inZOI Another Life Simulation Game in Early Development

[Kimi]

That's nuts to me!

[Klinn]

I am making the assumption that Anna's bad dream in some way foreshadowed her accident and death, but that may actually just have been a coincidence. I guess if a similar situation appears in the future I can test that assumption.  Long term hopefully as more people get experience with that game, or some dig into the code itself, we'll know for sure.

[RedMallie]

Yes, and it's good that you shared your observation of Anna's demise and her dreaming; that way wheeeeeeeeennnn I get to play more, I could check out your assumption as well.

[FzzyDg8]

@RedMallie I like your Zoi.

[RedMallie]

 

 Hello dear @FzzyDg8!!!!

[FzzyDg8]

Hi, @RedMallie!

[Klinn]

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Anna Artsy can paint cats, dogs, and even cats with dogs!   There seem to be a lot more potential images to paint. Not sure if that's because a bunch were added in a patch, or if the game gives female artists a larger selection by default.

 

Another interesting wrinkle in creating new families -- if you try to create a family consisting all young adult sisters and / or brothers, it can't be done. When selecting the relationship between family members, brother or sister is not available unless you've created some parents and made the other Zois under them. No parents, no siblings.

 

[RedMallie]

The painting looks great, but that about no parents no siblings is WTF? 

[Klinn]

It seems like at the moment the devs have provided fairly limited options for who makes up a "family" or more precisely, who can be the occupants of a house or apartment. It's either a traditional family with parents and kids, or a group of roommates. We can imagine, for example, that the two male young adults sharing an apartment are actually brothers just starting out on their own and sharing expenses, but the game doesn't recognize them as such.

Would be nice if it could, and then have some sibling-specific dialogue choices that reflect their sibling relationship. "Mom always liked you best!" 

[Kimi]

I love that you are still playing and giving your game updates, thoughts and feelings. While I played for a few hours, I haven't been back to the game. I knew going in it was early access and not complete but I am impatient.  I know I'll go back when there are more features and they have added more gameplay. 

[Klinn]

Kimi, I'm hoping my updates at least provide some amusement for my fellow inmates. 

What's keeping me going at the moment is the prospect of making mods. That's what ultimately held my interest in TS3 as well. I enjoy tinkering, thinking of a game as a toy box and rearranging all the bits that make it work.

[RedMallie]

I agree with Kimi in that your input and your posts and pictures are extremely helpful and even motivating. I also want more things and features to make the game my own, if this is ever possible. And I think that it might be possible with mods.

Soooo, I'm soo much looking forward to the devs giving you a useful mod making platform!!!! I know I would enjoy checking out what you make for this game as much as I STILL enjoy your mod for TS3.  

[Kimi]

23 hours ago, Klinn said:

Kimi, I'm hoping my updates at least provide some amusement for my fellow inmates. 

I am enjoying your gameplay reports and updates! I know that you'll let us know when there is something fantastic! Thank you, Klinn.

[FzzyDg8]

@Klinn Are you playing the Beta version or has the Official version been released yet?

[Klinn]

I'm playing the early access version currently available on Steam.

I don't think the final 1.0 release version will appear for a year or so.

[Rosewin]

[FzzyDg8]

@Klinn Thanks.  I was hoping that the final version would come some time this year.  All-in-all, are you happy with it?

[Klinn]

The current roadmap lists updates to the end of 2025 so presumably the final release will not happen until some time in 2026.

I'm enjoying the early access release. Certainly got my $40 worth of fun out of it already considering I've already played it for over 100 hours!   The basic framework is there but needs work to streamline how certain features are used and to add others. But that's what early access is for. The roadmap has promised not just more content "stuff" but gameplay additions like a memory system for Zois so they behave more naturally (I always liked that in TS2). I hope the creation and management of families is changed so it's more generalized rather than on a game-by-game basis. That should be feasible in the game as it stands.

There are several things I wish were done differently but I suspect they are so deeply embedded in the game that they'll never be changed:

1. I don't think their specific sequence of life stages is as well structured as it could be.
2. The majority of the buildings in the game world are deco only. I wish we could clear out more of the lots to build our own creations (or download cool stuff from other builders).
3. Routing or pathing of your Zois is fine for interiors of buildings, so-so for maneuvering around other Zois, and absolutely atrocious for large open game world spaces, with the beach in Bliss Bay being the worst.

