Indie Sims-like Paralives delays early access release into next year after playtests prove it “isn’t up to the standard we wanted it to meet”

Indie Sims-like game Paralives has delayed its early access release following recent playtests that proved the game “isn’t up to the standard we wanted it to meet for release”.

Back in June, the game was given an early access release date of 8th December. Now, that release has shifted to 25th May 2026.

A lengthy statement from developer Alex Massé has detailed the reasons for the delay, as well as outlining the ambitious scope of the project.

“Unfortunately, we had to make the difficult decision to delay the release,” it reads. “After thoughtful consideration, we feel it’s best for the game and the community. This year, we ran many playtests with friends and fans, and we were confident that we could improve the game enough in time for December.

“In the lead-up to Early Access release, we broadened our playtests with a more varied playerbase, and the latest feedback we received made us realise the game isn’t up to the standard we wanted it to meet for release.”

Specifically, Massé noted “impactful bugs” in the Live Mode and a “lack of activities to do in the town, which dampened the enjoyment of the players”.

Massé plans for Paralives to be a “fresh and indie take on the doll-house life simulation genre”, describing it as three games in one: an “advanced and flexible build mode”, a “greatly customisable character creator”, and a “complex life simulation mode”. It seems the latter element is what requires more time.

“We are so proud of what we have built, but now, we just need a bit more time to polish the simulation part of the game,” said Massé. “This would ensure Paralives offers a great first experience when it launches, making players come back for every exciting free update and expansion that we will put out afterwards.”

In the meantime, a 45 minute stream will take place on 25th November to show off the current state of the game. The game’s website also has a detailed roadmap of improvements and fixes ahead of the game’s release. “This will ensure that more players will be happy with the state of the game at launch when comparing it to other great life simulation games that sparked everyone’s love for the genre,” said Massé.

Last year, the developer stated Paralives wouldn’t have paid DLC but free expansions instead. “As a small team without any shareholders to please,” it said, “we believe the money we make from selling the game alone will be enough to support us and the development of free updates in the long run.”

Since the initial announcement of Paralives, Krafton has released inZOI, while Paradox shut down ambitious Sims-like Life by You. EA, meanwhile, is still working on its new The Sims concept.