Diff - paralives studio - Paralives Wiki

11 Overview

33 Paralives Studio is an independent Canadian game development and publishing company dedicated to the creation of Paralives, a life simulation game. Paralives Studio was formally founded in October 2019 when its first team member was hired, with Alex Masse having worked on Paralives full-time since January 2019. The studio 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.

55 History

77 Origins (2018 to 2019)

99 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 community supporter program shortly afterward, which quickly attracted thousands of supporters.

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1111 Early Growth (2019 to 2021)

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1313 With steady supporter 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.

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1515 Expansion (2022 to Present)

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1717 The studio continued to grow through consistent community supporter program funding and began attracting attention from gaming media outlets worldwide. By June 2025 the team had grown to 14 members, expanding to approximately 17 by early 2026. 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.

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1919 Known Team Members

2020

2121 NameRoleNotesAlex MasseFounder and Lead DeveloperCreated Paralives as a solo project in 2018/2019Lea Sorribes3D Game ArtistFirst hire, joined October 2019Anna ThibertProgrammer / DesignerEarly core team memberAlice JoubinAnimation Lead / 3D AnimatorLeads the procedural animation systemAndrei CastanonMusic Composer and Sound DesignerJoined May 2021; handles audio direction and original soundtrackSonia M'HamdiGame ArtistJoined October 2020; environment and object modelingCharlotte Gonzalez LegendreQA TesterJoined February 2024; quality assurance and bug testingSandrineCommunications DirectorJoined October 2021; replaced Christine GariepyEtienne BrissonIntern ProgrammerJoined March 2021Chloe OuelletGame ArtistJoined October 2021; environment artGab Boyer-AntoniCommunications ManagerJoined October 2022Alejandro Flores Lerdo de TejadaProgrammer / Game DesignerJoined January 2023Richard RailProgrammer / Game DesignerJoined January 2023RinaCommunity ManagerHosts development streams and community eventsLina Molard3D AnimatorJoined June 2024EmelieCharacter CreationJoined May 2025Carina ChiodaCommunity ManagerJoined October 2025DenisProducerJoined February 2026

2222 Former Staff

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2424 NameRolePeriodChristine GariepyMarketing ManagerMay 2020 to July 2021Roxane Morin3D ArtistDecember 2019 to May 2020

2525 Funding Model

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2727 Paralives Studio is primarily funded through its community supporter program. Alex chose an ongoing community supporter program over one-time crowdfunding because Paralives is designed as a long-term project that benefits from sustained community support. By November 2023, the supporter base had surpassed 15,000 contributors contributing over $35,000 per month.

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2929 supporter tiers range from $3 to $50 per month. Benefits vary by tier and include access to the studio's official chat server, participation in community polls, HD wallpaper downloads, in-progress screenshots, and weekly video chats with the development team at higher tiers.

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3131 Philosophy

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3333 The studio operates under several guiding principles that distinguish it from larger publishers in the life simulation genre:

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35-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 the chat server and community forum.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 developer dev diaries, social media posts, and community streams.

35+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 the chat server and community forum.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 developer diaries, social media posts, and community streams.

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3737 Workplace Culture

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3939 According to job postings published in 2025, Paralives Studio 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, with part-time and internship periods counted partially if directly relevant to the role, and annual raises follow a set wage scale. The studio supports remote work, which has allowed it to recruit talent beyond Montreal.

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4141 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.

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4343 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.

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4545 Hackweek

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4747 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.

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4949 Key Facts

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5151 DetailInformationFounded2019FounderAlex MasseHeadquartersMontreal, Quebec, CanadaTeam SizeApproximately 17 (as of early 2026)Primary FundingCommunity supporters (15,000+ contributors, $35,000+/month as of Nov 2023)Game EngineUnity

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