The Sims PC game series has taken the world by storm, becoming the best-selling PC game series in history. Unfortunately, the Sims games (now in their third incarnation) and their many pricey expansions have put it out of reach of the casual gamer, with a full set of each game easily costing over a couple hundred dollars if bought at full price. However, there are a few similar casual simulation games that try to cover some of the themes and mechanics made popular in the Sims, and thankfully for a mere fraction of the cost.
These casual games can be categorized as either time management or strategy games, but it is more accurate to consider them as simulation games, specifically of the life-simulation variety. They focus on what you do once you enter the "real world", where you have to get a job, find a place to live, go to college, get in a relationship etc and even all the mundane stuff such as feeding and entertaining yourself.
The games usually take place entirely in a small self-contained town, where everything you need is within walking distance. The progression in these games invariably requires you to get better and better jobs, upgrade to huge condos and fill those condos with as many gadgets and luxury items as you can. It is basically a way to "experience" a different kind of lifestyle from what you have in real life, perhaps choosing a different career path or taking chances that you missed.
This review looks at three of the more popular life simulation games:
LIFE QUEST
Life Quest is arguably one of the best life simulation casual games out there at the moment. Its main selling point is the vast selection of options that you have in terms of career path and lifestyle selection, allowing you to create any life story you can think of.
In Life Quest, you have to manage your time and happiness, as well as three skill paths: charm, intellect and practicality. Your training and experience in these skills will determine what careers you are eligible for. You will need charm for jobs such as sales or dance, while intellect is required for education-related jobs, and practicality is required for technical jobs such as the mechanic. With training in your choice of skills, you will be able to advance through the available jobs and settle down with the love of your life in your fancy mansion!
MY LIFE STORY
While the premise is the same, My Life Story focuses more on your personal needs than the career progression. You still advance through your chosen career path, but there are fewer options and the requirement for progression is basically spending time in college and gaining job experience.
The focus is more on the levels of your happiness, hunger, energy, health and fun. You will spend most of your time running around town trying to keep these levels up. You also need to achieve a balance in activities: dancing may increase your health and fun, but your energy and hunger will take a hit. You will also be able to buy various consumer goods that will help manage these levels while you're spending the weekend relaxing at home. It is this juggling of wants and needs that drives the game, and you still have to fit in work and study as well!
PATH TO SUCCESS
Path to Success more similar to Life Quest, with a focus on career. Rather than having skills that you train, this time each career has different prerequisites. For example a waitering job requires you to take a course in restaurant service before you can apply for it. The waitering job itself will become a requirement (together with management training) for the restaurant manager job.
The wants and needs mechanic revolves around how much time in the day you have to do stuff. If you finish your day with your hunger and tiredness levels too high, you will start the next day with less available time. You also have challengers in this game: old friends who have the same immediate goals as you, and you need to reach these goals before they do.
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