Dongguan life simulator

Dongguan is a manufacturing and tech hub in Guangdong Province between Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Instead of one downtown, it has four central urban subdistricts and 28 distinct towns. Daily life ranges from office towers in Nancheng to research campuses at Songshan Lake and night stalls in Humen.

Dongguan sits in the Pearl River Delta between Guangzhou and Shenzhen. It has four central subdistricts and 28 towns. Residents ride Dongguan Rail Transit on Line 1 and Line 2, or take color-coded buses across the city.

People also use electric scooters on local streets and ride bikes on the greenways around Songshan Lake. In LifeSim, you do not drive cars or ride trains. You search the 3D map for a station, a park, or a mall, and go right there.

The local currency is the Renminbi, and locals call a unit a kuai in Mandarin or man in Cantonese. People handle almost all daily payments with QR codes through WeChat Pay and Alipay. Few people pay with cash or bank cards at small stalls, on buses, or in shops.

Living costs vary across the city's central districts and surrounding towns. Modern business hubs like Nancheng and the lakeside tech zone at Songshan Lake are the most expensive. Central districts like Dongcheng and Wanjiang offer mid-range housing, while outer towns like Liaobu, Dalang, and Mayong are cheaper.

LifeSim does not charge rent or pay a regular salary. Your cash goes up or down directly based on your activities and your chats with other people.

Lin, 26, moves to Songshan Lake to work as a hardware engineer. Lin sets two life goals: make close friends at work and visit historical sites across the city.

In the first week, Lin searches the map for Qifeng Park and walks there after work. A neighbor sends a text message and invites Lin to Guangming Night Market in Guancheng. They walk there as an outing and talk in their own words.

In week three, a karaoke night appears as a happening on Dongcheng Bar Street. Lin joins the group, and the day ends with a recap of its moments. The coworkers keep a memory of the night in their journals.

Students and tech researchers often pick Songshan Lake. It sits near Dongguan University of Technology and the Huawei Ox Horn campus, with paths around the water. Expats and middle-class families often choose Dongcheng Subdistrict for its dining streets and Qifeng Park.

Newcomers and factory workers often start in towns like Dalang, Liaobu, or Chashan for cheaper housing. People who like old architecture and history choose Guancheng Subdistrict for its arcade shophouses and snack streets. You pick your neighborhood by writing it into your character box.