The indie Sims sells 250,000 copies in its first eight hours

Paralives was one of the most anticipated games of the first half of 2026. This game promised to be an indie alternative to The Sims after the fiasco of inZOI, and it seems that people were waiting for something like this. Because if there is one thing that Paralives is, for now, it is a success. It has sold 250,000 copies in its first eight hours, figures typical of major industry launches.

Paralives is a life simulation game in the style of The Sims developed by Alex Massé, an indie game designer known for developing games like Tuber Simulator for PewDiePie. His intention with Paralives is to create an evolution of the concept of The Sims where the Parafolk, the name of the characters we create, can inhabit an open world where they can create a complete life. This includes building a house, having a job, and getting involved in the life of their neighborhood, as well as the numerous events that can happen.

Although it was announced for early access release on December 8, 2025, it was delayed until May 25, 2026, because the game still needed more development time. Now, after its release, it seems that it was a wise decision. Not only has it sold 250,000 copies in its first eight hours, but it also has 3,540 reviews on Steam, most of them Very Positive, and the few negative ones are all about small bugs or lack of content. Something to be expected in early access.

With two years ahead in early access, there is still quite a bit of time before we see the full version of Paralives. But it seems that the game is already managing to stand out among its peers. Now we just have to see if Massé and his team can maintain the public’s interest during this time.