What is Paralives
Paralives is a life simulation game developed by Paralives Studio, a Canadian indie team founded by Alex Massé in 2019. The project started as a solo experiment when Massé posted a build mode prototype showing curved walls drawn without a grid. The clip gained traction online, a Patreon campaign followed shortly after, and the team grew to fourteen people by June 2025, all funded by community supporters.
The game entered Early Access on Steam on May 25, 2026, for Windows and macOS. It sold 250,000 copies within eight hours and reached one million within its first month, earning a Very Positive rating from over 17,000 Steam reviews. Paralives Studio has committed to free updates during and after Early Access, with no paid DLC planned. The Patreon stopped accepting contributions on launch day, with the project now funded through Steam sales.
Building without a grid
The construction system in Paralives removes the traditional tile grid entirely. Players can draw curved walls, resize objects freely, create split-level floors, shape custom stairs, and apply full color and texture customization to any surface or piece of furniture. These tools have been highlighted as a standout for the genre even in the game's early state.
Characters and open world
Characters in Paralives are called Parafolk, created through a detailed editor called Paramaker. The game's character creation and relationship systems are designed without gender restrictions, giving players full freedom in how they define their characters and households.
The open world offers careers, friendships, romance, family life, and community involvement. Parafolk can travel by bike or car to visit parks, restaurants, beaches, shops, and mountain areas. The game also supports Steam Workshop and modding.
Paralives on SimGoodie
SimGoodie covers Paralives with news, patch notes, reviews, and ongoing coverage as the game develops toward its 1.0 release. Browse the latest articles below or explore packs and coverage categories from the hub.