I Spent My First Week Playing Paralives: 7 Things That Surprised Me Most
- Gabby
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Disclosure: I received a free game key from the Paralives team. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I am incredibly grateful to the team for providing me with a key and allowing me to finally experience a game that I have been excited about for years.
There are some games that show up on your radar and quietly sit on your wish list for a while. Then there are games like Paralives. The ones you follow for years, watch every development update for, and count down the days until you can finally play.
As someone who started creating content with The Sims 4 and has spent countless hours building families, completing challenges, and telling stories, Paralives has been on my radar from the very beginning. The art style immediately caught my attention. It felt fresh, cozy, and unlike anything else in the life simulation genre.
Long before Paralives, challenge gameplay was one of my favorite ways to play life simulation games. If you've been around One Big Side Quest for a while, you've probably seen me tackle plenty of Sims adventures already. If you haven't check out my Sims One Tile Challenge over on YouTube!
When early access was delayed, I was disappointed, but I also understood. I'd rather wait for a game to reach its potential than rush into something unfinished. So, when I finally launched Paralives for the first time, I was smiling from ear to ear. I was excited, curious, and honestly a little proud of the team behind it. Creating a life simulation game is no small task, and after spending over eight hours with the game during my first week, I found myself surprised by far more than I expected.
If you'd like to see my completely unfiltered reaction to playing Paralives for the first time, you can also watch my Day 1 gameplay video where I explored the game with Solene and Kian Darcier.
In This Post
1.The Tutorial Is One of the Best Introductions I've Seen in a Life Sim
The very first thing that surprised me was the tutorial. Most life simulation games, especially The Sims, tend to throw you into the world and expect you to figure things out as you go. Paralives takes a different approach.
Starting on the train immediately felt charming and intentional. Instead of overwhelming me with dozens of menus and systems, the game gradually introduced controls, mechanics, and features while also giving me a glimpse of the world and its characters.
By the time I reached the end of the tutorial, I already felt comfortable navigating the game. It sounds like a small thing, but first impressions matter, and Paralives absolutely nailed this one.
2.The Building Tools Won Over a Non-Builder
If you know me, you know I am not a builder. I'm the player who downloads a house, places it on a lot, and gets straight into gameplay. Challenges, storytelling, and progression have always been my favorite parts of life simulation games. That's why I was genuinely surprised by how much time I've spent in Build Mode.
I started experimenting with recreating real-world floor plans and quickly realized just how powerful the building tools are. The ability to use measurements and create scaled versions of actual homes opens up so many possibilities.
Then there's the customization:
Need a larger window? Resize it.
Need a couch that seats five people instead of three? Resize it.
Need furniture to fit a specific space? Adjust it.
The level of freedom is incredible. For the first time in a life simulation game, I found myself enjoying the building process rather than fighting against it.
3.Some Features Felt Overhyped... Until I Figured Them Out
Not every surprise was immediate. When I first started hearing people rave about object resizing, I wasn't fully convinced. I struggled to understand how everyone was creating these incredibly customized builds.
It turns out the feature wasn't the problem, I just hadn't found the advanced sizing controls yet. After a quick trip to TikTok tutorials and a little experimentation, I discovered how simple it actually was to activate. Once I figured it out, everything clicked.
This ended up being a good reminder that sometimes the most impressive features take a little time to learn.
4.The Open World Feels Better Than I Expected
I knew Paralives would have an open world. What I didn't realize was how much I had gotten used to loading screens. In The Sims, loading screens are just part of the experience. You don't really think about them until they're gone.
Being able to move around the world seamlessly made everything feel more connected. Exploring neighborhoods, traveling around town, and interacting with the environment felt natural.
The world feels alive in a way that surprised me.
It's one of those features that sounds exciting on paper but becomes even better once you actually experience it.
5.The Community Center Immediately Gave Me Stardew Valley Vibes
This may have been my favorite surprise. As soon as I discovered the community center bundles, my brain immediately went: "Oh no... I'm going to get addicted to this." I absolutely love Stardew Valley, and seeing a system that reminded me of completing bundles instantly grabbed my attention.
