The Best Slice-Of-Life Video Games

Who says video games have to be all sci-fi, fantasy, or action-packed? Sometimes it’s the slice-of-life games that capture the realness, the everyday moments, in a way that feels both relatable and refreshing. After all, a slice of life is all about a realistic portrayal of daily life events, with just the right touch of magic, or paranormal, that only games can bring.

In some cases, it’s just pure, simple life: a move from one house to another, a relationship, or rediscovering that elusive spark, that joy of life. These games can hit differently, making you reflect on your own life as you often connect deeply with the characters.

8 Monster Prom

The Wildest Prom Of Your Life

Monster Prom is a slice of life with a decidedly absurd and supernatural twist. Although set in a fantastical world filled with monsters, the situations and dynamics that the characters go through are typical of everyday teenage experiences: school drama, crutches… and the anticipation of prom night.

Your mission is to find a date before the monster prom! But it’s more than just romance – there are wild paths to explore, crazy scenarios, and a narrator who keeps things lively. This game doesn’t hold back with its snarky humor and edgy dialogue. And yes, you can even romance the narrator if you play your cards right.

7 The Sims 4

Playing God Or Just Living Life?

The Sims is the quintessential life simulation game. You can follow your Sims through not only small moments but their entire lives. For some, that means testing wild ways to kill them or loading the game with mods, and that’s okay too!

The Sims is wonderful because you can do it all: enjoy the simplicity of daily life, hold a job, create a family, and even build an entire family tree, or just live a wildlife with a lot of money (thank you, motherlode).

6 Night In The Woods

Day In the Town, Night In The Woods

Night In The Woods is not the typical adventure game filled with epic quests and grand battles. Instead, it’s an intimate, personal experience set in the small town of Possum Springs. You play as Mae Borowski, returning to her hometown to reconnect with the people she left behind.

Through daily interactions with old friends, the game captures moments of real life, exploring themes like friendship, unemployment, and that all-too-familiar sense of disorientation that comes with becoming an adult. But amidst this everyday life, there is also a mysterious element: something strange is happening in the woods, and it’s up to Mae and her friends to uncover it.

5 Life Is Strange Franchise

Life Is Strange Just Because

Life Is Strange centers around young people coming of age, some with powers like Max’s time manipulation (and now parallel realities) or Alex’s telepathy. Others, like Chloe, rely on creativity and a healthy dose of sarcasm. But the true “power” of Life Is Strange is that it tackles real-world issues- adolescence, love, personal growth- all within a “lived-in” world by showing slices of life not only for the protagonists but for every inhabitant of this world.

Every character has their own story and struggles, making Life Is Strange a game capable of capturing moments that feel incredibly real, despite the supernatural elements.

4 Until Then

A Slice Of Life With A Touch Of The Paranormal

Few games create as strong a connection as Until Then. What starts as an ordinary slice-of-life visual novel reveals hints of…the paranormal. The game dives deep into the delicate moments of teenage life, capturing friendship, first crushes, and the search for that elusive “spark” of life.

Until Then builds empathy from the start, making you feel as if you’re reliving your teenage years, from waiting for that text from your crush to hanging out with your friends. It’s a game that feels incredibly real. Well, except for the paranormal touch.

3 Lake

Two Weeks Of Catharsis

Lake follows the slices of life of Meredith Weiss, a successful career woman from the big city who decides to take a break from the fast-paced urban lifestyle and return to her childhood town, Providence Oaks – a place she hasn’t seen in 22 years.

With her father recently retired, there is now an open position at the local post office, and Meredith takes the opportunity to accept the job for two weeks. While she drives the mail truck and delivers letters, she reconnects with old friends and meets new ones in a town that seems frozen in time. In these two weeks, Meredith will find herself questioning what she truly wants in life.

2 Unpacking

Boxes Full Of Stories

Box after box, Unpacking somehow makes moving special. Without ever showing us the main character, the game tells the story of a woman’s life through the objects she moves from place to place, from childhood to adulthood. No dialogue, no characters, just the boxes in different houses.

Some items stay; others don’t, giving you glimpses of her life through these belongings, just by organizing them. And if you’re patient, there is a lovely surprise waiting for you after the credits…

1 Florence

A Bittersweet Journey Of First Love

Florence is a short yet meaningful experience that explores love and personal growth through the story of a young woman, Florence, in a monotonous routine – until she meets Krish, who brings a little color to her gray world.

This is a love story told through the small gestures of everyday life, made interactive through clever game mechanics. It’s a story of love, youth, and independence, and ultimately, where love can lead us, for better or worse. Without dialogue, Florence relies only on art and game design, proving that it doesn’t need words to be understood and appreciated.