Should I get island living, city living or seasons?

It really depends on your interests here, but Seasons offers gameplay for all the worlds and really gives the game a more realistic feel. It is probably one of if not the most solid pack out there. Weather and holidays are fun to mess with, and I appreciate the calendar more than I expected to.

The rest, I like for different things. I love IL; mermaids are fun and the world is beautiful. Combine it with EL and you can have some really interesting off the grid, tropical, or castaway play. Even if you have no interest in that, the close to nature aspect is a cool one and I like the swimming. Could it be more? Yes. Mermaids could have a skill tree and there could be underwater play, but I really enjoy IL.

CL is fun in its own way, too. Like Sulani is the only true beach world, San Myshuno is the only true city world. If you want that urban feel, this is a good expansion for you. I appreciate the festivals, though IL has it's own versions as well, and you actually get notified to join these. Each neighborhood has it's own characteristics and I enjoy the new assets and recipes. This being said, you can only furnish apartments and you cannot build your own, so be aware of that. Plus, the neighbors here really are annoying.

It is up to you, though. I do not think any are truly bad, I have all three for that reason, but I do consider Seasons to be the most solid recommendation. My friend is just getting into 4 and of these three I would purchase Seasons for her around the holidays.

1. Seasons
2. CL
3. IL

I just can't live without weather ? and I really like the calendar, ability to create your own holidays (I have a baking holiday, a midsummer one, Christmas, love day,...), and to (now) knit on a rainy day (well if you have that pack of course). But after that, CL is one of my favorites. And tbqh, I really really like EL as well :)

Thank you Calico45 and SimTrippy :)

I only have Seasons and Island Living, and can vouch for both. I think Seasons makes the game more complicated, and if that's your thing, then go for it.

I'm also interested in City Living, but the CAS items aren't my thing.

Also, please only buy when on sale. You would be wasting your money otherwise.

For family players I would totally recommend Seasons, but my favourite of those three packs is definitely City Living. I love San Myshuno and the flair of the neighborhoods - the singing skill, Karaoke bars, the recipes, the careers and the townies are also pretty great. The pack has good CAS and especially BB, which really added items that looked used / filthy for the first time (wallpapers, carpets, counters, fridge and stove etc). The apartments can be very luxirous or offer serious challenges (like moving a Sim with the Squeamish trait into a 'Needs TLC' apartment). Even my Sims who don't live in San Myshuno visit regularly. The Stargazer Lounge, which I turned into Stargazers (restaurant) with Dine Out is still my favourite date location after all this time and Myshuno Meadows is a very nice wedding location. So while I have and like all of the packs, CL is most essential to the way I like to play the game. The only downsides to me are the game-generated festival outfits - which of course always include the cursed eyeball ring - and that the turbans can show up in cold weather wear for game-generated townies, which is just weird.

Thank you for all your thoughts!

I can't play without seasons. I love the weather. Everything is possible when your sims are living an eternal summer and if that's your thing then don't get it. But i love the challenge that weather brings to the game. I also love the calendar. You can plan events, birthday parties... all in advance. And you can create your own holidays. It's really cool if you like to customise the game to your liking.

I voted City Living - new Sims, new world, lots of new story possibilities.

But... if you are family player, you probably will get more out of Seasons.

Telmarina I would love a calendar option, thanks for explaining it more :)
imhappy thanks for telling me what city living has to offer
Hearts4u good observation!

I really like City Living. I loves the views. I think I have played there more then any other world besides Newcrest and Willow Creek. I enjoy starting out in a cruddy apartment and work my way up into one of the penthouses I built. This way my Sim can live in each neighborhood. I like the City Living townies! Once my Sim has made it in the city, has a spouse and a couple of kids it's time to move to the country before the 3rd kid arrives.

Island Living is very pretty but for me it got old. It's very tasked based and once I did everything I just visit now. I really did not like the furniture that came with this pack. I built every lot and created Sims. I spent enough time there to span 3 generations. I just grew tired of the whole island thing. I will probably play there again the next time we get a RL South Dakota blizzard. lol

Seasons is overrated IMO. It changed gardening and I go into options and turn off stuff. Too many ways for my Sims to die. The thunder and lighting is so loud I jump out of my seat. I turn it off. The umbrella thing drives me nuts. If you do get seasons don't buy the umbrella tree and assign umbrellas. The Sims don't know how to use them. Good objects!