Expanded Storytelling Relationship Bits Mod (Patreon)

Updated November 12, 2026.

Important changes for returning players

Relationship Bits now includes 24 relationship labels with contextual interactions. Version 1.5.1 addresses which Sims can set or remove certain bits, improves relationship activities and milestone behavior, and corrects interactions that could appear in the wrong circumstances. Replace all three older package files with the current set.

About Expanded Storytelling Relationship Bits

One thing I always loved about The Sims 4 was opening a Sim's relationship panel and reading what the game said about the people in their life. But I wanted those relationships to have more specific identities than just Friend or Romantic Interest. That's why I started Custom Relationship Bits. You can choose labels such as Childhood Sweethearts, Love-Hate Relationship, Study Buddies or Long-Distance Love. It started as a storytelling tool, and later versions expanded the bits with social interactions, moodlets and activities tied to those relationships.

Give two Sims a relationship that means something, and unlock things they can only do together.

The game gives you "Friend" and "Romantic Interest". This mod adds 24 relationship bits of your own choosing: Childhood Sweethearts, Love-Hate Relationship, Study Buddies, Long-Distance Love, Night Owl Companions and many more. Each one shows in the relationship panel with its own picture and description.

Many bits do more than look nice. They open interactions, phone outings and moodlets that only make sense for that kind of relationship. A long-distance couple can have a video date or travel to visit. Star-crossed lovers can meet in secret. Night owls can go out together after 11 PM.

Version 1.5.1 is free.

Getting started

What you need

• The Sims 4 base game. No packs needed.

• XML Injector. Required. Without it no menu shows up.

• Lumpinou's Mood Pack. Required. Keep it up to date.

• Maplebell Pie Menu. Required. You only need one copy, shared by every mod that uses it. If you already have it, keep it.

More Kisses is not needed. Older posts said you needed it for the kiss interactions. That is no longer true.

Installing

1. Close the game.

2. Delete every older copy of the Relationship Bits files from your Mods folder, including any in subfolders.

3. Unzip the download (Custom_Relationship_Bits_v1.5.1.zip) into your Mods folder. There are three packages:

   • maplebell_customrelationshipbits.package (main, keep it)

   • maplebell_customrelbits2.package (second part, keep it)

   • maplebell_customrelationshipbitmilestones.package (milestones)

4. Make sure you have exactly one copy of the Maplebell Pie Menu.

Updating: replace the old files. Delete the three Relationship Bits packages and put the new ones in their place. The file names are the same. Never keep two versions. The bits your Sims already have stay in your save.

Removing: delete the files. Your Sims and households are fine. The mod's bits and moodlets go away with it.

How to use it in game

Setting a bit

1. Control the Sim you want to set the bit from.

2. Click the other Sim, then Actions, then Enhanced Rel Bit.

3. Pick a bit from the list. Each one has a description.

You can also set a bit without the other Sim being there: open the relationship panel, click the other Sim's entry, and use the same menu.

• Teens and older can set bits. A child can set only Childhood Sweethearts, with another child. A child sees only that row.

• Romantic bits can only be set when both Sims are teens or older.

• The 14 friendly ties cannot be set toward a baby, infant or toddler.

• Set only works on humans.

• Most bits go both ways. Secret Admirer and Unrequited Love are one-sided: only one Sim feels it.

Removing a bit

Use Remove Relationship Bit in the same menu. It shows each bit with its picture. Only bits the two Sims actually have can be picked.

• Remove still works on pets, so a tie set on a pet in an older save can be removed.

• A child can remove Childhood Sweethearts with any Sim it holds that tie with: a child, teen, adult, elder or pet.

Some bits also go away on their own when a couple breaks up (see "Break-ups" below).

The 24 bits

• Adventure Partners .. Comes with: Engagement moodlet, milestone

• Childhood Sweethearts .. Comes with: Nostalgic Reminiscing; new-relationship and engagement moodlets; milestone

• Culinary Companions .. Comes with: Milestone

• Flirty Friends .. Comes with: New-relationship moodlet; removed at a break-up; milestone

• Forever Grateful .. Comes with: (no extra interaction listed)

• Gaming Buddies .. Comes with: Milestone

• Healing Touch .. Comes with: Plan Relaxing Activities Together, Offer Comfort, Provide Emotional Support

• High School Sweethearts .. Comes with: Engagement moodlet; milestone

• Jealous Rivalry .. Comes with: Milestone

• Long-Distance Love .. Comes with: Virtual Date, Travel to Visit Long Distance Partner; moodlets; removed at a break-up; milestone

• Love-Hate Relationship .. Comes with: I Hate You (Kiss); new-relationship and woohoo moodlets; milestone

