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The Good Life

Weird, good natured, and pretty funny with it, The Good Life stands apart, like most SWERY games.
The Good Life Game Cover
58%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
story, atmosphere
56% User Score Based on 96 reviews
Critic Score 65%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

PCMac OSWindows
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The Good Life Game Cover

About

The Good Life is a single player casual role playing game. It was developed by immersionFX and was released on November 21, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

"The Good Life" is a debt repayment life simulation game set in a picturesque rural English town. As a journalist from New York, you must uncover the town's secrets while managing daily tasks, relationships, and your own personal growth. The game features day-and-night cycles and seasonal changes, offering a variety of activities and challenges throughout the year.

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The Good Life screenshot
The Good Life screenshot
The Good Life screenshot
The Good Life screenshot
The Good Life screenshot
The Good Life screenshot
The Good Life screenshot
The Good Life screenshot
The Good Life screenshot
The Good Life screenshot
The Good Life screenshot
+6
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56%
Audience ScoreBased on 96 reviews
gameplay7 positive mentions
atmosphere3 negative mentions
  • The game offers a relaxing and charming atmosphere, with beautiful tropical scenery and a soothing soundtrack that enhances the experience of sailing and exploring.
  • Gameplay revolves around simple yet satisfying mechanics of ferrying passengers and managing a small business, which can be enjoyable for players looking for a laid-back experience.
  • The developers are responsive to player feedback and have shown commitment to improving the game, which adds to its appeal for those who appreciate ongoing support.
  • The controls are often frustrating and unresponsive, making tasks like docking and diving difficult, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
  • Gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with limited variety in missions and a lack of depth in the economic and management systems, leading to a feeling of monotony.
  • The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs and poor camera controls, which can make it feel unfinished and hinder the player's experience.
  • story
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "The Good Life" is criticized for its lack of depth and character interaction, leading to a repetitive experience as missions follow predictable patterns without evolving over time. While the game features a variety of tasks and dynamic events during transport missions, these often feel intrusive and disrupt the overall flow, detracting from the potential richness of the narrative. Despite some engaging elements like diving quests and treasure hunts, the overall storytelling fails to maintain player interest beyond the initial hours.

    • “I can see and hear the love of game and story development everywhere.”
    • “The game is magnificent, is fully changed for good, I liked a lot, the graphics are excellent, the game engine is fluid, all the new features that were added to the game are suited to the game story, it is highly entertaining and it is not repetitive.”
    • “There are also missions that have you skin diving to collect treasure and find downed vintage helicopters, etc... you also have the opportunity to fish (which I have yet to get the full hang of).”
    • “The passenger transport missions, rescue tasks, and treasure hunts follow predictable patterns that don’t evolve much beyond the first few hours.”
    • “Without deeper character interactions, story-driven incentives, or dynamic events, the world begins to lose its sense of purpose after several hours, turning what could have been a vibrant sandbox into a somewhat repetitive routine.”
    • “I am already bored and sad that this isn't a simulation game or a free game story... not recommending this game!”
  • gameplay
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay combines tycoon, time management, and open-world exploration, offering a relaxing experience in a tropical setting. However, many players find the mechanics to be shallow and the controls clunky, leading to a lack of long-term engagement and strategic depth. While the atmosphere is praised, the overall execution leaves much to be desired, making it more suitable for casual players seeking a soothing routine rather than those looking for complex gameplay.

    • “The game invites players to live that fantasy, blending tycoon, time management, and open-world exploration mechanics in a setting that evokes endless summer days and the quiet hum of engines over calm waves.”
    • “The blend of tycoon gameplay with free-form exploration gives players the freedom to set their own tempo, and the world’s serene soundtrack supports that sense of easy-going adventure.”
    • “Its tropical setting and simple gameplay make it an appealing option for those who want to unwind rather than compete.”
    • “The lack of narrative depth or mechanical variety limits the game’s long-term engagement, leaving it feeling more like a soothing routine than a strategic simulation.”
    • “Seriously, the controls are crappy and the gameplay is shallow.”
    • “Sluggish controls, boring gameplay, pointless game.”
  • graphics
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting that they resemble those from the PlayStation 2 era, particularly in urban settings, while others appreciate the improved visuals in natural environments. Overall, the graphics are described as decent but not groundbreaking, with some praising the fluidity of the game engine and the detail in specific elements like boats and scenery. While there are criticisms regarding character models and bugs, many players find the visuals satisfactory for the gameplay experience.

