Brasília life simulator

Brasília is the federal capital of Brazil, built in the shape of an airplane on the Central Plateau. People live in shaded residential blocks raised on concrete columns, called pilotis, or in busy surrounding districts. A life here can be a civil servant at the ministries, a university student at UnB, or a shopkeeper in Taguatinga.

In real life, living costs vary across the city. Lakeside districts like Lago Sul and Lago Norte are the most expensive. Central areas like Sudoeste, Noroeste, Asa Sul, and Asa Norte also have high housing costs. Districts like Águas Claras and Guará offer mid-range apartments and houses. Outer administrative regions like Taguatinga, Samambaia, and Ceilândia are cheaper.

You use the Brazilian real for daily purchases. Locals pay for almost everything with Pix, an instant payment system that uses QR codes and bank keys. Shops, bakeries, and restaurants also accept credit and debit cards. You only need cash for small street stalls or informal vendors.

LifeSim does not charge rent or pay a regular salary. You do not pay bills or bus fares. Instead, your cash changes directly through the activities you do and the chats you have.

Local dishes use flavors from the surrounding Cerrado savanna. People eat arroz com pequi, galinhada, and steamed corn pamonha, or buy a pastel with sugarcane juice. You can also eat a kibe and a roast beef beirute sandwich at traditional open-air bars called botecos.

In LifeSim, you can search for real places to meet friends. Go to the Rua dos Restaurantes at 404 and 405 Sul, or the student bars at 408 and 409 Norte. You can also plan an outing to Pontão do Lago Sul by the water, or visit the Feira da Torre de TV and Feira do Guará.

The city was built for cars, with wide roads like the Eixão, Eixo Monumental, and W3. Drivers use small looping roads called tesourinhas to enter the highway, and they stop when you wave at a crosswalk. On Sundays, the Eixão closes to cars for pedestrians and cyclists on their bikes, called camelos. Public transit includes the Metrô-DF Green and Orange lines, Expresso DF buses, and the central Rodoviária.

Walking is easy under the open concrete columns, called pilotis, inside a residential superquadra. In LifeSim, you do not drive cars or ride the metro. You search the 3D map for any building, park, or station, and go there. You can walk to Parque da Cidade Dona Sarah Kubitschek or cross the Ponte Juscelino Kubitschek with friends.

Lucas, 20, moves into a small flat in Asa Norte to study at the Universidade de Brasília. He sets two life goals: pass his first term and make three close friends on campus. The dry season brings blue skies and warm afternoons to the city.

In his first week, Lucas searches the map for a cafe on his block and talks to the barista. He meets a classmate who lives in Águas Claras, and they start a group text thread. On Friday evening, a birthday drinks happening appears at the boteco Beirute at 107 Norte, and Lucas joins.

On Sunday, Lucas plans an outing to the Santuário Dom Bosco and the Torre de TV de Brasília. His friends walk there with him on the 3D map and talk as a group. Each day ends with a recap, and his classmates keep memories of their talks in their journals.