I’m a big fan of small, indie titles. The smaller the team and the bigger the charm, the more I like it – and I love To Pixelia. This title is very much one of a kind, and while it’s currently a little rough around the edges, the game has so much to offer.
You start the game by creating your very own Pixelian and moving fresh to the city of Pixelia. Depending on whether you choose the story mode or more freeform mode, you’ll be able to pick up various jobs to make money and decorate your apartment or home. Different jobs have different minigames, for instance, the waiter job includes a minigame that I’d compare slightly to Overcooked, where you must keep up with customer orders and deliver their food on time. There are a plethora of jobs to choose from, ranging from joining the customer service industry to even becoming the president. Don’t want a job? No worries, you can instead sustain your lifestyle by beating up other Pixelians and stealing their money or robbing their homes in the dead of night.
In Pixelia, you can make plenty of friends or enemies and the social interaction mechanic compares to The Sims. Pixelians can love you, hate you and even sue you if they so choose–this feature can be turned off. You can start families or stay alone if you’d rather live wild and free.
There’s still so much more to be explored in this game that I’ve yet to see, but I’ve found the experience so far delightful, and at times, extremely funny. There are some parts that I’ve found unnecessarily repetitive, like skill-building and relationship-building. I also wish that there was more to relationships and more character to each NPC, but its flaws get made up for with the sheer amount of things you can do within this game. Even though it’s rough around the edges, updates are released semi-regularly including new content and improvements to existing features. I’m impressed with how put-together this game is for a one-person development team and I’m excited to see what features will be added next.
I definitely recommend those who want a chill life-simulator experience (that doesn’t force you to farm!) give this title a try.
Price: 14.99
DLC: No
Steam Overall Rating: Mostly Positive (1,174)
Multiplayer: No
Platforms: PC, with console release planned
Cross-platform: No
Genre: Life sim
Steam page excerpt: “Meet the Pixelians and discover the ultimate life simulator in To Pixelia. As you climb your career ladder of choice, step into the world of politics, art, sports, music, and even crime. Live your dream life in pixels!”
My rating on this title: 7/10
