Crystal Castle

Woah, this hood has been so much work but it's finally playable and now my sims can have more variety in their vacations! It's inspired mostly by Japan, but I've never been there so to be honest the execution propably leans more into the maxis-like vague asian vibes and I feel a bit uneasy to present and take inspiration form a culture I'm not too familar with. Also not all the lots are made by me, I've downloaded some from MTS, so I don't think I'm going to post a lot more from this hood. But I'm still very happy with it, so here's a "small" overview of the hood and a few lots :)

Public Bath house/Onsen with natural springs

Cherry Blossom Park

Natural Park/Camping Area on top of the hill, walk only

The Docks

Old town main street with Tea House & Souvenier Shops

Pagoda of Shadows (Secret lot)

Congrats if you made it all the way through!

Amazing builds from other creators from MTS, that can be seen in the hood view:

Cascadia Meditation center

4Bd/1Ba Pagoda-Style Home - No CC

Wok in a Box

Hi Everyone, something a bit different today - my first ever public recolor is available for download in MTS! I'm quite excited, even though it's nothing but a maxis fence recolor :D But I think it turned out okay, and I was very surprised to find that there was barely any recolors made for this cutie shortie.

"Just a short drive away, yet far from the noise of the city, lies My Muse Art Studio II, located in an inspiring countryside setting and open to all lovers of art. Inside a charming old barn, creative workspaces have been built for all kinds of artistic pursuits, and our accomplished instructors provide community classes for all ages in watercolor painting, ceramics, sewing, and more.

In the barn’s basement, private studios are available to rent for long-term professional creative work. Weather you are a beginner or already experienced artist, this is the place to get your hands dirty, enrich your mind, and rediscover the joy of creating. Visitors and passer-bys are welcome to enjoy snacks from the café and admire exhibitions of our students' works."

There’s a brand-new grocery store opening in Crystal Castle called Organic Fresh!, by none other than the visionary foodie Valdemar from the Cake Container. After the modest success of his first venture he managed to get a generous investment from a local eccentric (and filthy-rich) artist and bought a proper retail space for his next business idea. The food store is booming right from the start and looks like it's just so much more profitable to buy stuff cheap and sell it on, rather than to make something from the start with your bare hands. Who would've guessed? We'll see if the success gets into Valdemars head, or will he stay humble and true to his passion of quality food and gastronomic experiences over the profits.

The building itself is a part of a 3-lot complex that consist of apartments and small bussinesses. Fresh Organig! is in the middle, in between of an apartment lot and a Hairdresser Saloon.

Gameplay pics:

First two floors host an old timey café with a peacefull athmosphere. Tea and scons are served in authentic porcelain tableware, and quiet calm classical music is played on the background. The café host speed-dating evenings every Thursday, to attract younger customers too.

On the third floor, there's a workshop for the local art group. A lot of space for painting, pottery and all kinds of collaborative art.

And finally the blueprints. The café kitchen is empty for now, it's there just in case I wanted to make the lot owned at some point. There's also a theraphy center in the same lot at the the next door building, but it deserves a post of it's own.

Located in the old town district of Crystal Castle. This aged building has been renovated to the neccesities of modern life while preserving the rustic feel of the area. There's only two apartments and a very small yard to have a little bit of privacy from the busy street. One aprtment has a single big balcony, and the other one two bedrooms in the second floor. Perfect homes for middle class artsy/hipster sims! The one apartment in the pictures is probably one of my favourites that I furnished, it looks pretty cool! Right now there are two career focused and art loving siblings living there.

I've got soo many lovely/funny gameplay snippets I wanted to share, but somehow always thought I need to make a proper long post with the whole lifestory of the sim/family in question. And then I'd never do it. So now I'm gonna start sharing some of my favourite in-game moments compelitely unorganized, with a short description only.

The Goodest Girl of my hood <3 Her owner is living in the outskirts, trying to make a living just raising dogs, training them and then giving them to loving families when's the time. We just got the first set of puppies!

Hoa and Orlando, a very young couple in the beginning of their careers, became parents unplanned and are now trying to learn the adult life togehter.

This is my renovation of the lovely Pretty Patisserie by Entity.Sims from MTS. I love the original because it's soo cute and the build has such a great shape, but I wanted to have a cafe dedicated to boardgames. I love the consept irl and wanted my sims with a gaming hobby to be able to socialise somewhere. So I did a full renovation there, the layout is almost the same, but the vibes compelitely different. My in-game lore is that the Pretty Patisserie would have stood there for decades, until some real estate grinder bought it and renovated the downstairs in a hip industrial style but left the upstairs with more historical elements.

"The perfect place to celebrate the most important day of your life, where an intimate, down-to-earth atmosphere meets timeless elegance. The lush garden provides a beautiful setting for the wedding ceremony, while the indoor space has plenty of room for cake cutting, dancing, and toasting to love. For the wilder guests, there’s even karaoke! As the sun sets, the terrace bar lights up and fills the evening with a magical spark. Come and explore our beautiful spaces, taste the delicious buffet dishes, and plan an unforgettable celebration for your loved ones!"

Introducing the Beach Bungalows Lodging in Sunset Bay! This is for the vacationers who are too down-to-earth and nature loving to stay in a big soulless hotel but also too well-off to sleep in a tent. In these cozy little cabins one can fall asleep to the sound of ocean waves and wake up happy, grounding experience guaranteed.

There's 4 bungalows in total for sims to choose, half of them having 2 bedrooms and other half being single room apartments. They all have small but functional kitchens and comfortable terraces, and are furnished with their own color schemes. All buildings on the lot are made from 100% organic wood, no sims or pets were harmed during production.

But isn't the location for this kind of accommodation a bit weird, since it's just in the middle of busy beach promenade, a step away from city centre? Sure, but that is the exact flavor of kitch, that Sunset Bay is proudly made of!

Welcome to Ocean Diamond – Sunset Bay’s crown jewel and its largest hotel. The famous buffet hall, with its wide windows, offers a dazzling view of the horizon, and dining there at sunset is truly an unforgettable experience. Guests can enjoy a spacious private beach, perfect for swimming and sunbathing in peace away from the public. The hotel features 6 standard rooms (for 2–4 guests) and 2 luxurious suites with jacuzzis. Amenities include an all-day buffet, a beach bar, gym, massage services, and a children’s play corner. And with our own experienced tour guide, you’ll have easy access to all of Sunset Bay’s must-see attractions. A special package is also available for couples wishing to celebrate their wedding with a romantic beach ceremony.

Here's a peak of my (very much a work-in-progress) tropical vacation hood called Sunset bay. It is supposed to be a multicultural urban city and beach retreat combined, so there's both fancy hotels and grungy corners. There's the main city area and a prestigious island a bit further away (hard to get a picture of both of them!) where all the rich sims vacation villas are. One can enjoy nature and cheap beach bars or the decadent casinos and relaxing spas.

Im gonna start posting about the individual builds on this neighborhood, so wanted to give a quick introduction to the scene beforehand!

The SC4 neighborhood template used is "Crowborough" by Klaartje from MTS.