Revision 5

Overview

Live Mode is the core life simulation gameplay mode in Paralives. It is the counterpart to Build Mode, shifting the focus from construction and decoration to guiding Parafolk through their daily lives. In Live Mode, players manage their characters' needs, develop relationships, pursue careers, explore the town, and watch their stories unfold. Basic gameplay consists of monitoring the needs of all Paras in the active household, guiding their everyday life, and enjoying various activities and hobbies.

On November 25, 2025, Community Manager Rina hosted a 48-minute livestream that gave the public its first extended look at Live Mode gameplay. The stream was pre-recorded and unedited to show the current state of the game transparently, with multiple team members present in the chat to answer questions. This stream came shortly after the announcement that Early Access would be delayed from December 2025 to May 25, 2026, due to feedback from playtesters identifying impactful bugs and a lack of activities in the town.

Time System

Live Mode uses a compressed time scale where roughly one in-game minute passes per real-time second. Players can control the pace of the simulation with several speed settings:

There is currently no ultra-speed option beyond 3x, even when Paras are sleeping. The developers may add additional speed tiers in future updates.

Needs System

Rather than displaying traditional need bars, Paralives uses a dynamic thought list that shows the current thoughts and wants of each Parafolk. Needs that are fully satisfied do not appear in the interface; only needs that require attention and current wants are displayed. This design choice keeps the UI clean and focuses player attention on what matters in the moment.

Parafolk have four core needs:

Needs drain at different speeds depending on what the Para is doing. The hunger need, for example, follows a schedule: around 5 PM a thought like "I'm starting to get a bit hungry" appears, by 7 PM it becomes "I'm hungry," and by 9 PM it escalates to "I'm STARVING!" This time-based escalation gives players a natural sense of urgency without requiring constant micromanagement.

Wants

In addition to needs, Parafolk have wants, which are small objectives that appear dynamically in the thought list. Different wants are generated based on a character's personality, Vibe, current emotions, and surroundings. Fulfilling wants contributes to a Para's overall satisfaction and can unlock new interactions or story moments.

Autonomy System

One of the defining features of Live Mode is the autonomy system. Parafolk can decide to perform interactions on their own without player input. Autonomous actions are context-aware and personality-driven, meaning each character behaves differently based on their individual traits and preferences.

Examples of autonomous behavior include:

• Going to work at the scheduled time

• Using the toilet when the bathroom need is pressing

• Tidying up the house if the Para has neat tendencies

• Playing music if the Para is a skilled musician

• Finding furniture and objects around the home to interact with

• Brushing teeth and washing hands (for Paras with the neat lifestyle option)

Players can toggle the autonomy system off entirely in the options menu if they prefer to control every single interaction their Parafolk perform. Lifestyle options such as vegetarianism, sleep style, and cleaning habits also influence what a Para will choose to do autonomously.

Together Cards and Social Interactions

Social gameplay in Paralives revolves around the Together Card system. When two or more Parafolk spend time together, a Together Bar gradually fills up over the course of approximately one in-game hour. Each time the bar fills, the player is presented with a choice of three Together Cards that can steer the conversation and relationship in different directions.

Together Cards are not simple conversation options. They represent forks in the conversation that carry consequences. Cards are context-dependent, taking into account what the Paras are currently doing, who they are with, where they are, what objects are nearby, and more. This means the same two Paras will receive different card options at a park versus at a dinner table.

Card Colors and Vibes

Each Together Card is color-coded to indicate its mood or Vibe:

Many Together Cards display additional information to help players make informed choices. This can include an icon showing what Vibe the card relies on, the type of perk obtained (such as improving a Relationship label), and the percentage chance of success. Certain actions come with success percentages, and after choosing a card a meter appears showing the result and how it progressed the Together Bar and the overall relationship.

Together Card Variants

Together Cards can have variants that allow players to deliver the same type of interaction in different ways. For example, a compliment can be delivered sincerely, flirtatiously, or ironically. These variants allow players to fine-tune how their Paras express themselves and can swing relationships in specific directions depending on the delivery.

Relationship Labels

Paralives uses a Relationship Label system rather than a single friendship or romance bar. A Para can hold several types of bonds with another character simultaneously. For instance, one Para might be both a "Friend" and a "Sister" to another, with both labels able to coexist and evolve separately.

Relationship labels are easy to unlock initially (meeting someone for the first time will likely lead to the "Friend" label) but must be leveled up over time to unlock perks and bonuses. Together Cards regularly help with strengthening Relationship labels when interacting with another Para.

Group Activities

Paras can also do activities as a group. Players can highlight all the Paras they would like to include in a conversation and assign them an activity. The group will walk to the chosen area together, continue chatting during the activity, and take turns performing single-Para activities when needed.

Emotions

Paralives has an emotion system that reacts to a Para's needs, surroundings, traits, and personality. Emotions appear as small icons next to the Para's portrait and directly affect interactions, skill learning, work performance, and the wants that show up during the day. Emotions are not selected manually by the player; only interactions and everyday events can trigger them.

Jobs and Careers

The career system in Paralives offers a wide range of job options organized by category. Each job comes with a daily salary, a rank, a schedule, and a workplace. The career categories available include:

Careers in Paralives are non-linear. A nurse will not automatically be promoted to a doctor; instead, the nurse improves relevant skills (such as social skills for patient interaction) and becomes a more highly qualified nurse with a better salary. Most Paras start at Rank 1, though some careers go as high as Rank 30.

