Features

Features of the Game

The game being developed is a turn-based life simulation game for mobile. Each turn represents a year in the game. I will work on making the game available for PC when it is finished. It will have no micro-transactions or ads, instead it will be a set price of a few dollars.

Buildings & Interaction

The game will centre around an isometric town, which features buildings such as:

  • Houses
  • Apartments
  • School
  • University
  • Offices
  • Town Hall
  • Gym
  • Parks
  • Library
  • Graveyard
  • Police Station
  • Hospital

These buildings can be interacted with by tapping on them. Each building will offer unique interactions.

AI

The houses and apartments will be lived in by the citizens of the town (known as peeps) and the player. Peeps will have the ability to:

  • Move house
  • Get married
  • Get divorced
  • Have affairs
  • Get pregnant/have children
  • Get promoted in their careers
  • Change jobs/quit
  • Go to university
  • Have relationships
  • Keep secrets and hold grudges
  • Share gossip around town
  • Get angry/resentful/stressed and other moods
  • Grow old
  • Retire
  • Die

In other words, they have some level of autonomy (similar to the story progression in The Sims 3). The player will play as a peep who interacts with these AI peeps, deciding which decisions to make in their life. On death, they can continue to play as a child, forming large extended families with aunts/uncles/grandparents and cousins.

Fundamental Variables

Since life is complex, this game, like any game, is an abstraction of reality. There are a few fundamental systems in play which keep the game running. These include:

  • Having moods which influence decisions. A peep who is ambitious is more likely to get a promotion etc.
  • Having personalities which are based on the big 5. A peep who is outgoing is more likely make new friends. A peep who is curious is more likely to cheat on their partner.
  • Having illnesses, which will affect a peep's health.
  • Having skills which can be leveraged to further a career or complete an aspiration.

Below is an mock example of these systems working, influencing a peep's thoughts.

An example of the systems being used together

Player Interaction

There are many more subtle systems in the game which will offer a different experience every life. The player will have actions which can be broadly categorized into 5 sections:

  • Relationships - gossip, romance, friends, enemies, marriage, children, family.
  • Finance - money saving, investments, income, spending.
  • Career - school, job, money making, university, education, overtime, raise.
  • Residence - rent, house, owning, mortgage, moving, parents home.
  • Activities - hobbies, skills, aspirations, hanging out, self help.

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