Picture this: the year is 2002; you are having your first sleepover with your best galpal, and you rock up to her room with her playing on the computer with her cool older sister. What are they playing? The Sims, of course, the gateway drug into PC gaming. This instance is my origin story of how I got sucked into playing PC games. After that, I owned every expansion pack of The Sims, except for Hot Date, because my mom said young girls do not need to go on hot dates. My love for this franchise continued throughout The Sims 2 and The Sims 3. I could not get enough of it. However, The Sims 4 took a nosedive. As a consumer, I feel nickel and dimed for everything. It just stopped bringing me joy after a while. I no longer have it installed on my computer; it is just a greyed-out sad husk in my Steam library. So, when I heard about Paralives a few years back, I knew this was something to keep my eyes on. Ultimately, with the recent drop of the gameplay video on YouTube, I felt it was time to share it with you.

What is Paralives?

Paralives Studio describes its title as an “… upcoming doll house life simulation indie game.” In other words, it is a game where players control their characters’ lives. Players can create homes and manage the lives of “Parafolk” in an open-world town. After creating a Parafolk, players can find a job, make friends, and explore the neighborhood. Want to create a character that is musically inclined? You can! How about a character that is good at absolutely nothing? Well, there is an option for that, too! In the end, Paralives is a modern way to play with dolls from the comfort of your gaming chair.

Features Unique to Paralives

  • Build the perfect home.
    • This title has an innovative toolset that will help your builds come to life.
    • Walls can be curved; stairs can be custom shapes, color customization, and more.
  • Create unique Parafolk.
    • There is a robust character creator that allows players to create the Parafolk of their dreams.
  • Explore a unique open world.
    • There are many locations to discover, such as the park, beach, or mountains.
  • Live, laugh, and love.
    • You can immerse yourself in this virtual world.
    • Find true love for your Parafolk; give them the job of their dreams, or do the opposite.
      • The choice is yours.

Thoughts

At the time of writing this, the gameplay video has been live for less than 24 hours. I have watched it a handful of times and love what I see. First, the character creator screen looks clean and user-friendly. Players get a few points they can spend to build up skills and a personality type. There is beauty in simplicity here.

Secondly, the job mechanics in this title seem more robust than in similar games. Players have a set number of application points for applying for a job. There is a bit of work involved here. Then, when players complete time at their jobs, they receive upgrade points to either receive more money, increase their application points, or increase a related skill. For example, in the video, the Parafolk has musical knowledge. If they listen to music at work, their musical knowledge will increase. Overall, I like that a bit of work is involved when trying to find a career for my character.

Finally, I want to point out how easy it is to group Parafolk together. If you want a group of people to hang out for a while, all you need to do is drag your cursor across the screen and click a button. It is innovative and easy for players to do. I cannot wait to have group events in this game.

Overall, from what we have seen thus far, Paralives looks fantastic. I adore the art style and the simplicity of the controls. I did not think I would be this excited for a new life sim. However, now that I can see what the genre still has to offer, I am boiling over with anticipation. Ultimately, I look forward to seeing upcoming news on Paralives.

Odds & Ends

I did not even scratch the surface of what Paralives will offer players. If you want more information, I recommend looking at their website and Steam page. As far as another life sim to get excited about, I would check out this article on Discounty. It is not quite the same as Paralives, but it is still a great-looking game to read up on.