# Virtual Families 3 — Family Life Simulator > Life simulation game where you adopt, raise, and manage a virtual family. (iPhone/iPad app by LDW Software, LLC.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-families-3/id1159846171 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [LDW Software, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/297606729) - Category: Games, Entertainment, Family, Simulation - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.80/5 from 110,647 App Store ratings · 1,268 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 9+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 273 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2020-09-28 - Data updated: 2026-08-29 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-families-3/id1159846171/reviews.md ## What is Virtual Families 3? The sequel to the smash hit mobile game “Virtual Families 2” is here! A note from the developer: Hi, and thanks for taking a look at Virtual Families 3! We have been working on it for quite a while, and we’re very happy to be able to finally share this new chapter with everyone. With Virtual Families 2 being downloaded over 40 million times, we are so grateful to our dedicated fans and humbled by all your kind words and support! You are the reason we set out to make the third chapter of Virtual Families! We spent years crafting an experience would live up to your expectations, and we plan to continue to listen to all your feedback to make it better with every update! Before you skip down to the bullet points and screenshots, let me say a few quick words about this game, and life simulations in general: I love life simulation games. I have always been passionate about designing them, and almost everything that comes out of Last Day of Work is a life sim of some kind. This one, in particular, thrills me so much because it is designed to have a life of its own: unpredictable and so different each time I play it, and each time another player plays it. I love that the story unfolds differently for everyone who plays it, and your experience with the game might be wildly different from your friends’ experiences. Designing this type of game, however, has its own special challenges. The main challenge is that EVERYTHING in life is a great idea to add to a game like this. There are SO many great ideas, and we simply cannot put them all in at launch. So, while I hope the game captivates you as much as it does us, there will inevitably be things that you feel are missing and you would love to see added (tell us!). We plan to update the content in this game. We want to add improved pets that are more like real life, more storyline, more events, tons of new things to buy, and the list goes on and on. We will also continue to tune and deepen all the game's inner workings that control happiness, health, and everything else. While the game has been balanced to be playable for free and without purchasing anything, we hope that you will find something compelling enough in the game to give us support so that we can continue to create fun new updates. Enjoy Virtual Families 3! Please visit our Facebook page and our forums to give us your own amazing ideas and suggestions, and don’t forget to check in on your little family or they will get very sad. :) With sincere gratitude, Arthur Humphrey Lead Designer, Last Day of Work Virtual Families 3 has all this and more: * Adopt a little person and start a family. Make babies and pass the house on to the kids! * Train your little people to behave as you wish by praising and scolding them. * Create your family the way you choose, with the same diversity that you would expect in real life! * Your little people will send you messages, thanking, pleading, and praising you for caring for them. * Runs in True Real Time. Your little people continue to live, eat, grow, and work when the app is switched off. * Your little family is in your time zone! Is it getting dark where you live? Your little family is probably getting ready for bed then... * Highly varied, unpredictable game play. No two games run the same. * Make babies. Cure illnesses. Help nurture and guide generations of your family. * Restore the house. Remodel rooms and add new ones. Shop and decorate. Recommended for people who enjoy Virtual Villagers and other life simulation games! Visit our Official Virtual Families site at www.VirtualFamilies.com for instructions, strategy guides, and much more! LDW games have been awarded with: * Sim Game of the Year – Game Tunnel * The Zeebys – Gamezebo * Parents Choice Recommended Award * iParenting Media Award Check out our other hit games like Virtual Town, Fish Tycoon, Virtual Villagers, and more at https://itunes.apple.com/us/developer/ldw-software-llc/id297606729 ## Key features - Adopt and start a family - Raise children and pass down the house - Train and guide family members - Diverse family creation options - Real-time family interaction - Unpredictable life events ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Payday Advance | $1.99 | one-time | | Minor Windfall | $4.99 | one-time | | Major Windfall | $9.99 | one-time | | Rich Uncle | $19.99 | one-time | | Food Club | $1.99 | one-time | | Lucky Rock | $1.99 | one-time | | VIP Lounge Access | $1.99 | one-time | | Time Warp | $1.99 | one-time | | No more interruptions | $1.99 | one-time | | Advanced Career Training | $0.99 | one-time | | Minor Windfall | $3.99 | one-time | | Minor Windfall | $2.99 | one-time | | Rich Uncle | $9.99 | one-time | | Major Windfall | $4.99 | one-time | | Major Windfall | $7.99 | one-time | ## Chart rankings - #146 in Top Free · Family (US App Store) - #67 in Top Grossing · Family (US App Store) ## What do users think of Virtual Families 3? