The Sims is an extremely popular video game series with numerous expansion packs and "stuff" packs. These expansions provided extra features for the originally released versions of the game.
You should install expansion packs in order whenever possible. Each one builds on the previous pack and includes patches for previous expansions as well. Installing them in the order of release limits conflicts and possible errors. For example, a newer pack may contain updates to a previous expansion release, but if that release is not installed at the time, those updates won't be implemented. Subsequently, installing the older expansion then installs an out-of-date version of the feature or function that was updated in the later expansion.
With that in mind, here is the launch order for the expansions for The Sims 2 and The Sims 3.
The Sims 2 Expansion Packs
There are eight expansion packs for The Sims 2, and they were published in this order:
The Sims 2 University | March 2005 |
The Sims 2 Nightlife | September 2005 |
The Sims 2 Open for Business | March 2006 |
The Sims 2 Pets | October 2006 |
The Sims 2 Seasons | March 2007 |
The Sims 2 Bon Voyage | September 2007 |
The Sims 2 Free Time | February 2008 |
The Sims 2 Apartment Life | August 2008 |
The Sims 2 Stuff Packs
In addition, the following ten stuff packs were released:
The Sims 2 Holiday Party Pack | November 2005 |
The Sims 2 Family Fun Stuff | April 2006 |
The Sims 2 Glamour Life Stuff | August 2006 |
The Sims 2 Happy Holiday Stuff (a re-release of the Holiday Party Pack) | November 2006 |
The Sims 2 Celebration Stuff | April 2007 |
The Sims 2 H&M Fashion Stuff | June 2007 |
The Sims 2 Teen Style Stuff | November 2007 |
The Sims 2 Kitchen and Bath Interior Design Stuff | April 2008 |
The Sims 2 Ikea Home Stuff | June 2008 |
The Sims 2 Mansion and Garden Stuff | November 2008 |
The Sims 3 Expansion Packs
The Sims 3 has 11 expansion packs published in this order:
The Sims 3 World Adventures | November 2009 |
The Sims 3 Ambitions | June 2010 |
The Sims 3 Late Night | October 2010 |
The Sims 3 Generations | May/June 2011 |
The Sims 3 Pets | October 2011 |
The Sims 3 Showtime | March 2012 |
The Sims 3 Supernatural | September 2012 |
The Sims 3 Seasons | November 2012 |
The Sims 3 University Life | March 2013 |
The Sims 3 Island Paradise | June 2013 |
The Sims 3 Into the Future | October 2013 |
The Sims 3 Stuff Packs
The Sims 3 also has nine stuff packs. They are, in order of release:
The Sims 3 High-End Loft Stuff | February 2010 |
The Sims 3 Fast Lane Stuff | September 2010 |
The Sims 3 Outdoor Living Stuff | February 2011 |
The Sims 3 Town Life Stuff | July 2011 |
The Sims 3 Master Suite Stuff | January 2012 |
The Sims 3 Katy Perry's Sweet Treats | June 2012 |
The Sims 3 Diesel Stuff | July 2012 |
The Sims 3 '70s, '80s, & '90s Stuff | January 2013 |
The Sims 3 Movie Stuff | September 2013 |