Artist Life Simulator

About

Artist Life Simulator is a single player casual role playing game with comedy, historical and violence themes. It was developed by Interactive Fate and was released on December 13, 2022. It received positive reviews from players.

Live the life of (a starving) artist in 19th century alternative history. Collect and combine feelings, memories, ideas and inspirations, fight with depression, addiction or madness and other mental phenomenon. Paint masterpieces, sell them for riches (or scraps) and explore the city of Nova Oportunia. A unique card-based roguelite with 18 alternative endings.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+29

Skip User Reviews

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 149 reviews

gameplay15 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

Immersive and unique gameplay that captures the struggles and emotional vicissitudes of a starving artist with strong card-based mechanics inspired by Cultist Simulator but more accessible and relatable.
Artistic atmosphere with pleasant music, well-designed UI with auto-pause feature, dynamic storytelling, and a compelling management loop balancing health, sanity, passion, money, and relationships.
Highly replayable with varied character scenarios, multiple endings, and engaging strategic depth that rewards learning and adaptation despite the game's challenging difficulty and punishing RNG.

Excessive randomness and unforgiving RNG that often leads to frustrating death spirals and lack of player control, sometimes making progress and victories feel more about luck than strategy.
Use of AI-generated art in a game about the hardship of artists has alienated some players and is considered disrespectful by those expecting authentic human-created artwork.
Technical issues including bugs, UI annoyances, lack of quality of life improvements, unclear tutorials or goals, and occasional game-breaking edge cases detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
65%
6%
The gameplay of Artist Life Simulator is praised for its engaging card-based mechanics inspired by Cultist Simulator, offering a unique blend of strategic resource management and emotional storytelling. While the mechanics are accessible and compelling, some players find the randomness frustrating and the progression abrupt, with limited tutorials making it initially cryptic. Overall, it delivers a fresh, thoughtful experience focused on the struggles of an artist, though with potential for deeper complexity and refinement.
- “The gameplay keeps you interested and guessing, with lots of different situations to handle.”
- “Much of the strategy and gameplay centre around how to invest limited resources and limited actions to create a stable but growing loop.”
- “The card game mechanics are easy to learn and fun to play and the game becomes strangely addictive as the narrative of the suffering artist practically writes itself.”
- “No real introduction to the complex mechanics of the game and no game progression in the complexity, just a random assortment of feelings, inspirations, places, characters, thoughts, ideas, memories... which all interact differently with each other but we won't tell you how!”
- “Even when you understand the game mechanics and have a strategy, the game is way too random!”
- “As the game progresses, it's really easy to run out of essential resources unless you pay attention and figure out the game mechanics - even after 30 hours of playing, I had not grasped some details that were necessary for tackling the many hardships the game threw at me.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
35%
15%
The music in these games is generally praised for enhancing immersion, dynamically adapting to gameplay, and supporting the narrative mood, often described as pleasant, relaxing, and fitting the themes. However, some users note occasional repetitiveness and imbalance in sound effects volume. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a strong, integral element that enriches the gaming experience.
- “I like the music a lot too; I like how it dynamically changes depending on what cards you have currently and things like that.”
- “In Cultist Simulator, where the whole narrative involves becoming a force among the grand conflicts of gods, a cresting tale of that impact is well supported, and the extra little touches (light cracking through a panel, unique art & music) help to really feel the triumph of your win.”
- “The soundtrack is pretty cool and doesn't intrude on the gameplay, making this a very relaxing experience overall.”
- “The music works for the game, though it got really repetitive in a hurry.”
- “This is one game I actually turn the music/sounds off and let a podcast play in the background.”
- “The little doodles that appear and music cues that hit when something goes very wrong or very right... it was tragic.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The story aspect is praised for its deep, emergent narrative that immerses players in the life of a struggling artist, blending randomized events with a compelling, heartfelt tribute to creativity. Its card-based storytelling offers unique, replayable experiences that feel more like crafting an artistic journey than traditional gameplay. Overall, the narrative balances challenge and warmth, making the punishing mechanics feel meaningful and engaging.
- “This game is a delight: the cards, the art, the story, the lore, the possibilities, and the crazy things that can happen with every action. The rush you feel when the final project is being made is amazing. Suddenly everything is at stake, and you are extra careful with everything—health, sanity, money—trying to survive until that final masterpiece is finished.”
- “The game has a lot of randomization—you can't predict everything—so for me it’s less about 'winning' and more about building a story about an artist.”
- “All of this combines into a nice tribute towards artists and serves as a good story generator on its own.”
- “Gameplay and story-wise, it’s more akin to a digital board game than a traditional simulation game.”
- “Story/plot: That both reflect your ability and where you are in the story going up this tree is how progress in the game.”
- “The game has a lot of randomization - you can't predict everything - so for me it’s less about “winning” and more about building a story about an artist.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The game effectively captures the immersive and moody atmosphere of the struggling artist lifestyle, delivering a richly atmospheric experience with mellow music and compelling themes of hardship and madness. It excels in creating a unique "tortured-artist" vibe that enhances player engagement and immersion.
- “But the atmosphere is great and the game delivers on its promise well enough.”
- “What it really excels at is the game's ability to create that 'tortured-artist' atmosphere.”
- “This game is really interesting and atmospheric!”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
57%
The graphics are generally praised for their pleasant and unique art style, though some users note occasional issues with proportions. Overall, the visuals are appreciated for being appealing and distinct, enhancing the game's innovative mechanics.
- “The graphics department and the music are really nice.”
- “Good graphics, decent sound, great gameplay.”
- “The artwork is pleasant to look at, even if the proportions sometimes seemed a bit off.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is widely seen as repetitive, tedious, and poorly implemented, leading to a sense of pointless effort with limited progression clarity. The lack of consistent ways to obtain necessary resources and the absence of fresh mechanics in later stages make the endgame especially monotonous and time-consuming.
- “As a game, it's repetitive, tedious and poorly playtested - there are the ghosts of some good ideas here, but as with the 'art', the devs took the easy route over the hard work.”
- “For 'the life saved' path, you need 1 of 2 specific green feelings, but without a consistent way to get those feelings you just keep grinding away, hoping to unlock one of them.”
- “There is a lack of new mechanisms in the last part, so endgames may be tedious if you do not have taste for time- and hand-management.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game realistically portrays the emotional struggles of an artist, capturing both historical and contemporary challenges. However, some users criticize it for ironically relying on algorithmic processes that undermine its message about artistic authenticity and emotional expression. Overall, the emotional depth is recognized but complicated by concerns about its execution.
- “It's also (in my humble opinion) pretty realistic in presenting the emotional vicissitudes of life as a struggling artist, today as much as in the 19th century.”
- “For example, working out unwanted emotional conditions by putting them into the product of your work is something that works regardless of what you do for a living.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers enjoyable and engaging gameplay with appealing vibes and sound design, enhanced by ongoing updates. However, after completing the initial campaign, replayability is limited.
- “Very fun and replayable, lovely vibes and sound design and they keep making updates / improving the game.”
- “Finished the first campaign with a major victory in 5 hours; beyond that, there isn't much replayability.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues and bugs, making it feel premature for a full release. Users find it prone to crashes and glitches, impacting the overall experience.
- “This is, in my opinion, too buggy for a full release.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor is generally exciting and enjoyable, adding a fun element to the experience.