Game where you live a life

Yes. They are called life sims, and The Sims 4, BitLife, inZOI, and LifeSim are four of them. You make a person, and then you live their days: friends, work, love, money, and getting older.

They do it in very different ways. Some show you a whole house from above. Some are just text and taps. Some put you in a 3D city. So it helps to know what kind of life you want to play before you pick one.

One note: this is the LifeSim blog, so LifeSim is on the list. We tell you where it fits and where another game is the better pick.

Most of them share a few parts.

• You make a character, with a name, a look, and a personality.
• You meet other people and get closer to them, or not.
• You make choices about your day, your money, and your goals.
• Time moves on, and your character grows older.

There is usually no final boss and no way to win. The fun is in the small stories that happen along the way. For a longer list, read life sim games.

The Sims 4

The best known one. You make Sims, choose how they look, act, and dress, and build homes for them. They go after careers and goals and make friends. The base game is free to download. Packs cost extra.

BitLife

A text game on your phone. It calls itself a text-based life simulator. Every tap is a choice, and you can go through a whole life fast. It is free, with paid extras like God Mode.

inZOI

A paid life sim on PC, in Early Access. It has a realistic 3D look and two cities you can explore. Its Steam page says you can use text to change what your characters do and think.

LifeSim

A free life sim in your browser. You live one life in a real city on a 3D map of Earth, and you type what you say and do. More on that below.

Prices change, so check the store page before you buy.

Yes, LifeSim. The Sims 4 and inZOI use made-up towns. In LifeSim, you write a city in your character text, like Paris or Tokyo, and you start there. Any named city or town on Earth works.

The map shows real places, weather, and people walking around. You can search for a real place, like a coffee shop, and go there.

You start by describing your character in one text box. For example: "Maya Chen, 28, a kind florist in Paris." The game reads the name, age, look, job, and city, and draws a portrait. Read more on the life simulator page.

Then you meet people. Each one has a job, a home, friends, and a routine they follow by the minute. You talk to them in your own words, in person or by text. They remember you, and they text you on their own.

Each day ends with a recap of what happened. Your character ages through life stages, and one day the life ends.

What it does not have: there is no career ladder, no salary, and no house to buy. It is in English only, and you play alone.

Let the game pick. In LifeSim, the Shuffle button makes a random life for you. You can also try the random life generator and play the life it gives you.

The home page also has about 20 ready-made lives, like Spider-Man in New York or a K-pop idol.

What is the game where you live a life called?

There are many. They are called life sims. The Sims 4 and BitLife are the best known ones.

Is there a free game where you live a life?

Yes. LifeSim is free with no paid items. The Sims 4 base game and BitLife are free too, with paid extras.

Can you live a life in a game on your phone?

Yes. BitLife is on iPhone. LifeSim runs in the browser on your phone, with no download.

Can you grow old in a life game?

Yes, in most of them. In LifeSim, your character ages through life stages and can die.

• The Sims 4 on Steam
• BitLife on the App Store
• inZOI on Steam