Paralives Early Access sold more than 250,000 copies in its first eight hours on Steam, with the launch also pulling more than 78,000 simultaneous players into its grid-free open world within hours of the 10:00 AM EDT unlock on 25 May 2026. The Montreal indie life sim from Paralives Studio went live globally on PC and Mac, capping seven years of Patreon-funded development. Steam user reviews settled at 86% positive across 1,593 responses logged in the opening hours, earning the game a Very Positive rating and immediately framing it as the most credible challenger to EA’s The Sims franchise in years.

we truly can’t believe how lucky we are! thank you to everyone who supported us (●’◡’●)ﾉ❤︎⁠ pic.twitter.com/j5l7CGbjj1

— Paralives (@ParalivesGame) May 25, 2026

The launch lands months behind the studio’s original 8 December 2025 target, a delay confirmed in early 2026 after closed playtest feedback surfaced impactful bugs in Live Mode. The Early Access build ships without several headline systems still under construction, with Paralives Studio framing June through September 2026 as a stabilisation window before the first major content update arrives.

250,000 Copies Sold And A Very Positive Steam Reception

Paralives Studio confirmed the 250,000 sales figure the morning after launch, reaching it within eight hours of the 25 May unlock and thanking the community for the response. For a self-funded indie project, that pace clears the kind of launch-day bar usually reserved for publisher-backed releases.

The 78,000 concurrent figure was reached within hours of the 25 May unlock, placing Paralives among the strongest indie life sim openings on Steam in recent memory. The 86% positive Steam review score on 1,593 responses tilted Very Positive, the threshold Steam reserves for releases drawing strong early sentiment from buyers. Paralives carries a base Early Access price of $39.99 USD, currently discounted to $35.99 USD under a launch-season promotion, with regional Steam pricing active globally, no pre-order tier, and no console version planned for launch. The studio has confirmed the price will rise incrementally as content is added through Early Access.

The game runs on PC and Mac, does not require an internet connection, and ships with Steam Workshop support for user-created content. Script mods are not on the current roadmap, but the studio has confirmed Workshop hosting for items, builds, and cosmetic content as the platform scales through Early Access. Paralives is positioned strictly as a single-player offering, which removes the live-service overhead competing life sims have layered onto recent releases.

The release model is the second half of the pitch. Paralives Studio has committed to a no-paid-DLC structure, with every update through the full 1.0 release shipping free to anyone who buys the Early Access build. The studio has held that position publicly since launching its Patreon in 2019, framing it as a direct counterpoint to the expansion-pack model that has driven the bulk of revenue on The Sims 4 across the past decade.

Grid-Free Building And A Connected Open-World Town

The construction system is the headline feature, replacing the rigid grid that has defined the life sim genre since the early Sims era. Walls curve at any angle, objects resize on the fly, floors split across half-levels, and stairs can be drawn freehand to fit any space. Surfaces accept colour and texture customisation down to individual pieces, allowing the kind of granular interior work that has historically required mod tools in competing titles.

The town itself is structured as a connected open world rather than the loading-zone neighbourhoods most life sims have used. Households share the same persistent map, and the in-game Parafolk move between lots without the cut-to-loading transitions familiar to The Sims players. The visual style trades photorealism for a painterly, pastel-leaning aesthetic that has been the studio’s calling card across its Patreon-era development reels.

Character creation leans into the same flexibility as the build mode. Sliders extend across body proportions, facial features, and clothing fit, with colour wheels rather than locked palettes for hair and outfit customisation. The studio has applied the same approach to object recolouring across furniture, walls, and floor finishes, which scales the cosmetic options for any single household to a degree that competing titles have largely only matched through community mods.

Critics Warn The Early Access Build Is Unfinished

Early reviews split sharply on how complete the launch build feels. TheGamer called it a very promising Early Access start, praising the charming visual style and accessibility of the unique mechanics. PC Gamer offered a more candid assessment, describing the game as buggy, far from feature-complete, and sporting a UI that is messy and oftentimes unintuitive. The 86% Steam rating sits a clear notch above the critical reception, suggesting players are more forgiving of the launch state than the press corps.

The official FAQ confirms the list of systems missing from the launch build:

• Pets
• Seasonal weather
• Swimming pools
• Basements
• Cars and boats
• Family trees
• A calendar system
• Full table-service dining at restaurants

None of those features are flagged as cut content. The studio is treating Early Access as an active development window, with each missing system landing through free patches across the projected support cycle. The absence of seasonal weather and a calendar system in particular shapes the Live Mode loop at launch, with households cycling through days that lack the seasonal beats driving long-term play in The Sims 4.

