What is inZOI?

inZOI is a 3D life simulation game for PC and Mac. You create people, called Zois, and you guide their lives in a large, realistic city.

inZOI Studio makes the game, and KRAFTON publishes it. The game is in Early Access on Steam. It is not a finished game. It runs on Unreal Engine 5, so it looks close to real life and needs a strong computer.

This post is our overview of the game. We read our sources on November 1, 2026. Each section links to a longer post on one topic. You read this on the LifeSim blog. We make a different life sim, and we say where it fits near the end.

KRAFTON, a game company in South Korea, publishes inZOI. KRAFTON also makes PUBG: Battlegrounds. The developer is inZOI Studio. Its CEO, Hyungjun “Kjun” Kim, is also the producer and director of the game.

People call inZOI “the Korean Sims” for two reasons. First, the game comes from a Korean studio. Second, it plays like The Sims: you make characters, build houses, and run their daily lives.

The game also shows Korean daily life. One city, Dowon, takes its inspiration from Seoul. An AFP report quotes a games professor about the game. He points to Korean streets, convenience stores, karaoke rooms, and traditional restaurants. A Zoi can also try to become a K-pop idol.

The label is a nickname, not an official name. Wikipedia does not use it. KRAFTON calls inZOI a life simulation game.

Yes, inZOI is out on PC and Mac, in Early Access. It costs $39.99 on Steam and on the Mac App Store. Check the store page before you buy, because sales change the price.

The Steam page shows March 27, 2025, as the release date. KRAFTON gives March 28 at 00:00 UTC. In American time zones, that moment was still March 27. Both dates describe the same launch.

Early Access

The developers say on Steam that they plan to improve the game “throughout Early Access for at least a year.” That year has passed, and the game is still in Early Access. We found no date for the full release, called 1.0.

The Steam page also says that the game “will be sold at a discounted price during Early Access.” So the full game can cost more. At launch, KRAFTON promised all updates and DLC free until the full release. Read is inZOI free for sales, refunds, and bundles.

Mac and PS5

On a Mac, you need an Apple chip. The Mac App Store asks for an M1 or newer, 16 GB of memory, and macOS Sequoia 15.0 or later. For a Windows PC, check the inZOI PC specs before you buy.

The PS5 version moved from 2026 to the first half of 2027. On May 15, 2026, Kjun wrote that console players expect a more complete game on the first day. The PS5 version will not use Early Access. The details are in our inZOI PS5 release date post.

You make Zois, give them a home, and guide their lives in a city. There is no story to finish. You set your own goals, such as a career, a family, or a business.

Create a Zoi

The character creator is the strongest part of the game. Steam lists more than 250 options. You can change the face, the body, the hair, and the clothes in fine detail. Steam also lists face capture and motion capture for videos.

Build houses and edit the city

The build tools let you place walls, roofs, stairs, and furniture. You can also change parts of the city, such as the weather, the buildings, and the streets. This city control is a big difference from The Sims.

Live a life

Zois have needs, jobs, friends, and partners. Steam says Zois act with their own free will, based on their personality and experience. Rumors, trends, and even disease spread through the city. You can step in and give each Zoi commands.

Visit three cities

The game has three cities. Dowon takes its inspiration from Seoul. Bliss Bay takes its inspiration from Santa Monica. Cahaya is an island resort from the free Island Getaway DLC, which came out on August 19, 2025.

Share on Canvas

Canvas is the official platform of the game for shared creations. Players upload Zois, houses, and other items, and other players download them. KRAFTON counted more than 470,000 uploads by April 4, 2025. The game also supports mods.

Yes. inZOI uses AI in two ways: Smart Zoi for behavior, and generative tools for creating items. Both run on your own computer, not on a server.

Smart Zoi

Smart Zoi is an experimental setting. NVIDIA says a small language model on your computer drives these Zois. NVIDIA gives the size as about 0.5 billion parameters. The model needs a GeForce RTX graphics card.

A Smart Zoi reacts to what happens around it. At the end of each day, it changes its schedule. You can read its thoughts and type free text to change its actions and life goals. The studio still works on it. In October 2026, Kjun promised to fix Smart Zois that repeat the same thoughts.

Smart Zoi does not give you a free chat with every person in the city. Read Smart Zoi in inZOI for the setup and the hardware.

Generative tools

Steam lists three AI tools. One makes textures from a text prompt. One turns a 2D image into a 3D object. One copies motion from a video. KRAFTON calls this “on-device generative AI.” Wikipedia notes that some players posted negative reviews about generative AI in May 2025.

