2025 video game
| InZOI | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Krafton |
| Publisher(s) | Krafton |
| Director(s) | Hyungjun Kim |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5 |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | PC 28 March 2025 PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S TBA |
| Genre(s) | Life simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
InZOI (stylized "inZOI") is an upcoming life simulation game developed and published by Krafton. The game is scheduled to be released in early access for Windows on 28 March 2025, with a later release for current-gen consoles.
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, ageing and death.
InZOI 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 is slated to have 3 open worlds, with 2 of them previously being showcased. The first shown was Dowon, a dense, Seoul inspired world, Bliss Bay, a world inspired by Los Angeles, and Cahaya, a world inspired by Indonesian holiday destinations.
The player is an intern at a company called AR COMPANY, whose job it is to manage a neighbourhood of virtual people named "Zoi". The purpose of this mechanic is to manage the karma system within the world. 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.
The game will feature "active" careers, where the player can make the Zoi fulfill certain tasks in various roles. InZOI allows for the use of generative AI to create in-game patterns and objects. It has a custom furniture maker. There are eight needs, including hunger, hygiene, bathroom, fun, social, energy, sleep, and recognition.
Development
InZOI is being developed by Korean game studio Krafton. The producer and director for inZOI is Hyungjun "Kjun" Kim. The game is being 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.
Marketing
On 12 November, 2023, inZOI was unveiled through a gameplay demo by Krafton at G-STAR 2023. It provided a first look at the character creation, build mode, city edit, world environment, weather, and gameplay. It was 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 titled "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.
Fictional character "Psycat" above the booth at Gamescom 2024
InZOI Booth at Gamescom 2024
On 21 August 2024, as part of Krafton's showcase at the 2024 Gamescom held in Cologne, Germany, an inZOI booth was made 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 set up 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.
A character creator titled "inZOI Character Studio" 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.
See also
References
- https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/life-sim-inzoi-is-still-set-to-release-in-early-access-this-year-krafton-confirms/
- Knight, Kyle (7 November 2024). "Sims Competitor inZOI Delays Early Access Release Date". Game Rant. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
- Sunam, Sujita (3 May 2024). "InZoi Releases Roadmap And Gameplay Trailer Without Multiplayer". Screen Plays Mag. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- "InZOI: What you need to know about the next big Sims rival". www.gameshub.com. 3 September 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ "Anticipated Life Simulation Game inZOI Reveals New Features in Development Roadmap Video". Krafton Press Room. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- Panthaa (24 August 2024). "On a joué à InZoi, le sims killer sud-coréen : bluffant mais un peu frustrant…". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- Bukowski, Martin (7 March 2024). "inZOI Wants to Rival The Sims with Compelling SimCity Elements". Gamepressure. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- Santoso, Pladidus (19 August 2024). "inZOI Umumkan Dunia Ketiga – "Cahaya", Terinspirasi Indonesia!". Jagat Play. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- Comrie, Sam (23 August 2024). "Sims rival InZOI has lofty ambitions, but even the sky needs a limit". PCGamesN. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- 개발PD등판! inZOI 이제 다 알아보자! LEAK_부산 지스타에서 만날 수 있는 inZOI 숨겨진 이야기 #inZOI #크래프톤 #지스타 (in Korean). Retrieved 4 May 2024 – via YouTube.
- Morton, Lauren (21 August 2024). "9 things we know about Inzoi from its new gameplay reveals". PC Gamer. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
- Williams, Hayley (16 November 2023). "New Sims-Like Game InZoi Reveals A Photorealistic Take On Life Sims". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- Doyle, Jack (21 May 2024). "This Upcoming Game Is Like 'The Sims,' but Better". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- "KRAFTON's AI Journey: Path Walked, Path Ahead". Krafton. 4 April 2024. Archived from the original on 28 August 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- Morton, Lauren (30 April 2024). "Beautiful upcoming Sims competitor Inzoi reveals tons of weird features like sleepwalking, custom crime rates, and relationship hard mode". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 28 August 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- "KRAFTON Unveils inZOI: A New Frontier in Life Simulation Gaming at G-STAR 2023. Gaming news - eSports events review, analytics, announcements, interviews, statistics - M1ehvvGhB". EGamersWorld. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
- "Contest - CONNECT x inZOI". CLO-SET CONNECT. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
- "[Gamescom] inZOI: "We Recognize the Importance of Mods and Will Keep All Options Open"". InvenGlobal. 22 August 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- Morton, Lauren (21 August 2024). "Thousands of Sims fans are flocking to the limited time demo for Inzoi Character Studio to make effortlessly gorgeous Zois". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.