Paralives Life Stages Guide
Checked through EA patch 0.1.5 · July 2026
All 8 Life Stages — Ages, Durations, School Rules & Romance Gates
8 Life Stages · Baby to Elder · 3 Lifespan Settings
How Aging Works
- check_circleAging is on by default — Parafolk automatically progress through all 8 stages until death.
- check_circleEach stage has a progress bar; hover to see remaining days.
- check_circleChild and Pre-Teen bars are segmented — each segment is a Growth Spurt.
- check_circleAdjust aging speed anytime in Storyteller (top-right ⋮ menu → Storyteller).
- check_circleSet aging separately for household members and non-household NPCs.
- extensionLife stages can be customized via Steam Workshop mods.
Choose Aging Before You Commit
Before a long family save, decide whether you want a story about generations or a stable household sandbox. Turning town aging off while keeping household aging on is a good beginner setup: your family grows, but favorite NPCs do not disappear too quickly.
Caregiver Safety Rule
If your household has babies or toddlers, keep at least one Teen or older Para available before scheduling work, dates, or long town trips. Daycare can cover gaps, but repeated daycare costs and missed bonding time can slow a family-focused save.
All 8 Life Stages
Default Normal-mode durations and what unlocks at each stage.
Baby
Age: 0–1 years
Normal duration: ~7 days
- checkFully dependent on caregivers — cannot act independently.
- checkIf no Teen+ caregiver is home, Baby is sent to daycare automatically (extra cost).
- checkHeight slider unavailable.
Toddler
Age: 2–4 years
Normal duration: ~14 days
- checkStarts learning Language and Potty — only learnable in this stage.
- checkStill needs a caregiver present.
- checkPersonality level cap: Lv. 2.
Child
Age: 5–8 years
Normal duration: ~21 days
- checkStarts school; segmented progress bar for Growth Spurts.
- checkPersonality level cap: Lv. 3.
- checkShares voice options with Pre-Teen.
Pre-Teen
Age: 9–12 years
Normal duration: ~21 days
- checkSegmented progress bar — prepares for Teen stage.
- checkShares voice options with Child.
- checkPersonality level cap: Lv. 3.
Teen
Age: 13–17 years
Normal duration: ~28 days
- checkCan legally care for infants and toddlers.
- checkFull personality system begins unlocking.
- checkCan take part-time jobs.
- checkShares voice options with Young Adult, Adult, and Elder.
Young Adult
Age: 18–39 years
Normal duration: ~56 days
- checkFull personality system; personality level cap Lv. 20.
- checkCan work full-time, date, marry, and have children.
- checkFastest skill learning speed.
Adult
Age: 40–64 years
Normal duration: ~56 days
- checkGameplay largely same as Young Adult.
- checkPersonality level cap: Lv. 20.
Elder
Age: 65+ years
Normal duration: ~28 days
- checkFinal stage — death follows.
- checkPersonality level cap: Lv. 20.
- checkNo afterlife or supernatural elements in the current game.
What Not to Miss
Toddler is the high-pressure stage because Language and Potty are time-limited. Child and Pre-Teen are best for school rhythm and social habits. Teen is the first flexible bridge stage: they can help care for younger Parafolk, prepare careers, and still build relationships before adult responsibilities take over.
Teen Week 1: School, Spurts, and the 0.1.3 Romance Patch
Your Para just hit Teen (ages 13–17 on the official life-stage chart). On Normal lifespan the stage runs about 28 in-game days—the longest childhood bridge before Young Adult. Patch 0.1.3 (official, June 6, 2026) added teen-to-teen flirt and dating; life-stage gates still decide which Together Cards appear. Treat week one as setup, not a romance speedrun.
Birthday night checklist
- linear_scaleHover the life-stage bar—Teen uses a segmented bar with the most Growth Spurts among school ages (Child 2, Pre-Teen 3, Teen 4 per dev documentation cited on this site). New personality options unlock per segment, not only on the last day.
- hourglass_topConfirm household aging is still on in Storyteller (⋮ menu). Turning aging off freezes stage progress and Growth Spurts entirely.
- child_careIf a baby or toddler lives here, note that Teens are the first stage that can babysit—schedule adult work only when a Teen+ caregiver is actually home.
School still runs the calendar
Teens keep attending school like Child and Pre-Teen. Mood and needs still matter before the bus—cranky Teens pick worse social cards after class.
