One of the aspects we calibrated worst in the Early Access version was assuming that spontaneous player participation would make the events fun. We thought the content would emerge on its own from the experiences and interactions of attendees, as happens in social multiplayer games like Habbo Hotel. We imagined a more relaxed gameplay pattern: logging in every day (or every few days), entering the active online room, doing a couple of interactions, chatting, taking photos, competing in a streaming match, going back home, and continuing to progress with offline activities and on the global ranking.
The problem was that most Youtubers Life 3 players were coming from the previous entries and were not looking for this kind of experience. They expected something more traditional: long sessions, fast progression, advancing in a few days and even finishing the story in a matter of hours, without anything controlling their pace of play. We even saw cases of people finishing the game without paying employee salaries a single time (payments were made on real-world Sundays). If you finished the game in less than a week, you never had to pay.
With these results on the table, we decided that having a single event per day was a mistake. The game needed more variety, and it needed it fast.
The Map
The first step was removing the calendar, which only showed the daily event, and turning it into a city map where you can see all activities available at any moment of the day:
We know many of you asked for the return of Youtubers Life 2’s open world, but with the nature of YL3 it was impossible to replicate without practically rebuilding the entire game from scratch. Even so, the solution we’ve adopted conveys similar sensations: freedom to move between locations, the appearance of random situations, and exploration of relatively large areas. At the beginning, no buildings will be unlocked, and you’ll discover them as you progress through the story.
All these locations are still online, so you’ll be able to meet other players, but now they include many activities to do solo: missions, situations where you can record videos, obtaining news (as explained in previous articles), and more.
Locations
In the map image, you can already spot some new locations:
🏪Supermarket
A new setting where you can buy food, find deals, and complete various actions related to food brands. We have completely redesigned how food works by adding a new parameter: health. Each food item has different effects that you’ll discover throughout the game. Here you’ll meet Tobs, the friendly supermarket clerk.
💇♀️Hair Salon
The Youtubers Life 2 hair salon returns with the iconic Lafayette in charge. It works similarly: you can no longer change your hairstyle at home—you’ll have to come here. And for the sake of realism, hairstyles are no longer “owned”: every change costs money again, although not much. Also, the hair salon hides a secret room you’ll have to unlock.
💪Gym
A new location where Clara is waiting to get you in shape. In addition to the training area, there is an exclusive room to relax and recover energy and health.
🎮Playcon Retro
The Playcon building now hosts two types of fairs: video game brand showcases (games, consoles…) and Playcon Retro, with a medieval theme. This is the only place where you’ll find “retro” games: titles no longer sold in the regular store. You can also resell your old games and, if you’re a good collector, even make a profit.
🕹️Playcon for Brands
We won’t go into detail about the rest of the places —we want you to discover them while playing— but it’s worth highlighting that the Playcon for brands has become a huge location divided into three zones, each with its own access requirements and many possible activities and situations.
Restrictions
Access to certain events may have several restrictions, something that already existed but is now much clearer. From now on, to enter some parties you’ll have to meet three conditions:
- Pay the entrance fee
- Have a certain rank as a YouTuber
- Wear the appropriate clothes according to the dress code (as shown in the image, your clothing must have the indicated tags)
Event Generation
The most important change regarding event functionality is their availability. From now on, there will always be several events active simultaneously, one per location (although occasionally one may be closed). In addition, events no longer last a full day; they have varied durations, usually less than an hour.
This may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but the game introduces these locations gradually through the story, giving you time to explore them and understand everything they offer. Within a few hours, you’ll be moving around the city as if it were your own.
Conclusions
Overall, we believe that this time we’ve found what many of you were expecting from the game. The feelings during playtest sessions have been very positive: the game feels closer to the previous entries, yet retains its own identity, something that makes it special.