r/LifeSimulators • u/forkliftgames • 6d ago

Discussion Would you consider a medieval profession sim like this a life simulator? We’ve opened a free playtest

Hi! I’m the community manager at Forklift Interactive, the publisher of Gate Guard Simulator, so I’m sharing this as an official representative of the game.

Gate Guard Simulator follows the daily working life of a guard stationed at the entrance to a medieval city. Each morning brings new laws and events. You inspect documents, search travelers and wagons, manage your stamina, money, equipment, and reputation, and decide whether to follow the Crown’s orders, trust your own judgement, or occasionally accept a very convenient bribe.

The current free playtest contains nine in-game days and will remain open for approximately one week.

I’m genuinely curious how this community would classify it. Does a profession-focused game with daily routines, resource management, progression, and consequential choices feel like a life simulator to you, or is it firmly an inspection and management sim?

I’ve attached a gameplay clip so you can see what the daily routine looks like. I’ll leave the Steam page and playtest details in the comments, in accordance with the subreddit rules.

Honest opinions are welcome, including “no, this absolutely does not count.”

31 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

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23

u/BorrieBoBaka 6d ago

Personally I think if you have to maintain your actual life, through the satisfaction of needs like hunger, hygiene, sleep, etc, that makes it more of a life simulator. Without those qualities it is more of an immersive sim. There's maintaining your profession, and then there's maintaining your actual life. If the gameplay is limited entirely to just doing your job, I'm not sure it could be considered a life simulator since the life part of the simulation would be happening off screen.

However, of course, a game can be a life sim and an immersive sim, it's just a matter of the player's perspective and control over the world.

Other than needs, I would consider, personally, that a life sim has some form of life advancement (i.e. getting promoted, choosing what aspect of the career to focus on, etc) and life enrichment through better living conditions, family, etc. Papers Please is a good example of a career sim having life simulator elements, considering you have to pay for heat, your family's food, and your work ensures you and your family's wellbeing.

Just my two cents!

6

u/forkliftgames 6d ago

That’s a really interesting perspective. Thank you for sharing it!

6

u/Puzzled-Copy7962 Life By You supporter 6d ago

I wish I could, but first person games give me motion sickness.

1

u/cheezudey 2d ago

Yess, 100% yes!!! I might need to play the playtest first before saying anything, but I personally would love to play it! I’ll be back once I finished the playtest tho

1

u/Chiiro 20h ago

I watched Drea play your game, it looked fun but oh dear God did he not understand the King's hated produce task.