all, and they all – one way or another – tell a story.
With the right accessories, of course.
(Otherwise you’d just have a guy gesticulating to thin air and a girl cradling nothing.)
If you want to set the scenes right, you’ll need these cute Halloween accessories by BackTrack, of which the creator of this poses had a collab with.
09. Thoughts!!! by Pandorassims4cc
If you’d rather your Sims be broody and contemplative in the comforts of their home (rather than out on the streets, squatting on curbs and park benches), that can be arranged. With these strange – but admittedly artistic – quasi-contortionist poses.
For the record, I prefer to mull things over on my bed, preferably surrounded by pillows and soft blankets. But if you’re the type to contemplate your concerns in an office chair, with your legs crossed just so and your hand hovering tremulously over your heart, you do you.
No judgment here.
Besides, it makes for quite the creative photoshoot.
Quick note: any chair – base game or otherwise – will work with these poses, provided the height isn’t modified.
10. Phone Call Poses by ratboysims
These poses are on my personal favorites list. And here’s why.
I mean, I get that the concept’s not unique. God knows there are plenty of phone convo poses for the Sims 4 out there.
There aren’t that many options in the pack, either. At a grand total of six poses, it’s enough to be called a pack, but it’s pretty low compared to most pose packs that offer upwards of fifteen variations.
However, the expressions in this pack really blew me away.
I’ll be the first to admit that a lot of custom poses turn me off due to the facial expression. I mean, I get it. It’s in the name: poses. You’re in it for what the body is doing.
But when all the effort goes to how the body looks, it leaves the face looking pretty meh. And I’m not a big fan of meh. If my Sim is going to cannonball into a pool, scale a cliff face, or parkour their way over a bench, I want to see it on their faces, too.
So that’s why ratboy’s Phone Call Poses won me over. The model’s expressions are so soft, so cute, and so beautifully unfiltered, you can really feel how comfortable she is talking to whoever’s on the other end.
And don’t forget to grab the phone accessory (courtesy to Sims CC creator quiddity)!
11. Bathtub Poses by rue
Like I said earlier; plenty of custom phone conversation poses.
This one is no different. But!
I will argue that the concept is marginally more unique. Thousands of Sims would think to hold phone convos on their bed or on the couch.
How many actually take it to the bath?
So bonus points for an uncommon twist to this pretty common concept. I can appreciate an unconventional resting spot as much as the next person and, hey. If your Sim feels most comfortable curled up in a bathtub, then let ‘em be.
I’ll be honest, though. I came for the tub, I stayed for the expressions. I already gave my whole “I want to see emotions!” spiel in the earlier entry, so I won’t reiterate. What I will do is point out that the creator made four variations of each pose (five poses total) based on four different emotions: neutral, worried, angry, and happy.
This is the kind of attention to detail I love.
Again, you’ll need a phone. You can use quiddity’s accessory if you already downloaded it, or you can use this one by r-jayden, which is what the pose creator recommends.
12. Come to My Window + Open Window Poses by hula zombie
I’m combining both of these because (1) they’re by the same creator, and (2) the Open Window Poses pack needs the object .package file from the Come to My Window pack.
So I figured, why not.
I genuinely enjoyed both these packs. They’re pretty unique, they spin a similar narrative, and they present two different takes around the same concept: what if your Sim was locked inside, and the window was they’re only contact with the outside world?
It doesn’t have to be dramatic, either.
I mean sure; you can go the whole “abusive/overprotective authority figure keeps them locked in their bedroom,” route. You do you. But you can also just put it in the context of slipping outside after all this craziness.
13. Bored in Bed Poses by katverse
You know those days where you feel utterly and inexplicably glued to your bed?
No rhyme, no reason, just a big, fat serving of boredom and laziness sprinkled with a healthy dose of ennui. Nothing’s good on Netflix, your social media feed is particularly uneventful, you’re unproductive and restless and there’s nothing you want to do about it.
Except maybe roll onto your back and stare at the ceiling because your right shoulder’s starting to cramp and you’re tired of staring at the door.
That’s the exact narrative this pose pack is meant to represent, and it does it quite beautifully.
Five poses in total, and all you really need is a bed (vanilla game or custom content should work just fine).
14. No Mood Pose Pack by katverse
I know The Sims is a simulation game, and is therefore literally designed to mimic real life. But holy heck. I have never resonated this hard with a computer-generated being before.
Seeing the preview photos was like seeing snapshots of my regular Wednesday night.
That’s what lockdown will do to you, I guess.
Like the previous pack, these five poses perfectly capture what it means to be alone, listless, and lazy. The biggest difference is that this pose pack captures the essence of attempting productivity, but falling short.
Every. single. time.
Sometimes you’re just not in the mood for socialization. Or functioning like a normal adult. It happens.
And if we truly want our Sims to replicate our lives, then these poses are necessary for capturing those quintessential states of languid disassociation.
TL;DR: this pose pack? Relatable. Download it ASAP.
As for accessories, the creator used this laptop by Simsational Designs and this beer bottle (as a CAS accessory) by luumia.
