But seriously, poses are always fun! Just because the context may carry themes of sadness doesn’t mean the implications for your gameplay aren’t epic.
You can tell stories and shape your Sim’s path with visual aids like these.
I’m a pretty avid pose user myself. And I must say, I think it’s telling that there are far more sad poses than happy ones. Not just across the web, but in my own personal mod folder as well.
Stuff that isn’t so fun for us to go through, like heartbreak, grief, or everyday mishaps add depth to a Sim’s otherwise shallow, meaningless life.
Sure, it’s on players to manufacture most of those scenarios. But we Simmers love angst and drama so it’s no problem.
Poses are often the very foundation of coming up with those ideas – and you have a rock solid collection of ideas with this list, along with plenty of options.
Sadness doesn’t seem to be a big part of a Sim’s life.
Only a few things can really trigger it, and it’s a pretty bizarre spectrum. The fact that wearing wet clothes and losing a loved one result in the same emotion is… interesting, to say the least.
Whoever runs the Sadness Hotline in this game must be really confused. That whim’s existence is equal parts impressive and amusing, too.
These poses will bring more to your Sim’s blue mood than a frowny face, allowing them to take a moment to reflect throughout their home.
They can lay on the couch, sit with their head in their hands, lean against the counter, and lounge in the bath.
Their misery is palpable with these poses, from the Sim’s expression to their body language. It’s very obvious something has gone wrong in their life – and you can use these in a multitude of stories and scenarios.
Maybe they just got fired, or had a horrible fight with their mother, or someone died… who knows?
Only you!
But seeing them laying dejectedly in a bathtub will surely get the desired vibe across.
Views towards men expressing emotion, unfortunately, have not always been positive. It has been noted how harmful that “be a man” attitude can be, and thankfully much of society is moving beyond that.
Men are human, and humans get sad!
These are poses just for your male Sims, to show them experiencing a low moment.
He’ll be seated on the floor, and like the last poses, the body language is loud and clear here.
The Sim who is placed in these poses will clearly be hurt and struggling. Fortunately the poses don’t actually increase their suffering, it’ll just make it more obvious.
Hugs have a surprising number of possible meanings, making them rather tricky to read.
Just like any recipient, you’ll have to decide for yourself why the Sims in these poses are hugging.
Is one apologetic and begging for forgiveness, or are they just offering their condolences?
Is whatever caused this despair affecting them both equally, or is one only sad because their friend or partner is sad?
Contagious sadness is the worst.
It’s not even your problem, but because it’s someone you love, it kind of is. That’s the way it works, for better or worse.
These 10 poses are very intimate and really well-done.
It’ll look like the Sim is running her fingers through the other Sim’s hair in some, caressing their face, burying their face against them, and more. All your standard “shared sadness” moves, basically.
Poses that incorporate furniture are always some of my favorites. That simple thing makes them feel more natural, and the end results always look very believable.
I think when anyone feels down, they gravitate towards their bed or couch.
It’s science or something.
Well, the real science says getting moving and out into fresh air helps, but human nature just ain’t like that. We want soft and comfortable things in our worst moments, and so do our Sims.
This pose pack includes both solo and couple poses, and your Sim doesn’t have to be named Bridgette to use them.
The solo poses will have your Sim seated on the couch, and send them through various sorrowful expressions, including one where she’s wiping away a tear.
As for the couple poses, all three are very sweet.
The second Sim will be there to envelope the sad one in a hug and press their heads together.
Heading to a bar to deal with your emotions might not always be healthy – but it’s how a lot of people deal with things.
That’s just a natural environment to simultaneously think on things and try to block them out, and the phrase “drown your sorrows” didn’t come about for nothing.
The bars in TS4 are certainly a little strange.
Due to the rating, I think things are supposed to be fairly tame so it’s appropriate for all ages. So Sims drink “juice” instead of alcohol and the effects are never too severe.
Well, you can always find a way around that. These poses bring the real emotional turmoil that can often be found at a bar, in a most dramatic fashion.
One clearly distressed Sim will be seated at the bar while another approaches and comforts them, seemingly through conversation.
I know using poses can often be intimidating for newcomers, but the creator Natalia-Auditore even includes a handy diagram so you can get your Sims set up just right.
This is actually one of the first pose packs that come to mind when I’m looking for something to illustrate my Sim’s depression.
Which happens more often than you might think…
The story here is quite heart wrenching:
Sim_plyreality made this with her own Sim in mind, who had lost his wife, and reunites with her in his dreams only to wake up and realize it wasn’t real.
Pretty heavy stuff for a game where you can get killed by a Cowplant and fight chickens.
