What parents need to know
Paralives is a Montreal-based independent life simulation and management game. The game is currently in development and will soon be released PC and MacOS on the Steam platform. Paralives will allow you to create your avatar or Parafolks, build your dream home and manage your life!
Available information
Currently, no date has yet been announced for the game’s release. When released, it will be available on Steam for PC and Mac. The game will be playable with a 3D camera as in most life simulation games. No console or smartphone and tablet version is planned for the moment. We already know that it will be a single-player game that will also be playable offline. The base game will be paid, there will be free updates and DLC thereafter. The game will be aimed at a teen audience and will not contain violent or shocking themes.
The mode create your character
We will have access to all areas of the body in order to customize our character. You will be able to choose your size, build, body part shapes, skin colors, eyes and hair. We can also adjust the details of the face. Your Parafolks may have tattoos that can be placed directly wherever you want. The clothes seem fully customizable: you choose the cut, the pattern and the color but you can also combine and layer several clothes. This mode is very detailed but also seems very intuitive and easy to use.
The construction mode
We buy land and then we start building our house. We start by defining the house with the walls. The system seems easy in terms of handling, the measurements are displayed in cm and degrees for the angles. It will also be possible to make rounded walls. The floor is automatically placed once a room is closed. You will be able to determine the height of the walls, but also the floors. Everything seems fully modular. Indeed, it will be possible to resize everything as much the building elements as the furniture, but also to determine the color and texture. The tools made available seem to bring a real innovation for this type of game. It also seems very intuitive even if the possibilities are such that players may seem a little lost at first. The build mode is grid-free and therefore gives more freedom.
The way of life
Currently, we have less details about the lifestyle, but it seems that it will be necessary as for the Sims to manage the daily life of our Parafolks. They will have needs to fill, will be able to develop skills and relationships. Characters will be able to express their needs and emotions. The game mode seems intuitive and is done through direct interactions with the elements of the environment. They will have a wayfinding system that allows them to easily circumvent obstacles. Paralives promises an open world full of possibilities. Your Parafolks will be able to develop his career, his relationships, find his half and start a family. He will be able to invest in the community and the well-being of the city.
Connection to the community
Paralives is an indie game developed by Alex Massé. This project was largely funded by the community on Patreon, a crowdfunding platform. If you would like to inquire about the financing of the project, you can go here. Paralives is very transparent with its community and publishes on its website the progress of its project. You can access the complete project development roadmap. This allows people supporting the project to access detailed tracking, but it also gives us a very good overview of all the work that goes into behind a video game. You can follow the development of the game here and access the roadmap here. The designers are very attentive to their community and take into account their expectations and their opinion for the development of Paralives. You have the opportunity to submit your ideas via a channel of suggestions and ideas on discord !
Details
Release date: Unknown
Developed by: Alexandre Massé
Published by: Paralives Studio
Available on: on Stream for PC and MacOS
Type of game: Life Simulation, Simulation, Construction
Theme: Play with life, daily life, avatar creation, house construction and decoration
Total Game Lifespan: Indefinite
Business model: Base game (paid) and add-ons (paid)Available languages: French, English
Number of players: SoloAvailable in digital format (download on computer)
Our impressions
In the realm of life simulation gaming, the juggernaut has always been The Sims. It feels good to see a slightly different game that will give a breath of fresh air to life simulation games. Indeed, the graphics are beautiful and have more of a drawing and illustration style. The colors are warm and give a comforting atmosphere to the game. There is a certain softness that emerges from the visuals. Paralives seems to satisfy all the desires of Sims fans. Indeed, many players regretted the open world of The Sims 3 and the customization of furniture. This will indeed be available on Paralives. It feels like we’ll have a lot more freedom and customization in this game. It is a Quebec indie game largely funded by the community. We appreciate the connection Paralives has established with its community through its transparency regarding the progress of the game, but also with the opportunity to submit suggestions via discord. This helps to make the community supporting the game feel truly involved. The release of the game is not yet announced, but we look forward to testing Paralives which seems to be a very promising and innovative life simulation game.
More info about the game: Official website of the game
