YouTubers Life Review (Xbox, PlayStation, Switch & PC)

YouTubers Life might struggle to emulate the whole digital landscape of the social-streaming world, but it does, however, capture the beating heart of the graft—a tireless exercise that has more editorial spiels, more analytical tools, and more algorithms than any other medium on the planet. It’s best to take it all in your stride, and with a huge grain of salt. The promise of a diamond Play Button may invite you to believe that it’s an easy get rich quick scheme, but the bitter truth is that, contrary to popular belief, YouTubers have a lot of work to juggle, and YouTubers Life does a great job of illuminating that fact.

At the core of its annoyingly charming tycoon-like aesthetic is a slow-burning and oftentimes thought- provoking experience that requires you to play into the hands of an ever-evolving algorithm. As a blogger, you have to stay ahead of your own digital footprint, if not with fresh content, then with a coherent schedule that allows you to tap into the pulsating heart of a platform that constantly moves in all directions. It doesn’t matter if you’re uploading gaming content, or if you’re keeping your finger on the pulse of all the latest globe-altering affairs. Heck, it doesn’t even matter if you’re the most prolific uploader on the web. If the algorithm rejects your work, then the hopes of capitalizing on your native language quickly begin to fade. But that’s YouTube, in a nutshell. You don’t need to be a wizard in algorithmic science to find a foothold on the streaming world, but it definitely helps if you are.

It seems as if I’m making YouTubers Life out to be a stupidly complex business simulation game, when in reality, it’s as tough as you want it to be. Don’t get me wrong, it can be a thorn in your side, but it can also be a bashful experience with a lot of great moments. For example, as a fledgling creator you have the chance to edit your own content, establish an online presence, and play into your own creative ideas, all whilst upgrading your home, exploring new equipment, and hosting a brand that fits your personality. I’ll admit, it’s a lot to take into account during the first quarter. But, as with most simulation games of its kind, once the snowball begins to roll, the fruits of your labor soon begin to emerge in the wake of countless attempts to crack the algorithm.

Let it be said that, while there are several learning curves to wrap your head around, YouTubers Life is, and forever will be a genuinely fun series to bury your head in. As a creator, you have a lot of breathing room to explore vast creative possibilities across the digital spectrum. Moreover, you have a plethora of topics, editing tools, and micromanagement duties that you can experiment with to help establish your identity on the platform. And honestly, this is the greatest thing about it: the experimental phase, as well as the little steps that you take in order to build your community.

While the life simulation aspects are mostly scarce across most chapters in the series (excluding Stream Together, which of course puts a harsher emphasis on it), YouTubers Life does make up for its shortcomings with a lot of brilliant features. In addition to its weight of the milestone-based campaign lumbering over its digitalized shoulders, the series contains plenty of customizable components and moldable materials that befit the subject matter. There are numerous clips to edit, multiple topics to report on, and more than enough in-house items and pieces of equipment to unlock. And that’s barely scraping the tip of the iceberg.

Thankfully, there are certain elements that remove the monotonous cycle from the equation. Aside from the act of creating content and using a card-based editing system to splice and upload videos, you also have a handful of basic needs to keep tabs on, like sleeping, eating, paying bills, and attending the odd convention to further expand your inner circle. There’s a lot of fun to be had here, too, with enough milestones and minor improvements to make an otherwise repetitive experience more rewarding. It might not be overly complex and equal to a cult classic life simulation game à la The Sims, but it hits the nail on the head as far as content creation goes, and that’s what matters here.

YouTubers Life is still a niche series, and therefore the odds of everyone falling in love with its meta-like infrastructure are rather slim. Even still, for those who share an undying love of streaming and content creation, it’s a brilliant way to unleash your creativity and simultaneously wax your digital footprint for a handful of hours or more. It might not get everything right, but it still provides an entertaining experience that’s both engaging and accessible.

Verdict

YouTubers Life might not stand out as the perfect imitation of a digital content creator’s lifestyle, but it does make for a charming business and life simulation series that has all of the potential to keep fledgling YouTubers clawing for that ever-elusive diamond Play Button for the long haul. With enough tool upgrades, tasks, and bite-sized milestones to chase, as well as an in-depth editing suite to master on the side, it should keep you busy for a lot longer than the average life and business sim.

Suffice it to say, if you do enjoy business sims that knuckle in on a niche subject like content creation and online media marketing, then you probably won’t find a better option than YouTubers Life. With that in mind, you more or less have a simple choice to make. If it’s a single-player experience that you’re after, then I’d suggest taking either YouTubers Life or its sequel for a spin. If, however, you want a game that leans more towards the multiplayer aspect of the subject, then I’d personally opt for Stream Together. For the definitive experience, though, you needn’t look any further than YouTubers Life 2, if only for its added cameos and semi-open world setting.