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FRAME CHASERS

The Sims 3 Cheats

The Sims 3 has a built-in text cheat console on PC and Mac, opened with Ctrl+Shift+C (Cmd+Shift+C on Mac), where you type codes like motherlode and testingcheatsenabled true. The PS3 and Xbox 360 ports do not have a typing console: you instead enable a cheat mode with a four-shoulder-button combo and then access a limited set of cheats by buying and interacting with "Spoot the Llama" (a.k.a. the Magic Llama) in Buy mode. Most of the powerful PC cheats (typed console commands, shift-click testing-cheat interactions) are unavailable on console.

32 cheats // pick your platform below

The Sims 3 cover art

Heads up // Console (PS3/Xbox 360) only: enabling cheats permanently disables Trophies/Achievements and challenges for that save file; the game prompts you to save a duplicate first, so always keep an un-cheated backup. The PS3/Xbox 360 ports have NO typed cheat console; cheats are limited to what 'Spoot the Llama' offers (money, karma, etc.), so the vast majority of PC console commands and shift-click options below do not exist on console. On PC/Mac, testingcheatsenabled true and moveobjects on can corrupt or break a save or cause glitches if misused (e.g. deleting/overlapping critical objects), so back up your save folder first. familyfunds is finicky: do NOT use parentheses, it can fail if another household shares the same surname, and some players can only run it from the Edit Town / neighborhood view. deleteallcharacters is destructive and irreversible. There is no online-banning risk (single-player), and using built-in cheats is legal/allowed by EA.

How to enter cheats // PC

PC: While in a loaded game (or at the main menu for some cheats), press Ctrl + Shift + C together. A white cheat text box appears in the top-left corner. Type the cheat exactly and press Enter. Type a cheat again (toggling on/off) to reverse it. Cheats are generally not case-sensitive, but familyfunds is the notable exception people report problems with.

Mac: Press Cmd + Shift + C (on some setups Control + Windows + Shift + C). The cheat console opens in the top-left corner; type the cheat and press Return. Same codes as PC.

Enable / Master Cheats03 CODES

  • Enables 'testing cheats' mode: unlocks a layer of extra interactions, primarily a large set of shift-click options on Sims, the mailbox, objects, and the ground. Required for several other cheats (e.g. freerealestate, ctrl-click Lifetime Happiness points). Run again with 'false' to disable.PC/Mac only - not available on PS3/Xbox 360. Often written testingCheatsEnabled (case is ignored). Can also be entered at the main menu before loading a game (needed for the Lifetime Happiness points trick). Note: it can introduce odd behavior/bugs; toggle it off when done.
    testingcheatsenabled true
  • Displays a list of available console commands in the cheat box.PC/Mac only.
    help
  • Console cheat-enable button combo (no typed codes). Hold all four shoulder/trigger buttons while paused to turn on cheat mode, then use Spoot the Llama.PS3/Xbox 360 only. Disables Trophies/Achievements; save a duplicate when prompted.
    Not available on PC

Money Cheats05 CODES

  • Adds 1,000 Simoleons to the active household.PC/Mac. 'rosebud' (the classic Sims series money code) does the same +1,000 on Sims 3 and is interchangeable.
    kaching
  • Adds 1,000 Simoleons to the active household (alias of kaching).PC/Mac. Carried over from earlier Sims games; gives 1,000 (not the old 'rosebud;!;!;!' chain).
    rosebud
  • Adds 50,000 Simoleons to the active household.PC/Mac. Re-type to stack another 50,000. On console, the Llama offers a comparable '+50,000 Simoleons' option instead of a typed code.
    motherlode
  • Sets a specific household's funds to an exact amount (replaces current funds; can also reduce them).PC/Mac. EXACT-SYNTAX GOTCHA: many guides note the 'F' in 'Funds' is what trips people up - it is commonly written familyFunds / FamilyFunds and case is ignored, but you MUST use the household's surname exactly as the game lists it (not necessarily the family's name) and a number 0-99,999,999 with NO commas and NO parentheses. Example: familyfunds Goth 1000000. It fails if two households share that surname; some players can only run it from Edit Town/neighborhood view, and you may need testingcheatsenabled true first.
    familyfunds <LastName> <amount>
  • Makes all lots/houses cost 0 Simoleons so you can buy any home for free.PC/Mac. Must be entered while in Map/Edit Town (neighborhood) view, and requires testingcheatsenabled true to be active.
    freerealestate

