Little Lives

About

Little Lives is a single player open world management game. It was developed by Houndstooth Games and was released on March 8, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Little Lives is a single-player, open world life simulation game set in the bustling town of Littleton.Create your character, build their traits, and navigate through work, friendships, and unexpected challenges.Explore the lively town, upgrade your transportation, and find the perfect home to decorate with unique items and color variations. However, be prepared for some heavy grinding.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 415 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

grinding22 negative mentions

The game presents realistic challenges that many people face in their daily lives, such as finding affordable housing and managing finances.
It offers a cute and engaging experience that can keep players entertained for hours, with a charming art style and fun mechanics.
The developer is responsive to community feedback and regularly updates the game, showing potential for future improvements and content.

The game feels grindy and repetitive, with limited content and not enough variety in activities or interactions with NPCs.
Many players have reported bugs and issues, including crashes and frustrating driving mechanics that detract from the overall experience.
The game lacks depth in social interactions and character development, making it feel unfinished and less satisfying as a life simulation.

gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
55%
8%
The gameplay of "Little Lives" is characterized by its unique blend of cozy life simulation elements, including card-based conversations and a drivable world map, which many players find engaging. However, the experience can become repetitive due to grindy mechanics focused on skill progression, and some users have noted a lack of tutorials for certain features. While the game shows significant potential and has received consistent updates, it currently feels limited in content and requires further improvements, especially in its user interface and driving mechanics.
- “Little Lives is a cozy life sim which brings mechanics such as card-based conversations and a drivable world map to make a unique experience in the life sim genre.”
- “Base gameplay is extremely smooth in most places (I'm also really glad I don't have to manually drive everywhere).”
- “This is one of those small game gems that offer a couple of very polished hours of fun and engaging gameplay that, although they don't last for long, make the game worth its money.”
- “I found myself just doing the same thing again and again trying to max my mechanical and cooking skills for the remaining 2 hours so I can progress up the career ladder.”
- “Tldr, lots of potential but is currently lacking with somewhat repetitive gameplay (but then again it's just early access right now).”
- “Has a lot of potential, but very short gameplay at this point.”
grinding
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely described as excessively grindy, with many players expressing that while they initially enjoyed the mechanics, the repetitive nature of grinding detracts from the overall experience. Some appreciate grindy elements in games, but feel this title lacks balance and options to adjust the grind, leading to frustration, especially in the mid-game. Overall, while the concept is appealing, the execution leaves players feeling overwhelmed by the grind.
- “Yeah, the game is grindy, which is fine, but it doesn't feel 'good.' It's not just about the money, but why would I hang out with other people or get married if it just leads to random requests that hinder my character's life?”
- “Initially, I enjoyed the game quite a bit, but over time it felt pretty grindy, and there was a lot I wanted to do but couldn't find the time to do.”
- “Thus far, it is very grindy, almost painfully grindy.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
66%
17%
The game's story is reminiscent of "Sims 2," featuring a mix of charming and frustrating quests that reflect real-life experiences. However, players have reported bugs that can disrupt quests and affect relationship statuses, leading to a sense of frustration. While the current content feels limited, there is optimism for future updates to expand the narrative and interactivity within the game.
- “If you've played Life Quest 2: Metropoville, you will see some similarities with this game, but it adds some additional features that are pretty charming.”
- “The little quests your friends send you on are at times endearing and others aggravating (just like real life, lol!). As others have said, content is slim right now, but the product as it is now was worth the price for me, a huge life sim fan.”
- “The storyline gave me welcome flashbacks of The Sims 2; it is mostly storyline, with lots of mouse clicking and repetitive actions.”
- “The story line gave me welcome flashbacks of Sims 2, but it is mostly just a story line, with lots of mouse clicking and repetitive actions.”
- “I'm hoping that the final version will have more side quests or interactions with friends, and more interactivity with your job and day-to-day life.”
- “I hope in the future it will bring more missions, places, and goals to achieve; it surely has a lot of opportunities to grow.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The graphics in the game are generally described as basic yet cute, appealing to players who appreciate a lower-res aesthetic that doesn't demand high-end hardware. While some users find the character designs a bit off-putting or creepy, others have grown to appreciate the art style. Overall, the visuals are considered adequate for the gameplay experience, though some players feel the constant rain can be a bit overwhelming.
