All Sims 3 Cheats and Cheat Codes

The Sims 3 cheat console gives you direct control over money, relationships, building restrictions, career progression, and Sim appearance — all accessible through a single key combo. Press Ctrl + Shift + C to open the cheat bar, type your code, and hit Enter. Some cheats work immediately; others require testingcheatsenabled true first, which unlocks a second layer of shift-click interactions. That distinction matters more than most cheat guides let on, so it’s broken out clearly below.

Quick reference: kaching = §1,000 | motherlode = §50,000 | familyfunds [lastname] [amount] = up to §99,999,999 | freerealestate = all lots free (requires testingcheatsenabled true).

How to Activate Cheats in Sims 3

Hold Ctrl + Shift + C simultaneously. A narrow input bar appears at the top-left of the screen — that’s where every code goes. Type carefully: the console is case-insensitive for most codes, but spacing matters. familyfunds Smith 2000000 works; familyfunds Smith 2,000,000 does not. The comma breaks it every time.

If a code doesn’t register, the bar displays “unknown command.” That usually means a typo or a missing prerequisite — not a broken game. Close the bar with Escape or by pressing Ctrl + Shift + C again.

One thing worth doing immediately when loading any save: enter testingcheatsenabled true before you do anything else. It doesn’t just unlock extra cheats — it changes how you interact with objects and Sims in the world. Mailbox clicks, shift-clicking Sims, dragging relationship bars — none of that works without it active.

Understanding testingcheatsenabled true

This is the single most powerful command in the game, and it works differently from every other cheat. It doesn’t do one thing — it unlocks a system of interactions layered on top of normal gameplay. Here’s exactly what becomes available once it’s active:

Shift-click your active Sim:

• Edit in Create-a-Sim — full appearance overhaul, mid-game, no restrictions
• Modify Traits for Active Sim — change one or all five traits instantly
• Trigger Age Transition — forces a birthday/age-up event on demand

Shift-click the mailbox:

• Make Needs Static — all needs freeze and stop decaying
• Make All Happy — fills every need bar for the entire household
• Make Friends for Me — generates a set of friends for the active Sim
• Make Me Know Everyone — instant acquaintance with every Sim in town
• Set Career — choose career track and level for the active Sim
• Force Visitor / Force NPC — summons a random visitor or specific NPC (choices include the Grim Reaper)

Shift-click a non-household Sim:

• Add to Active Family — immediately moves them into your household

Shift-click the ground anywhere:

• Teleport here — instant travel to that exact tile

Shift-click a workplace:

• Force Opportunity / Force Event / Force All Events — triggers career events without waiting

Lifetime Happiness tab:

• Shift-click the treasure chest icon to inflate Lifetime Happiness points — hold it down and watch the number climb

Relationships tab:

• Drag the relationship bar under any Sim’s portrait to adjust friendship or romance to any level — create a best friend or a nemesis on the spot

One non-obvious edge case: testingcheatsenabled true can desync if you travel between worlds in World Adventures. Re-enter it after loading a new zone.

Money Cheats: Quick Cash and Unlimited Funds

familyfunds is the one to use for serious wealth. Replace [lastname] with your household’s actual last name — so for the Goth family it’s familyfunds Goth 5000000. This sets the total, not adds to it, so factor in what you already have.

Sim Manipulation: Editing, Traits, and Aging

Most Sim-level control flows through testingcheatsenabled true shift-clicks (covered above), but a few standalone codes round out the picture:

resetsim is especially useful during World Adventures expansion content, where Sims frequently clip into terrain or get stuck inside tomb structures. The syntax is exact: resetsim John Smith — full name, space-separated.

Aging and gender — two non-cheat mechanics worth knowing:

If you want to stop aging entirely, go to Options → Game Options and disable the Aging toggle. This isn’t a cheat code — it’s a setting — but it’s the most permanent solution for players who want a household to stay frozen in time.

For gender selection during pregnancy: have the pregnant Sim eat apples repeatedly for a higher chance of a boy, or watermelons for a girl. Community testing consistently reports this working, though the game doesn’t guarantee an outcome — stacking more fruit servings improves the odds. No cheat code required.

Relationship and Household Cheats

Social manipulation in Sims 3 is almost entirely handled through testingcheatsenabled true interactions rather than typed codes. The two most useful are the mailbox options “Make Friends for Me” and “Make Me Know Everyone” — the difference being scope. The first creates actual friendship values with a few Sims; the second makes your Sim acquainted with the entire town without necessarily building strong ties.

The relationship bar drag is underused and genuinely powerful. Open the Relationships panel, activate testingcheatsenabled true, then just click and drag the bar beneath any Sim portrait left or right. Full enemies to best friends in seconds. Romance bars work the same way.

Adding Sims from outside your household — shift-click them, select “Add to Active Family” — is the cleanest way to absorb NPCs or townies you’ve been playing alongside. Useful for keeping a Sim who’s aged in place of a family member, or just merging two households without going through the phone menu.

Building and Lot Cheats

These codes address the specific friction points in Sims 3’s build mode — object placement restrictions, terrain editing limitations, and lot access rules. Most work without any prerequisite, though freerealestate needs testingcheatsenabled true first.

AlwaysAllowBuildBuy true is particularly useful if you play with burglars enabled — you can rearrange your lot defensively mid-game without waiting for a non-active period. Pair it with moveobjects on for full freedom when doing detailed interior builds.

To edit any lot in the world (not just your own), hold Shift and right-click the lot in question. A prompt appears with Build and Buy options for that location.

Career and Opportunity Cheats

Career control sits mostly inside the testingcheatsenabled true system. “Set Career” via the mailbox lets you assign any career track and level instantly — handy for roleplay setups or skipping the early grind. The level you set doesn’t change skill requirements retroactively, so a Sim placed at level 10 with no relevant skills may still underperform at work.

The workplace shift-click options are where things get interesting:

• Force Opportunity — triggers a random career opportunity your Sim can accept or skip
• Force Event — fires a workplace event (celebratory dinners, workplace disasters, etc.)
• Force All Events — everything fires simultaneously, which is chaotic and occasionally breaks the queue

Use Force Opportunity specifically if you’re chasing a promotion that requires completing a chain of opportunities. It skips the waiting period between them.

General Utility Codes

unlockOutfits on needs to be entered before you open Create-a-Sim in a save — it won’t retroactively add outfits to an already-open CAS session. Career-specific clothing like police uniforms and scientist lab coats become available once it’s active.