Life Is A Game

**Life Is A Game** is a reality TV show that aired on SimTV. In this show, eight contestants move in together, interact with each other, and nominate each other in order to determine who would be up for elimination by the fans.

The only season aired to positive reviews and led the network to rework the concept into Kev & Get It, a show that received even more attention and which included several contestants from Life Is A Game.

## Background and Development

Prior to the release of this show, SimTV had been looking for a flagship reality TV show to add to its lineup. Without any propositions, they decided to experiment with the addition of an elimination-style show, with eight contestants in order to minimize the budget. This experimental show was then fleshed out and developed into Life Is A Game. A casting call was announced and several Sims submitted applications. Once the eight contestants were chosen, promo pictures were shot and released in the month building up to the series premiere. A group photo with the contestants rendered in pencil lines and their faces blurred out was released as an initial teaser, and a full promotional picture was published in Vista Magazine soon after. The series aired on Monday nights and lasted for eight weeks.

## Format

Eight contestants entered the house and were recorded around the clock. They interacted with each other in order to make friends since the elimination method consisted in them picking each other for elimination. They competed in different individual and team challenges which determined a single winner. The winner of the challenge received certain privileges: staying in the Winner's Suite and choosing one friend to stay with them, and determining which contestants were safe and which two were in the bottom. The viewers then voted which one of the two nominated contestants they would send home, though two episodes ended in non-eliminations. At the end of the series, the viewers once more chose who they wanted to win the competition. The winner received a prize of 500,000 Simoleons and an opportunity to become a personality for SimTV.

There was no official host for this show; instead, a mysterious voice that spoke to the contestants through the house's speakers made all the announcements. This voice was later revealed to be Ajmkv, who went on to host Kev & Get It.

## Promotional Material

* The official promotional group photo for Life Is A Game.
* Life Is A Game group promo shot.
* Charlie's promotional shot.
* Cora's promotional shot.
* Fernando's promotional picture.
* Guillaume's promotional shot.
* Jessie's promotional shot.
* Monica's promotional shot.
* Niko's promotional shot.
* Vanesa's promotional shot.
1/10

## Episode Guide

### Episode 1: "Pilot"

* **Summary:** The contestants arrive and get to know each other. Monica and Jessie immediately get along because of their home cities, and promise to have each other's backs. Charlie gets on everyone's nerves, and Cora is unusually reserved, though she begins flirting with Fernando pretty quickly. Guillaume and Vanesa also begin to flirt, and Vanesa's overt flirting and strategic mentality annoys Jessie. Niko is nervous about the competition and when Monica questions him about his motivations he manages to accidentally insult the other contestants. In the challenge, which consists of shooting promotional images and commercials, Jessie is very warm and performs very well. Monica also succeeds, and while most of the other contestants do well, Niko's anxiety over his comments the day before make him difficult to work with. Jessie wins the challenge and chooses Monica to share the winner's suite with her. She picks Vanesa and Niko to be in the bottom and up for elimination; she feels that Vanesa is trying too hard and Niko isn't ready for the competition. After a fan voting period, both of the bottom 2 contestants are declared safe.
* **Challenge:** Promotional photo shoot
* **Winner:** Jessie
* **Winner's Suite Pick:** Monica
* **Bottom 2:** Niko and Vanesa
* **Eliminated:** No one

### Episode 2: "Week 2"

* **Summary:** Jessie and Monica enter the winner's suite and bond over their stories. The other contestants are happy that they're all still there, but Vanesa feels unfairly attacked after she was called out for being strategic. She stresses that though she's happy to make friends and more, she wants to win the prize in order to build a better life. Guillaume agrees with her and comforts her, leading to them making out during a party. Charlie continues to annoy everyone with his over-the-top enthusiasm, causing Niko to become frustrated with him. Charlie later opens up to Cora about how he's really just insecure. Niko overhears the conversation and later goes to apologize to Charlie for snapping at him earlier. Fernando continues to flirt with Cora, and they decide to create a private alliance in order to send other people home. During an athletic challenge the following day, two teams are created: Cora, Monica, Charlie, and Guillaume versus Fernando, Jessie, Vanesa, and Niko. When conspiring with Cora, Fernando agrees to throw the challenge for his team as long as she chooses him for the Winner's Suite. Cora's team wins, and she is chosen as the ultimate winner for scoring the most goals during the challenge. Her team expects her to save each of them and only put up people from the opposite team in the bottom, but she declares that she's choosing Fernando for the winner's suite and placing Charlie and Niko in the bottom; the former for being her team's weakest link and the latter for being the other team's weakest link. Everyone is outraged and express this to her, with Monica calling her a conniving snake and Vanesa storming out of the room. After the fan vote, the contestants are called back and Charlie is announced as the loser of the vote. Niko pulls him aside before he can go and tells him that he'll do his best to send Cora home and avenge him.
* **Challenge:** Soccer game with obstacles
* **Winner:** Cora
* **Winner's Suite Pick:** Fernando
* **Bottom 2:** Niko and Charlie
* **Eliminated:** Charlie

### Episode 3: "Week 3"

* **Summary:** Cora and Fernando get close during their time in the Winner's Suite, and are thrilled that their alliance worked out. However, the other contestants are still incensed about Cora's sudden strategic turn. Vanesa sleeps with Guillaume and their relationship gets stronger, with Guillaume comforting her about her insecurities. Monica talks to Niko about what he heard Charlie telling Cora, and she's shocked that Cora put him in the bottom when he had confided in her. The next morning, Fernando tells Cora that he's going to continue to strategize, and while having breakfast he begins to subtly flirt with Jessie, making her laugh and getting her on his side. Monica immediately catches on to his plan but doesn't say anything to Jessie in order to not upset her before the challenge. The challenge consists of recording a commercial for a famous brand of soup , and Jessie wins easily with her natural charm. Everyone else does well except for Vanesa, who got nervous and bombed her commercial. After the challenge, Fernando cozies up to Jessie in order to get saved, and Monica explodes, telling Jessie that she can't trust Fernando. The girls get into a fight because Jessie can't understand why Monica would want to come in between her and Fernando; she thinks that Monica is just exaggerating. Cora stays quiet throughout, knowing that she's in danger of being in the bottom because of her unpopular move the previous week. During the elimination ceremony, Jessie chooses Fernando to share the Winner's Suite with her, angering Monica, who rolls her eyes. Jessie sees this and decides to replace her original pick for the bottom, Cora, with Monica, who's shocked and upset. Jessie also chooses Vanesa, since she was the only contestant to really do badly in the challenge. After the fan vote, Vanesa is eliminated, and the contestants, who have bonded with her, comfort her as she leaves.
* **Challenge:** Recording a commercial for a product
* **Winner:** Jessie
* **Winner's Suite Pick:** Fernando
* **Bottom 2:** Monica and Vanesa
* **Eliminated:** Vanesa

### Episode 4: "Week 4"

* **Summary:** Jessie and Fernando enter the Winner's Suite and make out after sharing a bottle of champagne. Cora isn't happy about Fernando seemingly casting her aside, and she confronts him the next morning. He reassures her and tells her that it's all part of the strategy. Guillaume sees this interaction and later talks to Fernando about how, between them, they've had romantic encounters with the majority of the female contestants. Niko, who was in the same room, is extremely annoyed with this mentality and distances himself from the other two. Monica tries to smooth things over with Jessie and after discussing the tension between them, they apologize to each other. The contestants are called into the main room to learn about the challenge: designing pop-up cafés in the downtown of San Myshuno. Jessie and Fernando are announced as the team leaders, and Jessie chooses Niko and Monica for her team, leaving Cora and Guillaume on Fernando's. Jessie's team quickly emerges as the better one, thanks to Monica and Jessie's extensive knowledge of city cafés, and Niko's culinary talents. During the challenge, Jessie and Niko bond over their shared love of romantic gestures. Fernando has trouble leading his team and their café doesn't offer a satisfactory service. The patrons cast their votes and Jessie's team wins by a landslide. Back at the house, the contestants all go into the hot tub, where Cora complains about how her team failed at everything, annoying everyone in the house. Fernando and Guillaume get out of the tub, and Monica demands to know what Cora's problem is. They get into a heated argument after Monica brings up Cora's previous scheming, and then bring Fernando into the fight when Monica calls him out. Cora yells at Fernando for being dishonest, which then prompts Monica to tell her that she's just as bad as he is. Jessie looks annoyed but stays quiet, and Cora storms away and locks herself in her room. Later, Niko is announced as the winner, thanks to the magnificent food he made during the challenge. He chooses Jessie to share the prize with him and pulls her to the side to discuss who to place in the bottom. Jessie thinks that Cora deserves to be eliminated, and Niko agrees since he hasn't forgotten about his promise to Charlie. Jessie, still annoyed about the earlier fight, asks Niko to put Monica in the bottom as well, in an effort to cut down on the constant fights. When these decisions are announced, Monica explodes, telling Jessie that she no longer trusts her. After the voting period, Cora is eliminated, and she leaves without saying goodbye to anyone.
* **Challenge:** Design pop-up cafés in downtown San Myshuno
* **Winner:** Niko
* **Winner's Suite Pick:** Jessie
* **Bottom 2:** Monica and Cora
* **Eliminated:** Cora

### Episode 5: "Week 5"

* **Summary:** After the elimination, Monica discusses creating an alliance with Guillaume. They agree that they're currently at a disadvantage, and secretly agree to help each other. Fernando, overhearing the conversation, convinces Guillaume to include him, and Monica later grudgingly agrees. In the Winner's Suite, Jessie thanks Niko for being so kind to her. They decide to not talk about the drama, further bonding over their hobbies instead. The next morning, there is a clear divide between the two alliances, though Jessie does greet Fernando with a kiss. Monica pointedly ignores her during the day, which leaves her to interact with the members of her alliance, whom she also doesn't quite like. Later, the contestants are tasked with interviewing famous socialite Bella Goth. Monica breezes through hers with her natural charisma, and Jessie also performs well. Guillaume comes off as snooty during his interview as he refers mostly to her money and not her current activities. Fernando forgets her daughter's name and flubs some questions. Though he was nervous before the challenge, Niko plays up his charm and easily wins over Bella, who laughs many times. Back at the house, Jessie consoles Fernando, who's worried that he'll be eliminated over his mistakes. Monica again keeps to herself, though Guillaume, who thinks she'll win the challenge, pulls her aside to remind her of their alliance. Later that night, Guillaume goes to the hot tub, where he's joined by Niko who's there to unwind after the day. Though they've never really interacted before, Guillaume soon warms up to Niko, who's feeling confident after his performance in the challenge. They share a bottle of wine, and after laughing and joking around about the other contestants, Guillaume finds himself very close to Niko. Noticing Guillaume's hand on Niko's leg, they both stop laughing and look at each other uneasily, and then Guillaume awkwardly says goodnight and leaves the tub. In the Winner's Suite, Niko asks vague questions to Jessie about how she could know if he's into someone, and she begins to suspect something is happening. The next day, Bella Goth enters the house and announces that she's going to be running the eliminations. She tells the contestants that the fans will have three choices for elimination that week: either of the bottom 2 nominees, or "Bella's choice". She then tells them that she has chosen Niko as her favorite, netting him a second win in a row. He again chooses Jessie for the winner's suite. While discussing who to place in the bottom, she surprisingly asks him to put Fernando in the bottom, stating that she's too distracted by him. He agrees and places Guillaume in the bottom 2 for the same reason, though he doesn't state this to the other contestants. Fernando is shocked and hurt that Jessie would accept putting him in the bottom and looks angry at her. Guillaume on the other hand isn't surprised he was chosen given his failure in the challenge and the awkward moment in the hot tub. After the voting period, Bella announces that the fans have chosen "Bella's choice" and she has complete control over the elimination. She states that, in the spirit of keeping the drama at max levels, she wouldn't be eliminating anyone. After the elimination ceremony, Guillaume tells Niko that there are no hard feelings, and he quickly kisses him on the cheek, leaving Niko troubled.
* **Challenge:** Interviewing Bella Goth
* **Guests:** Bella Goth
* **Winner:** Niko
* **Winner's Suite Pick:** Jessie
* **Bottom 2:** Guillaume and Fernando
* **Eliminated:** No one

