Life Simulation in 2014

2014 is a year full of life simulation game releases. While arguably some people consider this genre to be casual (the games tend to absorb a lot of your free time so "casual" may not be the most appropriate choice of a word), it is somewhat niche. By niche we mean that, while some games have become immensely popular, others, such as Japanese dating sims, appeal less to the masses. The two most relevant games already released this year fit in the latter category:


Tomodachi Life (Nintendo 3ds)

Know as Tomodachi Collection: New Life in Japan, this Nintendo 3ds title has arrived a full year later in western countries. The game sees you taking care of your Mii's, by giving them a dedicated room in an apartment complex, feeding them, and watching them develop relationships with each other. They can even get married and get baby Mii's, which you may let go on a journey through other 3ds handhelds (via StreetPass), or keep them in your apartment complex. There are some other activities/events that your characters can engage in, such as rap contests and going to a funfair complete with a roller-coaster.





Hometown Story (Nintendo 3ds)

Released back in 2013 in North American and Japanese territories, this game finally saw a European release back in the 2nd of May, 2014. It puts you in charge of shop you inherited from your deceased grandmother while you befriend other townspeople. Does this concept sound familiar to you? It's probably because it came from the mind of Yasuhiro Wada, the creator of Harvest Moon. Among the things you can do to improve your shop and customer satisfaction you get to choose your shop's stock and upgrade its size.





Although August is already coming to an end, there's still plenty more games to come in the remainder of the present year:


Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley (Nintendo 3ds)

The latest entry in the Harvest Moon franchise lets you manage a farm in a more blocky, Minecraft-alike world you get to customise. The story starts with a Harvest Sprite telling you that all seasons have disappeared, except for Winter. It's your duty to recover the missing seasons with the help of the other characters. The game is rumoured to be released in North America on the 21st of October, while a release date for other territories is still pending.

Story of Seasons (Nintendo 3ds)

Yet another entry in the Harvest Moon series for 3ds. The publisher Marvelous was forced to drop that label, tough, because the name "Harvest Moon" belongs to Natsume in North America. The gameplay is mostly similar to previous iterations of the series, in the sense that you are put in charge of a farm and do the usual tasks, like taking care of crops and animals, and sell your products through a trading station. It also features a Safari Park where it's possible to interact with exotic animals. The game is already out in Japan and has a pending release of 2014 for North America. There's still word on the release for other territories.





Castaway Paradise (iOS)

We usually don't cover mobile games, but this one seems to be like a fully fledged experience. While it's been widely criticised for being an Animal Crossing clone, the game offers a more goal-oriented gameplay and fixed characters. It's already out in Canada, Australia and Vietnam, but it may come to other territories later this year. It's a free download, with a paid monthly subscription to unlock some extras.






Fantasy Life (Nintendo 3ds)

This is an RPG with some elements of life simulation like customising the player's house with crafted furniture and establishing relationships with the villagers. The player gets to choose one of the following 12 character classes: Paladin, Mercenary, Hunter, Wizard, Miner, Woodcutter, Angler, Alchemist, Carpenter, Blacksmith, Cook and Tailor. The active class can be changed at any time without loosing the acquired skills. Despite being out in Japan since late 2012, the game is yet to launch in other territories. It's set to be released in Europe on the 26th of September and a month later in North America, on the 24th of October.





The Sims 4 (PC)

The king of life simulation games starts anew in early September. After tons of store stuff, and expansion and stuff packs, The Sims 3 era has come to an end. Despite being involved in some controversy due to the cut of key features from previous games (especially Create-a-Style, toddlers and swimming pools), the game got some good impressions from the few who got to experience it first-hand. Key features are the introduction of emotions with gameplay effects, new jobs, improved buy/build mode, more intuitive Create-a-Sim (with a demo now available for download) and smarter AI.



So, which game are you most interested in? Let us know in the poll the on the right side of the page.