Carl's The Sims 3 Moodlets List (2024)

List of the Best Mood Boosters for Sims

This Sims 3 Guide was originally written for the PC and Mac versions of the game, but also will help owners of the console versions - PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii. Please remember some info or numbers may have changed.

This guide for The Sims 3 will cover mood and how to manage it. Many of the moodlets in this list apply to owners of the console (xbox 360 and ps3) versions of The Sims 3. I'll give you a list of moodlets that I feel are the most important and easy to obtain for Sims to get cheerful. Keeping your Sims in a good mood will help them in a large variety of ways, including:

• Happy Sims get promotions faster
• They'll also learn skills faster
• Lifetime Happiness Points are gained while the mood bar is high
• Certain social interactions will only work if the Sim is in a good mood
• For a pregnancy to go well, the mother must stay happy (this allows you to pick the infant's two traits upon birth)

So how can we keep our Sims' mood bar high? We need to give them as many good moodlets as possible, while avoiding the negative ones. I'll list some of the easiest moodlets to get for your Sims, so that you can keep them happy at home, or out in the world.

The Over Emotional Trait
The Over Emotional trait is one of the best in The Sims 3 if you can take care of your Sim. It will give a 25% boost to all moodlets, even negative ones and that can add up quickly with multiple moodlets stacking up. With all the options for improving mood, and meeting the Sim's needs (motives), negative moodlets should never be a problem and Over Emotional will always be beneficial. It is my personal favorite trait, and I'm sure I've helped a few come to love it as much as I do. While it won't help if you have enough good moodlets on the Sim, it will help when you only have a couple, such as when the Sim has just woken up or toward the end of a work day.

The Sims 3 Vanilla Moodlets

Amazing/Great/Good Meal +40 for 8 hours after eating
These moodlets are all the same, but increase in strength based on the quality level of the meal eaten, up to a maximum of +75 mood. If the quality is below normal, you'll get no boost. The moodlet comes both when the meal is freshly prepared and when it's eaten as leftovers. Eating leftovers can also cause the Tastes Like Fridge negative moodlet if your Sim is using the cheap refrigerator.

Beautiful Vista up to +30
If you build your Sim's house in a nice area, usually far removed from the town center, they can have a mood boost when they're on the lot, even indoors! It can go up to +30 on the best lots. This doesn't have to be an expensive lot, like the huge ones that cost over 10,000. The lots near Pinochle Pond in Sunset Valley are very affordable and give this bonus. However, the more expensive and beautiful lots deliver a better bonus.

Comfy +40 for best seats/beds, doubled with Couch Potato (while seated or lying on bed)
Sims can get this while in bed, or sitting in a chair. It makes them happier while seated, and is extra important for writers who will be on their rears for many hours throughout the day. Taking the couch potato trait will double this bonus. My author got a +50 mood boost while he was working because of the $900 seat, a purchase that paid off tenfold in happiness points over time.

Cozy Fire +15 or +5, while near fire
You can get the +15 Cozy Fire moodlet from having a fireplace in a room Sims use often. It's suggested you don't use a cheap fireplace, because it is more likely to cause the kind of fire you aren't looking for. A fireplace can be set to auto-light when Sims enter the room. This is a nice feature, be careful upgrading it with auto light enabled. A minor +5 moodlet can also be gained from having a flame fruit in your Sim's inventory.

Cuddle Time +20 mood for 5 hours after waking for children and the childish
This one's for the kids and childish adult Sims. If you buy a teddy bear for the youngster or kid at heart, found under the children's toys section of buy mode, they'll get this moodlet when sleeping with the teddy bear in their inventory. It's one more way to make the kid happy as they grow up.

Decorated/Nicely Decorated/Beautifully Decorated up to +40 while in area
This is one of the more important moodlets for Sims at home, because it's constant. It gives them a moodlet based on how decorated the current room is. It can run up to +40 for the beautifully decorated moodlet. Items with a higher environment rating will contribute more. A single painting can get your Sim started, but a room with nice furniture, multiple paintings, plants and statues will really make them happy. This is ultra-important for Sims who work from home. This can apply to the outdoors as well, so even gardeners can benefit.

