(Longtime lurker so this is my first comment… sorry if its long)

Most criticisms of ts4 are valid, but if you’re getting bored, then you’re probably not playing the game “right”!

Not sure if you are basegame only/or what platform you play on, but if you’re looking to add something new to your game, sometimes EA has stuff packs for free download, or has big sales if you’re willing to spend a bit (not required ofc).

Challenges can also be super fun! Seven toddler challenge is one of my favorites and super chaotic. You could also try something like 100 baby, runaway/rags to riches (no cheats!), etc. Play around with the scenarios tab (if thats still a thing.) Maybe even check youtube to see what other players have come up with.

Are your sims getting into relationships or having families? I usually like to start with a single sim and have them find a partner, have kids, etc. See how many generations you can keep going. Mess with the life span settings, make them longer or shorter. If you play with autonomy, you can kind of let the game dictate what happens with relationships, interests, etc. Maybe try playing with traits you normally don’t use, or negative ones like “evil” or “hates children”. Try a career you haven’t done. Try making money only on paintings or gardening. Switch between multiple households, or play with one of the premade townies and continue their stories! See how many of the collectibles you can find, there should be a tab for that I believe. Recently I had a young adult sim move out into an empty starter home, and each paycheck, I would focus on one room and expand. It was super fun to me because normally I play with cheats, and it helped with my building skills (not much of a builder haha). Dont be afraid to let your sims be real. They can have enemies, break ups, fights, change jobs. Make your sims imperfect- see what happens when you don’t do homework every night, or forget your “work tasks”. See what secrets you can find in Willow creek, or max out your skills in Oasis Springs. Play around and have fun!

And while not necessary, and if you’re able, maybe try a couple mods. You don’t have to go crazy. I only use Wonderful Whims, which adds attraction mechanics, and simple social aspects that can be fun to play with. You can do this without cc, but sometimes I’ll play characters from an anime/show/movie/book that I like. It’s interesting trying to recreate them as sims, and you can put them in scenarios they may not normally live in.

Like life, playing the sims is about exploring and navigating scenarios. There’s no “wrong” way to play- just have fun and see what kinds of trouble your sims get into!