If you’ve ever thought that real life resembled a video game, well, you were right. Life can be thought of as just one big video game, and Oliver Emberton has written an awesome strategy guide on how to beat it. The best thing about it is you don’t even need to be familiar with video game concepts to be able to learn some potentially useful advice from it.

Here are some highlights:

As a young player, you’ll have lots of time and energy, but almost no experience. You’ll find 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.

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

Later in the game you’ll 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.

Check out the entire guide here.

[via Oliver Emberton]