- menu_bookStack homework, meals, and sleep before chasing part-time shifts or late-town hangs.
- groupsClassmate Labels can appear through school enrollment (per official relationship-label design)—friendship cards at the library beat greeting spam.
Part-time jobs: optional, not mandatory
Teens can take part-time work (listed on the Teen stage card above). One light shift teaches money habits; double-booking school days drains Fun and Social fast.
- workPick a non-overlapping shift like you would for adult multi-job weeks—see the Careers guide for schedule honesty.
- paymentsUse teen wages for hobby gear or bus fare, not as an excuse to skip Growth Spurt hobbies before the bar crosses the next notch.
0.1.3 teen romance — official rules
Patch 0.1.3 states: teenagers can flirt and enter romantic relationships with other teenagers. Adult romance gates still differ—do not SETAGE to Young Adult just to unlock adult pink cards.
- favoriteBuild green/white friendship cards first; pink romance cards need reasonable success % and topped needs (see Relationships guide).
- scienceDuplicate the household, label it Sandbox, and test flirt pacing there before rewriting your Story save with age cheats.
Full card-color walkthrough: Teen Romance After 0.1.3.
Week-one mistakes to skip
- blockSETAGE teen → adult to dodge school— you skip Label gates and eligible cards you have not played.
- blockSpamming pink flirt cards at low success %—failed attempts add awkwardness (community-reported pattern; stack safer cards first).
- blockTurning aging off mid-spurt because you fear birthdays—spurts stop until aging returns.
- blockLeaving babies alone with only Child/Pre-Teen siblings—caregivers must be Teen or older.
Lifespan Settings
Three presets — switch anytime in Storyteller.
| Setting | Multiplier | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Short | ×0.5 | Each stage lasts half as long — great for fast-paced play. |
| Normal | ×1 | Default settings. |
| Long | ×4 | Each stage lasts 4× longer — ideal for slow / multi-generation play. |
You can also manually adjust how many real-world seconds each in-game minute represents to fine-tune time flow.
Which Lifespan Should You Pick?
Use Short only if you want fast drama or quick generation turnover. Normal is best for testing a new household. Long is the safest pick for beginners, builders, and players who want careers, relationships, babies, and skills to breathe instead of racing the calendar.
Aging Cheats
These console commands give precise aging control (open the console first):
- codeForce next life stage: SETAGE [stage name]
- codeTrigger a Growth Spurt: GROWTHSPURT
- codeRevive a dead Parafolk: REVIVE
See the full cheat list on the Cheat Codes page.
Milestone Weeks Worth Planning Ahead
Eight stages from Baby to Elder—hover the life-stage bar to see days left. Growth spurts fire only while household aging is on; turning aging off freezes spurts and stage progress.
Child 2 spurts · Pre-Teen 3 · Teen 4
Segmented bars mark hardcoded Growth Spurts—Child gets 2, Pre-Teen 3, Teen 4 (the most). New personality options unlock per segment, not only on the last night—plan hobby time before the bar crosses each notch.
Teen: school plus romance (0.1.3+)
Patch 0.1.3 (official, June 6 2026) let Teens flirt and date other Teens—stage gates still control which cards appear. Test teen arcs on a sandbox copy before SETAGE-skipping childhood on your main save.
Elder: shortest endgame window on Normal
On Normal lifespan Young Adult runs longest (~21–22 in-game days); Elder is shorter (~13–14 days). Finish legacy skills and relationship caps before the bar empties—Long buys years, Short makes every elder week precious.
- check_circleHousehold aging and Town aging split in Storyteller—your family can age while favorite shop NPCs stay put.
- check_circleToddler-only Language and Potty do not return—max them before Child; Teen spurts are your last big personality edits.
- check_circleShort / Normal / Long multipliers stack with aging on/off—adjust both in the ⋮ Storyteller menu, not just one toggle.
Pro Tips
- scheduleFirst-time players: choose Long lifespan to explore every stage comfortably.
- family_restroomInfant/toddler caregivers must be Teen or older — confirm before building a multi-gen household.
- child_careLanguage and Potty are toddler-only — miss them and they're gone forever; prioritize early.
- personFor career/skill focus, starting as Young Adult in Paramaker is the most efficient.
- linear_scaleChild and Pre-Teen segmented bars mark Growth Spurts — new interactions unlock during each spurt.