### Episode 6: "Week 6"

* **Summary:** Niko and Jessie enter the Winner's Suite again, with Jessie expressing delight about being there four times already. She notices Niko's noncommittal answers and asks him if he has anything on his mind, but he doesn't answer truthfully. In the other room, Monica asks Guillaume if he's plotting something with Niko, since she had seen them talking earlier. He promises that he has nothing sneaky on his mind, and she rolls her eyes in disbelief. The next morning, Fernando asks Jessie why she suggested his being in the bottom. She admits that she wasn't happy about being distracted, but says she's happy he stayed. They then spend a long while cuddling on the couch. Guillaume finds Niko and they try to guess the upcoming challenge. Niko feels awkward about Guillaume's frequent physical contact, but says nothing. Later, the contestants are challenged with a series of physical endurance tasks. Niko surprises everyone by being quite good at each task. He takes out most of the other contestants and faces off with Monica for the challenge win. During the last task, he notices Guillaume looking at him with a smile on his face, and this gives him a boost of confidence that helps him take the win. Monica is angry at herself for losing the challenge, and she takes it out on her alliance partners. Guillaume quickly excuses himself while she accuses Fernando of cozying up to what she calls "the goody-two-shoes alliance". They yell at each other for a while before Monica walks off. Jessie and Niko, delighted about his win, discuss the events of the day in the suite. Niko comes clean to Jessie, admitting that he'd begun feeling attracted to Guillaume. She is surprised, noting that Guillaume had started the competition by being a brazen and straight playboy who had already hooked up with another contestant. She is suspicious about his intentions, since she thinks he could be using Niko to get to the top. She suggests that Niko choose Guillaume for the Winner's Suite in order to find out more about him. At the elimination ceremony, Niko is announced as the winner for the third time in a row, and he picks a surprised Guillaume to share the Winner's Suite with him. He chooses Monica and Fernando for the bottom 2 since he's sick of their constant bickering. After the voting period ends, Fernando is announced as the loser. As he's packing up to go, Jessie comes to him and tells him that she'll miss him. Though he's sore about being kicked out, he warmly tells her that he'll be happy to see her again outside the house, and she gives him a deep kiss before he walks out.
* **Challenge:** Physical endurance tasks
* **Winner:** Niko
* **Winner's Suite Pick:** Guillaume
* **Bottom 2:** Monica and Fernando
* **Eliminated:** Fernando

### Episode 7: "Week 7"

* **Summary:** In the Winner's Suite, Guillaume and Niko act uncomfortable around each other until Niko shyly asks him what his intentions are and if he's even into guys. Guillaume admits to being very into "the ladies", but that he feels drawn to Niko. Niko laughs it off, but visibly becomes more at ease. They decide to change the topic after Guillaume says that they should simply "see where things go". Niko soon moves to sit next to him and after talking for a while longer, rests his head on Guillaume's shoulder, which causes him to smile peacefully. In the kitchen, Monica decides to talk to Jessie once more, and she tries to understand why Jessie couldn't see that Fernando was using her. Jessie gets angry at the topic coming up again, and she tells Monica to give it a rest. They go to bed annoyed with each other, with Monica teasing Jessie about being replaced in the Winner's Suite. The next morning, the contestants gather in the living room, where they're told that they have to plan visual campaigns to gather support for their win, and that the Top 3 would have their campaigns printed on billboards and buses. The contestants quickly get to work using the props given to them; Jessie comes up with a cheerful campaign, Monica with a girl next door vibe, Niko with a goofy and approachable image, and Guillaume with a cheeky and flirty spread. After they're all photographed and they've finished their editing, they go back to the house. Niko and Guillaume talk about their day while Jessie sits with them, clearly amused by their low-key flirtation. Monica, meanwhile, sits in stony silence as she realizes that she's now the odd one out. The next day, they learn that their campaigns have been evaluated by a group of fans that choose Guillaume as the winner, with the consensus being that his posters were the most visually appealing. He's delighted to win, quickly choosing Niko for the Winner's Suite and saving him from the Bottom 2. He apologizes to Jessie, who brushes it off with a wink, saying that he chose the right person. Monica is upset that her alliance was worth nothing in the end since this was the fourth time she'd landed in the bottom. Before the elimination ceremony, she decides to make peace with Jessie since she was over the fighting and wanted to be friends again. Jessie is pleased to be friends with her again, and they promise to visit each other once the show is over. After the fan vote, Monica is eliminated. She looks upset at missing the Top 3, but she shakes it off and wishes everyone good luck. After the ceremony, the Top 3 celebrate with champagne and Niko drunkenly exclaims that he's so happy to have his two favorite people with him in the finale.
* **Challenge:** Shooting visual campaigns to promote the finale
* **Winner:** Guillaume
* **Winner's Suite Pick:** Niko
* **Bottom 2:** Jessie and Monica
* **Eliminated:** Monica

