InZOI

''InZOI'' (stylized ''inZOI'') is a life simulation game developed by inZOI Studio and published by Krafton. The game was released in early access for Windows on 28 March 2025. On June 9, 2025, during Apple's WWDC 2025, Craig Federighi announced that the game will be released on macOS alongside "consoles" in 2025.

Gameplay

''InZOI'' features many of the same mechanics previously seen in other life simulators like character creation, building tools, needs, social interactions, careers, education, relationships, families, skills, aging, and death. There are eight needs, including hunger, hygiene, bathroom, fun, social, energy, sleep, and recognition. The game features careers, where the player can make the Zoi fulfill certain tasks in various roles.

In ''InZOI'', the player is an intern at AR COMPANY, a virtual reality firm, whose job is to manage a neighborhood of virtual people called "Zoi". The purpose of this mechanic is to manage the karma system within the world. Gameplay takes place in a variety of open world environments, where players can direct their characters and vehicles by point and click or by direct control. Players can customize their characters and houses how they desire, as well as edit the world scenery via the "city edit" mode. The game features two open worlds available at launch: Dowon, a dense metropolis inspired by Seoul, and Bliss Bay, a coastal city inspired by Santa Monica; Kucingku (previously Cahaya), a resort town inspired by Bali, is slated for release in a free DLC. Additional worlds based on locales in Asia, Europe, and Oceania are also planned.

''InZOI'' allows for the use of generative AI to create in-game patterns and objects. It has a custom furniture maker. Players can share their creations and find new ones through the in-game "Canvas" tool. ''InZOI'' will also come with plugins to allow for easy mod creation.

InZOI supports various motion capture tools, such as real time facial tracking and full-body motion capture. InZOI uses the Metahuman "Live Link Face" app for Unreal Engine to capture facial expressions via mobile device.

Development

''InZOI'' is published by South Korean game publisher Krafton. The producer and director for ''inZOI'' is Hyungjun "Kjun" Kim. The game is developed using Unreal Engine 5. The development of ''inZOI'' began in early 2023. The game's development team was composed of industry veterans known for their work on high-profile simulation games. The team sought to integrate advanced AI algorithms that drive character behavior, making each Zoi's actions and interactions as lifelike as possible''.'' A significant aspect of the game's development focused on the "Canvas" tool. an integrated system designed for creators to share their custom content.

The macOS version of InZOI, announced at WWDC 2025, is scheduled to be released on August 20, 2025.

Modding

InZOI supports modding, with official mod support starting in May 2025
ModKit tutorials
are available on YouTube.

Marketing

''InZOI'' was first unveiled through a gameplay demo at G-STAR 2023. It provided a first look at the character creation, build mode, city edit, world environment, weather, and gameplay. One reporter noted that the use of Unreal Engine 5 offers "lifelike graphics" and "underscores KRAFTON's dedication to delivering a visually stunning and immersive simulation experience".

On 28 May 2024, a collaborative contest between CLO Virtual Fashion and ''inZOI'' called CONNECT x inZOI Every Style Tells a Story was announced. The contest was ran for participants to create 3D digital fashion for prize money and a chance of their assets being represented in-game. There were four categories including Master of Trends Award, Elegant Comfort Award, Creative Casual Award, and Refined Everyday Award, for a total of 15 winners. It ran from 30 May 2024 until 12 July 2024. Winners were announced on 8 August 2024.

On 21 August 2024, as part of Krafton's showcase at the 2024 Gamescom held in Cologne, Germany, an ''inZOI'' booth was set up for attendees to demo the game. People who took part received fake employee badges with their names and avatars created in game. The booth also marketed their collaboration with Samsung Display, with 13 of their concept products being recreated inside ''inZOI''. The booth was made to resemble the fictional company, AR COMPANY, alongside a large recreation of Psycat – a prominent character in the game and promotional material – descending on the booth.

''inZOI Character Studio'', a character creation program, was released on 20 August 2024 on Steam. It was available for a limited time, and was removed by 25 August 2024. It gained 18,000 concurrent players at one point.

Commercial partnerships

The game features in-game product placements from various real-world brands, such as Samsung Electronics, Samsung Display, LG Electronics, and Hyundai Motor. In the future, collaborations might expand also to jewelry brands.

Reception

InZOI received mixed to positive reception from critics and players during its early access launch. The game sold over 1 million copies within its first week of early access release, marking the fastest sales milestone ever achieved by a title published by Krafton.

Commercial performance

InZOI achieved significant commercial success immediately following its early access launch on March 28, 2025. The game ranked first on Steam's Global Top Wishlists one day before launch and rose to number one on Steam's Global Top Sellers List within 40 minutes of release. The game peaked at 87,377 concurrent players on Steam and reached 175,000 concurrent viewers on Twitch, ranking third in the platform's Games Category.

The game's Canvas user-generated content platform demonstrated strong community engagement, with over 1.2 million players interacting on launch day and more than 470,000 pieces of content uploaded.

Critical reception

Positive reception

Critics and players widely praised InZOI's visual presentation and character creation tools. GameSpot described the game as "gorgeous, innovative, and brimming with potential," noting its "mind-blowing" visual quality and "stunning" character creator. The game's use of Unreal Engine 5 was particularly highlighted, with reviewers noting the photorealistic graphics and detailed character models.

The building and customization tools received significant praise. Game Rant noted that the character creation process was "nothing short of incredible" and that the building tools offered "extensive options" that would appeal to fans of life simulation games. The ability to customize city elements, including weather, traffic, and environmental details, was highlighted as a unique feature that distinguished it from competitors.

Initial Steam user reviews were largely positive, with the game maintaining a "Very Positive" rating of 86% at launch.

Negative reception

Despite visual praise, critics identified significant gameplay and content limitations. GameSpot's review noted that while the game was "impressive, immersive, and brimming with potential," it suffered from "sterility and lifelessness" that made it difficult to find enjoyable. GamesRadar+ described the game as currently feeling "like a soulless imitation of the worst parts of The Sims," criticizing the lack of meaningful interaction between characters.

Several reviewers noted that the core life simulation mechanics felt shallow. Expert Game Reviews described the experience as "beautiful but hollow," noting that while the creative tools justified the price, the gameplay lacked "the chaotic unpredictability that makes life simulators addictive."

Performance issues were reported by some players, with complaints about the game not running well even on lower settings and various simulation bugs. Some critics noted that many positive Steam reviews came from players with limited playtime, suggesting the initial reception may not reflect long-term gameplay satisfaction.

Controversy and declining reception

InZOI faced growing controversy regarding its use of generative AI features, which contributed to a shift in community sentiment. By May 2025, the game experienced its first period where negative Steam reviews outnumbered positive ones, with 182 negative reviews versus 148 positive reviews over a seven-day period.

Metacritic scores ranged from 60 to 80 for early access reviews, with critics noting that while the game showed promise, it felt like "more style than substance" and needed significant development to distinguish itself from competitors.

See also

* ''The Sims''
* ''Paralives''

References

External links

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* {{MobyGames, id=/239678

Video games developed in South Korea
Upcoming video games
Windows games
Unreal Engine 5 games
Life simulation games
Cyberpunk video games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
PlayStation 5 games
Xbox Series X and Series S games
Early access video games
Video games set in South Korea