Divine Meal +75 for 1 week
The Divine Meal moodlet is granted by eating Ambrosia, through the Cooking Skill. While it's not one Sims can tackle early, once someone in the household has learned the recipe and found the required death fish and life fruit, you'll have the ability to make this recipe at will. Life fruit can be grown by planting more of them, and you can stock a pond on your Sim's lot with death fish to have an infinite supply, available day and night. This can also be acquired for a cost, by eating an expensive meal at the bistro in town. It's worth it for such a huge mood boost that lasts so long!

Duck Time +15 for 5 hours
Get this moodlet by having your Sim take a bath with a Ducksworth of Bathington present. These ducks are found commonly while fishing, but can be purchased from the grocery store in town. It's one more little moodlet your Sim can pick up as they do their daily routine. Note that hydrophobic Sims will not enjoy time in the bath with a rubber ducky!

Enjoying Music Up to +40 while listening
This is a moodlet that is permenant so long as the Sim is awake and in the room with a playing stereo. It can give up to +40 if a Sim is listening to their favorite music on the best stereo. Higher quality stereos will deliver a better boost, and can be upgraded with the handiness skill. You could even wire the entire house with speakers, which is great for parties. Your Sim will get a bigger boost by listening to their favorite music. You can buy the portable stereo, which is the cheapest, and put it into your Sim's inventory to listen to music while out in the world. To do this, drag it from the table to the Sim, then drag it from the inventory to the ground and turn it on!

Having a Blast +40 up to 8 hours after having fun
This is very important. Get your Sim some fun time as often as possible. The having a blast moodlet lasts a long time (8 hours) but will be depleted faster while working or doing other tasks that can cause stress. When having a blast disappears, it goes to Entertained, which still offers a boost. This will last another 6 hours. So it's certainly powerful for working Sims to enjoy a little TV or games before they head to the job site. Taking the Childish Trait will half the duration of the fun moodlets, while No Sense of Humor doubles it.

Minty Breath and Attractive +5 and +10 for a few hours
These two moodlets don't last a long time, and give a boost of +5 for minty breath and +10 for attractive. Minty breath lasts four hours, while attractive lasts five. Both are done with bathroom objects. Using brush teeth at the sink will give your Sim the minty breath moodlet, while gussy up in front of a mirror (guys can do this too) will grant attractive. They're very useful to do just before work, but remember they will add about an hour to your Sim's routine.

One With Nature +20 while outdoors (requires Loves the Outdoors trait)
This moodlet makes the loves the outdoors trait a top pick. It can be used to keep the Sim happy, even while living outdoors with no roof. That's right, put the bed right on the lawn. Well, you could at least carpet the lawn first. Still, this is popular in challenges as it removes the need to spend all that starting cash on building a house, and rather furnishing their area with nicer objects. You needn't go all out and make a Sim who lives outdoors to enjoy the bonus, this will be naturally helpful to collectors, gardeners, guitarists, and fishermen.

Power Study (while at the library, no mood boost)
A page dedicated to the best moodlets in the Sims 3 can't be considered good without mentioning this one, although it has no mood boost. It's one you'll want to seek any time your Sim is reading books, particularly skill books. It increases the rate at which the Sim reads. This is helpful for raising skills faster and for bookworms who want to read massive quantities of books.

Spa Treatments - Completely at Ease Up to +20-+75 for a week
There are a large assortment of Spa Treatments available to Sims. Just have your Sim head to the day spa in town, but bring some cash! They can get a manicure, massage or even take a vacation. The vacations offer the best value. They last a full week, and will fill all your Sim's bars, except energy, to full. When you take one of these packages, the mood boost will last a full week. It can range up to +75 mood for an entire week if our Sim takes the $7,500 package.

Squeaky Clean +10 for 7 hours (24 hours with Dirt Defiant Reward)
This moodlet comes from using the bath tub or shower. It lasts for eight hours, and delivers a +10 boost to mood. Even bad showers will give this moodlet, although at times it will give a negative cold shower moodlet in addition. If your Sim takes the dirt defiant lifetime reward, this will last over a day because their hygiene bar depletes slower.