But would I buy it again? You bet!  Can't wait to experiment with making mods.

[RedMallie]

*keeps taking notes* 

[FzzyDg8]

[Klinn]

.

Hey fella, given what happened to Anna Artsy a short while ago, do you really think it's wise to stick your arms into a broken machine filled with flames and electricity?

Just a suggestion pal, you do you. 

While I was modifying various existing families in my current game world, I came across the Dowon Heights penthouse. It's absolutely HUGE:

The penthouse is over twice the size of the lot I've been using for testing my corner houses. As you can see, it even has rooftop gardens and a lapping pool (which we can't use yet). It's so big I'll bet Zois could eat a meal at the dining table, walk to the opposite corner of the place, walk back and need to eat again.  There are a couple of massaging chairs I've never noticed before, probably because my Zois couldn't afford them. I'll have to try them out to see how the Zois enjoy them.

In some future game I'll have to use the money cheat 4 or 5 times, buy the place, demolish everything and build a fancy home for some lucky Zois. It's too bad we can't place drivable cars on lots. I'll bet there's enough room to create a small but functional race track up there.

[FzzyDg8]

[Kimi]

Holy moly! Can I live there?

[RedMallie]

It is a huge place! So much space in each bedroom, and yet, one of them doesn't have windows, right? I bet you can give the owner of that room some natural light!

The size of the pool is also big. It would be AMAZING if we could build infinity pools, huh?

 

I've been getting ideas for builds and I saw a penthouse for TS4 (in TSR) that allowed for more contact with the exterior, similar to this one. 

...of course, the possibility of jumpers would be a consideration if Sims actually had that feature as an emotional consequence.  I wonder if Zois would? But thinking of the rules and conditions for modding the game, I doubt it, so any open balconies should be safe!! 

 

[Klinn]

@RedMallie  So far any balconies I've come across have invisible walls to prevent Zois from plunging to an untimely end. Dunno if a mod could change that. Yeah, one of the bedrooms in that apartment is an interior space, so no windows. Seems like an odd choice but maybe the occupants are shy. 

So my my main Zoi, a tech nerd called Cody Coder, received a present of a luxury travel ticket. Didn't seem to be any way to use it so I directed him to place the ticket on the display cabinet in the trophy room. The game had him place it right in the middle, underneath several other saved presents, so poor Cody cannot pick it up any more.

Bad choice. I assume I can dig it out by picking up the slippers first, if I ever discover how to redeem the ticket so he can go on his trip.

BTW I wanted Cody to level up his painting skill. Before starting I had him eat a skill donut, in this case the Art Donut. That gives a 30% boost to skill progress!  That's huge. He zipped through 5 levels in one evening.

BTW #2, one of Cody's values is Coexistence and that means he can either "Paint a Picture" or "Paint With Soul". With a previous Zoi I always choice the latter since it sounded cool, but it turns out the two actions have different groups of images that can be painted. The regular Paint a Picture has a much larger selection of possible images. Just one of those little bits of inZOI trivia for you. 

 

 

[Rosewin]

[RedMallie]

I can only imagine Cody Coder's frustration when he hears on the news that his luxury travel is about to leave and he only has an hour or a few to get his ticket and be at the departure location.  

[Kimi]

More tidbits from Klinn! 

[Klinn]

Hmm, this is curious. It's been announced that inZOI is being released for the Mac on August 20, 2025. The Mac store page does not really indicate if this is the early access version, the same as we're playing on the PC, or truly a final finished version. The wording I've seen around various sites is not entirely clear.

If it's the final 1.0 release, will it appear for the PC on August 20th as well? If so, note that their current road map shows an update due in August sometime. Here's where it gets interesting -- the devs promised that any DLC released while in early access would be free for all users. But if that update, which was to include the new "Cat Island" city, happens to fall on August 21st or later, then will we be charged for it? Timing is everything! 

Questions, questions.

