Paralives: Early Access Live Mode Overview
The Paralives studio presented a detailed 45-minute overview of its Live Mode, demonstrating how a Para—Milo Caruso—begins his new life. Host Reena showcased all the key aspects, from character customization to job searching and social interactions in the town.
The stream also announced the new Early Access release date for the game: May 25, 2026.
Para Configuration: Personality, Vibes, and Talents
The Para creation system places special emphasis on personality and skills, which directly influence the gameplay experience.
Personality System
A Para's personality is determined by the distribution of points (7 available) across four categories:
- Physique
- Mind
- Creativity
- Charisma
At least one point must be allocated to each category.
Additionally, you can choose your Para's Vibe, which determines their basic emotional state. The currently available Vibes are: Overjoyed, Gloomy, Energetic, Serious, and Jester.
The Social Perk gives the Para certain advantages or disadvantages in relationships and in working with the Together Bar. Available perks include:
- Good at Being Alone
- Good at Making Friends
- Good at Taking Care of Others
- Good at Romantic Relationships
- Good at Cooperating
Talents and Lifestyle
Choosing a Talent provides an advantage in mastering specific skills. Talent categories are: Music, Fitness, Food, Technology, and Art. You can also opt for Jack-of-all-Trades or Good at Nothing.
Lifestyle choices regulate habits without influencing personality: you can select your Para's dietary style (Vegetarian or not), sleep schedule (Early Bird or Night Owl), and cleaning habits (Neat or Sloppy).
Outfits
In the current build, Paras can have four outfit categories, and multiple outfits can be created for each: Casual, Work, Exercise, and Pajamas.
Gameplay
Time and Currency
Time progression in Paralives is similar to other life simulators: 1 in-game minute equals approximately 1 real-time second. You can pause time and speed it up to 5x or 10x.
The in-game currency is called Paradimes, denoted by the $ symbol.
The Town and Shopping
The world is not completely open, but there is a noticeable lack of disruptive loading screens when visiting buildings.
The stream showcased the following shops:
- Bloom: A plant store where every Para can get one free plant per day.
- The Story Nook: A cafe for quick snacks.
- Market Antiques: An antique furniture store.
Purchased items are placed in the Para's Inventory.
Food and Cooking
A Para can satisfy their hunger by cooking, starting with simple dishes at low skill levels, or by purchasing food at a cafe.
Aspirations and Wants
A Para's Vibe helps generate their reactions and desires.
- Aspirations are long-term quests tied to life events (e.g., Settle Home).
- Wants are short-term tasks generated by mood, needs, or skills, such as "Practice Music for Two Hours." Wants reset every time the Para sleeps.
Skill Building
Skills are divided into general categories and individual niches. For example, by playing the guitar, Milo simultaneously develops the slower, general Music skill and the faster, specific Guitar skill. Similarly, while working on the computer, he develops the general Technology skill and the specific Programming skill.
Careers
Paralives features a substantial number of career options.
- Job Search: Via a phone application or by visiting buildings with a "Hiring" posting.
- Leveling Up: When a Para levels up, they can choose a Perk. This might be a direct promotion to the next Rank, or a Perk with a drawback. For instance, Milo could choose to advance to Rank 2 or select Overtime, which doubled his daily pay but extended his work shift by 3 hours.
Available career categories include: Software Development, Art, Service, Music, Education, Management, Maintenance, Healthcare, Science, Fitness, and Food.
Social Mechanics
Relationships
Relationship progression depends on a Para's mood, trait compatibility, and the success and tone of chosen interactions. Interactions are color-coded by mood (White – neutral, Green – positive, Red – negative, Pink – flirty).
The Together Bar appears during conversation and takes approximately 25 in-game minutes to fill. Filling it allows you to Develop the relationship, steering it towards friendship, enmity, or romance.
Group Activities: Paras can easily be grouped and given a shared activity (like going to a cafe) to continue interacting together.
Town News
The New Paper is a daily update for the Para, appearing at the start of each day. It announces town news, highlights opportunities, and includes quotes from residents and the mayor. Past editions can be reviewed.
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