Sugar Rush +15 for 3 hours
No, this one isn't great in the mood boost it delivers. Actually, it's biggest perk is that it freezes the fun meter, allowing your Sim to milk 3 more hours of having a blast and entertained. Get this moodlet from drinking nectar and juice from a bar.

Tranquil +10 for 8 hours after bathing or freaking out (Neurotic trait)
Tranquility is gained from bathing with bubble bath, and works well with the Duck Time moodlet. To get it from bathing, you'll need to buy bubble bath which can be purchased at the supermarket in town. I wouldn't use this one very often, but it's amazing for neurotic Sims, as it relieves many negative moodlets in an instant. It's the big perk of being a little crazy, Sims can blow off steam quickly and calm themselves down. Useful in many situations.

Very Fulfilled +75-100 for 7 days
This one is very worthy of inclusion because it's a boon most Sims 3 players should see. It's triggered by completing a Sim's lifetime wish. They can rack up a lot of happiness points with such a large bonus going for such an extended duration.

Warm Fuzzies +15 for 5 hours
Warm fuzzies comes from Baked Angel Food Cake and Nectar from World Adventures. This one is worth mentioning, as if your Sim has plenty of Flame Fruit, they can make this food often and use it as a proper meal. Use it as a substitute for Ambrosia when your Sim already has the Divine Meal moodlet.

Well Rested Up to +30 for 10 hours
This boost comes from sleeping until the energy bar is full. Light sleepers won't likely see this moodlet. The boost varies depending on how comfortable the bed is (the max comfort + rating is 3). It goes up in increments of ten based on the bed's comfort rating, up to a maximum of +30 mood for 8 hours. So, the more expensive beds will give a better boost to mood. Avoid cheap beds like the plague. The energy bar moves up slowly while sleeping, and a bad night's sleep negative moodlet is possible.

The Sims 3 World Adventures Moodlets

World Adventures adds a lot of moodlets that can help Sims in their day to day lives, and others that are particularly beneficial to adventuring. The most useful in day to day life are those that come from Nectar, Incense Holders, and Pemmican dried foods.

Adventuring +10 while in a Tomb (requires Adventurous trait)
This isn't vital, but can be a big help to Sims that will do a lot of tomb exploration. The +10 moodlet lasts as long as they're in a tomb, and sometimes those expeditions can last for a couple days. The moodlet isn't the only perk of Adventurous, it also improves the rate they gain VISA levels, increases interest in travel in general, and enables them to go on another trip sooner after returning home.

Carbed Up (+35 for 3 hours) and Great Meal from Pemmican
If your Sim isn't a snob, they can really enjoy the Pemmican dried food available at VISA level 1 for 10 ancient coins from the special merchants. These are great for taking on tomb expeditions, and in fact are helpful for preventing the need to cook back home. If you don't have the coins or VISA level, at least go for the high quality dried food and its Great Meal mood boost.

Eye Candy +10 mood for other Sims while in the vicinity of yours
This requires the Eye Candy LTR, and benefits other Sims. It's useful if you have a particular Sim in the family who will be around the other members often. It's also going to boost the mood of other Sims and perhaps make them more receptive to your interactions. For the small price of 5,000 Lifetime Happiness, it's worth it.

Love is in the Air +10 mood and special from Little Boy Soldier Incense Holder in France
Burn this incense holder where you think your Sim will attempt romantic interactions. Its mood boosting isn't its only effect. It also increases the success rate of romance interactions, making it great for heartbreakers and any Sims who want to WooHoo easier and have their attempts at romance accepted. It burns forever until put out, after the initial small fee to light the incense. Buy it at the general store.

Meditative Focus no mood boost, Up to 4 hours
This is a special moodlet that will let Martial Artists do things faster, from cleaning up to learning skills. It's also expended to use the zeneport and tranquil transference abilities of Martial Arts. While meditating for hours to get this moodlet may seem counterproductive, as it's not going to make up for the time lost, it's a good way to work on the wishes associated with meditation and recover some of the time.