A performance system evaluates each workday based on factors like the Para's mood while at work, their relationships with coworkers and managers, and other contextual elements.

Cooking and Food

Cooking is one of the primary ways Paras satisfy their hunger need. The available recipes depend on a Para's cooking skill level. At the lowest levels, Paras can only prepare simple items like microwaved hot dogs and frozen pizzas. As their skill improves, they unlock more complex and rewarding recipes. Paras spawn with a random starter list of recipes and can discover new ones as they practice cooking or explore the town.

For Paras who do not enjoy cooking, a quick walk to a nearby cafe or restaurant lets them buy food for dine-in or takeout.

There is currently no ingredient system in Paralives. Players do not purchase individual fruits or vegetables; instead, cooking uses the recipes that a Para knows. Meals can be eaten with other Parafolk, turning mealtime into a social occasion that fills the Together Bar and generates Together Cards. Younger Parafolk can only cook when supervised by an older Para. This reflects the dangers of using kitchen tools and stoves.

Food left on the counter will spoil over time. During the November 2025 livestream, a frozen pizza cooked the night before was shown spoiling when left on the counter by the following afternoon. This spoilage mechanic encourages players to manage leftover food rather than leaving prepared dishes sitting out indefinitely.

For a broader look at cooking's role in the gameplay loop, see the Hobbies article.

Town Exploration and Venues

Live Mode has a town with multiple commercial lots and venues that Paras can visit. While the world is not a fully open world in the traditional sense, transitions between locations happen with minimal loading. When a Para wants to visit a new building, clicking on the building and selecting "Visit Building" loads the interior quickly without a full loading screen.

Confirmed venues in the Early Access build include:

These venues are not rabbit holes; players can enter and interact with the interiors. Paras working at these locations can be visited during their shifts.

School

Child, Preteen, and Teenager Parafolk attend school, which the game treats as an occupation on the same level as adult careers. Students must achieve good or decent grades. School operates as a rabbit hole: the student leaves the lot for the duration of the school day. Students can also hold part-time jobs as long as the job schedule does not conflict with school hours.

Hobbies and Leisure

Beyond careers and needs management, Live Mode offers a range of leisure activities. Parafolk can play piano and guitar (with more instruments planned), exercise at Premium Gym or jog through the town, paint at an easel, play video games on computers or phones, listen to the radio, watch television, read The New Paper, and browse the internet and social media. Toddlers and children have age-specific activities such as hopscotch, sandcastle building, playing with toys and plushies, drawing, and reading picture books. Gardening and fishing are planned as free post-launch updates. For the full details on how activities build Skills and Knowledge, see the dedicated article.

Town Districts

The town is divided into four distinct districts, each with its own character, architecture, and atmosphere. Players can explore all districts freely as part of the open world.

For more details, see the dedicated Town Districts article.

The New Paper

Paralives includes a newspaper system called The New Paper. It delivers daily town updates to the player's household, providing a narrative thread that connects gameplay events to the broader town.

• Daily updates: The newspaper arrives each day with fresh content about what is happening in town.

• Opportunities: Job listings, events, and other opportunities may appear in the paper.

• Resident quotes: Quotes from townspeople and comments from Mayor Gloomberg add flavor and personality.

• Archives: Previous editions of the newspaper are saved, allowing players to look back at past events.

Transportation

At Early Access launch, the primary form of public transportation is the bus system. Bus stops are scattered around the town, and each trip costs 3 Paradimes. When a Parafolk takes the bus, a fade-to-black transition occurs rather than an animated bus ride. The bus line is designated PL130.

Cars, bikes, boats, and houseboats are not available at launch but are confirmed for free updates during the Early Access period.

Currency

The in-game currency is called Paradimes, represented by the $ symbol. Parafolk earn Paradimes through their careers and spend them on food, transportation, shopping, gym memberships, and household bills. For more details, see the Economy and Bills article.

Collectibles

Collectible items spawn randomly around the town during gameplay. When a Parafolk discovers a collectible, the player can choose to keep it as a decorative object in their home or donate it to the museum in exchange for rewards. The specific types of collectibles and museum rewards have not yet been fully detailed.

Photo Mode

Paralives includes a Photo Mode that freezes time and gives the player full control over camera positioning, character poses, lighting, and visual effects. Filters such as black and white, sepia, depth of field, bloom, and stickers are available. Photo Mode is non-destructive; everything returns to its original state when the player exits.

What the November 2025 Livestream Showed

The 48-minute stream on November 25, 2025 provided a comprehensive look at many of Live Mode's systems in action. Key demonstrations included:

• Parafolk waking up, eating breakfast, and autonomously preparing for work

• The dynamic thought list displaying needs and wants in real time

• Cooking at various skill levels, from simple microwave meals to more advanced dishes

• Walking to town venues and purchasing food at cafes

• The Together Card system during conversations between two Paras

• Relationship development through card choices and group activities

• Emotion icons appearing and influencing available interactions

• The time system running at 1x, 2x, and 3x speeds

• Town exploration with seamless building entry (no loading screens)

The stream was well-received by the community despite the accompanying delay announcement. Many players appreciated the transparency of showing unedited gameplay and noted that the core systems appeared solid, even if additional polish and content were needed before launch.