In this article, we at Grin will be discussing the Youtubers Life Game. No, that isn’t a typo- the game is spelled that way instead of “YouTuber’s Life” because naming it otherwise would be copyright infringement. As it stands, we aren’t sure what Google thinks of a for-profit product using something so clearly named after one of their services, but we digress. In this article, we’ll talk about what this game is, where you can get it, how it works and what it can teach you about real growth on YouTube.

What is the Youtubers Life Game?

The YouTubers Life game falls within the classic simulation/tycoon genre. On a base level, it’s most similar to titles like Game Dev Tycoon, which also focus on gamifying life aspects for real-life content creators. Its reviews are generally positive, but it’s a very particular kind of game for a very particular kind of people: those with a stomach for the sim/tycoon genre, and at least a passing interest in what it’s like to be a YouTuber.

Where can I buy it?

At the time of writing, YouTubers Life is available on two platforms: Steam (PC) and App Store (iOS devices).

How does the game work?

As a game meant to do a basic simulation of YouTube content creation, Youtubers Life starts you in the same position that most of your favorite stars started in: kind of broke, living at home with a parent and with a less-than-ideal setup for content creation. At the beginning of the game, you can choose the kind of content you want to make. This includes Gaming, Fashion, Lifestyle, Cooking and Music. While there are slight gameplay differences for each kind of content, the main concepts remain the same. At the time of writing, only Gaming and Music are available options, with the rest to be added at a later date in a game update. To start, you’ll be able to make your first video. With your low-budget setup and newbie status, this won’t make much money. There’s the recording session, then editing (dragging and dropping numbers onto a track in the order you please), then publishing. Editing and the quality of your equipment are the main things that affect your viewcount: other aspects, such as titles, aren’t nearly as important as they are in the real world. The game itself isn’t very complex- it’s generally pretty easy, in fact. The main difficulty doesn’t come in editing the videos- instead, its balancing your budget and your numbers to upgrade your equipment, socialize with friends, go to parties and make your rent each month. To do this at the beginning, you’ll need to do various side jobs around town to make money to meet your obligations. You’ll also need to study and perform well in school to stay in your parents’ good graces. As the game goes on, you’ll move into bigger and better places, as well as get more workstations and collaborators. Your mom’s place is rent-free and only requires you to study regularly (you’ll get grounded if you don’t), but moving out is still an important goal, since it’ll allow you to step up to a faster Internet connection (and therefore a better upload schedule) and devote all of your time to working and content creation. Each new place offers a step up in rent, Internet speed capabilities, collaboration opportunities, and more. However, the cost of rent boosts dramatically from home to home, and is automatically taken out at the 1st of each in-game month. Failing to have your rent each month will cause you to lose the game. In short, you’ll spend the game upgrading your setup and your place of living, all the while making new friends and collaborators. You’ll be able to get a boy/girlfriend, go on shopping sprees, and more. Most game mechanics are pretty intuitive and easy to learn. What’s important is that you play cautiously- in the beginning, focus on studying and saving up money. Don’t immediately splurge on upgrades, and when you do, make sure you’re able to upgrade your tower alongside the rest of your components. Rendering power needs to be balanced between all components, and failing to do so will end up meaning you can’t produce videos.

Can I learn more about real YouTube growth?

Finally, let’s talk about whether or not the Youtubers Life Game will teach you how to grow as a YouTuber. The answer is…not really. The version of a YouTuber’s life presented in this game is fairly idealized and simplified: you won’t learn much about actually being a successful YouTuber here. If you’d like to do that, we instead recommend you read our article on YouTube Video Ideas or How To Become A Successful YouTuber. To learn more about YouTube and content creation, stick around to read our blog. If you’re already a content creator and you’d like to meet other people to work with, use our Grin Platform to get shoutouts, collaborations and more!