Over the last few months, we’ve seen quite a few major PC game releases. As such, the Steam bestseller and most-played charts are both getting quite a few more shakeups than usual. Just last week, Forza Horizon 6 took Subnautica 2 down a few pegs when it launched to impressive success. Now, a new bestseller has made its way to the top of the Steam charts as of May 26th. No, I don’t mean 007: First Light, though that one is quickly gaining traction now that it’s out in the world. For now, the long-awaited Sims 4 competitor, Paralives, has snagged the top spot.
It’s no secret that Sims fans have been waiting for another top-tier entry in the life sim genre for years. inZOI made a decent attempt, but ultimately fell short for many thanks to its high specs and relatively limited Early Access gameplay. But so far, it looks like Paralives might actually be the life sim fans have been waiting for. It launched into Early Access on May 25th and quickly jumped to the #1 slot in Steam’s Top Sellers list. But not only are plenty of cozy gamers ready to take a chance on that $39.99 Early Access price tag, most seem to be truly enjoying it.
I’ll be the first to say that I was a bit surprised to see the $40 pricetag on Paralives in Early Access. The launch discount brings the game down to $35.99, but that could still feel steep for a game that’s releasing in an unfinished state. However, that pricetag hasn’t deterred fans, who’ve been waiting for Paralives since it was first announced back in 2019.
Shortly after launch, the game hit a 24-hour player peak of over 78,600 players. According to a post from Paralives Studios, Paralives sold 250,000 copies in just 8 hours. That earned it a spot as the top-selling game on Steam to start the week, which is already an impressive showing. But inZOI also launched to high player counts, only to show a pretty steep dropoff. So far, it looks like Paralives could have more staying power than its fellow would-be Sims successor.
Since it launched into Early Access yesterday, Paralives has gotten over 3200 reviews on Steam. And so far, 89% of those reviews are positive, landing the life sim solidly in the Very Positive range. Given how long fans have been waiting to play this game, it would be easy for it to fall short of expectations. That’s especially true given just how many features aren’t yet present in the life sim at its initial. But Paralives looks to be living up to the hype, and as one of the people eagerly waiting on this game, I’m pretty happy to see it.
Players do acknowledge that there are some bugs and performance issues in Early Access. But by and large, Paralives is off to a good start. Reviews frequently cite the game’s compelling storytelling features and the carefully crafted vibe it gives off. In particular, the art style and attention to detail are already earning Paralives plenty of praise. And of course, those burned by trying to run inZOI are praising the game’s laptop-friendly specs, as well.
Paralives is planned to be in Early Access for about 2 years, with plenty of features to be added throughout that time. The current build offers character creation, build mode, and a pretty robust look at the game’s open-world life sim loop. And Paralives Studio promises “to never release paid DLCs,” with only free updates on the way in Early Access and beyond. So the foundation we see in Early Access really is just the beginning for Paralives, and from the sounds of it, we’re off to a great start.
Paralives is available in Early Access for PC and Mac via Steam. It is $39.99 USD, with a 10% launch discount through June 1st.
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