Sims 2: How to Cheat & All Cheats

To use cheats in The Sims 2, press Ctrl+Shift+C to open the cheat console, type the code, and press Enter; motherlode alone hands you 50,000 Simoleons. The same console and codes work in the 2025 Legacy Collection. Here is every cheat worth knowing, with exact syntax.

Opening the Console

Press Ctrl+Shift+C anywhere: on a lot or at the neighborhood screen (some cheats only work from one or the other, noted below). A text bar appears at the top of the screen. Type a code, press Enter. Type exit to close it.

The Essential Cheats

• motherlode adds 50,000 Simoleons.
• kaching adds 1,000 Simoleons.
• aging off stops aging; aging on resumes it. (Birthday control without the stress.)
• moveObjects on lets you move, place, and delete normally restricted objects, including Sims and mailboxes; moveObjects off restores rules.
• maxMotives fills every need for all Sims on the lot (requires Nightlife or a later expansion; Legacy Collection includes them all).
• motiveDecay off freezes needs entirely; motiveDecay on resumes decay (also Nightlife+).
• familyFunds [family name] [amount] sets a household’s money exactly; full usage in our money cheats guide.

The Big One: boolProp testingCheatsEnabled

Type boolProp testingCheatsEnabled true (exact capitalization as shown) to unlock the debug layer, ideally from the neighborhood screen before entering a lot. With it on:

• Drag need bars up and down with the mouse.
• Drag skill bars and relationship scores the same way.
• Shift-click Sims and objects for spawn menus, instant interactions, and options the game never normally shows.

Turn it off with boolProp testingCheatsEnabled false. A warning earned by two decades of broken saves: avoid the weirder shift-click options (like forcing errors) on a household you love, and save first.

Working in the Legacy Collection

The Sims 2 Legacy Collection (2025) bundles the base game, all eight expansions, and nearly every stuff pack, and the cheat console works identically (Ctrl+Shift+C). Since Legacy includes Nightlife, the expansion-gated cheats above all function out of the box.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a needs cheat without expansions? On a bare original base game, maxMotives is unavailable; use boolProp testingCheatsEnabled true and drag the need bars instead.

Do cheats disable anything? No achievements exist to lose in The Sims 2; the only risk is corruption from reckless debug options.

What about build cheats? moveObjects on is the big one; combine with our classic guides like rotating objects for tidy builds.

Can I cheat aspiration or lifetime wants? Debug mode can manipulate aspiration meters via dragging; changing the want itself is covered in how to change lifetime want, and our other Sims 2 guides live in the Sims hub.