Sims 4 has plenty of customization options, traits, special aspirations, and more to help you have a personalized and fresh experience every time you play. You can delve even further into your Sims' lives with their own unique Fears and Wants. Wants and Fears have replaced the Whims in Sims 4, allowing for more realistic and fitting activities or obstacles for each character based on their personalities.
What are Fears and Wants in Sims 4?
Wants are randomized activities that continue to pop up for your Sim to carry out based on their likes. These simple things can be rerolled or pinned if you'd like your Sim to complete them over a more extended period. They aren't required to complete if you don't want your Sim to them. However, fears are a bit different.
Your Sim can develop a fear over time based on failures or harmful interactions with other Sims or specific tasks. They can affect your Sim's moods and make it hard for them to perform certain activities. Don't worry. You can overcome fears if you don't particularly enjoy putting up with them.
All Sims 4 Fears List
Here is a list of all the current fears in Sims 4, including how your Sim can come to develop them:
| Fears | Triggers |
| Fear of Failing Tests | Fail a test |
| Fear of Failing After-School Activities | Bad interactions while completing After-School Activities |
| Fear of Ghosts | A Ghost encounter |
| Fear of the Dark | Accident or scary encounter at night |
| Fear of Failure | Poor work performance or poor quality crafting |
| Fear of Crowded Places | A crowded lot |
| Fear of Disappointing Parents | Bad interactions with parents |
| Fear of Being Judged | Mean interactions with others |
| Fear of Fire | An accident with fire |
| Fear of Dead-end Job | A long time without a promotion |
| Fear of Homework | Forget to complete homework or poor quality homework |
| Fear of Swimming | A scary incident while swimming |
| Fear of Unfulfilled Dreams | A long time without completing a Want |
| Fear of Death | Witness a death |
| Fear of Cowplants | Eaten by a Cowplant |
| Fear of Failing Classes | Fail a class or receive bad grades |
| Fear of Being Cheated On | Bad interactions with partner |
How to get rid of fears in Sims 4
Even though your Sim develops a fear after a bad interaction or accident, you can still help them overcome them by completing a resolving activity. Each fear will require a different way of coping, so here is a list of how you can get rid of each one:
- Fear of Death: Discuss fear of death with another Sim, give a Death Flower to the Grim Reaper
- Fear of Ghosts: Fight a ghost
- Fear of Being Cheated On: Talk about Relationship Fears with partner
- Fear of Crowded Places: Be funny in a crowded lot
- Fear of Fire: Extinguish a fire
- Fear of Unfulfilled Dreams: Fulfill a Want, Discuss fears with another Sim
- Fear of Being Judged: Resolve a conflict with another Sim
- Fear of a Cowplant: Milk a Cowplant while confident
- Fear of Swimming: Swim for an hour while confident
- Fear of The Dark: Feel confident outside at night
- Fear of a Dead-End Job: Select Regain Passion on your Sim before going to work
- Fear of Failure: Show off high-quality crafted items or ask for a Performance Review at work
- Fear of Disappointing Parents: Discuss fear with parents
- Fear of Homework: Complete homework while confident
- Fear of Failing After-School Activities: Successfully complete After School Activities while confident
- Fear of Failing Tests: Get a good grade on a test and complete tests while confident
- Fear of Failing Classes: Pass a class successfully
The best way to overcome any fear is discussing with another peer in-game or completing an activity that your Sim has previously failed. It may take a few tries to overcome the fear for good, but keep at it. Keep an eye on your Sims' icon on the bottom left as well to see when an extra Want is added to the list. This is usually a way to overcome fears.
Looking for more Pro Game Guides Sims 4 content? Check out our guides on Sims 4 – How to Have More Than 8 Sims in a Household or How to Study Opponents in The Sims 4!
Abby Smith is a super nerd and video game fanatic and grew up playing games on a variety of platforms. She likes to spend her free time binge-watching Netflix, reading all genres of novels, and playing all the best new video games. She is currently a full-time Staff Writer for Pro Game Guides, and as an alumni from Full Sail University, also enjoys dabbling in creative writing such as short stories, scripts, and comics on the side.