What is the PACKAGE file format?
A .package file contains data packages for Electronic Arts games saved in the proprietary DBPF (Database Packed File) archive format, developed by Maxis. .package files can be compressed. They can store such resources as:
- Audio data
- 3D model data
- Texture data
- Character data
- Neighborhood data
- Other game data
Resources in .package files are used by various EA games - for example, The Sims 2 through 4 and Online, SimCity 4, and Spore. Users can edit .package files with dedicated tools: for The Sims 4, Sims 4 Studio and s4pe are the most popular; for The Sims 3, s3pe is widely used; for The Sims 2, SimPE or the official EA Content Manager can be used. Many tools for creating and inspecting DBPF archives are also available.
Every .package file begins with the ASCII magic bytes DBPF at byte offset 0. The header also contains an index of every resource packed inside, with each entry identified by a TGI triplet (Type ID, Group ID, Instance ID). An important caveat: DBPF comes in sub-versions - 1.0 for The Sims 2, 1.1 for The Sims 3, and 2.0 for The Sims 4 - and these are not cross-compatible even though all share the same extension and header tag. Installing custom content and mods means placing .package files in the game's Mods folder, which the engine loads at startup.
Note that .package is also shared by completely unrelated systems (Visual Studio, Unreal Engine, generic installers) whose files carry different internal structures and no DBPF header. A companion installer format, .SIMS3PACK, delivers Sims 3 content through the in-game launcher rather than direct folder placement.
Security & safety
RISK: MEDIUMMost Sims .package CC is harmless art/data, BUT mods are user-made and the Sims modding scene has had real incidents: script mods (.ts4script, distributed alongside .package files) can run code, and in 2023 a malicious Sims 4 mod ('inteen'-style adfly/malware cases) spread info-stealers. Rules: download CC only from reputable creator sites (e.g. The Sims Resource, Mod The Sims, Patreon creators), keep mods updated after game patches, and be wary of .package bundled with executables or script files from unknown sources. A pure .package (DBPF data) can't execute, but the surrounding download may include code.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open PACKAGE files
Windows5 apps
Sims 4 Studio
Free For The Sims 4 CC: open the .package to view/edit meshes, textures and tuning; the standard creator tool. (To just use it, drop it in the Mods folder.)
s4pe (Sims 4 Package Editor)
Open-source Open a Sims 4 .package to browse/export individual resources by Type/Group/Instance ID.
s3pe (Sims 3 Package Editor)
Free Open/edit Sims 3 .package content (won't work on Sims 4 packages).
The Sims 4 / 3 / 2 (the game itself)
Paid To USE a .package: copy it into the game's Mods folder and enable Custom Content/Mods in game options - the game loads it, you don't open it manually. 
macOS2 apps
Sims 4 Studio
Free Mac build available; open Sims 4 .package CC to view/edit. For use, drop it in the Mods folder. Technical details
deep spec| Container format | Binary DBPF (Database Packed File) archive - proprietary to Maxis / Electronic Arts |
| Magic bytes | 44 42 50 46 ("DBPF") at byte offset 0, followed by 4-byte major and minor version integers |
| DBPF version - The Sims 2 | 1.0 - original DBPF specification; 32-bit instance IDs |
| DBPF version - The Sims 3 | 1.1 - revised index layout and updated resource model |
| DBPF version - The Sims 4 | 2.0 - adds 64-bit instance IDs, updated compression flags, and extended index entries |
| Resource identifier (TGI) | Each packed resource is identified by a TGI triplet: Type ID (resource kind), Group ID (logical grouping), and Instance ID (unique identifier) |
| Compression | Per-resource optional compression; supported schemes include zlib, QFS/RefPack (older games), and EA's internal compression variants |
| Byte order | Little-endian throughout header and index structures |
| Script resources | The Sims 4 `.package` files may contain compiled Python 3 scripts stored as S4Script resources alongside game data |
| Resource types stored | Meshes (GEOM/MLOD), DDS-based textures, audio clips, animations (CLIP), XML configs, string tables (STBL), CAS parts, lot blueprints, and more |
| Cross-game compatibility | None - DBPF 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0 archives are not interchangeable; resource Type IDs and index structures differ between games |
| Custom content installation | Files dropped into the game's `Mods` folder (e.g. `Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods`) are loaded at game startup |
| Header index | File header records the offset and entry count for a resource index table; each entry stores the resource's TGI, file offset, and compressed/uncompressed size |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream - no IANA-registered specific MIME type exists for DBPF archives |
| Released | DBPF since The Sims 2 (2004); used by The Sims 3, The Sims 4, SimCity, Spore |
| Specification | simswiki.info |
PACKAGE conversions
Community Q&A
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