Free Updates Replace Paid DLC Through 1.0

Paralives Studio has framed June through September 2026 as a stabilisation window before any major content lands. The plan is to ship bug fixes and Live Mode polish across those four months, with the first major content update set to follow afterwards. The studio has indicated that the first drop will introduce one of the larger missing systems from the launch FAQ list, though no firm date or feature has been confirmed publicly.

The free-update commitment covers everything through 1.0. The studio has been explicit that buyers of the Early Access build receive every patch, every content drop, and every system addition at no additional cost between today and the full release. That position has held across every public milestone since the 2019 Patreon launch, and it is the lever the studio has used to convert long-time backers into Early Access buyers on day one.

The roadmap leans on community feedback through the official Discord and Steam discussion boards, and Paralives Studio has committed to public patch notes for each stabilisation pass. Steam Workshop integration for user-created builds will scale through the same window, with the scope of supported content at each phase yet to be detailed. Mod support remains items-and-builds-only for now, with script mods explicitly off the current roadmap.

What Comes Next For Paralives

The crowdfunding history sets the bar the launch needs to clear. Paralives Studio began on Patreon in 2019 and ran on community backing through every milestone since, with the seven-year development cycle visible in monthly studio reels. The Early Access launch is the first time paying customers outside the Patreon community can play the game, and the studio’s framing has been that the next two to three years of free updates are what the price is buying.

The competitive backdrop has shifted in the seven years Paralives spent in development. The Sims 4 went free-to-play in 2022 and has continued to ship paid expansion packs and kits since, while Krafton’s inZOI entered its own Early Access window earlier in 2025 as the first large-budget genre challenger in years. Paralives sits between those poles: smaller in scope than inZOI, free of expansion-pack monetisation against The Sims 4, and reliant on its construction toolset to carry the comparison.

The most-watched figure across the rest of 2026 is whether Paralives can convert its 250,000 launch-day buyers into a stable, returning player base through the stabilisation months. The first major content update is the next public milestone, expected after the September close of the stabilisation window. The size of the feature added in that drop will set the pace for everything after, and indicate whether the studio can close the feature gap against The Sims 4 at the rate its Early Access framing implies.

The post Paralives, The Sims Competitor, Sells 250,000 Copies In 8 Hours On Steam Early Access appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Former Firaxis Games creative director Jake Solomon has announced the closure of his studio, Midsummer Studios, and shared a first look at its now-canceled life sim, Burbank.

We built a studio, we made a game, and I’m really proud of both. Before we close the doors at Midsummer Studios I’d like to share a glimpse of Burbank, the game we poured our hearts into.

It’s like “Life Sims + The Truman Show,” but it’s more than that. I believe people are… pic.twitter.com/RuYvDhdEZO

— Jake Solomon (@SolomonJake) February 19, 2026

The news confirms that the “next-gen” life simulation project the team had been building since 2024 will not see release. Instead, Solomon published pre-alpha footage as a farewell, describing Burbank as “the game we poured our hearts into.”

Midsummer Studios Confirms Closure

Solomon broke the news via social media, stating, “We built a studio, we made a game, and I’m really proud of both.” He shared a short gameplay video of Burbank before confirming the studio would close its doors.

Midsummer Studios was founded in May 2024 by Solomon alongside former Firaxis lead designer Will Miller and operations veteran Nelsie Birch. At launch, the team said it aimed to create a “next-generation entry to the life sim genre.”

Just 21 months later, that ambition has come to an abrupt end.

While the exact reason for the closure has not been formally detailed, reports indicate the studio had been pursuing additional funding as recently as late 2025. An SEC filing showed it secured US$600,000 in new investment during that period, on top of an earlier US$6 million funding round.

That initial round was led by Transcend Fund, with participation from Tirta Ventures, Betaworks Ventures, 1 Up Ventures, F4 Fund, Korean publisher Krafton, and Day Zero Productions.

What Burbank Was Trying To Be

Burbank was positioned as a life sim built around player-driven storytelling. Solomon described it as “Life Sims + The Truman Show,” referencing The Truman Show as an inspiration point.

In the footage released, players could create characters with detailed backstories, drop them into staged environments styled like television sets, and guide dramatic interactions. One example showed players unlocking The Office-style talking head interviews and prompting characters with specific questions.

Over time, characters would level up, new interactions would unlock, and additional locations would become available, suggesting a progression structure layered on top of emergent storytelling.

The concept drew online comparisons to Tomodachi Life and The Movies, though Burbank appeared to aim for more direct player control and narrative shaping rather than pure randomness.

Earlier interviews indicated Solomon wanted something more guided than traditional sandbox life sims, offering tools that let players actively craft scenes instead of simply observing chaos unfold.

The Role Of AI In Burbank

One immediate talking point from the trailer was the use of generative AI.

Solomon clarified in a follow-up post that Burbank’s characters used AI for memory, reasoning and speech. According to him, that system allowed players to “create anyone you want and drop them in any story you write.”

