Sims Archives

AppWizard

June 15, 2026

If you’re bored of shop sims about restocking shelves, here’s one about helping someone find the album that could change their life

A friend who worked in a bookstore found it challenging when customers provided vague descriptions of what they were looking for. The game Wax Heads allows players to engage in an immersive experience set in a record store that supports local bands and zines. The game is inspired by films like Empire Records and High Fidelity, featuring an artistic style similar to Scott Pilgrim. Wax Heads is available on Steam, along with a demo for players interested in the experience.

AppWizard

June 14, 2026

Spore devs say the evolution game’s previews were more ambitious than what they were actually making, and they ‘built a fantasy in people’s minds that was unachievable’

Spore was initially envisioned as an expansive simulation game that allowed players to evolve from a unicellular organism to a spacefaring alien, but the final product turned out to be a collection of sci-fi minigames with a cartoonish character creation engine. The game's creator, Will Wright, introduced concepts like "procedural verbs" for evolving societies, but many of these ideas were not fully realized in the final version. Features such as an aquatic stage were cut from the game, which has led to ongoing interest and documentation by fans. Despite mixed reviews, Spore has influenced contemporary games, including the roguelike Everything Is Crab.

AppWizard

June 14, 2026

Frontier is making a Planet game that isn’t about zoos or rollercoasters, and has just filed trademarks for Planet Resort and Planet Festival

Frontier has announced a new management simulation game that will not focus on zoos or rollercoasters, generating speculation among fans about potential titles. Popular suggestions include Planet Resort, Planet Festival, and Planet City. Frontier has filed nine new trademarks, including Planet Resort and Planet Festival, while Planet City is not among them. Other trademarks include Planet Farm, Planet Vacation, Planet Dinosaur, Planet Prehistoric, Planet Fantasy, Planet Mythical Creatures, and Planet Dragon. The new game is expected to be released around 2028, following the launch of Planet Zoo 2 later this year.

AppWizard

June 12, 2026

Tracing blueprints in Paralives is so easy it freed me from 25 years of The Sims’ grid-based tyranny

Players of life simulation games have traditionally recreated their real-life homes in virtual worlds, often facing frustration with grid-based building systems. The launch of Paralives offers a gridless design and real-world measurements, allowing for a more authentic building experience. Players can import real-life blueprints and trace them in the game, with a mod that enables uploading a blueprint image onto a customizable rug to guide wall construction. To use this feature, players must download Bunny's Customizable Rug, save a floor plan image, and adjust the rug in Build Mode to match the blueprint's scale. While Paralives allows for accurate translations of blueprints, some scaling issues exist, such as showers being inaccurately represented as occupying 4 square feet, which complicates creating realistic bathroom layouts.

AppWizard

June 8, 2026

This week in PC games: some enormous space sims and strategy games, plus a cheery prop hunt where you paint your own camouflage

The Summer Game Fest featured a new installment of Duskers and glimpses of a Fumito Ueda game. The following PC games were released or are in early access: - Atre: Dominance Wars - A turn-based fantasy kingdom builder available in early access, featuring four factions and a campaign. - Rakeo - A puzzle-platformer where players collect cookies in a 2D environment. - NBA The Run - A 3v3 street basketball game with vibrant visuals and humorous camera work. - Meccha Chameleon - A multiplayer hide-and-seek game focused on camouflage. - SAND: Raiders of Sophie - A PvPvE looting game involving warmechs. - 33 Immortals - A cooperative roguelike from the developers of Spiritfarer. - SpaceCraft - An early access game about exploring and transforming planets into a trading empire. - Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions - An early access spin-off of Astroneer for teams of cosmonauts. - Don't Let It Starve - A game about crafting bento boxes for a creature. The Treehouse will focus on interviews and impressions from the Summer Game Fest, with no further announcements allowed.

AppWizard

June 7, 2026

Fourleaf Fields is an adorable little farming sim with a spill-the-tea mechanic

Fourleaf Fields is a new farming simulation game showcased at the Wholesome Direct, featuring a unique gossip mechanic that enhances social interactions within the game. A gameplay trailer has been released, highlighting its vibrant world and engaging mechanics. The game aims to blend traditional farming gameplay with innovative social dynamics.

