The Sims community has come up with countless challenges throughout the years as a way to implement a more advanced objective-based system into the game. Many fans have struggled with the strenuous task of the 100 Baby challenge (even I had difficulties with the Infants update) and other unique concepts, but now it’s been taken up a notch with a new Horse Ranch fan-made objective.
Reddit user INS_Fang developed an idea with the latest expansion pack, where you’ll need to place animals from previous exclusives, like Cottage Living and Cats and Dogs, while maintaining them as best as you can. On top of that, you can throw the needy infants into the mix that’ll make you want to close out the game, just like the player almost did.
To make it more difficult, you can live off the grid in Chestnut Ridge and rely on resources to satisfy everyone’s needs. What makes this system so challenging is the fact that all of the animals require a lot of attention, so you must constantly check their meters to avoid them getting taken away.
You also can’t control these household members, differing from the more accessible mechanics of The Sims 3: Pets. That means players will need to work their Sims around the clock, and they may not have time to take care of them because of their hectic lifestyle.
Challenges typically don’t involve any cheats or mods whatsoever; therefore, you can’t rely on the handy ‘Make Happy’ cheat when the going gets tough. But don’t get too discouraged by these arduous tasks, as some players have noted that it truly makes them feel like they are living a life on the ranch.
Sim player SaveVerris has expressed this with their self-made challenge, incorporating Horse Ranch, Cats and Dogs, Cottage Living, Growing Together, Werewolves, and Eco Lifestyle. With these expansion packs, they’ve set a rule of living off the grid, farming their own food, and powering their electricity from a generator. There’s also a romantic relationship involved, in which they plan to get bitten by a werewolf and fall in love with a fellow rancher.
I don’t think I could even manage three expansion packs together, so it’s impressive to see how much the community can do in a Sim’s lifetime. Nevertheless, players can still discover ways to help ease the process, including the assistance of a Ranch Hand.
Another user in the comments has suggested that YouTubers or streamers should try out this Horse Ranch cross-pack challenge to see what other wild adventures could happen. Simmers could also utilize the remaining add-ons to discover new finds, including the modern elements of City Living, Get Together, and Cool Kitchen.
Hopefully, this fan-made challenge will take off as more players trot to the Horse Ranch expansion pack, putting all those bonus content together for a brand new experience.