### Episode 8: "Finale"

* **Summary:** The finale begins with the final day of the competition. Niko wakes up to see that he's in Guillaume's arms, mostly naked. He freaks out, jumping out of the bed and startling Guillaume, who asks what the problem is. Niko expresses that he's not quite ready to go that far, making Guillaume chuckle, saying that nothing had happened. Jessie knocks and enters the room after Niko's shower. The Top 3 share their favorite moments from the competition, reminiscing about Niko's meteoric rise to the top, Guillaume's interesting character development, and Jessie's status as the show's sweetheart. Later, they get ready for the finale, where all the eliminated contestants would be returning for a reunion hosted by Bella Goth. After all the contestants are gathered, everyone had something to say. Cora and Fernando were both called out for their scheming, with Cora remaining mostly silent and Fernando defending himself vehemently. Vanesa tells Guillaume and Niko she's happy to see that they're now together, to which Niko responds that they're still "seeing where things go". Charlie then tells Vanesa that since Guillaume is now taken by someone else, he'd love to take her out, and she giggles, saying she'd consider it. Monica and Jessie rehash their problems, tensely discussing what went wrong, but end up strengthening their bond. Afterwards, Bella asks each contestant who they'd like to win. Monica, Fernando, and Cora choose Jessie, Vanesa chooses Guillaume, and Charlie chooses Niko. Then, Bella announces that the voting lines have closed. After a long pause, she declares that Jessie has received the least amount of votes, leaving her in third place. Jessie smiles brightly, saying that she didn't mind, and that she'd like Niko to win since he was one of the best people she knows. After a very long pause, Bella declares that Niko has won the fan vote and the cash prize. Niko looks shocked, but beams at everyone. All the contestants get up to cheer, and Guillaume pulls Niko close, telling him that he's thrilled about the outcome. The show ends with Niko pulling Guillaume in for their very first kiss.
* **Challenge:** No challenge
* **Guest:** Bella Goth
* **Third Place:** Jessie
* **Second Place:** Guillaume
* **Winner:** Niko

## After the show

* Three contestants have gone on to appear on Kev & Get It: Fernando on Season 1, Jessie on Season 2, and Monica has been announced as part of the Season 3 cast. SimTV encouraged each of the contestants to reapply for K&GI and it is rumored that if they do, they will get on the show.
* Both Fernando and Jessie expressed a certain distaste for the unfinished nature of the show, but ultimately appreciated the opportunity they were given.
* Niko collected his cash prize, but he declined the offer to shoot his own show for the network. Because of this refusal, the winners of Kev & Get It are contractually obligated by SimTV to film a TV show.
* The romantic relationships emerging from the show had different outcomes. Jessie and Fernando broke up after Jessie was able to watch the show and caught on to his scheming. Vanesa and Charlie began a relationship after their eliminations but kept it private. Niko and Guillaume ended up getting married after they started dating during the final episodes of the show. They currently live in a large villa and have two children and have expressed interest in returning to reality TV but have decided to wait until their children are older.
* Monica became a columnist for Vista Magazine, which she parlayed into a successful bid to become a contestant on K&GI.
* Cora, Vanesa, and Charlie have not made any public appearances since the finale of the show. Cora stated in a post-elimination interview with Gunoi! Magazine that she was retiring from the show business, while Vanesa and Charlie decided to move on with careers in the private sector.