Lagos Life vs Paralives: A Browser Sim or an Indie PC Sandbox
Lagos Life is a free 18+ browser life sim set in shared Nigerian cities. Paralives is a sandbox life sim for Windows and Mac on Steam, in Early Access, made by Alex Massé and team. Steam lists it as single-player at US$39.99 and promises free updates. This page is a fact sheet, not a review. Checked October 8, 2026.
On this page
Is Paralives like Lagos Life?
Both are life simulations about homes, jobs and the people around you. Paralives is a sandbox: its Steam page describes a town of Townies to meet and an open world to explore, where you can focus on a career, love, a family or becoming the richest person in town. It is a paid PC game in Early Access. Lagos Life is a free browser game set in shared Nigerian cities, where the other characters are real players.
The table has the rest. The Lagos Life column comes from the game and its Terms of Use. The Paralives column was read from its Steam store page and its official website on October 8, 2026, both linked under the table. Lagos Life counts in it are for Lagos.
| Feature | Lagos Life | Paralives |
|---|---|---|
| Type of game | A browser life sim set in shared Nigerian cities | A PC life sim and sandbox in Early Access: build homes, create characters and manage their lives. |
| Price | Free to play. Optional Game Naira can be bought with real money. | US$39.99 list price on Steam. |
| Where you play | In a web browser. On a phone you add it to your home screen. | On Steam, for Windows and Mac. |
| What it needs to run | A web browser and an internet connection. | Steam minimum on Windows: Windows 10, 12 GB of RAM, a graphics card of at least a GTX 1060 or RX 6600 XT and 8 GB of free space. On Mac: an Apple M2 chip and 12 GB of RAM. |
| Other players | Yes. Real players share the world. The Terms list chat, direct messages and profiles as features the game may offer. | Single player, per its Steam page. |
| Homes | The game has five homes in Lagos, and rent is charged per week. | Grid-less building with curved walls, split-level floors and resizable objects, says its Steam page. |
| Jobs | The game has 20 careers in Lagos, with five ranks each. Pay is per shift. | Flexible career progression paths, says its Steam page. |
| What is still to come | The official site marks Lagos Airport and Lagos Refinery as Coming soon. | Its Steam page promises free updates in Early Access, and lists weather and seasons, pets, cars, boats and gardening as still to be added. |
| Made by | An individual in Nigeria, named in the Terms of Use | Alex Massé and team, published by Paralives Studio |
Paralives facts come from these pages, read on 8 Oct 2026
How much does each game cost?
Lagos Life is free to start. It also sells optional Game Naira for real money, and its Terms of Use say that money cannot be withdrawn or exchanged back into real money.
Paralives costs money. Steam lists it in US dollars and marks it as Early Access, which means the developer is still adding to the game. We do not convert the price into naira here, because exchange rates change and Steam sets its own regional prices. Steam also runs sales, and the store page shows what you would pay.
What does your device need to run each game?
Lagos Life runs in a web browser on a phone or a computer. We found no Lagos Life app in the App Store or Google Play, and our install guide shows how to add the web game to your home screen. We found no RAM or graphics-card figure on the official site.
Paralives asks for a PC or a Mac. On Windows, Steam’s minimum is Windows 10, 12 GB of RAM, a graphics card of at least a GTX 1060 or an RX 6600 XT, and 8 GB of free space. Its recommended level is Windows 11, 16 GB of RAM and a graphics card of at least an RTX 2060 or an RX 7600 XT. On Mac, the minimum is an Apple M2 chip and 12 GB of RAM. Its disk-space minimum is 8 GB on Windows. The other PC sim we cover asks for more, as Lagos Life vs inZOI shows.
How do homes work in each game?
Lagos Life has five homes in Lagos, from a Mushin face-me-I-face-you room to a Banana Island mansion, and rent is charged per week. Our homes and rent guide lists every one. In Lagos Life the home is a place you pay for each week.
In Paralives the home is something you build. Steam says its building is grid-less, with curved walls and split-level floors, mentions an 8-story mansion, and says you can resize, recolour, stack and place objects freely. Its in-game modding interface and the Steam Workshop let the community share mods, houses and characters.
What is still to come in each game?
Paralives lists what it plans to add during Early Access: weather and seasons, dogs, cats and horses, cars and bikes, boats and houseboats, pools, a calendar for parties and weddings, story progression for other characters, a family tree, gardening and fishing, and tools to edit and create towns. It says the updates will be free.
Lagos Life’s official site marks Lagos Airport and Lagos Refinery as Coming soon, and its developer announced more cities as live on October 6, 2026. Neither list is a promise from us. Both are what the makers say.
Which should you play first?
Lagos Life is free, so you lose nothing by trying it first.
- Start with Lagos Life if you want a free game in your browser tonight, set in Lagos, with real players, or if your device cannot run PC games.
- Start with Paralives if you have a PC or a Mac that meets Steam’s minimum and want a paid sandbox where you build the home yourself.
For more options see games like Lagos Life. Another PC sim is covered in Lagos Life vs inZOI, and a Nigerian city sim in Lagos Life vs Ibadan Life. This wiki is not connected to Paralives, Alex Massé or Paralives Studio. Paralives is their trademark, used here only for comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paralives free like Lagos Life?
No. Steam lists Paralives at US$39.99, and it is in Early Access. Lagos Life is free to play in a browser, with optional Game Naira sold for real money. Steam sales change the price, so check its store page for what you would pay.
Can you play Paralives on a phone?
Steam lists Paralives for Windows and Mac only, and we found no phone version. Lagos Life runs in the browser of a phone or a computer, with nothing to download.
What PC do you need to run Paralives?
Steam's minimum for Windows is Windows 10, 12 GB of RAM, a graphics card of at least a GTX 1060 or an RX 6600 XT and 8 GB of free space. On Mac it asks for an Apple M2 chip and 12 GB of RAM. We read this on October 8, 2026.
Is Paralives multiplayer like Lagos Life?
Steam lists Paralives as single-player. It supports the Steam Workshop, where the community shares mods, houses and characters. In Lagos Life, real players share the city with you.
What is still to come in Paralives?
Its Steam page lists weather and seasons, pets, cars and bikes, boats, pools, parties and weddings, a family tree, gardening and fishing, and tools to create towns as still to be added during Early Access. It says the updates will be free.
Related pages
Games Like Lagos Life: 7 Life Sims to Play Next
Seven games like Lagos Life, sorted by what you liked: shared Nigerian cities (Abuja Life, Ibadan Life), life stories (BitLife) and PC sims (The Sims 4, inZOI).
Lagos Life vs Abuja Life: Two Nigerian City Sims Compared
Lagos Life vs Abuja Life side by side: two free browser life sims. Lagos Life now has an Abuja of its own, so compare setting, jobs, homes, price and address.
Lagos Life vs BitLife: How the Two Life Sims Compare
Lagos Life vs BitLife side by side: a shared Lagos in your browser against a text-based life story on your phone. Price, platform, other players and age rating.
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