The Good Lifefollows a photojournalist by the name of Naomi. She has found herself in a huge amount of debt so she takes on a big job for a mysterious client. They wish to know the secrets of a small village in the English hills called Rainy Woods. At first, it seems like an ordinary sleepy town, but Naomi soon discovers everyone in town can into animals.
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Naomi herself picks up the ability to turn into a cat or a dog at will. Both breeds bring new powers to the table. That’s the setup but how exactly does this new entry inthe open-world genreoperate? Is it a simple life sim, or is there something more? Let’s go through some early tips forThe Good Life.
8It’s More Than A Life Sim
The advertising leading up toThe Good Life’srelease made it seem like it was only a life sim. And it certainly falls into that genre, albeit one that involves transforming into cats and dogs. There is just a whole lot more going on.
Saying what other kinds of puzzles are in the game would be a spoiler, even though it happens early on. Let’s just sayDeadly Premonitionwill come to mind in more ways than one withthis detective-like adventure.
7Keep Up Appearances
Just like other life sim games, there are a variety of meters players have to deal with to keep Naomi fit. There isher actual health represented by hearts. She needs sleep otherwise she will be tired.
Naomi’s diet is also important assome foods are healthier than others and can increase stamina performance. Her beauty and hygiene are also a thing. Thankfully it doesn’t take much to keep Naomi in shape, but make sure to not ignore these meters at home.
6Understanding The Save System
There are two ways to save inThe Good Life. The main way is doneautomatically. Players can check the last time the game autosaved by going into the options menu and looking at Load. People can alsomanually save at home in the bed.
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They cannot choose a file though.There are five slots in the game and each time it is saved, the oldest file will be deleted. This is just likethe save systeminEastward, which is another recent indie game. Before quitting verify to return home every time to manually save and stop by every once and while too just in case.
5Plant Crops And Gather Everything
Naomi’s little cottage starts out with a small plot of land but players can increase their garden with home upgrades. Every time seeds are gathered, make sure to warp back home to plant them.Crafting food is better and cheaper than eating out.
The more crops are growing at once, the better. Most things, such as plants or trash cans, will have items to harvest just like ina lot of bigger RPGs. It can be taxing but keep at it.
4Eating Right
Food will do more than just keep Naomi healthy. Nearly everyfood in the game will be set with bonus stat effects. Scones, for example, can temporarily boost her health. This is a good item to buy or craft when players plan on fighting a lot of wild animals for ingredients such as pelts or meat. It’s a lot likehow food bonusesare gauged in theMonster Hunterseries.
3Photo Tips
One of the key mechanics inThe Good Lifeis taking photographs. These are tied to a lot of quests. NPCs will often ask Naomi to take snapshots of people, things, or places.Quests can be completed when players upload photos to Naomi’s computer. There is an overall side quest that changes each day.
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Certain hashtags will appear on the photo website. Taking a picture of a potted plant on its trending day, for example, will generate a lot of buzz. This can level up the computer system and earn players cash. Don’t just worry about quest photos and keep up with the trends too.
2There’s a Price For Death
There is a death penalty inThe Good Life. When players die, they will lose some money that is on Naomi. Thankfully,players can store money in the bank via ATMs. This is good but it creates a problem too as players never know when they could die.
Not carrying large amounts of cash may force players to backtrack a lot to ATMs every time they need money. It’s not a perfect system but it’s something players need to be aware of.
1Search For Shrines At Night
There are two ways to fast travel inThe Good Life. On the map,players can choose to warp home, a process that depletes the stamina meter. There are alsoshrineslocatedacross the open-worldof Rainy Woods and these cost money. Players cannot mark where these are on the map with highlighters.
There is a way to find them easily without looking back and forth between the map and the game itself.Shrines glow pink at night. This might be a good time to travel around and sync up as many shrines as possible before daybreak.
The Good Lifewas released on June 08, 2025 and is available onPC,PS4,Switch, andXbox One.