- “I will admit the art style of the characters took me a bit to get used to, but now... I think I've grown to appreciate how they look.”
- “I don't think it deserves a negative review because it has lovely graphics, heaps of potential but needs more content, of course.”
- “Cute graphics that don't require a strong PC to handle.”
- “The graphics are okay, but the constant rain starts to get depressing and annoying.”
- “This is a fun game, essentially The Sims (somewhere between 2 and 3) with lower-res graphics.”
- “The graphics are okay; the main thing I found I disliked was how the people looked (they tended to be a bit creepy).”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
Players have reported various issues with optimization, including frustrating mechanics where completing tasks leads to penalties in job performance, even when players are following instructions. Additionally, bugs such as unresponsive mini-games and unclear promotion requirements contribute to a sense of confusion and dissatisfaction. While job performance can be regained, the overall experience is marred by these inconsistencies and potential glitches.
- “The mini-games are a maybe for me only because some are pop culture questions I have no idea of, and failing lowers my job performance; though it is easily gained back.”
- “Working on your job performance, skills, and mini-games within the game, at work.”
- “Not sure if it's a glitch or I'm missing something, but for the promotion at the donut shop I only needed two things: a certain number of job performance points and a certain number of schooling, and I had both but was denied promotion because I didn't have enough experience in the previous role.”
- “Boss asks you to do something and you go do it, fail the 'roll', lose job performance points and then they call you and complain that you're 'late' (even though you're out doing the job they asked you to do) and you lose even more.”
- “I don't know how to report a bug, but when I played the match in the capitals to countries mini-game, I couldn't click anything and therefore lost 10 job performance points.”
- “Not sure if it's a glitch or I'm missing something, but for the promotion at the donut shop, I only needed two things: a certain number of job performance points and a certain level of schooling. I had both but was denied promotion because I didn't have enough experience in the previous role.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The music in the game is generally praised for being good and catchy, contributing to a relaxing atmosphere that enhances the visual experience. However, some players find that the soundtrack can become repetitive and annoying over time, suggesting a desire for more variety in music options. Overall, it strikes a balance between enjoyable and potentially monotonous.
- “The music is good, the atmosphere is relaxing, and it's one of the visually best-looking simulators of its kind.”
- “This game is simple, relaxing, and the music is really good.”
- “Catchy music too.”
- “The soundtrack gets to be a bit annoying after a while.”
- “The ability to choose music one time and tech next is limited.”
- “While the music is catchy, it can become repetitive.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability remains a significant issue, with users reporting persistent glitches, such as the game freezing on pause, necessitating a restart. Despite some minor improvements, the overall experience is still described as very buggy, leading to a lack of recommendations from players.
- “Very buggy, sad to say I would not recommend.”
- “Not to mention the game is still really buggy.”
- “There's been slight improvements to the game since I last played; however, I have noticed glitches that occur, for example, the game gets stuck on pause and the only way to get rid of it is to close the game.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game offers a high potential for replayability typical of life simulators, allowing players to engage as much as they desire. However, some users feel that once they achieve their goals, such as accumulating wealth, the lack of depth limits the overall replay value.
- “This game is a life simulator, so it has as much replayability as you want to give it.”
- “Unfortunately, I've already finished amassing enough wealth to buy everything, and there's not much depth, so I can't say there's a lot of replay value.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its relaxing qualities and charming visuals, complemented by good music. Reviewers highlight it as one of the most visually appealing simulators in its genre, creating an enjoyable and immersive experience.
- “The music is good, the atmosphere is relaxing, and it's one of the visually best-looking simulators of its kind.”
- “This is a fun little gem with a charming atmosphere.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the humor and silliness in the game, highlighting it as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience of the life-sim genre.
- “One of my favorite aspects of a life-sim game is humor and silliness, which this game certainly provides.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is noted for its ability to deeply engage players, providing a compelling experience that can distract them from other games like The Sims for an extended period.