• Music Collaborators .. Comes with: Milestone

• Night Owl Companions .. Comes with: Night Time Activities (phone)

• Partners in Crime .. Comes with: (no extra interaction listed); no milestone (removed in version 1.5.1)

• Puppy Love .. Comes with: Moodlets; removed at a break-up; milestone

• Romantic Wanderers .. Comes with: Create Travel Bucket List; engagement moodlet; removed at a break-up; milestone

• Secret Admirer (one-sided) .. Comes with: Milestone

• Star-Crossed Lovers .. Comes with: Forbidden Kiss, Secret Meeting With Lover; moodlets; removed at a break-up; milestone

• Study Buddies .. Comes with: Quiz Each Other, Plan Study Session; milestone

• Summer Romance .. Comes with: Share Summer Memories; new-relationship and engagement moodlets; milestone

• Tech-Savvy Partners .. Comes with: Send Tech News (phone)

• Unbreakable Connection .. Comes with: Celebrate Anniversary of Enduring Connection, Promise Everlasting Friendship

• Unrequited Love (one-sided) .. Comes with: Try to Confess Feelings, Cry about Unrequited Love

• Wisdom Seekers .. Comes with: Ask Questions about the Universe, Study Together at the Library (phone)

The newer bits (from Forever Grateful to Night Owl Companions) have no milestone. Partners in Crime has none either: the Became Partners in Crime milestone from the 31 October update was removed in version 1.5.1 because it was broken. The bit and its interactions stay.

What the bits unlock

Bit-only interactions only show for Sims who have that bit with each other. A normal friendship or romance bar is not enough.

Long-Distance Love

• Virtual Date (phone): a video call with your long-distance partner, about one to two hours. Both Sims get a happy moodlet afterwards. Relatives are not listed.

• Travel to Visit Long Distance Partner (phone): costs §1,000 and your Sim is gone for about two Sim days. They come back with one of several moodlets. If you cancel, the game asks whether you want to leave early. The option is greyed out if you cannot afford it.

Star-Crossed Lovers

• Forbidden Kiss: uses the game's own kiss. The kissed Sim gets a random moodlet.

• Secret Meeting With Lover (phone): a three-hour outing that always ends with a moodlet.

Love-Hate Relationship

• I Hate You (Kiss): uses the game's kiss and gives a random moodlet. Not offered between relatives.

Summer Romance, Study Buddies, Childhood Sweethearts, Romantic Wanderers

• Friendly chats: Share Summer Memories, Quiz Each Other, Plan Study Session, Nostalgic Reminiscing, Create Travel Bucket List.

• Share Summer Memories and Create Travel Bucket List are for teens and older. Nostalgic Reminiscing is open to children too, because Childhood Sweethearts start young.

Healing Touch

• Plan Relaxing Activities Together and Offer Comfort (uses the game's friendly hug).

• Provide Emotional Support: use it when the other Sim is sad. A card asks "What's Wrong?" and the sad Sim picks one of seven reasons. The other Sim asks for more, then gives matching advice and reassurance.

Wisdom Seekers

• Ask Questions about the Universe: one of 16 random questions and answers.

• Study Together at the Library (phone): pick Wisdom Seekers who are on the lot. Everyone goes for a three-hour outing and comes back with Wisdom Shared.

Unbreakable Connection

• Promise Everlasting Friendship: only before the promise. Needs best friends and friendship 80 or more. It sets the Unbreakable Connection bit and gives both a moodlet.

• Celebrate Anniversary of Enduring Connection.

Tech-Savvy Partners

• Send Tech News (phone): a short phone message. Your Tech-Savvy partner texts back.

Night Owl Companions

• Night Time Activities (phone): only from 11 PM to 5 AM. Pick one Night Owl companion who is on the lot, then pick an outing. Both Sims leave together and come back with a moodlet. Most outings last two to four hours. Moonlight Market Exploration keeps its own outing and gives no moodlet.

• 5 AM closes the start window. An outing that started earlier can run past it.

• Teens and older can open it. Children can still be picked as companions.

Unrequited Love

• Try to Confess Feelings: the Sim who hears it picks one of ten answers. Each one changes friendship and romance in its own way, and both Sims get a moodlet. One answer, Mutual Feelings, removes the Unrequited Love bit. The animation does not decide the result. Your choice does.

• Cry about Unrequited Love: the sad Sim confides in a good friend (friendship 70 or more).

Romance > Flirtation

• Plan a Romantic Getaway and Promise Forever Love.

Forbid Relationship With

• A parent picks someone their teen or adult child is seeing and forbids it. The child answers on a card. Some answers ("No, I won't", "Can't stop love") make them Star-Crossed Lovers with that Sim. Others ("I'm sorry", "I understand") remove it.

