Life simulation game

High school (ages 12+)
Making & Design

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/life-simulation-game

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the related academic fields?Connects to studies in artificial life, sociology, psychology, and game design theory
2. How do life simulation games let you make choices?You decide what your character eats, how they spend time, and who they talk to, and the game shows how those choices change their mood and future.
3. Why do people like life simulation games?They feel like the boss of a tiny world, and every decision can make a new story that feels personal and different each time.

Artificial Life (Alife): A field of study and a genre of software that explores life-like behaviors in artificial systems.
Player Agency: The capacity of a player to make meaningful choices that influence the game's progression and outcome.
Emergent Gameplay: Complex behaviors and outcomes that arise from the interaction of simple game mechanics and player input.