Last Day of Work (LDW), the premier independent casual game studio, today announced the launch of their latest virtual life simulation game, Virtual Families. In the game, players adopt a character who then begins a life: choosing if they want to marry, deciding whether to have children, furthering their career, all with the help and guidance of the player. Virtual Families focuses on the true aspects that make a family unique, from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, displaying life in all its drama and glory.

In the same vein as the past hit LDW series, Virtual Villagers, Virtual Families runs in true real-time, meaning that when the player’s computer is shut off, the game continues to progress, with the family members evolving and growing, based on what the player has taught them, even when no one is interacting with them. The game is set in bucolic suburbia and features a gorgeous hand-drawn scrolling map with a house and garden. It employs sophisticated artificial-intelligence and a varied selection of characters with quirky personalities to adopt and take care of.

“We found that fans of Virtual Villagers were creating story lines about their favorite villagers, pairing up their favorite characters with each other and building a narrative out of their lives,” said Arthur Humphrey, founder of Last Day of Work. “This inspired us to create a game that really focuses on these relationships. This game is about life, family and drama. There’s a little family living in your computer that interacts with you, writes emails to you and depends on you for their happiness and well-being.”

There are various hurdles that appear throughout Virtual Families, from moral dilemmas - including whether or not to keep a package that was inadvertently delivered to your home, or if you should send your daughter to Paris for a modeling contract - to real-life situations such as illness, allergies, promotions and chores. Also included along the way are mini-puzzles, where family members have to find hidden objects throughout their home and garden, and trophies that can be acquired after reaching various goals throughout their journey.

Virtual Families is now available for download from www.VirtualFamilies.com at a price of $19.95.