Build & Buy Mode Cheats07 CODES

  • Removes object placement restrictions: place/stack objects anywhere, overlap them, and put items where the game normally blocks them.PC/Mac. Often written moveObjects on. Powerful but risky - deleting required objects (mailbox, trash can, a Sim) can cause problems.
    moveobjects on
  • Unlocks hidden/debug Buy mode objects (e.g. development and special items) in the catalog.PC/Mac. Some sources list it simply as 'buydebug'. Reveals an extra category of objects (incl. collectibles/spawners).
    buydebug on
  • Lets you raise/lower terrain freely even where walls, objects or foundations would normally constrain it.PC/Mac. 'false' frees terrain editing; 'true' restores normal behavior. Can distort objects/walls placed on the changed terrain.
    constrainFloorElevation false
  • Hold Alt to stop objects from snapping to slots / the grid while placing them.PC/Mac. With this on, holding Alt while dragging an object prevents it from snapping into slots.
    disableSnappingToSlotsOnAlt on
  • Allows Build/Buy mode at times the game normally blocks it (e.g. during certain events or on community lots).PC/Mac. Sometimes written AlwaysAllowBuildBuy true/false. Some sources also reference enablellamas as a flavor/utility toggle ('Llamas enabled.').
    alwaysallowbuildbuy on
  • Removes build/buy restrictions inside rabbit-hole buildings/venues (e.g. lets you edit building interiors - useful with Late Night).PC/Mac. Commonly cited as a Late Night-era cheat.
    restrictBuildBuyInBuildings off
  • Allows placing objects on roofs.PC/Mac. Listed by some trusted guides; less universally documented than moveobjects - treat as build-helper toggle.
    allowObjectsOnRoofs on

Sim Manipulation & Live Mode06 CODES

  • Resets a stuck, frozen, or glitched Sim, returning them home with neutral motives and no moodlets.PC/Mac. Use the Sim's exact first and last name. Standard fix for Sims trapped in an action or off the map.
    resetSim <FirstName> <LastName>
  • Unlocks career, service and NPC outfits so you can use them in Create-a-Sim.PC/Mac. Enter before entering Create-a-Sim for the extra outfits to appear.
    unlockOutfits on
  • Stretches/scales the active Sim's skeleton, making them taller or shorter (cosmetic/novelty).PC/Mac. Value around 1.0 is normal; higher = taller, lower = shorter. Can cause animation oddities.
    stretchSkeleton <value>
  • Deletes all non-active characters/townies in the world.PC/Mac. DESTRUCTIVE and irreversible - it wipes the town's population. Back up your save first.
    deleteAllCharacters
  • Shift-click interactions unlocked by testingcheatsenabled true: shift-click a Sim to Modify Traits, Trigger Age Transition, Edit in Create-a-Sim, Add to Active Family; shift-click the ground to teleport a Sim or edit other lots; shift-click the mailbox for 'Make Needs Static', 'Make all happy', 'Make me know everyone', 'Add to/Force opportunities'; drag relationship/need bars to set values; Ctrl-click skill/Lifetime-reward elements as noted.PC/Mac only. These are mouse interactions, not typed codes; the exact menu depends on installed expansions. Click-and-drag the green motive/relationship bars to raise or lower them directly.
    (after testingcheatsenabled true) Shift + Click on Sim / mailbox / ground / object
  • Gives Lifetime Happiness (Lifetime Reward) points. Enable testingcheatsenabled true at the MAIN MENU, load the game, then Ctrl+Click the Lifetime Rewards points/treasure-chest icon to add points per click.PC/Mac only. Reported to add roughly +500 points per click; must be enabled from the main menu before loading the save.
    testingcheatsenabled true (at main menu) + Ctrl+Click Lifetime Rewards icon

