So I'm thinking of buying...

The fart thing in EL? I may be missing something. The only fart thing i am aware in my game (and i like it) is after eating beans in Outdoor Retreat.

It's hard to advise in any of the packs you mentioned because they all are amongst my favourites. All your first choices and Parenthood and Jungle Adventures are very very worth while imo.

Out of your choice I can recommend Island Living, Realm of Magic and Parenthood.

Take Parenthood. 100% worth it. This is good stuff right there. Toddlers make it worth it, trust me. One of the best additions to SIms 4.

Strangerville is alright, but you will probably most likely only do it's content once. But the story is nice.

Island Living is all about that beautiful world of Sulani. If you want really good looking world - this is for you. Everything else is unfortunately and afterthought.

Eco Living adds many gameplay elements that do take getting used to. It is complicated but can be rewarding. Can't argue with that view, can you?

https://i.imgur.com/FXpCgUM.png

Realm of Magic is disappointing. If you are into occults take it. Otherwise think several times.

Jungle Adventure and Outdoor Retreat are okay, but are notoriously "do it once and never bother again".

I just want to add my two cents about Movie Hangout! Because I think it's actually a very fun stuff pack. :)

So the Build/Buy and CAS from the game are all very boho-type style. Very busy patterns with a lot of bright colours, pretty unique. I mostly use it to style my teenager rooms and I use it for my outdoor, summer-vibe patio's. For example it comes with a little ottoman which I think is the cutest.

But what I like most is the gameplay that comes with it. So the new gameplay object is a popcorn maker, which is fine. It's a popcorn maker, it does exactly what you'd expect it to do :p. But it also comes with movies that your sims can watch. There's around a dozen different movies you can pick from when clicking your tv, and they are actually pretty wel executed. Your athletic sims might prefer an action movie, your anti-social sims won't like a romantic movie etc etc. Your sims will react to the movies based on their personality, and after watching the movie they will get a special moodlet. They can be happy, sad, inspired, bored or angry depending on whether they had a good time or not.

If you like family play (and I do!) the movies are pretty awesome, because you can pick and have a cute family activity. I prefer it over letting them just watch TV, because that does exactly nothing for them. This is imo a better way to get their fun and socials (if they watch together) up and it actually affects the way they are feeling afterwards. They also won't do it indefinitely, the activity will simply end after a couple sim hours. And afterwards they can discuss the movie with each other.

Unfortunately cinema's aren't a lot type, but I make them anyways. I make a little café/lounge in front and set the lot to coffeeshop. It's a nice location for your sims to go on a date. IDK what your playstyle is, but I welcome any new activity that my sims can go out and do.

All in all I think it's a pretty good stuffpack that is easily incorporated in your gameplay. It's not anything major or GAME-CHANGING but it's just a harmless, fun activity for your sims to do.

I think the best packs for you will depend on your individual play style, but my personal favourites from your options are Paranormal, Parenthood, Movie Hangout, Jungle Adventure, and Island Living.

I love the Eco Living pack. It adds so much gameplay and new possibilities as well as cool build stuff. I like the whole idea of the pack and Evergreen Harbor a lot! But I am also very eco-conscious IRL so maybe I am a bit biased.

I have to admit I mostly read the comments to see if anyone had an answer to the "fart thing" in Eco Lifestyle. I then did a Google search and found a post on Reddit that claimed "I just started Eco Living (!) and these townies will not stop farting!" and most of the other comments came from players getting very excited about the prospect. So this was time well spent!

To contribute something helpful:
- I have not noticed any farting in my game and I had EL since release. NAPs can become annoying and I would suggest turning off NPC voting. The world is nice, but should have been bigger. But I love the community spaces, the crafting and the Maker trait, so overall I think it is a good addition
- StrangerVille comes with a beautiful world. The story is nothing you would want to play constantly, but I have 10+ saves and just played it for the third time recently and had fun with it. The visuals are amazing. CAS and BB are both solid
- Sulani is a very chill world to take your Sims to vacation and relax, as singles, couples or families. The CAS is very nice, in my opinion. The is not that much new gameplay, but I do really enjoy the beach lots and off-the-grid living in Sulani
- Realm of Magic is a lovely addition if you want to play Spellcasters
- And I have to agree with many posters about Parenthood. It is a great addition. And I don't even consider myself to be a family player, but when I do play families, it just adds so much good stuff, interactions between parents and children and the character values. The CAS is not my favourite, but BB is pretty great and I use it all the time
- I like Jungle Adventure. Selvadorada makes for a more fun holiday than Granite Falls, especially if you prepare the rental lots accordingly

I really enjoy everything that comes with Eco Lifestyle. It's my most played world and pack.
Second is a tie between Seasons/Cats and Dogs/Island Living.

My least played are Strangerville and Realm of Magic

I use things in outdoor retreat all the time, tents lawn chairs, ice chests, tree stumps and stones you can sit on a put items on. It has an herbalism skill as well as a secret lot. Some of my children sims also collect insects. I also like the tarp if toddlers want to play outside.

Jungle adventure is a pretty jungle world, and the archeology skill is cool, and it comes with a couple of few new plants too, besides exploring the jungle and pyramids, it’s led a nice jungle holiday. You can use Outdoor retreats tents, ice chests and things there too while exploring the jungle.

Sulani is a beautiful world with a lot of things to do... an active conservationist career, an couple of part time rabbit holes and you can even do little errands for people and get paid for them, kind of cute. With the pack you can make sand castles in dirt in any world, use the jet ski’s in any big pool too. You can beach comb for little treasures and collect shells, it has a few new plants, and there are a couple little festivals.there too. As well as swim in the ocean, you can become a mermaid if you want, and it has a half way decent amount of lots.

And if you are looking for lots stangerville has quite a few for a gamepack, and it is a pretty desert world. It does have some nice build items too.

Realm of Magic has some pretty furniture I like, and a nice little forest world you can actually live in.cute wands to use and brooms to ride.

Movie hangout has some cute colorful furniture, lets you watch movies on tv and has a popcorn machine. I like backyard stuff as well.as movie hangout.

If you play a lot with families with children you will want parenthood, if you don’t, cleaning up their messes can be annoying.... lol.

If you like ghosts and seances and want a paranormal career.... paranormal is packed with stuff!

I’ve just started playing Eco lifestyle, and have been spending time setting up for it. But, I guess you either love it or hate it. It has a community space lot where you can set up 4 lots. Comes with candle making and a juice still, and a fabricator machine you can make things at, and a dumpster you can find things in.you can influence beautiful worlds, or smoggy ones, your choice.

I would suggest the Eco Living pack. One of the best packs I bought. I like how you can change the entire surroundings. There should be more maps that can change the look ad feel of the world