Following a lengthy development cycle supported by community funding, the sandbox life simulation game Paralives is now available on PC through Steam Early Access. The game aims to differ itself from other games in the genre through features like comprehensive customisation tools, an open-world environment and a very distinct art style.
At the core of the experience is the Paramaker, a dedicated character creation tool. Players can adjust the height, body features, and facial details of their avatars, known as Parafolks. The system also includes a clothing catalog and options for defining complex personalities, skills, wants, needs, and emotional traits.
Once characters are finalized, players enter a seamless, open-world town featuring shops, parks, restaurants, and museums. Gameplay revolves around standard life simulation elements such as pursuing flexible career paths, building relationships, aging, and raising a family. Players also have the ability to multiselect their Parafolks to coordinate group actions – something they are quite proud of that it makes an appearance very early on in the tutorial.
Paralives boasts a flexible, grid-less building system. Players can construct homes with curved walls and split-level floors, scaling up to an eight-story mansion. The game provides a tactile building experience where furniture and decor can be resized, stacked, and recolored freely. Furthermore, modding is supported natively through an in-game interface and the Steam Workshop.
The current Early Access build provides the foundational building, decorating, and life simulation gameplay. The development team has outlined a roadmap of features planned for the approximate two years the game will spend in Early Access. Upcoming additions include weather systems, seasons, pets such as dogs, cats, and horses, and a variety of vehicles including cars, bikes, boats, and houseboats. Further updates will introduce swimming pools, social event calendars, NPC story progression, family trees, gardening, fishing, and tools for town creation. You can see more about their roadmap below:
