Little Kitty, Big City
Little Kitty, Big City
Game
Game2025
Architect Life: A House Design Simulator
Developer Shine Research
Create dream homes! From 3D plan modelling through to on-site decision-making, you must bring each project to life while giving free rein to your creativity, to take your architectural firm to the pinnacle of the profession. From the Steam store page
164 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Sep 8, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
41
Mixed
63 positive · 92 negative
95% range 33–49%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 63 | 92 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
9 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Mixed
147 of 292 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 164 · most liked firstSolid Base Mechanics, But Not Enough Detail in Construction, Not Enough Items For Decorators, What Kind of Architect Not Caring about Door Swing Directions? Updated on 26th June 2025, play time 17 hours. I suggest you wait, this game is missing many things even on the side of , construction and drafting, note that this game is not in early access, let's hope the developer will update the game in the future: Roof 1. No dormers, there is no way to modify the roof other than it's pitch 2. No…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Giving a negative review due to DLC on day one of release.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought this game around 2 months ago really enjoyed playing the career mode however the last week it has had insane amounts of crashing during game play while in career mode and now today the game just will not load me into any mode before crashing on me! Devs are clearly giving up on this game and not providing updates! SAVE YOUR MONEY!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I paid $32 for Architect Life and I honestly regret it. I really wanted to love this game. I’m a huge fan of building sims, and Architect Life looked like it had potential. But after a few hours, I’m just annoyed. The whole experience feels half-baked. Decorations? Barely any. You get a handful of furniture pieces and that’s it. No variety, no style options, no fun. Customization is a joke. You can’t tweak furniture much, and the options for layout are super rigid. Want to get creative?…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game itself is really good. You can build and decorate houses. If that's all you want to do, it's very addictive. The graphics are very good and the campaign is also well done. Building and planning become increasingly challenging, which is what makes it so addictive. Now I'll get to the problems... There are only a few decorations, and even if you unlock more later on, it's still not enough. On top of that, there are game errors and bugs. For example, if you have to build two rooms close…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i played this game for a few hours now. and i find it lacking so much content and options. 1. you can't customize the items. (ex: you cant extend or shorten items like the TV, the cabinets the islands. etc.) 2. very limited amount of items to play with, (EX: limited options for finishing, flooring and walls decoration, and home decoration, including appliances ) 3. can't edit walls in more then one direction. 4. camera will kick you out of the house if you need a better angle while you press…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really like this game but wish the creators cared more about it. There is barely any decorations. For example there is only one hanging art painting to choose from. So you end up just using the same stuff for every house. If they ever come out with more packs, I may start playing again. It can also be very glitchy when you view your home. Some more freedom for design would be nice too. You cant build anything detached from the home which kind of sucks when there can be strict limits to where…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game managed to make a proper roofing tool that the Sims was not able to do accomplish in years. 10/10 But if seriously, in general, it is fun and challenging to create rooms according to the specifications given by a client. The small choice making during the construction itself is simple, yet gives it more depth. There is still some aspects I need to get used to, but I am positive abour finishing this game to 100%. Controls are nice and logical. The furniture customization is present…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The auto snap drives my insane. Can't build a wall less than 3'3". If the walls are too close together you can never get a 90 degree angle. I can live with the lack of furniture. Three DLCs at launch is laughable. Roof designs are horrible. I should be able to create an exact replica of my house but I can't. I wanted this game to see if I could redesign the interior of my house. But that will never happen with the current stage of the game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wanted a game that would let me design my own house in a fun and creative way, especially since my wife and I are planning to build one. Overall, the game is quite intuitive. The tools work well, and I quickly got the hang of it without needing any tutorials. Pros: • Intuitive and easy to use • Tools work smoothly and are quick to learn • Runs well and performs consistently • 3D interactive experience where you walk inside the house/open doors etc Cons: • Lacks depth and variety in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DO NOT BUY THIS GAME! It has poor controls, lack of assets, full of bugs. It was abandoned by the devs within a week of it's release on 19 June 2025. There is NO sandbox mode. Just boring and hard-to-navigate levels due to weird clunky controls. This game is a disappointing cash grab.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is almost there but is missing so much. I hate to say it but the ikea design software on web is more advanced and has more features for rooms over this game (and it's free). If the dev's continue to work on this for a few more years, it has potential to be a great software esque game. but as it stands, there is too much that is missing. It really needs to be open so people can create designs for furniture appliances more door designs, more customization options, etc.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As someone who uses Sketchup to create houses etc from scratch for fun, this game seemed very intriguing. I really love the idea of this game, and the prompts, but the execution of functions during building creation need some tweaks. I have spent 16 hours on this game already, and I have completed 2 projects and maybe 25% of another due to functional issues during the creative process. There are a couple things I hope that are fixed ASAP within the game that create a LOT of frustration when…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is an empty shell. Unfortunately in it's current state, the game is completely lacking in furniture, roofing, exterior cladding, etc. There are literally only 5 coffee tables and only 1 sectional sofa. It's both lazy and disappointing. The only roofing options are flat, gabled, or hipped. For what is billed as an architecture game, these lack of options are embarrassing. Any of the base game Sims games offer far more depth in building options than this game in it's current state.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was really excited to play this, it seemed like the best parts of the Sims, rolled into its own type of game. the game play is... questionable to say the least. the controls are super weird. it lags crazy. the tutorial is lacking. i really wanted to like it, but i just couldn't get past the weird controls and the repetitive nature of things.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →extremely disappointed in this game. It has so much lacking, i am not sure where to start. As a game advertised as architecture, it lacks the main element, architecture! This is the building element of the sims without all the dlc, this is the most basic game you can play, and even then it does not work. Building walls, well you can't remove them as they don't show up to delete, so be prepared to restart again and again just to get a simple shape. The colouring options are lacking, the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’m really frustrated with this game. You can’t adjust wall lengths after placing them, precision is impossible, and furniture is very limited, often behind paywalls. Honestly… did someone seriously make this as if it were a college thesis project?
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I purchased this game thinking it would be more realistic than other design simulators available. Sadly I was mistaken. The majority of what you see on the advertisement is not actually available in game. Very limited options and not worth the money.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I think its a nice idea to create a home on "paper" and then walk through the home. But it does not have many decorative elements and stuff that is in the DLC should be in the base game ex. basketball, painting etc. Therefore, I do prefer house flipper, because this game has a lot more options.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →poorly produced game. A lot of bugs, poor snapping features, after walls placed and texture added you can no longer move length of wall. Very low interior options. Very low options for doors, windows, mirrors, air cons etc. list goes on. DONT BUY - until you start seeing review where devs are giving this game some TLC
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wow, I abandoned this game after building three houses, already feeling that there was a lot left to wish for. Coming back to this page now, only to find out that it's been months since they've done anything to update the game. A game that quite frankly is in a sorry state. Very little to work with, unworkable controls. Definitely don't buy this for more than a few bucks or euros.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Decent Game, but needs a few fixes Fun but few issues though. Can't place stairs in the same area on top of each other to go to different floors, have to place them in different areas on different floors otherwise they do not register. Curved walls are great, but should be able to join two 90 degree walls to make a curved wall instead of curving a singular wall. Also, can't place windows/doors on curved walls.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not really what I was looking for. The area they let you build in seems smaller than needed. You can't resize things (including plug-in things like stairs). I'm trying to put in closets and it seems like they won't let me make walls small enough. You can put up half-walls or openings in walls that aren't glassed windows (I'm trying to recreate my real life house and there's nothing I can do to create the pass-through window from my kitchen to living room). If you want to play it as a game (duh)…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A new week, a new day, a new game (or two) 😃 We're starting with Architect Life to ruin people's living rooms before switching over to Crown Gambit. Join me! ❄ twitch.tv/2dkiri
unlabelledView post →Guys - The game has to be easy - If it`s not easy it looses its point - Or at least this game is usually bought for people who want to explore creativity, it has to be easy... You mouse cursor is delayed, I struggled a lot trying to find the buttons ... Placing the walls is difficult, it says I cant place but it doesn`t tell me why... Game is not that expensive, but its too hard, for me the main point was the delay on the cursor...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A bit overwhelming. The tools are definitely more streamlined and gamified than the real life counterparts but it's still quite a lot to throw at new players. I made it through the tutorials but couldn't get past the structural phase of the first real project (I can't figure out how to fit seven different rooms in a 90 sqm space). I do think there's potential here so I'll give it another go tomorrow.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →✨ GAME FOCUS | Architect Life ✨ Create dream homes in this casual simulation game! Build ideal houses for your clients, supervise their construction, grow your firm with new techniques and decorate rooms with furniture 🛋️ #indiegame #gamedev #indiedev
unlabelledView post →I was surprised this was a release of 2025. I do not recommend as there are many other simulation offers in the store with better logic and customisation opportunity.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Disappointed with the Current State of the Game I'm quite disappointed with this game. There are a number of features missing, insufficient guidance through tutorials, and several bugs that negatively impact the overall experience. It feels incomplete, and yet I’ve already noticed DLC being made available—even though the core game still lacks polish and basic functionality. Lack of Proper Tutorials The tutorials are poorly executed. They don't explain key gameplay mechanics clearly. For…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It was fun but frustrating at the same time. They have glitches etc, but I eventually managed to work around it. HOWEVER, ALL THE HOUSES WILL BE GONE ONCE YOU COMPLETE THE PROJECT!!! This was quite upsetting, as I was going to revisit in the future and share it with my friends. I do not see any update on their Facebook page, so I doubt anything will be fixed at this point.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its very limited, not worth the price. If I had paid £20 for it then I would rate it higher but if you want to build then the sims has way more features for that. I found it frustrating that design options were very limited and that it was quite boring.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It has real potential, but in it's current state I can't recommend it. It's really hard to play with keyboard and mouse, you really need a controller. There's also very few options to choose from and you can't change size for windows, doors, furniture, etc etc. Then there's the wall corners that don't always connect, leaving a nasty gap and the wall protruding through the roof... At the moment I can make a nicer home faster in Sims 4 and that's not even remotely an architecture game. The…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Would be amazing if they added a way to export the CAD and 3D to softwares like Rhino/AutoCAD. This could become my go to for quick conceptualization. I know its just a game but it could also become a mini BIM software and make things easier for architects who dont want to spend too much time working on CAD softwares for first stage design. The other thing that would be helfpul is that if they expanded the library even more. But i am pretty sure they will come up with more DLC. Another thing…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Save your time and avoid this one. Even when selecting feet for measurements, the scaling is completely broken. Doors appear 6 feet wide, yet a large corner sofa is somehow the same width as a narrow staircase. Additionally, the "snapping" feature cannot be toggled off despite the settings suggesting otherwise. The asset library is also severely lacking; for example, you can only use inbuilt fridges, with no standalone appliances available. If this was designed by an architect, I’d be worried…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It has a good start but once you try to do something a little bit serious like recreating you current home for doing plans or similar, starts to get tricky. There is not much decoration, not a single instrument. Everything seems limited plus the game looks abandoned by what I read on the comments. What a disapointment....
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game promises a lot, but is really bad. Very few features and furniture. You cannot even paint a wall in different paintings, or adjust the height of a wall
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought it to experiment some changes in my own home but it's nearly impossible to do so. 1. You are limited to use a minimum size of 1 meter for adding a new wall and only after you can go to 1,1 , 1,2... 2. Columns seem to be broken as I cannot add any yet. 3. Painting walls will not work sometimes if it's 2 sided with another room. 4. Missing an only measuring tool. 5. Missing a 2D mode that shows all measures of the house. 6. There is no tool to resize or to set height, entering the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this game in its current state. I played the demo a few weeks ago and I absolutely loved it, which is also why I bought the full game day one. However, after the first few missions, the gameplay starts to feel repetitive and boring. Every mission feels the same. Yes, there are certain criteria to meet when designing houses for the clients, but that’s it. There are no new pieces of furniture introduced with each new mission (you might unlock three or four new…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →To start off its a good game on its own but i feel like there are many restriction blocking you from making what you want mainly being the fact you cant pick how big of a house you really want but limited to the space they set, second is that there arent many interior stuff to place and feels bland plus color is kinda weird with some furnuters and does not match the rest, overall its a great concept but i feel limited to the space they give you and set for you, you can't rly express yourself…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i played this game for 3 hours. I immediately went into free mode, only to find the lackluster options, and very limited furniture options and decorations. Then i thought maybe they are unlockable? so i played the career, which was super boring, and also very limited. Controls fustrated me, presentation was not on par with a sims game. I would have loved to design a modern home, with open living rooms with the garden, put a basement but sadly the game does not offer these features. in the base…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have tried so hard to like this game but all the good bits are severely outweighed by the bad bits. TL:DR This game should have been released in early access with a road map for what is going to be done moving forwards. If I could refund this I would but I wanted this to be good so desperately that I went over the 2hr cut off. Good Bits: Roof tool is robust and easy to use, no need for clever layering to get a decent looking roof that works with any shape. I like that you design the house…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you expect the SIMS, boyssssssssss you are in for a disappointment. If you expect a tedious design and repeat, you are in a wonder. I can see how it is not most polished game. BUT I expect more with this price. TLDR: lower your expectation. Get the game while it is discounted.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →♥♥♥♥♥ barebones and feels like ♥♥♥♥♥♥ assetflip slop based on the complete lack of clear artstyle and random high quality textures and assets. its got nothing worth using and the devs seem to not be bothered with doing anything further. do not buy
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The idea of the game is good, but there's not a lot of stuff and u get bored sooooo easily, could be better if u add more decorations, not worth the money
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Raw game, small amount of content and assets, clunky mechanics, has nothing in common with architecture. Seems like we will never get any adequate alternative to sims just to have fun building houses... Save your money, do NOT buy this nonsense!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Enjoying it so far. Needs much more items / options though. Hope the devs address this and release more content (hopefully not just as paid expansions).