Online play, the PS5 version, and the 1.0 release are not in the game yet. Several planned modes have no release date.

• Online play. Steam lists the game as single-player. The 2026 roadmap on the official forum plans online rooms and large servers. The roadmap says that “timelines and scope may change.” See inZOI multiplayer.
• Canvastown. This is a planned shared mode where players meet other players. It has no release date. Read what Canvastown is.
• The Celebrity DLC. The studio showed auditions, concerts, and a new city, Evermont, on October 23, 2026. Sims Community reports a December 2026 plan. On October 30, Kjun said the team will share the DLC price soon.
• Phone and console versions. There is no iPhone, Android, or Xbox version. The PS5 version comes in 2027.

Players also ask for more depth. On October 30, 2026, Kjun wrote that players want stronger basics before new features. He listed longer actions and more personality in behavior. Our inZOI roadmap tracker compares each plan with the patches.

inZOI looks more realistic and gives you more control over the city. The Sims 4 has more content and a free base game. The Sims 4 is also on PlayStation and Xbox today.

Critics praised the looks of inZOI more than its play. Wikipedia quotes GameSpot: “gorgeous, innovative, and brimming with potential.” GamesRadar+ found few meaningful interactions between characters. Our inZOI vs The Sims 4 comparison covers price, depth, and play style. For other choices, see our list of games like The Sims.

Is inZOI a good buy for you? That depends on your computer and your patience with an unfinished game. Read is inZOI worth it before you pay.

LifeSim, our game, is free and runs in the browser. It is a different kind of life sim, and it does not replace inZOI.

In LifeSim, you live one life in any city on a 3D map of the real Earth. You talk to people in open text, with no dialogue trees. The characters in LifeSim have a memory, goals, and a daily routine. The game has no ads and nothing to buy. You play at play.lifesim.com or in the iPhone and iPad app.

Skip LifeSim if you want what inZOI does best. LifeSim has no build mode and no detailed character creator. It does not try to look photo-real. It has no PC app and no console version, and it has no mods. On a computer, you play LifeSim in the browser.

Is inZOI still in Early Access?

Yes. The studio has not announced a date for the full release.

Is inZOI the same as The Sims 5?

No. EA and its studio Maxis make The Sims. KRAFTON publishes inZOI. The two games come from different companies.

Is inZOI free?

No. It costs $39.99 on Steam and the Mac App Store. The Island Getaway DLC is free.

Is inZOI on PS5?

Not yet. The studio plans the PS5 version for the first half of 2027.

Can you play inZOI on a phone?

No. inZOI runs on Windows PCs and Macs with an Apple chip only.

Is inZOI multiplayer?

No. Steam lists it as single-player. Online play is a plan on the roadmap.

What age rating does inZOI have?

The Mac App Store rates it 13+. The store lists infrequent sexual content or nudity and content that players make.

• How to fix the inZOI out of video memory error
• Is inZOI on mobile?
• inZOI build mode
• How to get married in inZOI
• Is inZOI on Xbox?
• How to edit a Zoi in inZOI
• inZOI karma
• Does inZOI have pets?
• Is inZOI free?
• Is inZOI worth it?
• inZOI system requirements
• inZOI on Mac
• inZOI on Steam Deck
• inZOI PS5 release date
• Can you play inZOI offline?
• Does inZOI have multiplayer?
• inZOI cheats
• inZOI money cheats
• inZOI mods
• What is Smart Zoi?
• inZOI Canvastown: what it is and when it comes
• The inZOI 2026 roadmap
• inZOI vs The Sims 4
• inZOI vs Paralives
• Games like inZOI

• inZOI on Steam
• inZOI: Island Getaway on Steam
• inZOI on the Mac App Store
• KRAFTON: KRAFTON launches inZOI in global Early Access
• KRAFTON: 1 million sales of inZOI in the first week of Early Access
• inZOI Forums: Update on inZOI for PlayStation 5 (May 15, 2026)
• inZOI Forums: Beyond the Fundamentals 2026 Roadmap, Part 2
• NVIDIA: ACE autonomous game characters debut in inZOI
• inZOI on Wikipedia
• EA: The Sims 4
• The Star (AFP): South Korea’s life game inZOI challenges The Sims
• Sims Community: inZOI Celebrity DLC coming December 2026
• Sims Community: the next inZOI update (October 30, 2026)