    • “The game is magnificent, is fully changed for good, I liked a lot, the graphics are excellent, the game engine is fluid, all the new features that were added to the game are suited to the game story, it is highly entertaining and it is not repetitive.”
    • “For a game of this caliber, the graphics are decent – I’m running the game on the 'fantastic' setting @ 1920 x 1080 and I maintain around 60 fps; your mileage may vary.”
    • “Arriving on the island, the graphics immediately got better.”
    • “The in-game graphics, combined with that hilarious intro, look like they came from 2002, not 2012.”
    • “To start off, the graphics look terrible when you’re still in the city.”
    • “The graphics are a mixed bag; the models for people are so bad, but it's not really a big deal because the game is about boats, water, and scenery.”
  • music
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is praised for its serene and beautiful quality, enhancing the free-form exploration and tycoon gameplay. While the soundtrack is generally well-received, with some tracks being particularly calming, a few players noted that certain pieces can become repetitive or annoying over time. Overall, the dynamic nature of the music adapts to different environments and tasks, contributing positively to the gaming experience.

    • “The blend of tycoon gameplay with free-form exploration gives players the freedom to set their own tempo, and the world’s serene soundtrack supports that sense of easy-going adventure.”
    • “Very rich depth and beautiful music!”
    • “The music changes to match tasks and the environment.”
    • “There is a song by a band named Rebel Son... I'd rather YouTube it.”
    • “The music in the diving area is calming... for a while then I got annoyed with it, sorry about that.”
  • atmosphere
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of "The Good Life" is praised for its convincing tropical setting, featuring vibrant visuals, a dynamic day-night cycle, and a sense of immersion that encourages exploration and leisurely gameplay. While the ocean may feel somewhat empty, the overall ambiance and the rhythm of progression through fleet upgrades contribute to a unique and enjoyable experience, making it a recommended title for its atmospheric qualities.

    • “Visually, The Good Life succeeds in creating a convincing tropical atmosphere, with soft sunlight shimmering over blue water, small island ports bustling with activity, and a day-night cycle that adds a layer of immersion to your travels.”
    • “But I can give this one my recommendation because of the atmosphere of this game and all the skills you have to use, making this one very special.”
    • “Visually, the game succeeds in creating a convincing tropical atmosphere, with soft sunlight shimmering over blue water, small island ports bustling with activity, and a day-night cycle that adds a layer of immersion to your travels.”
    • “Its strength lies instead in its rhythm and atmosphere: it’s a game about taking your time, exploring at your own pace, and enjoying the steady sense of progress that comes from upgrading your fleet and seeing your business grow.”
    • “I can give this one my recommendation because of the atmosphere of this game and all the skills you have to use, making this one very special.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent freezes and bugs that hinder gameplay, making it nearly unplayable. While the concept and graphics show potential, poor menu controls and a lack of instructions further exacerbate the experience.

    • “The game freezes quite often, making it pretty much unplayable.”
    • “Nice idea and halfway decent graphics, but it's totally buggy with poorly implemented menu controls and barely any instructions.”
    • “Some side missions seem a little buggy.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite pronounced, as it revolves around managing resources to generate coins for purchasing pre-made items and properties. While some tolerate this repetitive cycle, many feel it can become tedious as they work towards their goals.

    • “Even if you tolerate that the game is a simple spreadsheet management game about grinding coins to buy pre-made stuff on islands, it generates coins so you can pay taxes and grind more coins to buy more of the pre-made stuff.”
    • “Buying property is essential for victory, but the process can be quite grindy.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express frustration with the emotional impact of the game's mechanics, particularly highlighting a sense of helplessness and loss as they struggle to track fast-moving elements, which detracts from their overall experience and enjoyment.

    • “Eventually you glimpse the tip of the wing and you realize how fast your mouse is scanning the sky – you’re hardly touching it but it’s going so fast that by the time you realize you’ve seen the tip of the wing, you’ve got no chance of backtracking and finding it again.”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in "The Good Life" is characterized as weird and good-natured, offering a unique and amusing experience that aligns with the distinctive style of most Swery games.

    • “Weird, good-natured, and pretty funny, The Good Life stands apart, like most Swery games.”
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65%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews
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7h Median play time
7h Average play time
7-7h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Good Life is a casual role playing game.

The Good Life is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

On average players spend around 7 hours playing The Good Life.

The Good Life was released on November 21, 2014.

The Good Life was developed by immersionFX.

The Good Life has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

The Good Life is a single player game.

Similar games include Fishing: Barents Sea, Salt 2: Shores of Gold, Chef: A Restaurant Tycoon Game, Cosmonautica, Starpoint Gemini 2 and others.