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The concept is great, the execution is horrible. For some reason the tutorial doesn't fully work(issues with getting past certain sections even though the proper item was placed), the controls are god awful, if you place a wall or foundation you cannot change the size of it only delete it, the selection of things you can actually place in the house are very small for a price tag of 29.99. It also seems the devs have completely abandoned this game as they call it 1.0 and have said they don't…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Way too basic compared to what I was expecting. There are some free design tools out there that are better, have more variety, and better controls. Edit: Honestly, now that I think about it, a lot of companies would pay you to put their products into your game, so there really is no excuse for why the variety of decor and patterns is so limited. This is really just a halfassed scam.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pros: Good game for making floorplans, general layouts and somewhat measurements I've only messed around with the free building mode and one career mode so I haven't delved that deeply into it. I do appreciate how the limitations help one think and figure out what to do with the floorplan. The background is nice as well. Icons are useful when marking areas Ability to walk in the building you have made is very fun Cons: General menu jank, tho I feel like it can be easily fixed to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't hate it for the price I paid (£13), however this absolutely not worth full price and *barely* worth what I paid. TL:DR fun to kill a few hours doing the shell of a house, but definitely don't pay full price or expect much more. You're better off buying Sims for house building, and just constantly starting new families for that purpose. The wall/ceiling construction is okay. Curved walls are limited in use and there are no options for half height walls, but generally it's not bad. I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In it's current state, I cannot recommend a purchase of this game. Maybe on sale for $10 USD but not $30. Sometimes I am having tons of fun with it while other times it makes me want to bash my head against a wall. It is fun but the negatives and the tedious nature of the game ruin it. It also feels a bit bare bones. It can be very hard to place walls for whatever reason. Snapping off? It's still snapping to things. Cannot make a wall less than 3' long. Cannot move a wall if it is less than 3'…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game doesn't recognise a mouse on PC Thanks! Works fine now!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm finding this game enjoyable and addictive, rather than frustrating which is a good sign! I think there are a few things that could be improved to make it more playable, like the option of shapes that you can drop and re-size rather than building wall by wall. I'm also looking forward to more objects and finishes that I hope will be in a future patch (rather than a DLC). I'd also love corner kitchen cabinets and cabinets with more widths. Overall it's a fun, creative game and I definitely…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Built a house with a front and back door. The front glitches so had to delete it. The. The fame said the rooms weren't separated then the back door wasnt visible.. then the inside doors glitches. The game is a mess
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly, this game is a mess. It feels completely unfinished and more like an open beta than a polished, final game. The building system is incredibly frustrating and walls won't connect properly and the whole interface is needlessly complicated. What really gets me is that the developers are releasing new DLCs while the base game is still blend. It’s a classic example of a company rushing a game out and then trying to sell a "fix" through paid content. Don't waste your money on this one!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While I do enjoy this game I can't say that it's worth the purchase. It feels hollow and sparse with a severe lack of furniture and decor options. It's buggy and broken. Sometimes I'm unable to 100% a job even though I've met all of the criteria because the game just wont acknowledge (for example) that two rooms side by side are side by side. Sometimes the game puts me over budget though I haven't even finished purchasing the cheapest versions of the required items. Sometimes there…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another review put it perfectly, it's an empty shell. As such, it is WAY over-priced. And way under-fun. I was anxiously anticipating this game pounced on it immediately. Now I'm kicking myself for missing the refund window. It's not that it is absolutely terrible. The controls are a bit clunky. But that's about the only issue I had with actual game play. The problem is that it's a house building sim, with a painfully limited selection of design and furniture options. Even if you try…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am going to continue to play this game, I think. It is fun. However, it is NOT worth the price, not even at the discounted price I got it. If I were within my window to refund, I absolutely would. This game has a lot of potential, but you shouldn't pay for a game based on potential, you should pay for a game based upon what is currently in it. As of right now, The Sims is a better architect game than this is. There's such a small amount of furniture in this game, it is laughable. To be clear…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i suggest buying this game but not on full price, here's why ( even if i said all this i still absolutely love the game there's just some parts to this that are a little annoying (ehem the snapping) but overall its a good game) 1. the game is fun but it is extremely limited, the snapping features in my opinion is the worst , measurements are also not accurate. 2. even if i turn off the snapping it still does it 3. the roof sometimes snaps to the interior walls in which i absolutely hate that…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A game with potential The good The art style and vibe Creative mode available from the start Career replayability as the projects seem to change Good controls with a controller Runs well even on rather modest hardware The roofing system is superior to the Sims' The colour customisation of the furniture The ability to adjust the time of the day The bad The game was clearly designed for controllers, and the mouse and keyboard controls can feel clunky and need some time getting used to No…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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