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🚀 Fun game - 👍 Diverse characters - 👍 Same-sex marriage option - 👍 Parents can share baby care - 👍 Nostalgic for long-time players **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent glitches and bugs - 💰 Expensive upgrades and items - 💰 Difficult to earn money - 🕰️ Slow progression and gameplay - 🐛 Disappearing items and features **Commonly reported bugs** - Disappearing babies and children - Furniture and items getting stuck or lost - Inconsistent aging and family tree issues - Frequent network and loading errors - Broken appliances and malfunctions **Most requested features** - More interactive events and activities - Ability to customize character appearances - Easier career progression and income - Addition of pets, vehicles, and more locations - Better story and lore for the ghost girl ## Recent user reviews (10 of 1,268) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-families-3/id1159846171/reviews.md ### 3/5 — The “pause game” option does not actually work. *2026-08-23, version 2.4.9* I’ve played the original virtual families as a child, and now that I’ve gotten a little older and decided to revisit the nostalgic game, I seen there was a VF3 and decided to give this a try. It’s a cute, fun time waster. The only issue I have is regarding the “pause” button as it doesn’t actually work. I don’t think any adult with a functioning job or life has the time to be on a mobile game all day and night. I paused the game, but evidently the function doesn’t work because when I checked back in on my game 10 years had passed and my entire family was on the brink of death. This has happened multiple times, and every time it says my game is paused I come back to a significant amount of time having passed. It’s a fun game, and cute but I had to stop playing it solely because of that factor… I don’t have time to sit on it all day everyday, and I would like if the pause button actually worked instead of expecting to resume it where I’ve left off only to find my little family all deceased. ### 3/5 — 10 years *2026-08-22, version 2.4.9* I always loved it, which is why I’m especially frustrated that I’m writing this review now. My couple had twins, and I got the congratulations message saying “Oh Baby Baby.” It showed that I had received the prize, but after I clicked “OK,” the game went to the loading screen. When it finished loading, the kids were just not there. The twins completely disappeared, and I didn’t actually receive the prize either. I really hope this is just a glitch that can be fixed because it’s disappointing to experience something like this, especially after playing and loving this game for so many years. ### 2/5 — Game inflation is dumb *2026-08-13, version 2.4.9* Listen I absolutely love this game and have been playing it and it’s other versions since I was a kid. But it’s always been a greedy game. I understand the developers need to make money somehow, but the money value in this game is so awful. Everything in the game goes up in price as you progress, but you’re never making more. Sure the resort is a decent money maker but an hour to get a thousand coins is so lame knowing it costs upwards of 11000 coins to get upgrade the resort. I would be more likely to buy the money packs if they weren’t so expensive for something I’m gonna run out of after upgrading one room. It takes forEVERRR to save up coins to upgrade almost everything. ### 2/5 — I love the franchise but this is insanely slow going *2026-08-12, version 2.4.9* It takes irl WEEKS to just get to 3k gold and even thats barely enough to afford anything in game. A single pitcher of water for the resort is around 1100 and dont even get me started on getting my people to master careers. It goes past 8 now? I love this game but i need the money making to be faster its been a month and i cant make it past 5k this is crazy ### 4/5 — Game freezing while loading *2026-08-12, version 2.4.9* I love this game a lot, I enjoy playing it, but every time I try to open the game, it gets stuck on the loading screen. I have to delete the app, and redownload it for it to even start up again. I really enjoy playing this game, if this is something that could be worked on in the next update that would be amazing. Thank you! ### 4/5 — My favourite game! *2026-08-09, version 2.4.9* I really do love this game it’s so nostalgic for me. I love the music, the decorating and the cozy vibes. The only few things i wished this game had were more frequent updates, a way we could uniquely customise our characters, better money packages and more fun interesting storylines like the little girl and her doll and also the story at the resort. Other than that this game is so comforting and fun to play if i had the time i’d literally play for hours. ### 4/5 — Love the childhood game *2026-08-04, version 2.4.8* I grew up playing this game love it soo. The only thing I would change is things about the family’s resort. I like that the family can travel now but it’s hard to earn money to buy furniture and resort room upgrades. I feel that the guess that comes to the resort should pay for their stay so we can unlock and buy furniture easier. My house is decked out but the resort 👎🏽. ### 5/5 — Love this game *2026-08-03, version 2.4.8* I love this game so much it’s so fun ### 4/5 — Fun and entertaining *2026-07-31, version 2.4.8* Not getting 5 stars because it takes a long time to earn money even with the free coins from watching videos. ### 5/5 — So nostalgic ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ *2026-07-24, version 2.4.7* I really love this game played as a kid took me ages to remember the day but I finally got it back. I love the new