The Sims 4 is the fourth entry in a series of games known as The Sims. In these games, the player is able to simulate daily life by creating individuals, known as sims, and making decisions for these sims. This way, each player can completely customize their sims and the lives they live. The Eco Lifestyle Expansion Pack is an addition to this game, and enables players to make more sustainable choices with their sims. New features include being able to start sustainable projects like clean-water projects within their community or dumpsterdiving for resources.
The decisions the player makes with their sim has impact on the ‘ecological footprint’, which impacts the visuals of the neighbourhood. This ecological footprint is measured by the amount of pollution in the neighbourhood, and is categorized into three levels: ‘green’, ‘neutral’ and ‘industrial’. Depending on the choices the player makes, the visuals of the neighbourhood can drastically improve or worsen over time.