 

[FzzyDg8]

  And so few answers.

[RedMallie]

Indeed!!!

I hope that the company does not make it so that they say they can charge for that update. That would be extremely greedy and I'd even say sort of ill intentioned?

[FzzyDg8]

@RedMallie Personally, no one should ever have to pay to fix something that was broken to begin with, but the sneaky thing to do is to sandwich it in with new things.

[RedMallie]

I know. I want to keep hoping for some integrity from game companies. 

 

[BrianZ]

My guess would be that it is a release for a Mac version of the beta you all are playing with, because from what you guys have said it really doesn't sound like they are on track to go live with the official release by August.

But that's just a guess on my part.

[FzzyDg8]

Good guess @BrianZ.  I had totally forgotten that the MAC beta version was not out yet.

[RedMallie]

Mallie wanted something new in her life as a Zoi.

I gave her a new outfit. It's supposed to be a party outfit, but maybe the kind of parties Mallie is thinking about require costumes? 

 

I got her a new empty lot and made her a very small starter house.

Theeeeen, I got her a potential beau from Canvas. I was testing how downloading Zois from it works, it was quite easy to get this guy and save him as a new family. I edited him a little bit and placed him in an apartment, just for Mallie to be able to find him in the city (rather, for me to find him). I did not try to add him to Mallie's family directly; I'm not sure this is possible?

But I evicted a family that I'm sure was lovely, and got this guy in their apartment. 

 

Mallie went over for a visit, and it was nice that he got out of the apartment to welcome her before they had even met.  She could not call him because they had not met, but he JUST KNEW she was coming out of the elevator and went to meet her. His security cameras must be well placed!

They went inside his apartment and chatted for a while. A few hours, indeed.

 

After trying some neutral and then friendly and the romantic chat interactions, we got him to be Mallie's friend, and tried to get into his pants. I mean, Mallie tried to ask him all romantic things, but only some worked positively.

Still, she asked him out on a date. They went to this place, a square, right? without me even choosing it as their destination.

I made Mallie keep chatting him up. They did that heart shape with their arms, played with the hair, and SHE WAS STANDING THERE LIKE A MORON A PRETTY LITTLE THING, WAITING ALL PROPER FOR HIM TO FINISH HIS TALE!!!!!

That's NOT Mallie!!!!! It's her K-Pop doppelganger!!! 

 

However, I did not quit. I even saved the game at that point.

Then, I got her to be more affectionate and handsy with him. Oh, his name is Gilbert, by the way. Gilbert Lindsay.

 

HE seemed to  like that. At least, he did not reject her. Ever.

 

I kept having Mallie ask Gilbert to move in with her, or to agree to have a baby with her, just to test the game, but he did not agree, and their relationship took hits each time she tried these options on him.

 

The time for the date ended and I got the option to get a photo of the successful event.

How romantic!

 

I'm not sure up to where I saved. I sent Mallie back home intending to invite Gilbert over.

She got home, called him, and he was there in record time. Then the game crashed. 

Not sure how much of that lovely date I will endure a second time, but I'll get back to it, eventually. But I will likely make Zois that are not as close to my heart as Mallie is for my future tests. Maybe I will keep using Gilbert as my lab rat.

 

[FzzyDg8]

8 hours ago, RedMallie said:

I will likely make Zois that are not as close to my heart as Mallie is for my future tests.

It's hard to stay impartial when you're playing your mini.

[Kimi]

[Firestaar1]

On 6/5/2025 at 6:35 AM, Kimi said:

While I played for a few hours, I haven't been back to the game. I knew going in it was early access and not complete but I am impatient

I've been in the same kind of mood Kimi.  Though with the new "big" patch that came out yesterday, I did patch up and start a brand new Zoi, putting her in a brand new area

On 6/7/2025 at 10:26 AM, Klinn said:

The majority of the buildings in the game world are deco only. I wish we could clear out more of the lots to build our own creations

This is one of my biggest eye rolls, the buildings look like they could provide lots of options for Zoi's to vary things up, but so many are simply just there.  I'm hoping this changes in the future.

Quick question for you @RedMallie and anyone who's been able to do this.  How DO you move NPCs out of their houses so another can take it over? I haven't figured it out yet.

[Klinn]

Fortunately the new patch is supposed to let us demolish many of the deco buildings and build something in their place. Haven't tried it yet. Naturally you probably don't want to get rid of essential buildings like the school or the game will get seriously confused.

About moving NPC families out: On the map screen / manage families tab, you can select a currently occupied home and click the Dismiss button to evict them. Then a Select Family option should be available for that property. Click it to select a predefined family or create new one, then click OK a couple of times and the new family should appear in that property.

Hope I got that right! 

[Klinn]

19 hours ago, RedMallie said:

I made Mallie keep chatting him up. They did that heart shape with their arms, played with the hair, and SHE WAS STANDING THERE LIKE A MORON A PRETTY LITTLE THING, WAITING ALL PROPER FOR HIM TO FINISH HIS TALE!!!!!  That's NOT Mallie!!!!! It's her K-Pop doppelganger!!! 

<snip>

Not sure how much of that lovely date I will endure a second time, but I'll get back to it, eventually. But I will likely make Zois that are not as close to my heart as Mallie is for my future tests. Maybe I will keep using Gilbert as my lab rat.

Well, at least she got some smooches out of the date. 

Red, maybe you should make a new Asian Zoi and embrace the K-Pop! 

[RedMallie]

That she did, @Klinn!!!!! 
Nope, no K-popian Zoi for me. I’m finding out that I love kimchi, bulgogi, and other Korean food, but my appreciation for the social interaction culture is much less keen. I find it extremely exaggerated and That perception makes me feel it insincere. 
I knew this from before I bought the game, from watching a cooking series precisely, so I blame myself for not liking the style and animations. I kept thinking that the game could not be THAT much culturally bound to be an international success. But K Pop IS an international success, so. I was wrong.

Dear Fire @Firestaar1, I did what Klinn has indicated here above. I had to read the options carefully because I wasn’t sure that “dismiss” would delete the resident household, but since I don’t care if I break this game or a save, I chose the dismiss option and it worked.

I forgot to mention, Mallie is more an alter ego than a mini for me, and because of that, I refuse to let her come to any discomfort by the game. I may make her suffer by living in a fixer upper, but no sim will give her grief and go unpunished. 

[FzzyDg8]

22 minutes ago, RedMallie said:

I love kimchi, bulgogi,

So do I!!

[Firestaar1]

16 hours ago, RedMallie said:

I chose the dismiss option and it worked

I will try this next, thank you!!

15 hours ago, FzzyDg8 said:

16 hours ago, RedMallie said:

I love kimchi, bulgogi,

So do I!!

Same!!

[FzzyDg8]

@Firestaar1  

[Klinn]

.

The update(s) have resulted in some strange changes to Zoi conversations. In between the topics we choose, the game inserts even more of those "Make Small Talk" actions, the ones with the speech bubble and 3 dots. That happens even if you've got a series of topics lined up in their action queue. I can understand adding one, as was done before, but 2 or 3?

Even worse, apparently Small Talk can now affect the Zoi's friendship, commerce, and romance levels. In fact they seem to negatively affect them and their score goes down more often than not. Trouble is, you can't tell if they're about to have a negative conversation or not. Very annoying. 

 

Also, I wish we had an option to put all the motive indicators in a single line something like this:

The current double line of indicators intrudes too much into the playable area of the screen.

 

[FzzyDg8]

The motive icons seem somewhat annoying.  In comparison, the simplistic Sims 4 motive bars are much easier to see at a glance.

[Klinn]

True, but I guess they had to come up with ways to look different from the Sims. They use that circular style for other progress indicators too.

[FzzyDg8]

I can see that ways to separate themselves from The Sims is probably fairly limited.  They've (EA) been producing this genre for quite some time now.  I'd really like to dive into inZOI, but it all looks quite intimidating to me, so for now, I'm satisfied to live vicariously through others such as yourself, thankyou @Klinn.

[Kimi]

When I was playing, I would look for the places that I would see things in TS4. I know that they want it to be completely separate, but their layout felt a little clunky. Hopefully they will take feedback on that from players.