Life by You: A New Life Simulation Game
If you are an avid fan of life Simulation games like The Sims, you are probably also aware that it is a genre that is slowly dying. While The Sims 4 is still popular, Life by You, the new life sim from former EA executive Rod Humble, offers similar elements with key improvements.
Life by You has been in development for quite some time now, with Rod Humble announcing the game all the way back in 2022. While the wait has been long, it’s been worth it. While there are still some kinks to work out, Life by You is an extremely fun and detailed game that I would recommend to any Sims fan.
Similarities and Differences to The Sims
Following the lives of a writer, an engineer, and a journalist, Life by You has a lot in common with The Sims, but it also has some key differences that set it apart. The similarities are most apparent in the UI and mechanics, while the differences are apparent in the world and character building.
The characters in Life by You don't have the same charm and quirkiness as The Sims, but the realistic and detailed world makes up for this. The game focuses on assigning traits and personalities to characters to help them in their careers, much like The Sims 4.
Like The Sims, Life by You has needs that the characters must fulfill. However, unlike The Sims, you can use cheats to bypass these gameplay aspects and just focus on your story or speed up time. Life by You offers impressive customization options with extensive settings and editing tools.
The game uses animations and detailed actions to enhance skills like cooking and flower arranging, similar to The Sims. Build Mode is just as easy to use, allowing you to easily customize items and venues. One of the biggest differences in Life by You is that it features a fully playable open-world environment without “rabbit holes.” Instead of going into an area and then exiting out of it, you are free to walk around and explore the entire city.
When you are in the main city, the game offers emergent storytelling. Since Life by You uses real language and contextual conversations, you are left to see what happens when your characters talk to each other or to NPCs. The team behind Life by You aims to provide emergent storytelling, where your choices and relationships impact these conversations and lead to interesting outcomes. The team also wants to make your choices matter when it comes to “romantic interactions.”
Localization and Early Access
Another important aspect of Life by You is localization. The team is working hard to localize the game into six different languages right from the start to cater to a broader player base of international players. If enough people are interested, the team may add the option to mod the game and expand the language options.
Life by You will initially launch in Early Access on March 5, 2024, for preorders on PC via Steam and the Epic Store. The game will be available for purchase on those two storefronts as well as GOG. If you preorder, you will be able to start playing on March 5 and get instant access to the first three chapters of the game. In the future, the team plans to release one chapter at a time.
Rod Humble and the team at Life by You have something special on their hands with this life simulation game. While the characters aren't quite as charming as those in The Sims, the level of detail and accessibility of the modding and editing tools cater to life simulation fans. While the initial release is smaller than The Sims 4, it is a start, and I look forward to seeing how it evolves.
Take a look at the Life by You pre-alpha gameplay trailer below, courtesy of Gamespot:
