This slice-of-life indie is a mash-up of Life is Strange and The Sims that I didn't know I needed

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Closer the Distance is set to release later this year

Closer the Distance
(Image credit: Skybound Games)

Upcoming indie Closer the Distance feels like a mix between The Sims and Life is Strange, and I can't wait to see more of it. 

First revealed during the ID@Xbox April showcase earlier this month, Closer the Distance is a life sim (just like The Sims 4 or Life by You) but with an emotional, narrative-driven twist that reminds me of Life is Strange or maybe even What Remains of Edith Finch. 

As you can tell from the trailer below, the game appears to have typical life-sim style gameplay but with a unique and moving story.  

In the game, players will take on the role of Angela - a young girl from the town of Yesterby who ends up in a fatal car accident. Still able to watch over her friends and family, Angela will use her new ethereal ability to influence the townsfolk she once knew to help them through the grieving process. 

As you can imagine, the upcoming sim will feature themes of empathy, community, friendship, grief, and closure. Not only this, but just like in the Life is Strange series, the choices players make matter, and will determine the fate of the town.

Closer the Distance is being developed by Osmotic Studios (who also developed the Orwell game series) and will be released by Skybound Games - who you may know for publishing Telltale's The Walking Dead series. It doesn't have a release date just yet, but we know that it's set to release on PC, as well as Xbox and PlayStation consoles, sometime in 2023.  

If you're also excited to see more of this game, we suggest adding the game to your wishlist on Steam and following the developer on Twitter to stay up to date on all things Closer the Distance.  

Looking for more hidden gems to play? Take a look at our upcoming indie games list. 

Hope Bellingham
Hope Bellingham
News Writer

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training.  My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.