Walk of Life: A Hilarious Life Sim with Fast-Paced Strategy and Vibrant Art

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The Icelandic studio known as Porcelain Fortress initially started in 2016 as a company specializing in virtual reality gaming, but it wasn’t until their 2019 release, “No Time to Relax,” that they truly made a mark. This high-speed life simulation game required players to manage their characters’ physical requirements and income while also achieving more life events than other players for a better score. Following several years of creating browser games and apps for board games, Porcelain Fortress is now preparing to revisit the life sim genre with its upcoming title, “Walk of Life.

In the vision of its creator Björn Elíeser Jónsson from Porcelain Fortress, Walk of Life is designed as an enhanced, dream-like version of its 2019 spiritual predecessor. It refines every imaginable aspect, ranging from visual style and user interface to gameplay mechanics. Game Rant had the opportunity to witness several of these enhancements, and within the first half hour of playing, it’s evident that something extraordinary is being developed here.

Walk of Life’s Loop Is Frantic But Surprisingly Strategic

The game “Walk of Life” can be characterized as a blend of life simulation and board games. In this engaging game, up to four players strive to create the most fulfilling life within only ten moves. The map is populated with a variety of buildings such as banks, stores, apartments, gyms, and others, each offering distinct activities.

Throughout each round, players will move between different spots and accomplish tasks that enhance their total score or aid in managing their character’s four indicators: health, cleanliness, mood, and tension. Engaging in an activity progresses the player’s timer, ultimately concluding their turn. Although some actions are mandatory every turn like eating food to prevent a significant time penalty for the next round, players have considerable freedom to decide how they spend most of their time. They can find employment, shop, pursue further learning, feed the park birds, and many other everyday activities that might seem ordinary at first glance.

Once each player has taken their final round, scores will be calculated considering critical elements such as a player’s stress level, educational background, living situation, and accomplishments in specific missions throughout the game. Essentially, Walk of Life is designed to be user-friendly, with its straightforward mechanics enhancing accessibility for all players. Moreover, one of the game’s main advantages lies in its speed, as each turn lasts no longer than a few minutes.

Although “Walk of Life” moves quickly, there’s a surprising layer of strategy involved during each move. Moving around the map consumes time, so players are advised to strategize their crucial actions for the turn in advance. This time-based movement can generate tense situations where players narrowly reach their chosen destination before the end of their turn.

Walk of Life’s Irreverent Style Is Its Shining Feature

A single look at the trailer or artwork for Walk of Life makes it clear that the game is bursting with an irreverent style and tone in every aspect. Each character avatar, portrait, location backdrop, menu logo, and font selection radiates a lively, chaotic energy.

This lively art style harmoniously complements the witty satire found in ‘Walk of Life’. Drawing inspiration from iconic British programs such as ‘Blackadder’ and ‘Monty Python’, ‘Walk of Life’ dives deep into the absurdity hidden within ordinary daily routines, offering a hilarious critique of the meaningless grind that is everyday life. The fast-paced competitive gameplay, sharp humor, and bold, vivacious art style of ‘Walk of Life’ combine to deliver an experience that promises fun times with friends. With its Q3 2025 early access launch still several months away, there’s ample opportunity for the game to further develop and refine.

Game Rant was provided with travel and lodging.

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2025-05-16 20:37