Nectar Drinking - Up to +110 for 8 hours, diminishes as effects wear off
Aside from money making, Nectar serves to give Sims a mood boost when they drink it. You can make tons of the sweet stuff, store it in nectar racks, and serve it up before work or other daily activities for a nice boost. There are a ton of different moodlets associated with nectar, so I won't bother to list them all. The primary ones to seek are Warm Fuzzies, Full of Life, Sugar Rush, and one of the taste/smell moodlets. Using the right Nectar Recipe, with Life and Flame Fruit, Sims can get all of the most important ones and enjoy a huge boost. You needn't make a high dollar bottle, per se, but at least 1 life fruit and 3 flame fruit will be required to give the best. See the recipes page for more information on making higher value bottles.

Neuronic Synergy +10 mood and special from Honorary Incense Holder of Jun Pao in China
Purchased at the general store in China, this incense holder gives a boost to skill learning while active. Place it in an area where your Sim will be skilling, such as a home gym, art studio, or elsewhere. It is movable, so you can place it on other lots like the library to help boost skill gains further. It burns indefinitely until your Sim puts it out.

Slept Like a King/Queen +40 for 10 hours
A must for tomb explorers. At VISA level 3, the Sultan's Tabernacle tent can be purchased for 2,500 ancient coins in any of the three travel spots. This is very helpful as the regular tents don't give a great night's sleep. This acts like the well rested moodlet, and in fact surpasses it in total mood. You may want to use this in lieu of a bed if you can get a spare one to take home and leave there. It would be annoying micromanaging it every night though. They sleep at least three Sims. Note that the Sultan's Tabernacle doesn't replace the small tent per se, there's sometimes rooms that are too low or small for the Tabernacle to fit. With that in mind, it's best to carry both.

Totally Mellow +10 mood and special from Mazzamesses II Incense Holder in Egypt
Buy this incense holder from the general store. Aside from the +10 mood boost, having this permanently burning incense holder in the room will make Sims less stressed. Although it can be moved and lit elsewhere, it's better to put this in a spot where it will benefit them most. It's really helpful for preventing the stresses of Writing books. It should be beneficial for any other activites at home like inventing which do not increase the fun meter.

The Sims 3 Ambitions Moodlets

Ambitions doesn't add a lot of moodlets to the game. Nowhere near the bulk of them that World Adventures adds. In fact, I'm not leaving a lot out here at all! That's not to say the expansion is bad, it just had other features aside from moodlets.

Eco-Friendly Moodlets +10 to +25 mood, last up to 3 hours (for
There are a ton of moodlets for Eco-Friendly Sims, so I won't bother to list them all here, just the ways they are triggered. Riding a bike, Gardening, using an expensive washer, skipping the dryer and using a clothesline, taking a shower, and carpooling all offer mood boosts. There are drawbacks however, riding in a car alone and using a cheap washing machine can both give negative boosts. I lumped all these together as you can see the multiple ways the trait may help a Sim feel better in daily life. There's no one big postive or long-lasting moodlet here, but the moodlets can pop up pretty frequently for Sims that are tailored to take advantage of a green lifestyle.

Fresh and Very Fresh Clothing Up to +32 mood for up to 2 days
This is one any Simmer with Ambitions can use. Sims with a clothing hamper, washer, and dryer (all found in the bathroom section of buy mode) can enjoy this. They'll need to do laundry, but with the Clean Polymer Injection System handiness upgrade, they can extend this moodlet to the point that it lasts a very long time. The initial bonus from a plain washing machine and dryer combo will only last 16 hours, but with the upgrade it jumps to two full days. The bonus depends on the quality of the appliances, so the most expensive set with an upgraded washer is your ultimate goal. The upgrade itself will only be available after level 7 in Handiness. Note that after doing laundry Sims can also get a +10 moodlet while sleeping for clean sheets.

Recycled +20 for 3 hours
This one doesn't belong under the Eco-Friendly moodlets section as it's available to all Sims. It's one more way to perk up your Sim's day, and a good way to make use of the newspaper. Instead of cancelling the Sim's daily paper, you can recycle it instead!

Thespian +10 for 3 hours (only for Dramatic Sims)
Not a major mood boost, but since Ambitions moodlets are so sparse, it's worth mentioning. Dramatic Sims can fake passing out on a whim to earn this moodlet, which can be useful from time to time. Other Sims will sometimes react.