Customize your avatar to create a unique identity.

Meet new friends, go on quests and explore fascinating locations.

Go fishing, get a job or play games to earn some dollars.

Are you bored with your life? Get a Second Life and be the person you’ve always wanted to be! Second Life is the biggest virtual game out there, and there’s no denying its appeal. This grown-up digital world is full of excitement, intrigue and experiences waiting to be known.

When you first start, you can choose an avatar, which you can always change later on. Second Life is free to play but requires a client to be downloaded. You can also register for a premium account, which will let you build your own home in the game. Once in, you are welcomed in the new resident lounge, where you can read signs and tutorials about playing the game. You can use your Left, Right, Up and Down arrow keys to move your avatar. You can also use your mouse to click on an area where you want your avatar to go. There’s also a helpful control box on the bottom to make your avatar walk, run or fly.

Adding friends and chatting is done by right-clicking on avatar and choosing the appropriate action. When someone chats or adds you as a friend, you’ll get a notification box that should appear on the right side of your screen. To interact with objects, right-click on it and select “Touch”. You can also talk to people using voice chat, just be sure to have a microphone installed.

One of the best things with Second Life is the extent of customization you can do to your avatar. You can edit clothing, body parts, skin and hair color and facial features. You can do this by right-clicking on your avatar and selecting “Edit My Appearance”. A box to the left appears, with a list of outfits and other customization options available to you. Oh, and you can be a Vampire instead of a human being!

While Second Life is a virtual world game, there are no actual goals or missions to accomplish. This means that you are free to explore the many locations and make friends, even start relationships. Just like the real world, you have to earn money (called Linden dollars) for you to buy stuff. There are many ways to earn in Second Life, but the most common ones are playing games like the Fish Hunt, where you earn a few L$ by going fishing, or Gold Hunt, where you search for hidden coins in a specific game location. If you want to get Linden dollars the easy way, you may purchase some for real money at the LindeX.

Having jobs inside the Second Life world is also possible, and you can be a dancer, shop attendant, an architect or a clothes designer. Some of these jobs require real-life skills or you must be available at certain times when you need to work. You can also bring real life events into the virtual world and invite fellow Second Lifers into a birthday bash or even a wedding!

Second Life has the best-looking 3D graphics of its genre. There are hundreds of great destinations that are designed beautifully, and just visiting these fascinating virtual worlds is a reward on their own. There are tons of animations to add personality to your avatar, from chuckling to dancing. Sound and music are mostly provided by the destination you are visiting, and most of them are often modern and contemporary.

Fans of the virtual gaming genre is sure to find everything they need and more in Second Life. It might take a bit of time to learn for new players, but there are tons of forums and guides out there to help out. For anyone who wants to transform into a whole new person, it’s time to try Second Life.