The Sims 4 has now introduced playable ghosts. Sims who expire in the game can now choose to live on in a spectral form, although unlocking ghostly powers through a talent tree is limited to those with the Life & Death expansion pack.

However, ghost Sims in the base game can still have some unique limited abilities relating to their deaths. Not all death types have these effects but many of them do. Here's what you can expect from your spectral housemates.

Ghost Death Effects Versus Ghost Powers

Ghost powers are exclusive to the Life & Death expansion. They are abilities which are accessible to any playable ghost and are unlocked using a talent tree system. The more you use your spectral powers, the more you unlock, in a similar way to Vampires and Werewolves.

Ghost powers are the same for every ghost, and as a player, you just need to decide if you want to unlock skills for good, or mischief. There are also a couple of neutral skills in the middle.

Ghost Effects vary depending on the way a ghost died. Even if you create a ghost in Create-A-Sim, you can choose the manner of their death and gain access to the effects of that ghost type.

Generally, a ghost type will have its own unique animation, usually relating to the manner of passing, and many also have a few little quirky effects. These effects work on any version of the game, so long as you have the pack which unlocks the corresponding death.

Here's what you can expect from each ghost type.

All Base Game Ghost Types And Their Effects

These ghost types can all be accessed just with the free base game. Here are all the types, their animations, and any unique effects or interactions they have.

Death Type	Unique Animation	Effects
Anger	Anger animation of steam rising in chest.	Prone to random bouts of anger.
Cowplant	None	Is terrified of plants, yet does care for them.
Drowning	Sim appears wet with water dripping from them.	Leaves puddles everywhere.
Electrocution	Zaps of power periodically jump from the Sim.	Can shock Sims and loves to do this with hand buzzers.
Embarrassment	None	Is often embarrassed, remembering their death.
Fire	Smoke rises from the Sim and there is a flame effect flicker.	May start random fires.
Hunger	None	Hunger need decays twice as fast as usual.
Laughter	None	Often playful.
Meteorite	A meteorite hovers in their chest.	Explodes in a re-enactment of their death at random moments.
Overexcertion/ Old Age	None	Sleeps a lot.

If you create a ghost Sim in Create-A-Sim, you can choose any of these ghost types from the Cause of Death menu, and get the appropriate effects.

All DLC Ghost Types And Their Effects

For those with DLC packs, there are a large number of other death types unlocked. This list details their animations and effects as well as which pack they come from.

Death Type	DLC	Unique Animation	Effects
Consumed By Mother	Strangerville	Pink spores surround the Sim.	Needs are frozen at the point of death.
Beetles / Beetle Juice	Eco Lifestyle	None	Will never be scared of haunted houses.
Murphy Bed	Tiny Living	Z's rise from the Sim's chest.	Terrified of all beds, and cannot sleep in one.
Swarmed by Flies	Eco Lifestyle	Flies buzz around the Sim.	Will bat at the flies surrounding them.
Broken Heart	Lovestruck	A heart icon breaks in two and tears come out.	Will frequently become sad.
Falling From Heights	Snowy Escape	None	Will chalk their hands occasionally.
Freezing	Seasons	Condensation rises from the Sim.	Shiver and rub their arms a lot.
Killer Chicken	Cottage Living	A chicken icon floats around the Sim's chest.	Loves to scare chickens nearby.
Killer Rabbit	Cottage Living	A rabbit icon floats around the Sim's chest.	Scares any rabbits they see.
Lightning	Seasons	Zaps of lightning appear from the Sim at random.	Love to zap Sims with a buzzer.
Mold	For Rent	Green mold spores come off the Sim.	Can summon different types of mold.
Murder Of Crows	Life & Death	A crow icon moves around the Sim's chest.	None
Overheating	Seasons	None	Fan themselves and wipe their brow.
Poison	Jungle Adventure	A green cloud surrounds the Sim.	Burps a lot.
Pufferfish	City Living	A pufferfish icon is in the Sim's chest.	None
Rabid Rodent Fever	My First Pet Stuff	Wears a permanent giant ghostly rat costume.	Wears a giant rat costume at all times.
Spellcaster Overload	Realm of Magic	Overload effects and sparkles surround the Sim.	Remains a spellcaster, with spellcaster abilities.
Steam	Spa Day	Steam rising from the Sim.	Will try to cool themselves down by swimming or drinking.
Stink Capsule	High School Years	Green stinky smog rises from the Sim.	Autonomously defuses pranks.
Sunlight	Vampires	A sun icon shows in the Sim's chest.	Can summon fires when angry.
Urban Myth	High School Years	Black fog surrounds the Sim.	Is scared of mirrors.
Vending Machine	Snowy Escape	A can icon appears in the Sim's chest.	They will never be able to get an item out of the vending machine.

If you have Romantic Garden Stuff your Sim can make a wish for 'youthful vigor'. If it goes wrong, they will become a random ghost type. Drinking Ghost Goo, which can be made in Get To Work's Scientist career, will also turn your Sim into a random ghost.