Burglars in The Sims 4 can be a real headache if you’re not prepared. They usually show up at night, sneaking in to steal anything valuable they can find. Luckily, there are ways to keep them at bay.
If burglars aren’t your thing, you can disable their visits completely. Just go to Settings → Gameplay → uncheck Allow Burglar Visits.
Meet Robin Banks
Robin Banks, the default Sims 4 burglar, only shows up at night. She’ll target anything valuable, snatch it up, and vanish before your Sim even notices.
The good news is that her visits are pretty rare. But if you love a little chaos, you can enable the Heist Havoc Lot Challenge, and she will show up more often.
You can actually interact with Robin Banks and even become friends. She can even join your household if you want.
If that happens, the game makes sure there’s still a burglar around. It can either create a brand-new one with the same traits or use an unplayed Sim in the world who fits the role.
Each new burglar keeps the traits but comes with a random name and look, so things stay unpredictable.
If Robin dies while she’s still just a burglar and not part of a household, she will actually regenerate.
And now, let’s see how you can prevent Robin from stealing your stuff.
Get a Burglar Alarm
The Burglar can be arrested by the police if one of your Sims calls quickly. If you want extra peace of mind for your Sims, install a Burglar Alarm. Placing one in your Sim’s home is the best way to make sure the police show up in time.
You can even upgrade the alarm to do all sorts of useful things. For example, it can automatically call the police, reduce the chance of it breaking, or even zap the burglar, making her drop any stolen items.
You need the following Handiness skill levels to upgrade the alarm:
Police Link Security Upgrade (Level 3 Handiness): calls the cops automatically.
Robustify Inner Workings (Level 5 Handiness): reduces the chance of the alarm breaking.
Take That! Shock Upgrade (Level 7 Handiness): zaps the burglar.
You also need plenty of Electronic and Common Upgrade Parts to upgrade the burglar alarm. The quickest way to get them is to order them from a computer.
Fight the Burglar
If a burglar shows up, your Sims don’t have to wait around for the cops. There’s always a chance the thief gets away until the police show up at your door.
Sims can try handling the burglar themselves and confront Robin directly. Being strong definitely helps here. Sims who’ve spent time at the gym have a better shot at winning the fight.
If your Sim doesn’t confront the burglar or call the police, Robin will leave with whatever she has stolen. The game will give you a pop-up letting you know exactly how much she managed to steal from you.
Watch Your Reputation After Beating a Burglar
If your Sim beats up the burglar, other Sims might really disapprove. Word gets around, and your Sim’s reputation can take a hit. Friends or neighbors will call to tell you to be a little nicer. Some will even tell you they doubt you’re a good person.
Handling a burglar too aggressively in The Sims 4 can come with some social consequences.
If Robin breaks in and your Sim fights her, expect your relationship with her to tank completely. The system doesn’t really care that the burglar was the one causing trouble. It just sees that you now have a Sim with a very negative relationship.
Basically, defending your home comes with the side effect of instantly making someone your enemy.
Get Extra Help From Dogs and Occult Sims
If there’s a dog in the house, it’ll chase the burglar right out.
Werewolves can intimidate intruders. Burglars will walk themselves out.
Spellcasters have all kinds of spells they can use on burglars, from confusion spells to full-on transformations. They can even set the burglar on fire.
Vampires can command the burglar to leave. Of course, they can also take advantage of the situation for a quick plasma snack before they get rid of burglars.
By the way, if a vampire drinks a burglar’s blood, the next day, someone might text them to complain that it was disgusting to do it without permission.
Servos can use their defense matrix to zap the burglar into place, while scientists have the Freeze Ray to freeze them on the spot.
To get all this extra help, you need specific Sims 4 packs such as Cats & Dogs, Werewolves, Realm of Magic, Vampires, Discover University, and Get to Work.
Agnes Crumplebottom and Bonehilda won’t back down either. They’re more than ready to take on the burglar.
Agnes will take action with her iconic purse. When a thief shows up, she’ll swing that purse like a weapon, hitting the burglar full force.
How to Stop Being Scared of Burglars
After a burglar breaks into a Sim’s house, your Sims usually panic. They’ll get the Scared moodlet and will often run straight for the nearest bed to hide.
There are a few ways to shake off the “Fear of Being Burgled” moodlet. Sims can also talk to another Sim about their fear, or even just talk to themselves in the mirror to get rid of the moodlet.
Another option is to buy a Fear Be Gone Potion from the Rewards Store.
Schedule Burglar Visits
With testingcheats true turned on, it’s possible to make a burglar show up on demand. Just Shift-click the mailbox to open the debug menu, and you can trigger the burglar event the next time night falls.
Alternatively, you can enable the Heist Havoc Lot Challenge, and burglars will show up more often on your lot.
Happy Simming!