He was also quick to address concerns about job displacement, stating that all visual art in the game was created by human artists and that the team had no interest in replacing developers with AI.

Even so, generative AI voice systems remain controversial in the wider industry, particularly among voice actors. Whether Burbank could have fully delivered on its emergent storytelling goals without AI-driven dialogue is now a hypothetical discussion, as development has officially ended.

Solomon’s Career And What Comes Next

Solomon spent 23 years at Firaxis, beginning as a programmer on Civilization titles before leading the modern XCOM 2 reboot era. He also served as creative director on Marvel’s Midnight Suns, which earned strong critical praise but underperformed commercially.

After departing Firaxis, Midsummer Studios represented a clear pivot away from turn-based tactics into life simulation. In past interviews, Solomon had spoken about his belief that “people are storytellers,” and that Burbank was built to support that idea.

There had been little public indication of trouble prior to the closure. Midsummer’s social channels were largely quiet, and recent posts highlighted milestones such as Nasdaq listings and industry recognition.

As of now, Solomon has not detailed his next move. Media outlets have reached out for further comment, but no additional statements have been made.

For fans of his previous work, the abrupt end of Midsummer Studios is a reminder of how volatile game development can be, even for veteran creators with funding and backing in place.

Whether Solomon returns to strategy games or continues chasing experimental narrative systems remains to be seen.

The post Midsummer Studios Closes, Burbank Life Sim Canceled appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Stardew Valley’s next major update is shaping up to be a meaningful expansion of the game’s social systems. Creator Eric Barone has confirmed that the upcoming 1.7 update will introduce two brand new marriage candidates and make long requested changes to how in-game children behave.

The details were shared during a new interview with IGN, published as part of Stardew Valley’s 10th anniversary coverage.

Two New Marriage Candidates Coming In Stardew Valley 1.7

During the interview, Eric Barone confirmed that two additional romance options will be added in version 1.7. While he declined to reveal their identities for now, he did say the announcement will be made on the game’s anniversary.

“I’m going to be adding two more marriage candidates, but I’ll reveal who it is on the anniversary day,” Barone said.

This marks the first time Stardew Valley has added new marriage candidates since Shane and Emily were made romanceable in the 1.1 update. Since then, the roster of bachelors and bachelorettes has remained unchanged, despite years of community requests for expansion.

Speculation is already building around who the new candidates could be. Some players believe they may be entirely new characters, while others hope that long standing favourites like Sandy or the Wizard will finally become romanceable. Barone did not confirm either direction.

Children Set For Long Requested Changes

Alongside the romance expansion, Barone also addressed another frequent point of feedback from players: children.

Currently, children in Stardew Valley have very limited behaviour, remaining permanently young and largely inactive around the farmhouse. Barone acknowledged this directly, confirming that a “popular fan request” related to children is being addressed in 1.7.

“What I will say without maybe being too specific is that with this update, one of the things we’re trying to do is… there is a popular fan request, which has to do with the children, trying to make the children a little more interesting,” he said.

He stopped short of explaining exactly how the system will change, but confirmed that work is actively underway. This suggests children may gain more interactions, routines, or personality elements, something the community has asked for over many years.

More Unannounced Features Also Planned

Barone also hinted that the update includes additional features beyond what players have been asking for.

“There’s a lot of other things in the update as well that no one’s really asked for, but I think people will appreciate it,” he said.

In a separate part of the interview, Barone floated the idea of a potential farm map editor that could allow players to create and share custom farm layouts. While he stressed that this feature is not guaranteed to ship in 1.7, he described it as something he is actively interested in exploring.

Traditionally, each major Stardew Valley update has introduced a new farm type, and Barone suggested that opening farm creation to the community could dramatically increase replayability.

Anniversary Reveal Expected On 26 February

Stardew Valley’s anniversary falls on 26 February, meaning players may not have to wait long to learn who the new marriage candidates are. However, Barone has not attached any release window to the 1.7 update itself.

For now, the update remains without a launch date, continuing the developer’s long standing approach of revealing details gradually rather than committing to timelines.

Haunted Chocolatier Still In Development

During the anniversary discussions, Barone also touched briefly on Haunted Chocolatier, his next game project, which has faced ongoing speculation about its status. He has already addressed those concerns directly in a separate statement, confirming the game is still progressing and has not been abandoned.

You can read more about that clarification in our full report, Stardew Valley Creator Shuts Down Haunted Chocolatier Abandonment Rumours, Says Game Is Still Progressing.

As Stardew Valley enters its second decade, the scale of the 1.7 update suggests Barone is still deeply invested in evolving the game’s world, characters, and long term replay value.

The post Stardew Valley 1.7 Update Adds Two New Marriage Candidates, Children Changes Confirmed appeared first on Shane the Gamer.