I also loved discovering the various checklists, tasks, and opportunities to help other Paras throughout the world. As someone who enjoys having goals while playing, these systems provide direction without feeling restrictive.
The combination of community center bundles, personal objectives, and helping other Paras gives me plenty of reasons to keep coming back.
6.My One Tile Challenge Became Complete Chaos
If you've watched my Paralives One Tile Challenge, you already know things got a little ridiculous. Because my Para was living on a single tile, money became a constant problem. At one point, I couldn't afford a fridge, bed, toilet, and shower at the same time.
I had to wait for nighttime, hope the Storyteller system would give me some kind of financial boost, and carefully decide which essential item I could temporarily own before selling it again.
My Para also survived on what can only be described as an all-apple diet.
It was completely unhinged. And honestly? I loved every second of it. If you're curious how someone survives on a single tile while eating apples for days, you can watch the full challenge below.
Moments like these remind me why challenge gameplay is my favorite way to experience life simulation games.
7.I Expected to Like Paralives. I Didn't Expect to Love It This Much
Going into my first week, I was worried that early access might leave me wanting more.
And to be fair, there are areas that still need development. I've encountered some glitches. Certain animations can behave strangely. I'd also like to see more interactions and activities added over time.
However, what surprised me most was how much content already exists. The character customization is incredibly deep. The building tools are impressive. The open world feels refreshing. Systems like Storyteller perks and community center bundles give players goals to work toward.
Even in early access, the foundation is remarkably strong.
How Paralives Compares to The Sims After One Week
Before playing, I assumed the biggest differences would be the art style and open world. Those differences definitely stand out. Paralives has a hand-drawn charm that feels completely different from The Sims' more realistic aesthetic.
However, the biggest surprise ended up being the level of customization. The same freedom that exists in Build Mode extends into character creation as well. The amount of control players have is genuinely impressive.
T hat said, The Sims still offers more gameplay content right now simply because it has had years of expansions and updates. For example, in my Sims One Tile Challenge, I could use selfies to generate income immediately. In Paralives, I had to get a lot more creative.
But that's also part of the fun.
Will Paralives Replace The Sims?
Not completely. At least not yet.
The Sims has years of content, nostalgia, and memories behind it. But I can absolutely see Paralives becoming one of my most-played games as future updates arrive. The potential is enormous.
The developers have already shared plans for future updates and knowing that additional content won't follow the traditional paid DLC model makes me even more excited about the game's future. One of the things that excites me most is seeing where the roadmap takes the game over the next few years. Click the image to find out more about future and current updates!
For now, I don't see Paralives replacing The Sims. I see it sitting right alongside it and possibly taking priority more often as the game continues to grow.
Final Thoughts
After my first week with Paralives, the biggest surprise wasn't a specific feature. It was how quickly the game made me want to keep playing. I expected to enjoy the customization. I expected to appreciate the open world. I expected to spend some time experimenting with the tools.
What I didn't expect was to find myself thinking about new challenge ideas, recreating floor plans for fun, and eagerly looking forward to every future update. For a game that's still in early access, that's an impressive accomplishment. And if my first week is any indication, this side quest is only getting started. I'm already planning to continue my One Tile Challenge and experiment with new challenge ideas in future videos, so this definitely won't be my last stop in Paralives.
Frequently Asked Questions About Paralives
Is Paralives worth playing in early access?
Absolutely. While there are still glitches and features being developed, I was surprised by how much content already exists. If you enjoy life simulation games, especially building and character customization, there's already plenty to explore.
Is Paralives better than The Sims?
I don't think it's as simple as one being better than the other. The Sims has years of expansions, content, and nostalgia behind it. However, Paralives already offers customization tools that feel incredibly refreshing and gives players a lot of freedom right from the start.
How many hours did you play before writing this review?
At the time of writing, I had spent just over 8 hours playing Paralives during my first week with the game.
What surprised you most about Paralives?
The tutorial, the open world, and how much I ended up enjoying Build Mode despite never considering myself a builder.
Should Sims players try Paralives?
Yes. If you're a Sims player looking for something new, Paralives feels like a breath of fresh air while still delivering many of the thing's life simulation fans love.
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