Sims 4 Broken Lot Issue: Signs, Fixes & Prevention Tips
A broken lot in The Sims is a serious issue that can ruin your entire gameplay experience. While we've already addressed general save file errors in this article, lot corruption has its own unique symptoms and risks.
Lot corruption in The Sims is particularly dangerous because it can gradually spread to your entire save file, potentially rendering your game unplayable. In this guide, we'll explain how to recognize broken lot issues early, how to troubleshoot and fix corrupted lots, and best practices for preventing this problem in future gameplay.
Common Signs of Lot Corruption in The Sims:
— Infinite loading or crashes when trying to access a particular lot (via build, play, or manage worlds).
— Endless loading or game crash when placing a pre-made lot.
Step-by-Step Guide: What to Do if You Encounter a Broken Lot
1. Remove the Mods folder: Temporarily move your Mods folder out of the game directory. If the issue disappears, your save file is intact, and you likely have an outdated or broken mod. Update your sims mods or remove the broken ones (“How to Identify a mod breaking your Sims game: the 50/50 method”).
2. Remove the Tray folder: Temporarily move your Tray folder out of the game directory. If the problem goes away, your save is not corrupted, but your Tray folder may contain problematic or unsupported items like archives or package files – clean it out and restore only necessary files.
3. If issues persist: If the steps above don't resolve the sims lot corruption and your lot remains unplayable, there is currently no reliable fix for a fully corrupted lot. We recommend moving to an earlier save or starting a new save file, as corrupt lots can spread and cause permanent save file damage.
Tip: Sometimes, lot corruption is caused by demolishing a lot using the "Bulldoze" button in build mode. To avoid broken lots in The Sims, always use the sledgehammer tool to remove structures or replace them directly with pre-made lots from your library without first deleting the previous structure.
How to Protect Your Sims Game From Corrupted Lots
1. Always create regular backups of your sims saves. This lets you revert to a point before the corruption with minimal progress loss or even move builds to a new save.
2. Save important lots and builds to your personal library, so you can recover them in case of lot corruption.
3. Monitor your Mods, Saves, and Tray folders carefully. Avoid storing unnecessary or broken files; regularly clean these folders and keep your mods updated to prevent gameplay issues.
4. Clear the game cache after making any changes in Mods, Saves, or Tray folders. This reduces the chances of broken scripts and corrupted files (“Clear Sims 4 Cache: Fix Lags & Slow Loading (Windows & macOS)”).
5. If possible, only download fresh content made for your game version, and do so only from trusted sites (“How and Where to Download The Sims 4 Mods & CC Without Risks”).
6. Track updates from creators whose builds you use. Usually they warn that a specific lot has broken and it's better to remove it from the game.
7. If possible, minimize the use of the gallery and downloaded builds. Unfortunately, not all gallery users warn about or clean the content they upload there.
8. Avoid using the "Bulldoze" button in build mode. Demolish buildings with the sledgehammer instead to minimize lot corruption risk.
