According to the official announcement at the PC Gaming Show 2025, Paralives is set to launch in Early Access on Steam for PC and Mac on December 8, 2025. For those who don’t know, Paralives is a life simulation game that’s been in development since 2019, initially as a solo project by Alex Massé, now expanded into a small team at Paralives Studio in Quebec.
Positioned as a competitor to The Sims, it promises a cozy, creative, and highly customizable experience where players craft characters, build homes, and manage their lives in an open-world town. Think of it as a spiritual successor to early Sims games, focusing on detailed building, storytelling, and daily life with a softer, painterly art style.
Unlike The Sims’ expansive DLC model, Paralives commits to no paid DLC, offering free updates post-launch to expand features. However, as the studio stated on their Steam page, it will be priced at 39.99$ for Early Access, with a planned price increase after the initial phase.
Everything we can expect from its features
Paralives Early Access version will have a solid foundation but not all planned features:
- Live Mode: Core systems like relationships, interactions, emotions, and daily needs (hunger, hygiene) for Parafolk. You’ll manage their lives, from work to socializing, in an open-world neighborhood.
- Build Mode: Highly flexible tools for home construction, featuring curved walls, customizable furniture, and precise resizing/coloring options, and allows freeform building.
- Paramaker: Deep character creation with extensive customization for appearance, clothing, and personalities.
- Mod Support: Day-one modding tools, encouraging community creations.
- Content: A variety of furniture, decor, and family types (single parents, large families, platonic groups), with a focus on diversity and queer inclusion.
However, some features will be missing at launch, to be added via free updates:
- Babies and toddlers (though older children are included).
- Pets.
- Advanced relationship mechanics (complex family dynamics).
- Expanded career and world interactions.
Should You Look Forward to it?
After years of The Sims dominating the market, with inZOI just starting to gain traction, Paralives offers a new perspective. It features charming, cozy aesthetics and focuses on fundamental building and storytelling. Its open-world town and tactile build mode feel like a tribute to early Sims fans. Other that, Paralives doesn’t really feel artifical like the Sims.
A major draw is the promise of free updates, a welcome change from The Sims’ costly expansion packs. Paralives’ build mode does offer proper flexibility with curved walls, custom sizing, and detailed decor, outshining many competitors. If you love designing homes, this could be a dream sandbox. The developers have also built trust through six years of transparent updates via Patreon and social media.
However, you should still be wary of the game. As with any Early Access title, Paralives won’t be complete at launch. Missing features like babies, pets, or refined relationships might disappoint some. Unlike The Sims’ massive EA backing or inZOI’s Krafton resources, Paralives Studio is a small indie team. While their passion is evident, content depth and polish may take time to match larger competitors.
Early Access often brings technical issues. If you’re sensitive to glitches, you might prefer waiting for post-launch patches. Paralives isn’t aiming for The Sims’ scope but a more focused, cozy experience. If you crave expansive gameplay (like complex careers or world events), it might feel limited at first. Remember, Early Access means it’s still a work in progress.
English (UK) 
Hrvatski