But in all seriousness, this kind of thoughtfulness is what makes the pose-enthusiast community so enriching and interesting. It allows you to execute stories with your Sims that you might not think of right away, but will be thankful for later.
Seeing a lost loved one in your dreams is certainly a bittersweet experience that can make waking up a rather depressing affair.
You can apply this to your Sims in several ways and get creative, with 6 couple poses and 4 singles.
This is a state you can only truly know and understand by experiencing it yourself. It’s not brought on by burning dinner or your favorite TV show being canceled.
It’s a result of tremendous emotional pain, where it’s impossible to think or breathe and crying seems like the only option.
Now your Sims can go through this as well. It’ll just make them seem more human.
This pose is for two Sims. One of them will collapse to the floor sobbing while the other comforts them.
Have you ever wanted to see your entire Sim family crying?
Well, you’re in luck!
See, I tend to use humor to cope with sadness. But some folks are perfectly comfortable feeling their emotions, expressing them around others, and offering comfort freely.
It’s nice to represent healthy dynamics among your Sims. And this is like the ultimate pose pack if you have a scenario in mind that will affect several ages.
Not only does this include solo and couple poses for adults, but also ones for children as well, and there are 20 poses in total.
This is a highly versatile pack too – you’ll be able to easily incorporate these into your own Sims’ journey.
Whether you want them standing, sitting on the floor, or seated on furniture, there’s an applicable option here.
What makes someone feel such a deep & urgent emotion depends on the person.
Some can be desperate to be loved, for a lost family member to come back, or for circumstance in their life to be fixed.
But of all the ways a person can feel desperation, there’s rarely a good reason. And it’s something that’s so intense that it’s nearly impossible to hide.
This is another pose pack from Natalia-Auditore, in which your Sim will be crying, clutching their head, and dropping to their knees.
You can practically hear the sobs, and the expressions on the Sim’s face are so strong.
Unfortunately, not everyone has someone to get them through their dark days.
Those without close family or friends are left to rough it, all alone.
That’s honestly the situation for most of my Sims.
Not to make light out of very real, sad circumstances that many people go through, but I just can’t keep up enough to give my Sims a proper social life – so single poses are usually what I opt for.
And there’s absolutely nothing bad about these poses from talented creator Atashi77.
All 8 are pretty dramatic and will have your Sim sobbing, against the wall, or laying on the floor.
Poses like these, which are really reminiscent of movie scenes, make Sims more human.
The emotions and body language are just so familiar. And it’s easy to forget they’re in an entirely different and fictional world.
But don’t ever actually forget that, it’d be a little weird.
These are 6 more poses for Sims rolling solo in their depression.
Three require a sink, and your Sim will stand clutching it and, when set up right, looking at themselves in the mirror. For the rest, they’ll be seated on the floor, and you can get creative by placing them in the bathtub.
Remember, these are your Sims and story!
Half the fun of bolstering your pose collection is coming up with innovative ways to use them.
These three little words can actually change someone’s life. Never underestimate the power of showing you care.
Sometimes a person needs to know they have someone to go to when they’re down, and can feel comfortable confiding in.
This will be a great pose set to use for any two Sims with a special relationship. Whether they’re dating, friends, or just particularly touch-feely family members, the intent will be clear.
One Sim is sad in these, leaning against a railing and smoking a cigarette, while the second Sim comes to comfort them.
The poses will show them in various stages of conversation and there are several little affectionate moments.
If you’ve never had a conversation that made you cry, you might be a Sim.
From bad news to arguments, words can definitely cut deep. No matter how many insults one Sim hurls at another, though, they just get angrier.
But this is pretty tame as far as this list goes; no one will be breaking down sobbing or falling to their knees.
Whatever these Sims are talking about, it’s causing a more manageable sadness than a life-altering one, but it’s still clearly an emotional time.
And a cool touch here is that this creator included a height difference between the two Sims. That’s something you just can’t get out of CAS for the time being, since height presets or sliders would pose some routing issues… no pun intended.
But since pose packs leave your Sims still as statues, things are a little less strict.
The quick height difference possible by simply placing your Sims in the poses adds a more authentic feel, since once you notice all adult Sims are the same height (and how weird that is) there’s no going back.
The next best thing after asking someone if they’re okay is offering reassurance that they will be.
Most of the time that can’t actually be promised, but it’s nice to hear.
And just because your Sim is horribly depressed, that doesn’t mean they can’t share a wholesome moment with a loved one.
This pack has both single and couple poses, appropriate for any two adult Sims.
The creator made them with a father-daughter relationship in mind, with the daughter sitting on the father’s lap, but the poses between them are all very tame and focused on comfort.
As always, you control the narrative.
Whether the relationship between your posed Sims is familial, platonic, or romantic, all depends on what kinda story you’re going for.
