Lyon life simulator

Lyon sits in east-central France where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet. Daily life moves at a relaxed pace around outdoor food markets, riverside quays, and neighborhood café terraces. People walk through hidden passageways called traboules, ride Vélo'v public bikes, and eat traditional dishes in local bistros.

Your neighborhood shapes your daily routine in Lyon. Families and professionals with high budgets often pick the 6th arrondissement near Brotteaux and the Parc de la Tête d'Or. The central Presqu'île, between the Rhône and Saône rivers, also has high housing costs.

Artists and writers often choose the plateau of La Croix-Rousse in the 4th arrondissement. They live in former silk-weaver buildings with high ceilings and shop at the daily outdoor market. Students and newcomers on a budget look at La Guillotière in the 7th arrondissement, the 8th arrondissement, or nearby Villeurbanne.

Lyon is a major center for life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and video game development. Large employers include Sanofi, BioMérieux, Renault Trucks, Groupe SEB, Euronews, and the world headquarters of Interpol. Many people also teach at Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 or Université Lumière Lyon 2.

You can play any of these roles in LifeSim by writing the job into your character box. Name your employer or say you work in an office in the Part-Dieu business district. LifeSim has no career ladder or salary, so your work life focuses on your daily goals and coworkers.

Say you start as a 29-year-old video game developer living in La Croix-Rousse. In the morning, you search the 3D map for the Mur des Canuts and walk past the mural. You head down the hill to Place des Terreaux and chat with a coworker outside a café.

In the afternoon, a friend texts you to plan an outing to the Musée des Confluences where the rivers meet. Later, a birthday drinks happening appears on the map near the Berges du Rhône. You join the group, and the day ends with a recap of your moments.

Claire, 26, moves to Lyon to work as a lab researcher at BioMérieux. She writes two life goals on her list: make three local friends and visit the Théâtres Romains de Fourvière. She rents a flat in the mid-range Jean Macé area of the 7th arrondissement.

In her first week, she walks to the Parc de la Tête d'Or to see the botanical gardens. She meets a neighbor there, and they start a text thread. The neighbor remembers Claire's job the next time they talk.

In week three, a house party happening appears on the map in Vaise in the 9th arrondissement. Claire goes, meets a university lecturer, and plans a weekend outing to the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière.

Lyon is famous for its gastronomie and traditional bistros called bouchons. In a bouchon on Rue Mercière or Rue des Marronniers, people eat quenelles de brochet, salade lyonnaise, and andouillette. They drink wine from a thick-bottomed bottle called a pot lyonnais.

For markets, you can search the map for Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse in the 3rd arrondissement. You can also visit the Marché Saint-Antoine along the Saône riverfront to buy tarte à la praline or bugnes. At night, students go to bars on Rue Sainte-Catherine or bar barges called péniches along Quai Victor Augagneur.