The ability to capture in-game screenshots to remember the best moments of your gameplay is a very important mechanic to have n life simulation games. Paralives has an exclusive mode dedicated entirely to this, allowing you not only to take in-game screenshots but also to craft the scene and let your imagination run free.

Let’s take a look at the Paralives Photo Mode!

What is Photo Mode?

Photo mode does exactly what it sounds like: it helps you take better in-game pictures. While in photo mode, time stops, and you can freely move your Paras, apply filters, select poses, set the time of day, and much more!

How to access the Photo Mode in Paralives

Using photo mode is pretty simple. Photo mode is already integrated into the game, and you can open it with the camera icon at the top of the screen, press the P key, or rebind it to any key you prefer (more on that in the next topic).

How to rebind keys for Photo Mode in Paralives

The first thing I adjusted in my game was the photo mode key binding. It’s set to P by default, but I’m so accustomed to using P to pause that I had to remap it. Luckily, the devs considered this, and rebinding is simple.

When in live mode, open the “…” (Options Menu) and click on Settings:

Then go to the “Key Bindings” tab and look for “Photo Mode.” Click on the current key binding, and a pop-up saying “Key Rebinding” will appear. You can enter whatever key you want, just be careful not to assign the same key to multiple functions.

And that’s it!

Key Features of Paralives Photo Mode

Photo Mode’s key features are divided into two categories: “Situation” and “Image Effects”. “Situation” lets you adjust: Time of Day, Animation, Animation Time, and Para Censoring. “Image Effects” gives you control over Depth of Field, Filter Type, and Filter Intensity.

How to use Paralives Photo Mode

Using Paralives photo mode is very intuitive. In this section, we’ll show you how each category in photo mode works.

Situation Category

When entering photo mode, you’ll notice that the characters stop their animations and become static, with no expressions. This happens because photo mode resets their current animations to the first frame. But don’t worry! You’ll be able to adjust everything. In the Situation category, you’ll be able to change the Time of Day, Animation, Animation time, and Para Censoring.

Time of Day

To start learning about Photo Mode, you can begin by adjusting the time of day you want the picture to be set in.

Animation

Select a character (by clicking on it) and choose an “Animation” for them. If you leave it unset, they’ll continue with their current default animation. All the in-game animations are present, so you can choose any you want!

Changing your Parafolk’s Location

You can adjust your Parafolk’s location by clicking on them once. This way, you can drag them wherever you want to fit your picture!

Animation Time

You can adjust the animation by changing the “Animation Time” in the photo mode menu. This allows you to take more control over your intended picture.

Bring more people in!

You can drag any Parafolk in the area into your picture and also choose any animation for them.

Para Censoring & Censoring Effects

To finish the “Situation” category, you can also select “Para Censoring” to introduce censoring into the screenshot. It works not only by pixelating but also by allowing you to select different types of stickers to censor your Parafolk. You can choose the censoring location in “Para Censoring” and the type of censoring in “Censoring Effects”, which will appear after you select any “Para Censoring” option.

Image Effects Category

You will find much more to customize your photos with the Image Effects category, without needing external software. In the Image Effects category, you’ll be able to adjust the Depth of Field, Filter, and Filter Intensity. Let’s take a look!

Depth of Field

Under Image Effects, Depth of Field controls the sharpness range around your focus point. Once activated, you can fine-tune it with Focus Distance, Focal Length, and Aperture to get the perfect in-game shot with no external editing needed!

Filter & Filter Intensity

There are also many filters built into the game that you can use to enhance your storytelling.

How to locate Photo Mode pictures in your local files

The photos you took with photo mode are for now being saved on your desktop in a folder named “ParalivesPhotoMode“.

Other tips for taking in-game screenshots

Hide Interface

You can remove the interface with Ctrl+H to take cleaner screenshots in live mode and capture real moments from your Parafolk without needing to open Photo Mode!

Getting in style! Change outfits for your pictures

Don’t forget to change your Parafolk’s outfit before starting to take pictures! The easiest way is to simply click on your Parafolk and select “Change Outfit”.

Get the walls up when taking pictures

In Paralives, after loading into a lot, players typically toggle the walls down. For photo mode, though, remember to raise the walls for a more realistic look in your screenshots!

Wrapping it up!

The photo mode is a thoughtful addition by the Paralives team, allowing players to capture better screenshots without external software. You can move your Parafolk, pose them, apply filters, and more, all with in-game features!

Now we want to hear from you! What do you think about photo mode? Are you using it during your gameplay? Let us know in the comments! And don’t forget to check out the Paralives section for more about the game!