Join The Club
Paralives has just hit early access, and while it is very much a work-in-progress right now, it's also the most fun I've had playing a life sim in a hot sec. As a lifelong Sims player, I've been noticing loads of neat stuff in Paralives that you just won't find in The Sims 4, even after all these years. Not that the two games have to be exactly the same or completely different, but the Venn diagram between Simmers and Paralivers is basically a circle, y'know?
It's been really cool seeing unique little things in Paralives, stuff that I either wish was in The Sims (without needing mods!) or stuff I never knew I wanted out of a life sim until now. I've gathered up the coolest bits about Paralives you won't find in The Sims (or at least, in The Sims 4) for those of you who are interested in what stands out about this new cosy newcomer in the genre.
Neat stuff in Paralives that isn't in The Sims 4
Image credit: Paralives Studio
Couch not quite long enough for your family of five? Wish that window was a little bigger? Wish that plant was a little smaller? Just about every object in Paralives can be pulled and scaled to fit your space, rather than trying to fit your space to your decor. Easily one of my favourite features as a build/buy fanatic.
Image credit: Paralives Studio
The Sims 4 makes decorating with clutter kind of a pain—you need to pop a cheat code in and then play the cat-and-mouse game of moving the surface away, float your item in mid-air, and then pop the surface back to make sure it looks correct. In Paralives, you can simply place the clutter anywhere you want. Bam! No cheats, no finicking. It's so delightfully smooth.
Image credit: Paralives Studio
A feature from The Sims 3 I dearly miss, and one I'm so stoked to see in Paralives. Make clothes, hair, and furniture any colour you want. Save swatches (so you can finally have all-matching wood sets) and some furniture items even come with texture options for even more customising potential.
Image credit: Paralives Studio
Short kings, tall queens, and everything in between. It's a feature I didn't even realise I needed until I started making multiple characters in Paralives. Height differences between characters is such a simple way to introduce more variety and realism, making everyone feel that little more unique.
Image credit: Paralives Studio
One of my biggest pet peeves in The Sims 4 is that I have to sacrifice a precious trait slot if I want to make a Sim vegetarian. In Paralives? It's just a box I can check. It's such a small quality-of-life change that means I don't have to sacrifice other parts of my character's personality to tell their story.
Image credit: Paralives Studio
I am incredibly guilty of getting my Sims to learn a skill until they're exhausted and standing in a puddle of their own pee, but that's a lot harder to do in Paralives. Certain skills will stop levelling up if a Parafolk's needs are too low, and if too many are in the red you'll be stopped from doing anything that doesn't replenish their needs altogether.
Image credit: Paralives Studio
Not every Para has the same mood meters! While it looks like everyone has the base four—sleep, hunger, hygiene, and bladder—Parafolks can get special fifth meters depending on their perks or past actions. I had one gain a temporary fun meter after I bored them with half a dozen paintings, while fellow simmer Lauren Morton had a "me time" meter because of her "good at being alone" social perk. Pretty cool!
Image credit: Paralives Studio
A fun little feature inspired by farming sims like Stardew Valley, Paralives has a board you can visit with townie requests on them each day. They'll ask for stuff like going to the gym for a few hours or cleaning trash up on the beach—simple enough, but there's usually some nice cash and friendship bonuses as a reward!
Image credit: Paralives Studio
Once again feeling inspired by farming sims, Paralives has a museum you can donate items you find and forage to. As much as I love collectables in The Sims 4, I don't find myself paying attention to them that often because there's nowhere to consolidate them. Having a museum is a real neat addition that serves as a little motivation to go exploring.
