Paralives, a long-running indie life simulation game positioned as an alternative to The Sims, has released on Steam Early Access priced at $39.99. The game has been in development by Paralives Studio for about seven years.
The developer has indicated that the price will increase once the game leaves early access, which is expected to happen in about two years, according to its Steam page.
This release comes as The Sims franchise appears to have slowed down, with The Sims 4 expansion content now costing almost $1,500 to purchase in its entirety. Additionally, it has been confirmed that the next main Sims game will be a mobile-only release.
What Paralives includes at launch
Paralives is a life simulation game similar to The Sims. In the game, the characters are called Paras. Players can create and customize these characters in detail, including layered clothing, layered makeup, and adjustable height. They can also build and decorate houses with a wide range of options.
Paras can be sent to work, develop hobbies, and interact with other villagers. The game allows you to form friendships, romantic relationships, and family units within a small town setting. A recent eight-minute trailer showed off character creation, home construction, and core simulation systems.
Paralives Studio emphasizes its commitment to only offering free expansions for the game, differentiating it from The Sims. The studio has stated that there will be no paid downloadable content. Features that are typically part of paid expansion packs in The Sims will be included in Paralives as free updates.
Features coming in future Paralives updates
Paralives Studio has announced that several features will not be available at launch, but free updates are planned at a later date. These include family trees, pets such as dogs, cats and horses, swimming pools, gardening, cars, weather effects and social events such as parties and weddings.
The developer explained on the Steam page that the early access release allows players to use the current systems while also providing feedback to help improve the game before its full release.
The Paralives Studio team is small and they consider Early Access to be the most practical approach given the wide range of features they aim to support.
Why Paralives is important for life simulation fans
The Sims has maintained a dominant position in the life simulation genre for many years. Paralives has cultivated a dedicated following during its long development process, thanks to active community involvement and a focus on accessibility and customization options that The Sims fans have long requested.
For those thinking about switching, the early access price of $39.99 grants access to the current version along with all upcoming free updates. The two-year early access period allows the game to receive major updates before reaching its final version.
Paralives is now available on Steam in early access for both Windows and macOS.
