EA wants you to go down to the woods today (for a Sims 4 game pack)

The Sims 4: Outdoor Retreat

There's no better way to get away from fripperies like flushing toilets and working Wi-Fi than camping. Fresh air, sunshine, bugs, and really angry bears—the great outdoors is a restorative balm for the soul. And now you can inflict it on your Sims, as EA has just released The Sims 4 game pack Outdoor Retreat, the perfect way to keep your digital peons from showering, eating properly, and sleeping in actual beds like civilized human beings.

The new game pack--which, according to EA, is more than a "stuff pack" but less than a full expansion—adds a number of outdoorsy activities for Sims to partake in, only a few of which are actually dangerous! Buy a tent, go hiking in the national park, gaze up at the stars, play some horseshoes, or just sit around the campfire and tell ghost stories.

Feeling more adventurous? Go searching for the hermit rumored to live in the deepest parts of the woods, or learn all about herbalism and then roll the dice on the local flora: Edible or poisonous? You'll find out soon enough!

If all this woodsman nonsense is a bit too rough for your liking, you can pull on your bear costume—and yes, there are bear costumes—and have an outdoor sleepover in the comfort of your very own backyard, too. (But you might want to stay away from the pool.)

The Sims 4: Outdoor Retreat goes for $20 and is available now from Origin and other fine retailers. Find out more at TheSims.com.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.