• Relatives are not listed, and children cannot open it.

Romance and ages

• Romantic interactions follow the game's own rule: teens with teens, or young adults and older with each other.

• Children cannot open Virtual Date, Travel to Visit, Secret Meeting or Night Time Activities.

• Forbidden Kiss, I Hate You (Kiss), Plan a Romantic Getaway, Promise Forever Love and Provide Emotional Support never start on their own. You choose them.

Break-ups

When a couple breaks up, these bits are removed: Long-Distance Love, Star-Crossed Lovers, Flirty Friends, Romantic Wanderers, Puppy Love. The same happens with break-ups from story events.

A long-distance break-up gives both Sims Distant Hearts.

Contextual moodlets

Depending on their bit, Sims can get their own moodlets after:

• a completely satisfied woohoo,

• starting a relationship,

• getting engaged,

• a break-up.

Known limits

• Travel to Visit can be used with a relative as the long-distance partner, if they have the bit.

• Ask Questions about the Universe: one question comes up twice as often as the others.

• Other game languages show English text. All 18 language slots are filled, so nothing shows blank.

If something looks wrong

I cannot find Enhanced Rel Bit. Check that XML Injector, the Mood Pack and one copy of the Pie Menu are installed and up to date. Click the other Sim while you control the first one, then go through Actions.

An interaction for a bit is missing. Check that the bit is set between those two Sims, not just a high friendship or romance bar. Check the age rule (romance is teen with teen, or adult with adult). For phone outings, check that the other Sim is on the lot when it says so.

Night Time Activities is missing or the list is empty. It only opens between 11 PM and 5 AM. The companion must have Night Owl Companions with your Sim and be on the lot.

Travel to Visit is greyed out. It costs §1,000. Check your household funds.

Study Together lists nobody. The other Sim needs the Wisdom Seekers bit with your Sim and must be on the lot.

A milestone does not show. Milestones need the milestone package. The newer bits have no milestone, and the Became Partners in Crime milestone was removed in version 1.5.1.

I got no moodlet after getting engaged. Those moodlets need one of the bits that has them.

A bit is gone after a break-up. That is on purpose for Long-Distance Love, Star-Crossed Lovers, Flirty Friends, Romantic Wanderers and Puppy Love.

Do I still need More Kisses? No.

Can I add it to a save I already have? Yes. Bits only appear when you set them.

Will my bits survive the update? Yes. Bits are saved with your Sims' relationships. Bits set in older versions stay in your save.

If something goes wrong, tell me what happened, what you expected, and which Sims were involved.

Extra relationship features

The May 2023 post introduced the relationship labels and some of their special interactions. The January 2024 Part 2 post added more bits and features such as Healing Touch, Wisdom Seekers, Night Owl Companions and conversations about unrequited love. Please keep those features in the main explanation rather than treating Part 2 as a disposable changelog.

The original main post references More Kisses for certain kiss interactions. That is an optional integration, not automatically a universal dependency for every relationship bit.

Complete changes in version 1.5.1

Changes since the 31 October update.

Setting and removing bits

• A child can now set Childhood Sweethearts with another child. A child sees only that row.

• A child can remove Childhood Sweethearts with any Sim it holds that tie with: a child, teen, adult, elder or pet.

• The 14 friendly ties can no longer be set toward a baby, infant or toddler.

• Set only works on humans. Remove still works on pets, so a tie set on a pet in an older save can be removed.

Activities

• Virtual Date, Travel to Visit Long Distance Partner and Secret Meeting With Lover are for teens and older. Virtual Date no longer lists relatives.

• Share Summer Memories and Create Travel Bucket List are for teens and older.

• Children can no longer start Night Time Activities. They can still be picked as companions.

• Travel to Visit Long Distance Partner and Secret Meeting With Lover now add romance between your Sim and the partner.

• Travel to Visit, Secret Meeting, Night Time Activities and Study Together grey out for a grounded teen, with the game's "Grounded: Can't Leave Home" tooltip. Night Time Activities and Study Together show their plain name there, without "Stealthily".

Interactions

• Forbid Relationship With no longer lists relatives, and children can no longer open it.

• Forbidden Kiss and I Hate You (Kiss) give the kissed Sim one of their four moodlets at random.

• Forbidden Kiss, I Hate You (Kiss), Plan a Romantic Getaway, Promise Forever Love and Provide Emotional Support During Difficult Moment are no longer started by Sims on their own. You choose when to use them.

• Try to Confess Feelings keeps only its two neutral opening lines.

Good to know

• Set is for humans only. Remove also works on pets, for ties set on a pet in an older save.

• A child can set Childhood Sweethearts with another child, and remove it with any Sim it holds that tie with.