- Early Access Release After 7 Years of Development, Over 1 Million on Wishlist, 86% ‘Very Positive’ Steam Reviews
- Free building, infinite customization, and open-world living implemented… “All DLC Free” policy also draws attention
“Paralives,” a life simulation game developed by the indie studio Paralives Studio based in Montreal, Canada, was released on Steam Early Access on May 25.
The game garnered significant interest immediately after its release, surpassing 78,000 concurrent users on the launch day. Over 1,500 Steam reviews were posted within hours of its release, with 86% leaving positive ratings, earning it a ‘Very Positive’ rating.
Developed over seven years with the support of the creator support platform Patreon community, ‘Paralives’ is realizing the long-held expectations built as an ‘alternative to The Sims’ through early launch metrics and an enthusiastic response from the community.
7 Years of Development & Patreon Backing… An Indie Life Simulation Targeting the ‘Sims Gap’
Paralives is a life simulation game that was started in 2019 by game developer Alex Massé based on support from the Patreon community. Over the course of approximately seven years of development, the team grew to about 15 members thanks to consistent user support.
The development team initially aimed for an Early Access release in December 2025, but the release schedule was adjusted to fix bugs identified during large-scale playtesting and to supplement town content.
In particular, among life simulation fans who have grown fatigued by the high-priced DLC structure of the long-standing ‘Sims’ series, Paralives has long been attracting attention as a strong alternative.
Grid-free free architecture… ‘Paralives’s’ unique core competitive edge
The game’s most significant feature is its minimalist building system. Breaking away from typical grid-based construction, Paralives is designed to allow players to freely adjust the length and angle of walls. Not only can you create curved walls, but you can also utilize the in-game tape measure to accurately recreate the dimensions of real-life living spaces.
Object customization is also considered a strength. The colors and materials of furniture and architectural elements can be freely changed, and the size of windows or furniture is adjusted in real-time by dragging corner anchors. It is not difficult to change a small window into a floor-to-ceiling window or enlarge a single bed into a king-size bed.
Since the official gameplay trailer was released on May 19, the community has been particularly praising the building system. Players commented, “The game’s appeal is best revealed when designing spaces without grid constraints.”
Open-world town life with Parafolk, high-freedom character creation
The in-game character ‘Parafolk’ is created using a dedicated creation tool called the ‘Paramaker’. Players can finely adjust not only body type, height, and appearance, but also personality elements.
The scope of life is not limited solely to the interior of the home. Players can freely explore an open-world town filled with shops, parks, workplaces, and various events, forming relationships and experiencing diverse lifestyles. Just as the title ‘Parallel Lives’ implies, the core concept of the game is the very experience of freely living different virtual lives.
However, based on the Early Access version, some features have not yet been implemented. Pets, the season and weather system, swimming pools, basements, cars, boats, family trees, calendars, and dining table services are scheduled to be added sequentially through future free updates.
Despite mixed reviews from PC Gamer and TheGamer, community anticipation remains high.
Reviews from overseas media are somewhat mixed. Some outlets evaluated that the deep building tools and extensive customization options alone make it worth the purchase, while others advised a more cautious approach due to bugs and unfinished content.
However, the community’s anticipation for the game remains high. The game won the “Most Anticipated Canadian Game” award selected by the Canadian game developer community in 2021, and garnered significant attention for the building tools unveiled at Wholesome Direct 2021 in the same year.
A 15-member team led by Alex Mache, a 7-year journey through Patreon
Paralives Studio is an indie studio founded by Alex Massé, a veteran of the video game industry, and currently has 15 employees.
The development team was able to grow rapidly thanks to the support of Patreon followers, and throughout the seven years of development, they have actively incorporated community feedback to refine the direction of the game.
The studio plans to focus on performance improvements, bug fixes, and quality stabilization from June to September 2026. Gamers looking forward to an alternative to the ‘Sims’ series are paying close attention to how much this title, which has been called an ‘alternative to The Sims’ for years, can improve its quality together with the community during the Early Access period.
Information regarding ‘Paralives’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer / Publisher | Paralives Studio (Montreal, Canada, 15 people) |
| Genre | Life Simulation / Open World / Building Sandbox |
| Release platform | PC (Steam) / macOS |
| Release date | May 25, 2026 (Early Access) |
| price | $39.99 USD (Launch 10% Off ~June 1: $35.99) |
| Steam Review | Very Positive (86%, 1,593+) |
| Concurrent users on release day | Over 78,000 people |
| DLC Policy | All updates and expansions provided for free, no paid DLC |
| Major unimplemented features (to be added for free later) | Pets, seasonal weather, swimming pool, car, family tree, etc. |
| premier | Most Anticipated Canadian Game of 2021 / Wholesome Direct 2021 Featured |
| Main Keywords | Life Sim, Open World, Free Build, Sims Alternative, Free Updates, Character Customization |
| Official Channel | X (Twitter) · Discord · YouTube · Patreon |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