Display, Camera & Performance10 CODES

  • Toggles the on-screen frames-per-second counter.PC/Mac.
    fps on
  • Hides headline effects (the plumbob over Sims' heads and similar icons) - useful for screenshots. Does not remove thought/speech bubbles.PC/Mac. Frequently written hideheadlineeffects true/false.
    hideHeadlineEffects on
  • Toggles whether objects fade out when the camera moves in close to them.PC/Mac. With 'off', near-camera objects no longer go transparent.
    fadeObjects on
  • Puts the game into slow motion for cinematic capture.PC/Mac. Optional value: 0 = normal speed, 8 = slowest.
    slowMotionViz <0-8>
  • Toggles fullscreen vs windowed mode.PC/Mac.
    fullscreen on
  • Toggles vertical sync.PC/Mac. Listed by EarlyGame; performance/tearing toggle.
    vsync on
  • Toggles game sounds on/off.PC/Mac.
    playsounds on
  • Toggles map tags/icons on the world map.PC/Mac.
    mapTags on
  • Displays a random joke in the cheat console.PC/Mac. Pure novelty/easter-egg.
    jokePlease
  • Immediately quits the game.PC/Mac. Exits without the normal menu - unsaved progress is lost.
    quit

Console (PS3 / Xbox 360) - Spoot the Llama Cheats01 CODES

  • After enabling cheat mode with the shoulder-button combo, buy 'Spoot the Llama' (Magic Llama) for free and interact with it to apply console cheats such as adding Simoleons, adding Karma points, and unlocking certain powers/items.PS3/Xbox 360 only. The exact menu of llama options varies; commonly reported are Simoleon boosts (+1,000 / +50,000), Karma point boosts, and select unlockable powers/items. There is no typed-console equivalent on console, so typed PC codes (testingcheatsenabled, moveobjects, familyfunds, etc.) cannot be used here.
    Not available on PC

On the full ID list

The Sims 3 does not use a large numeric item-ID/spawn-ID table the way Bethesda/source-engine games do, so no ID list is omitted. The buydebug cheat exposes hidden objects (collectible spawners, debug items) but these are selected from the in-game catalog rather than entered by ID. Expansion packs add a small number of extra console commands (e.g. World Adventures, Late Night's restrictBuildBuyInBuildings, Island Paradise's island-unlock command); the most-used base-game and commonly-cited expansion cheats are captured above. The Sims Wiki maintains the broadest community-verified cheat reference: https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Cheats

FAQ // Straight answers

How do you open the cheat console in The Sims 3?

On PC press Ctrl+Shift+C; on Mac press Command+Shift+C. A text box appears at the top of the screen where you type a cheat, then press Enter. Press the same keys again to close it.

What is the money cheat for The Sims 3?

The Sims 3 has built-in money cheats you type into the console. There are small and large lump-sum codes, plus a command that lets you set an exact household balance for a named family. They add Simoleons instantly to the active household.

How do I enable all cheats in The Sims 3?

Open the console and enter testingcheatsenabled true. This unlocks extra debug options, such as shift-clicking Sims and objects for additional menus. Type testingcheatsenabled false to turn it off again.

What does moveobjects do in The Sims 3?

The moveobjects cheat lets you place and overlap objects freely in build and buy mode, ignoring the usual placement grid and collision rules. It is mainly a building and decorating tool rather than a gameplay advantage.

Do cheats disable achievements in The Sims 3?

The Sims 3 does not use console-style trophies, but some versions track in-game achievements and challenges. Using cheats can affect or skip those goals, so check your platform; the cheats themselves still work normally.

Do Sims 3 cheats work on Mac and consoles?

The PC and Mac versions share the same text cheat console and codes. Console editions of The Sims 3 use different cheat systems, often button combinations, so PC-style typed commands like motherlode do not apply there.

Sources // cross-checked

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