Which to get?

Well it depends on how you'd like to play....

I think that as a start, probably pick Seasons up. It's one of TS4's best EP's and it ads more replayability to the BG and other EP's as well. And it makes playing with families more fun since you have the holidays and seasonal activities.

But it's really up to you, want to play celebrities? Go with Get Famous.

I think that the weakest EP, is Island Living, beautiful world but not a lot of gameplay, which in your case would especially not be the best thing to get, since you are just starting out.

I'd say go for an EP first, since they generally add the most gameplay.

But if you'd rather pick a GP, as a start, since it's cheaper, go with either Parenthood or Vampires for most replayabilty.

Hey there! (I also suggest moving this discussion into The Sims 4 Expansions Pack thread for more visibility)

It really depends on what you value or what you think might be fun. However, before you choose a pack I would recommend watching LGR reviews, as he’s pretty honest and gives pretty good criticism. Think it through well and have fun with choosing an expansion pack!

I personally love Seasons because it adds so much to whatever game you’re playing. Unlike the other expansion packs which concentrate on mainly a career, place or additional things to sims that are really optional in some cases, Seasons suits every play style and gives you some things to marvel at. I love taking screenshots of the world and like how it makes the game all the more realistic. Plus you have all the cute interactions like snowball and mud fights and jumping around in leaves!

I also really enjoy Cats and Dogs for some reason even though it only comes with cats and dogs. They add more realism to the game and if you’re a pet lover I think the whole pack is pretty cute.

Good luck with choosing and happy swimming!

I can only tell you which ones have made the biggest difference for me. FYI, my style of play is storytelling and screenshots. I like all the expansions I have, but my favorite two that have made a huge difference in my enjoyment of the game are:

City Living -- because I love highrise apartment living (the views, decorating the apartments, the "vibe" of a city apartment).

Get Together -- because being able to form groups/clubs opens up a lot of new possibilities for gameplay.

I think Seasons, Get Together and City Living add most rich gameplay functionality and enjoyable experiences.

As others said go with what interests you and caters to your playstyle and be very aware there are often really good sales so shop smart. Bundles are suppose to also be a pretty good deal.

in my experience id say game packs do better than the other packs up to now
I mostly have expansions because its very hard to get game packs where i live out of bundles (and I can't order online)
but I feel lots of expansions have holes in them and you'd probably go better getting 2 gps over 1 ep overall

If you get eps though make sure its on sale (since sales are finally happening)

I think about only ep worth whole price would be Seasons in my opinion and it is sort of must have

though Island Living is lot of fun for me as well but you could really wait a bit to get it on sale
since its full of bugs now so it won't really help with ''getting into game'' so to speak

for gps I have heard Parenthood adds a lot for family players even though I don't have it yet

and for ones I have I recommend Vampires since it adds quite a lot to my game
but only if you like occults in your game and like playing them

though Realm of Magic on the way I'd personally avoid buying anything just yet as occult player

what comes to stuff packs. just don't really :joy: if you can avoid buying them id always recommend to skip them

but all this said its still best to go with something you find cool since these are subjective opinions

going through some reviews and lets plays might help you

recommending lazygamereviews for example for less ''glossed over'' take

I'd say - you can't have only one pack! ;)

They just had a sale, and earlier this summer they also had a big sale. I guess there will be another 30-50% off sale within end of Summer, if you wait you can get 2 packs for the cost of 1+. Seasons is a good pack, but I'm not sure how much impact it will have if you onlly have Willow Creek. The many worlds are beautiful in different ways through the year, so *if* you get two packs, make sure to get one that comes with a new world. It gives variety, too, because the worlds are quite unique. I love Windenburg that came with Get together EP, Brindleton Bay that came with Cats & Dogs EP, and San Myshuno that came with City Living.

Wait until Black Friday. I got the base game for 10 bucks a couple of years ago.
My fav's are Dine Out and Get Together.

Whatever you do, wait for a sale and use the Build Your Bundle promotion to get an EP, GP, and SP at the same time.

I highly recommend 'Seasons' or 'Get Together' if you're looking for an expansion pack. If you're looking for a game pack, I would normally suggest 'Dine Out'... but there's currently a bug in the game that completely makes that pack unusable at the moment, so my next suggestion would be 'Parenthood' or 'Spa Day'. As for stuff packs, my personal favorites are 'Backyard' and 'Kids Room'.

I do NOT recommend 'Outdoor Retreat' or 'My First Pet' (unless you like the idea of buying DLC for DLC).

But, ultimately, it's up to you.