Apparently, SpongeBob SquarePants transcends the Simlish language barrier—his world has officially arrived in The Sims 4 with two new Kits released on December 4. Coinciding with the upcoming release of The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants later this month, players can now add SpongeBob’s House Kit and SpongeBob Kids Room Kit to their game. Reactions to the Kits have been mixed: some dismiss them as a cash grab from a company running out of ideas, while others embrace their playful charm. After spending some time with the packs, I’ve found that both perspectives can coexist.

Figure 1. In Defense of The Sims 4’s SpongeBob Kits.

Growing up, one of my best friends had a completely SpongeBob-themed room—bright yellow walls, curtains plastered with his face staring down at you, the works. So, the gaudy aesthetic of many items in this pack barely fazed me. That said, I do value versatility in furniture, so I set out to see if it’s possible to create a room that feels at least somewhat “normal” with this Kit. Figure 1 shows In Defense of The Sims 4’s SpongeBob Kits.

The answer? Kinda. Some pieces, like the fishing-hook end table, a versatile rug, and even certain swatches of the oversized fishing lure, have broader applications and could fit just as well in Brindleton Bay as they do in Bikini Bottom.

The next tier of items clearly nods to SpongeBob, but without tipping into full-on gaudy territory. Pieces like the dinghy bookcase and framed wall art offer a variety of swatches referencing iconic elements—Mr. Krabs’ first dollar (both the original and the paint-covered version) and Handsome Squidward. The latter, in particular, could easily find a place in adult Sim households as a touch of ironic, millennial decor.

At their core, both Kits are unapologetically SpongeBob, making them perfect for child Sims—especially the Kids Room Kit, though both packs have options that work well for young Sims. There’s a wide range of swatches to create rooms themed around various characters, from Patrick to Pearl to SpongeBob himself. As someone who enjoys family-oriented gameplay, I always welcome fresh thematic options for children’s rooms.

Some items even include a surprising level of detail. The Krusty Krab playset, for instance, features dolls of Man Ray and Barnacle Boy when Sims interact with it—a delightful little touch. My personal favorite surprise, though, has to be the foghorn alarm clock: it shakes the entire house when it goes off, and I couldn’t help but audibly cackle at its sheer ridiculousness.

Not everything hits the mark, though—most notably the Magic Conch. For such an iconic item, its design falls flat, looking like a vague cluster of purple polygons with zero interactivity. Even a single playful interaction—like letting Sims pick it up, pull a string, and hear a Simlish “no”—would have made it far more charming.

So, did this Kit really need to exist? Sure, it carries some of the hallmarks of a movie tie-in cash grab, and a few items are underwhelming. But it’s far from entirely thoughtless or soulless. By definition, Kits are the smallest-scale DLC The Sims 4 offers, so it’s unreasonable to expect anything groundbreaking.

You know what this Kit does succeed at, though? It delivers genuine, silly joy. Sure, part of that comes from the Leo pointing meme moment of recognizing childhood references. Pessimistic? Maybe—but I don’t care, because I can now hang “Bold and Brash” in my Sims’ homes, and I absolutely love that. It’s also worth remembering that many children play The Sims 4, and chances are, a lot of them love SpongeBob too.

Personally, I don’t mind the inclusion of real-world brands in the game—I once spent an entire afternoon tracking down meshes just to put Lush products in my Sim’s bathroom—so the immersion-breaking argument never really resonated with me. For players who aren’t fans of SpongeBob or dislike existing IPs in the game, this Kit probably isn’t for you. But for a specific audience, it’s a lot of fun and worth exploring.

Source: Polygon

Cite this article:

Priyadharshini S (2025), Defending the Sims 4’s SpongeBob Kits, AnaTechMaz, pp.360