Let’s be real for a second. The Sims 4 is a game about control, but the moment you open Create-A-Sim, you realize you're actually on a pretty short leash. You want a Sim who has an opinion on every music genre, every color, every hobby, and every weird conversation topic under the sun. But then—bam. You hit the wall. The game tells you that your Sim is "full." Apparently, a human being can only have twenty distinct opinions before their brain just stops functioning. It’s annoying. Honestly, it’s one of those limitations that makes the "personality" system feel more like a checklist than a living, breathing character.
If you've been searching for unlimited likes and dislikes Sims 4 solutions, you aren't alone. This is one of the most requested tweaks in the modding community because the vanilla limit is just too restrictive for long-term legacy players or people who want deep storytelling.
Why the 20-Slot Limit Ruins Character Depth
The "Likes and Dislikes" system was a massive update. It finally gave Sims a reason to actually enjoy their lives—or hate them. If you make a Sim who hates Fitness, they’ll get tense on a treadmill. It’s great. But twenty slots? That vanishes in five minutes. If you pick a favorite color, a favorite music genre, and two hobbies, you’ve already used up twenty percent of your personality budget.
It feels arbitrary. Real people have hundreds of preferences. I can like coffee, hate Mondays, love jazz, despise the color beige, and have strong feelings about five different types of decor all at once. In The Sims 4, you're forced to choose between making a Sim who has a favorite color or a Sim who actually has hobbies. You shouldn't have to choose.
When you hit that cap, the game stops prompting you. You know those little pop-ups that ask, "Sim Name has been doing a lot of Gardening lately, do they like it?" Those just stop appearing once you hit twenty. It effectively freezes your Sim’s personal growth.
The Modding Solution: Turning Off the Cap
Since Maxis hasn't officially patched out the limit (and likely won't, due to console performance concerns), we have to turn to the modders. Specifically, the most reliable way to get unlimited likes and dislikes Sims 4 is through the UI Cheats Extension or specialized personality mods like those from Lumpinou or Chingyu.
Most players swear by Zerbu’s Unlimited Likes and Dislikes mod. It’s a simple "script" mod. You drop it in your folder, and the game suddenly stops counting. It doesn't overhaul the UI—it just removes the invisible "ceiling" that prevents you from adding more.
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Wait. There is a catch.
Even with a mod, the UI can get a bit crowded. The Sims 4 interface wasn't designed to show fifty different icons in that tiny little panel. If you go overboard, you might have to scroll a lot, or the icons might overlap slightly depending on your screen resolution. But for most of us? That’s a small price to pay for a Sim who actually feels like a complex person.
How to Install the Fix
First, make sure you have "Script Mods" enabled in your game settings. This is the part people usually forget. You go to Options > Other > Enable Script Mods.
- Download a reputable mod like Zerbu's.
- Unzip the file (don't leave it in a sub-folder more than one level deep).
- Clear your
localthumbcache.packagefile. This is crucial. If you don't clear the cache, the game might still think the old 20-slot rule applies. - Boot up the game and go wild.
Using Cheats for Faster Customization
Maybe you don't want a mod. Maybe you're a purist, or you're playing on a laptop that barely runs the base game as it is. Can you get unlimited likes and dislikes Sims 4 without third-party software?
Technically, no. The hard cap is hard-coded.
However, you can use cheats to swap them out instantly so you aren't stuck with "accidental" likes. If your Sim suddenly decides they love Fruitcake because they ate it once while they were in a good mood, you can fix that.
Shift-click your Sim with testingcheats true on. Select "Cheat Sim Info" and then "Add/Remove Preference."
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It’s a manual workaround. It’s tedious. But it’s the only way for console players (PS5/Xbox) to manage their "preference budget" without losing their minds.
The Impact on Gameplay and Autonomy
Why does this even matter? It's not just about the icons in the menu. It actually changes how the AI behaves.
Sims with more "Dislikes" are more likely to have "Bad Time" moods when they visit other houses. If you give a Sim twenty different dislikes, they become a cynical, grumpy person who hates almost everything they encounter. On the flip side, a Sim with unlimited likes and dislikes Sims 4 can be programmed to be a "Super Fan" of everything.
- Autonomy: Sims will prioritize activities they "Like." If you have 50 likes, your Sim will never be bored; they will always find something to do that gives them a Moodlet boost.
- Socialization: Sims who share likes get a massive boost to their relationship gains. If you expand the list, it becomes much easier (or much harder) to make friends.
- Moodlets: More preferences mean more frequent mood changes. It makes the game feel less like a dollhouse and more like a simulation.
Honestly, the best part is the "Discovery" system. When you use a mod to unlock the limit, your Sim can keep "finding themselves" throughout their entire life. They can reach Elder status and still decide they suddenly like Metal music. That’s how life actually works.
Technical Risks: Will It Break Your Save?
Whenever you mess with core game limits, there's a risk. With the unlimited likes and dislikes Sims 4 tweaks, the risk is mostly "UI bloat."
If you add 200 likes to a single Sim, your game might lag for a split second when opening the traits panel. The game has to load all those icons at once. Some users have reported that "Custom Content" likes (from other mods) can sometimes glitch out if the mod isn't updated for the latest patch.
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Always back up your Saves folder before installing a personality mod. It takes ten seconds. Just copy the folder to your desktop. If things get weird, you can just delete the mod and move your old save back.
Actionable Steps for a Better Simulation
Ready to actually change how your Sims think? Don't just download a mod and walk away. You have to curate the experience.
Step 1: Get the Mod. Look for Zerbu's "Unlimited Likes and Dislikes" or use the "More Traits" mod by Chingyu, which often includes preference expansions. These are the gold standards in the community right now.
Step 2: Diversify Your Sims. Don't just give everyone the same 50 likes. Use the extra slots to give them "niche" interests. Give one Sim a dislike for every single color except one. Make a Sim who loves every music genre but hates every hobby.
Step 3: Use the "Preferences Plus" Mod. If you’re on PC, combine your unlimited slots with a mod that adds more categories. There are mods that add likes/dislikes for food, weather, and even specific career paths. When you combine unlimited slots with more categories, the game finally feels like it has the depth of The Sims 2 or The Sims 3.
Step 4: Watch the Autonomy. Sit back and let them live. With the limit gone, your Sim's personality will finally drive their actions. You’ll see them gravitate toward things you forgot you even tagged as a "Like."
The 20-slot limit is a relic of trying to make the game run on old hardware. If you have a decent PC, there is zero reason to stay within those boundaries. Break the cap, give your Sims some actual opinions, and stop letting a tiny UI box tell you how many things a person is allowed to care about.