BitLife is a life simulator app that has quickly taken over McLean students. It gives one the ability to create a fictional life; in the end, the outcomes of the life could earn the player a medal.

“At first I thought [BitLife] wouldn’t be interesting because it looked really plain, but as soon as I started playing it, it was just really intriguing,” sophomore Lan-Anh Dang-Vu said.

To go through life, the player presses the “age up” button to age. Depending on what country one is from in the game, there is the opportunity to take a drivers test at the legal age, graduate high school, and choose whether to go to college or start a career .

At the beginning of the life, one is born with a gender, parents, name, and nationality. This can be random, or personalized by choosing a name and nationality.

The first couple years of life are spent in elementary school. The options are limited at a young age; one could study in school, spend time with parents, and visit the doctor when sick. Other choices would pop up, like first kiss opportunities and being bullied. Depending on how the questions are answered, it will determine one’s high school years.

Once in high school, the number of opportunities and activities available grow. One can date someone, take the driver’s test, go to the gym and more. Throughout high school, it is important to keep up relationships with parents, and study in order to go to a good college and start a successful career, if that’s what the player wants.

Graduation from high school opens up even more opportunities. One can apply to university and choose a degree, enlist in the military, or jump straight into a the workforce by applying for a job. From there, the game starts to become more diverse depending on the player.

Relationships are a key aspect of the game. Starting in high school, available people pop up with a name and age. They also have four bars: looks, smarts, money, and craziness. One can opt to ask them on a date, but risk rejection by doing so.

Based on the player’s level of education, one can apply for different jobs. From there one can earn promotions and increase salary.

Houses and cars can also be purchased. The houses have a given number of bedrooms and bathrooms, each with different levels of conditions. The cars’ information show how old they are and what type they are. Based on economical status, one can either buy the car or house with cash or apply for a mortgage.

One earns different rewards and medals based on life choices. For example, having a lot of kids earns “fertile,” being financially successful earns “loaded,” and spending a large amount of time behind bars earns “scandalous.”