Real life is a game of strategy. There are some fun mini-games like dancing, driving, running, and sex but the key to winning is simply managing your resources.

Most importantly, successful players put their time into the right things. Later in the game money comes into play, but your top priority should always be mastering where your time goes.

As a young player, you will have lots of time and energy, but almost no experience. Most things like the best jobs, possessions and partners are locked until you get some.

This is the time to level up your skills quickly. You will never have so much time and energy again.

Now that you are playing properly, your top priority is to assign your time as well as possible. Every single thing you do affects your state and your skills.

If your state gets too low in one area, your body will disobey your own instructions until your needs are met. Your willpower level is especially important.

Willpower fades throughout the day, and is refueled by eating, and completely by a good night’s sleep.

When your willpower is low, you are only able to do things you really want to. Every decision you have to make costs willpower.

A key part of playing the game is balancing your competing priorities with the state of your body. Do not leave yourself on autopilot, or you will never get anything done.

Your environment has a constant impact on your stats, skills, and your chances of levelling up. It is possible to play the game well almost anywhere, but it is a lot easier in certain places.

The odds of being born in the optimal location are virtually zero, so research your options, and consider moving early. Location is a multiplier to all of your skills and states.

Attraction is a complex mini-game in itself, but mostly a byproduct of how you are already playing. If you have excellent state and high skills, you are far more attractive already.

A tired, irritable, unskilled player is not appealing, and probably should not be looking for a relationship.

Early in the game it can be common to reject and be rejected by other players. This is normal, but unfortunately it can drain your state, as most players do not handle rejection or rejecting well.

You will need to expend willpower to keep going, and willpower is replenished by sleep, so give it time.

Finding someone comes down to being your most attractive self, which – like so much in life – just means putting your time in the right places.

Later in the game you will have to manage a new resource called money. Most players will find money increases throughout the early game, but that this actually introduces more problems, not less.

The most important rule of money is never to borrow it, except for things that earn you more back. Education or a mortgage can be worthwhile. Borrowing to buy new shoes is not.

Your options change as the game progresses. Marriage and children will reduce your time and energy, and introduce more random elements into the game. This makes it harder to develop yourself as quickly.

Older characters usually have more skills, resources and experience, unlocking quests that were previously impossible, like owning a house, or writing a good novel.

All players die after about 29,000 days, or 80 years. If your stats and skills are good, you might last a little longer. There is no cheat code to extend this.

At the start of the game, you had no control over who you were or your environment. By the end of the game that becomes true again.

Your past decisions drastically shape where you end up, and if you are happy, healthy, fulfilled, or not, in your final days there is far less you can do about it.

That is why your strategy is important. Because by the time most of us have figured life out, we have used up too much of the best parts.