resort definitely needs an update so we can make income with the resort and interact more with visitors as the story about the place is unfinished. The home itself is definitely an upgrade! Just needs updates where maybe you can visit other people’s homes, cook different things, new interactions, pets do more, when the kids go to college maybe we can visit them etc. Definitely worth 5 stars all good with this app!!! ## Frequently asked questions about Virtual Families 3 ### What is Virtual Families 3? Virtual Families 3 is a life simulation game where you adopt a person, start a family, and guide them through their lives. You can train them, help them make important decisions, and watch your family grow and evolve over generations. ### What are the key features of Virtual Families 3? Key features include adopting a person to start a family, raising children, passing down the family home, training family members through praise and scolding, creating diverse families, and experiencing real-time interactions and unpredictable life events. ### Is Virtual Families 3 free to play? The game is free to play and can be enjoyed without making any purchases. However, it does offer in-app purchases that can enhance the gameplay experience, and it also includes advertisements. ### What devices is Virtual Families 3 compatible with? The game is designed for mobile devices and is available on platforms like iOS and Android. It runs in true real-time, meaning events continue to unfold even when you are not actively playing the game. ### What are common use cases for Virtual Families 3? Players use Virtual Families 3 to experience the joys and challenges of raising a family in a virtual environment. It's used for casual entertainment, strategic life management, and to explore different family dynamics and life paths. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.4.9 — 2026-08-06 Bug fixes and SDK updates ### 2.4.8 — 2026-07-29 Bug fixes and SDK updates ### 2.4.7 — 2026-01-26 Bug fixes and SDK updates ### 2.4.6 — 2025-10-08 Unity updates ### 2.4.5 — 2025-10-01 Bug fixes and updates ## Apps similar to Virtual Families 3 | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Virtual Families 2 Dream House](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-families-2-dream-house/id575271654) | 4.4 (21,723) | Free | Games | | [The Sims™ FreePlay](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-sims-freeplay/id466965151) | 4.6 (458,369) | Free | Games | | [Home Street: Virtual House Sim](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/home-street-virtual-house-sim/id1220091672) | 4.6 (35,576) | Free | Games | | [Tizi Daycare Babysitter Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tizi-daycare-babysitter-games/id1543839477) | 4.7 (10,759) | Free | Games | | [BitLife - Life Simulator](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bitlife-life-simulator/id1374403536) | 4.8 (1,788,562) | Free | Games | | [Mother Life Simulator Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mother-life-simulator-game/id1467924305) | 4.6 (73,103) | Free | Games | ## More apps by LDW Software, LLC - [Fish Tycoon](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fish-tycoon/id297606726) - [Fish Tycoon Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fish-tycoon-lite/id298856977) - [Virtual Villagers 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-villagers-2/id306610000) - [Virtual Villagers 2 Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-villagers-2-lite/id308377432) - [Virtual Families](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-families/id320300350) - [Virtual Families Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-families-lite/id323390111) All apps by LDW Software, LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/297606729 ## Related topics [nanny mania](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/nanny-mania) · [virtual family games](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/virtual-family-games) · [my family](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/my-family) · [family simulator games](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/family-simulator-games) · [start family](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/start-family) · [family simulator](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/family-simulator) · [virtual families](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/virtual-families) · [virtual families 3](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/virtual-families-3) · [family sim games](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/family-sim-games) · [virtual life](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/virtual-life) · [fun family simulation games](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/fun-family-simulation-games) · [beach life](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/beach-life) · [my family home](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/my-family-home) · [family village](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/family-village) · [tiny family](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/tiny-family) · [family life simulator](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/family-life-simulator) · [make your own family](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/make-your-own-family) · [virtual families 2 dream house](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/virtual-families-2-dream-house) · [families](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/families) · [virtual town](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/virtual-town) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*