AppWizard

June 1, 2026

Steam Week in Review: 4 Backrooms games released on Steam last week, joining a list of over 500 cash-ins, parodies and legitimate contenders

A24's adaptation of The Backrooms has led to the release of only four new Backrooms-themed video games on Steam, despite over 500 results for "Backrooms" on the platform. Among the released titles, 225 are available, with an estimated 150 being legitimate playable games. Recent adaptations include Backrooms Cats and Lava, Backroom Warfare II, Chained in the Backrooms, Backrooms Santa, and Skibidi Gyatrooms. Escape the Backrooms and Inside the Backrooms are highlighted as quality co-op options, while The Complex: Expedition and Within the Backrooms are recommended for single-player experiences. Additionally, a Backrooms-themed event by publisher Secret Mode aims to help players find quality titles amidst the clutter. The Sims 4 is receiving favorable early access reviews on Steam, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is currently discounted by 70%.

AppWizard

May 31, 2026

There’s one game Don’t Nod narrative designer Nina Freeman won’t ever uninstall from her PC, because it’s banned on Steam: ‘It’s tragic, because everyone should play this game’

Nina Freeman's first gaming experience was with the 1991 game Rodent's Revenge, which she played on a friend's computer or at school. She has developed autobiographical games like Cibele and Last Call, and worked as a level designer on Tacoma and Open Roads. Currently, she is working on an undisclosed project with Don't Nod and developing an indie horror game titled Size Zero with her husband. Freeman recently played Angeline Era on her Steam Deck and completed Scarlet Hollow, which she describes as a masterpiece with a complex branching narrative. The oldest game installed on her PC is Rollercoaster Tycoon Deluxe, released in 1999. She has logged over 2,101 hours in Dota 2, which she and her husband enjoy together. Freeman considers Devotion by Red Candle Games one of the best horror games and will never uninstall it from her library. She relies on OBS for her work as a game developer and Twitch streamer, and maintains a tidy desktop for streaming purposes, although her external hard drives are less organized.

AppWizard

May 29, 2026

Paralives received ‘over 100,000 big reports’ in less than a week, as its creator reminds us that life sims are really hard to make

The life simulation game market is experiencing a scarcity of titles, acknowledged by industry veterans from games like The Sims and Life by You. Developing a life simulation game is complex due to the intricate interactions among characters and their environments. Alex Massé, the creator of Paralives, highlighted the challenges of game development, noting that even simple tasks can be complicated. Paralives has received over 100,000 bug reports, and the development team consists of just 15 members. Despite being in early access, the game has shown a commendable level of polish. Massé prefers to keep the team small for a focused development process, although there may be slight expansions in the future. Players currently enjoy the game's build mode, reflecting the team's commitment to quality.

AppWizard

May 27, 2026

Paralives charmed me on day one, but the roadmap outlines the real life sim of my dreams

Paralives is currently in early access and offers a variety of features aimed at enhancing the life simulation gaming experience. Paramaker Features: - Voice pitch sliders for character voices - Enhanced search and filter options for clothing and accessories - Improved skin tone color wheel - Ability to create pets (dogs, cats, horses) - Wider selection of clothing, items, hairstyles, and accessories - Adjustable character heights - Body and facial sliders for customization - Options for heterochromia and intricate hair color wheels - Layering clothing and outfit saving - Tattoo options with recolor and placement tools - Genetics system for creating new characters Build Mode Features: - Broader range of objects and decorative items - Support for doors and windows on curved walls - Customizable pools and related tools - Basement creation and enhanced stair functionalities - Advanced terrain tools for lakes and ponds - Improved town design capabilities - Options to create vehicles, boathouses, and roads - Effortless room management - Flexible object placement with grid snapping - Basic terrain editing tools Live Mode Features: - Dynamic weather and seasonal changes - Comprehensive gardening system - Objects influencing character lives - System for defining sexual orientation and preferences - New characters moving into the player's town - Story progression for nearby characters - Unique story cards for storytellers - Expanded gameplay and difficulty options - New shops and town activities - Communication options for characters - Calendar menu for managing schedules - Ownership and use of vehicles General Features: - Photo mode for character movement and pose adjustments - Access to mods via Steam Workshop - In-game mod management tools - Cheat options for money, character editing, and item manipulation