Paceville nightlife in Malta Living: clubs, drinks and risky moves

Plenty of nights out in Malta end up in Paceville, the party district in the St Julian's area, and Paceville nightlife in Malta Living works the same way. Malta Living is a free browser life sim that runs on Malta time, so when your clock says 23:00 the strip is lit up for real: neon signs, festoon lights across St George's Road, club roofs pulsing and searchlights over Sky Club.

Outside the game, Paceville sits on the hill between Spinola Bay and St George's Bay, and the tourism authority calls it Malta's main nightlife area. Here's the game's version.

St Julian's clubs on the Paceville strip

• Tokyo Club is the club on the strip, with neon, Japanese signs, gentle strobes and an anime screen inside. It's open all day. Happy hour starts at 21:00, with shots at €2 until 23:00, and the DJ is on from 22:00. The kebab shop is out front.
• Sky Club is Paceville's big club, from 22:00 till 4. A mojito is €10, a tequila drops to €4 from 22:00 to 23:00, and water is on the house after 02:00. For the big night there's a VIP table for €500 or a round for the whole club for €1,000, each once a day, and the DJ calls your name on the mic.
• Club Shady is made up, and it looks the part: bare bulbs that flicker, a broken sign, crates and a card table. It's open 22:00 till 4 and quiet by day. A can of Cisk, the Maltese lager, is €3 and tap water is free. There's a snooker table too.

Drinks, and how drunk you get

Drinks raise your drink level, shown in a pill under the top bar: Merry, then Tipsy, Drunk and Wasted. Tap it to see when you'll be sober again.

From Tipsy your car stays parked, and Get around picks an eCab for you. Drunk, you can't work and your chat lines slur a little (Settings can turn that off). Wasted, the bar only pours water. Push past that and you pass out, then come round at home with the eCab paid and some of your cash gone missing.

Risky moves, and how they backfire

Some cards are risky: a thin red edge, a red Risky chip and a red €. They never show your chances.

After dark that means selling roses on the strip without a licence, slipping into Tokyo Club without paying, or, down Club Shady's back alley, doing a shady deal or carrying a package with no questions asked. A risky move takes 10 tense seconds. Tap Act natural when it shows up and it really does help. If it works, you get the money (or the night in). If not, you're caught: a warning, a fine or the cell.

Every risky move raises your heat, shown as stars from ★ Noticed to ★★★★★ Most wanted, and it cools a star every 2 hours. At four stars the bouncers at Tokyo Club and Club Shady know your face and charge you to get in. Once you have heat, a fixer outside each club might wipe your heat and your record clean, take your money, or sell you out.

The cell at Valletta Police Station

Caught and sent down, you're in the cell at Valletta Police Station, in Valletta, the capital. PC Borg watches the door and Sgt Grech the desk. The meals, the bunk, the toilet and the shower are free, and you can do push-ups while you wait.

1. Pay bail. It's set by what you're worth and your record.
2. Call a lawyer. Always cheaper than bail, and back in about 3 minutes. Win, and you're out with your record clean. Lose, and the fee is gone, but bail and the break-out are still open.
3. Try to break out. A 25-second game: dig while the guard walks off, freeze when he's at your door. Heard three times, you're caught, and a failed try adds 10 minutes.
4. Ask friends for bail. Send a card to a club or group chat, or ask anyone in the game. The first to pay gets you out.

A Malta night out with friends

Paceville nightlife is better with people. Go with your club (our guide to making friends in a multiplayer life sim explains how), and if the clubs get too much, move on to a house party at a friend's place. If you'd rather play your luck than risk the cell, the Casino on Spinola Bay is in St Julian's too. New to the game? Start with our Malta life simulator guide, or play Malta Living free in your browser.

Questions people ask

Where is Paceville in Malta?

Paceville is in the St Julian's area, on the hill between Spinola Bay and St George's Bay, and Visit Malta calls it Malta's main nightlife area.

What time do the clubs open in Malta Living?

Sky Club and Club Shady open from 22:00 till 4 in Malta time. Tokyo Club is open all day, with happy hour from 21:00 and the DJ from 22:00.

What happens if you get caught on a risky move?

You get a warning, a fine or time in the cell at Valletta Police Station: 30 minutes, or 2 hours for something serious. A warning or a fine stays on your record for 12 hours and a cell trip for 24.

Can a friend bail you out in Malta Living?

Yes. From the cell, Ask friends for bail sends a card to a chat or to anyone you search for, and the first person to pay it gets you out, wherever they are in the game.