With players leaving EA\u2019s series once life there felt like a grind beset by ethical concerns, this quirky new sim promises a better life elsewhere<\/p>\n
For 26 years, the life-sims genre has been dominated by one series: The Sims. Originally designed by Will Wright, creator of Sim City, EA\u2019s virtual dollhouse series has grown into a $5bn [\u00a33.8bn] empire with the constant release of new games, expansion packs, and collaborations cementing its place among the bestselling video game franchises of all time. But things are beginning to change. New contenders are emerging and turning the heads of even loyal players in The Sims community.<\/p>\n
The most recent, and promising, of these is Paralives<\/a>, once the solo project of indie designer Alex Mass\u00e9, who is now employing a small team of developers. Released on the PC games platform Steam in May 2026 as an early access title (meaning it\u2019s technically unfinished and looking for user feedback), it sold 250,000 copies in just eight hours. On that first day, the concurrent player count hit 78,603 \u2013 not far off The Sims 4\u2019s all-time peak of 96,328 in 2022. While Paralives is a small project, this success is understandable. Following the news of EA\u2019s controversial acquisition by a Saudi-backed business consortium, some simmers are looking for what they see as a more ethical alternative. But this is only part of the game\u2019s appeal. The real draw is the game\u2019s focus on creativity over realism: the quirky details that made many fans fall in love with The Sims in the first place.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/af08ab8a09eabc9242b4bec0bf5fbe3227b48693\/514_0_2700_2160\/master\/2700.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=a6cba9443b7e1d7eb3cf55318b6ceff6\" "\\"What")
<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"