Paralives Studio

Overview

Paralives Studio is an independent Canadian game development and publishing company dedicated to the creation of Paralives, a life simulation game. The studio was founded in 2019 by Alex Masse and is based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. What started as a one-person passion project has grown into a team of approximately 17 people as of early 2026.

History

Origins (2018 to 2019)

Alex Masse began prototyping what would become Paralives in September 2018 while still employed at another company. By January 2019 he transitioned to working on the project full-time. In June 2019 he publicly announced the game on social media, sharing early footage of the Build Mode tools. The enthusiastic response from the life simulation community encouraged him to launch a Patreon page shortly afterward, which quickly attracted thousands of supporters.

Early Growth (2019 to 2021)

With steady Patreon income, Alex began recruiting team members. Lea Sorribes joined as the studio's first hire in October 2019, bringing expertise in 3D game art. Anna Thibert (Programmer/Designer) and Christine Gariepy (Marketing Manager) followed, forming the founding core of Paralives Studio. Christine later left the team in July of that period and was replaced by Sandrine as Communications Director. During this phase the team focused on building the foundational systems: the grid-free building engine, the Paramaker character editor, and the core simulation framework.

Expansion (2022 to Present)

The studio continued to grow through consistent Patreon funding and began attracting attention from gaming media outlets worldwide. By mid-2025 the team had expanded to roughly 17 members. The studio announced that Paralives would enter Early Access on Steam, initially targeting December 8, 2025. After playtesting feedback revealed that Live Mode needed additional polish, the team delayed the release to May 25, 2026.

Known Team Members

Former Staff

Funding Model

Paralives Studio is primarily funded through its Patreon page (sometimes called the "Paratreon" by fans). Alex chose Patreon over one-time crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter because Paralives is designed as a long-term project that benefits from sustained community support. By November 2023, the Patreon had surpassed 15,000 active supporters contributing over $35,000 per month.

Patreon tiers range from $3 to $50 per month. Benefits vary by tier and include access to the Paralives Discord server, participation in community polls, HD wallpaper downloads, in-progress screenshots, and weekly video chats with the development team at higher tiers.

Philosophy

The studio operates under several guiding principles that distinguish it from larger publishers in the life simulation genre:

• No paid DLC: Paralives will never have paid downloadable content. The team has committed to releasing only free expansions and updates, funded by base game sales.

• Community-driven design: Major gameplay features are shaped through community brainstorming sessions, polls, surveys, and direct feedback on Discord and Reddit.

• Player freedom: The studio prioritizes flexible, creative tools (grid-free building, slider-based character creation, extensive modding support) over rigid, preset-driven systems.

• Transparency: Regular development updates are shared through Patreon dev diaries, social media posts, and community streams.

Workplace Culture

According to job postings published in 2025, Paralives Studio employees work a 35-hour work week while being paid for 40 hours. Staff receive paid sick days and five weeks of vacation per year. The studio supports remote work, which has allowed it to recruit talent beyond Montreal.

Employees follow a 35-hour work week while being compensated for 40 hours, with no reduction in yearly salary. Staff receive six paid sick days per year and five weeks of vacation annually, two of which are designated for the winter holiday period. Salaries operate on a transparent, open system indexed to full-time years of experience. Part-time and internship periods count partially if directly relevant to the role, and annual raises follow a set wage scale.

The studio's office is located near the Lionel-Groulx subway station in Montreal. Employees are required to be on-site only one day per week, with the flexibility to choose how they balance in-office presence and remote work for the rest of the week. This hybrid approach has allowed Paralives Studio to recruit talent beyond the Montreal area while maintaining in-person collaboration.

After the game launches and if sales targets are met, salaries will increase and employees will receive revenue-sharing bonuses. The compensation structure is designed to reward the team directly as the game succeeds commercially, reinforcing the studio's emphasis on shared ownership of the project's outcomes.

Hackweek

Paralives Studio holds an annual internal event called Hackweek. During this one-week period, developers are free to work on a side project of their choosing, expanding aspects of the game that would not normally appear on the roadmap or that are considered low priority. Hackweek projects can range from adding new animations and creating assets to expanding game systems or experimenting with new features. For instance, during one Hackweek, Alex Masse coded a feature that animates the hands of clock objects to display the in-game time of day. The gardening system also saw early development work during a Hackweek session in July 2023.

Key Facts