Revision 3

Freelance-style creative income has been available in inZOI since the Early Access launch on March 28, 2025. Zois can create sellable products using their creative Skills and sell them through the Pocket Market app or their computer. This is not a formal career listed in the Career app; it is an independent income system that Zois can pursue alongside or instead of traditional Careers. A formal Freelance Career system (Writing, Game Development, Photography, Blogging) is planned for Q2 2026.

Creative Paths

Five skill-based creative paths allow Zois to produce and sell goods:

Important distinction: Physical products like paintings are sold through the Pocket Market app on the Smartphone. Digital products (books, programs, music, videos) are sold instantly via the computer interface with no marketplace delay.

Quality System

All creative products are assigned a random quality tier when completed: Bad, Medium, Good, Excellent, or Perfect. Quality is influenced by skill level but includes a random element. Even at Level 10, a Zoi can occasionally produce Bad or Medium quality work. Higher quality items sell for dramatically more. The quality of a work in progress is hidden until it is completed.

Painting (Art Skill)

Painting is widely considered the most lucrative creative path. Zois paint on easels (purchased through Build Mode) and can create paintings in three sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. New painting styles unlock as the Art skill levels up:

Painting Prices by Quality

Size makes only a small difference: Large paintings sell for roughly 9 to 10% more than Small. At Level 10, a Perfect quality painting can sell for nearly 7,000 Meow on the Pocket Market. Players report earning 20,000 to 30,000 Meow per day at Level 10 with multiple easels running simultaneously. Painting time drops significantly at higher levels: Level 8+ paintings take only 16 to 26 minutes each.

Writing (Critical Thinking Skill)

Zois write books on computers or laptops. New genres unlock as the Critical Thinking skill levels up:

Book Prices by Quality

Books sell instantly via the computer interface with no marketplace delay. Writing time decreases with skill level: ~5 hours per book at low levels, dropping to ~1 hour 15 minutes at Level 10. Writing is convenient because it requires no travel and sells immediately.

Music Composition (Instrument Skill)

Zois compose music using pianos, guitars, drum sets, or computers. Composition unlocks at Instrument Level 2:

Music Prices by Quality

Composition time ranges from ~5 hours at low levels to ~1 hour 15 minutes at Level 10. At Level 10, a Music Competition is available on Sundays (win 1,000 Meow or nothing, luck-based). Zois can also earn tips by busking: playing instruments in public with a guitar case nearby earns 100 Meow per NPC tip, though tips depend on the Performance skill rather than Instrument skill.

Programming (Programming Skill)

Zois develop software on computers. Program types unlock as the Programming skill levels up:

Completed programs appear as items in the Zoi's inventory and are sold instantly via the computer. High-level programs sell for approximately 2,000 Meow each. At Level 10, the Programming skill also unlocks Hacking abilities: Hack Bank (~1,000 Meow), Hack ATM (~250 Meow, with risk of arrest or electrocution), and various online scam interactions (requires Bad Karma).

Video Creation (Media Production Skill)

Zois create videos using the Media Production skill. A phone handles recording while a computer or laptop is needed for editing. Video types unlock progressively:

Videos are sold via the computer interface. The higher the skill level, the better the price. Waiting until Level 10 before mass-producing videos for sale is recommended. Media Production also levels up through taking photos and posting selfies on Bubbly.

The Pocket Market

The Pocket Market is an app on the Zoi's Smartphone that functions as an in-game marketplace. It has two purposes:

• Selling creative products: Paintings and pruned bonsai plants are sold through the Pocket Market

• Selling secondhand items: Small decor items (gifts, postcards, books, dolls) can be resold

Digital products (books, programs, music, videos) are not sold through the Pocket Market. They are sold instantly via the computer interface. When selling on the Pocket Market, you can set a custom price or accept automatic pricing based on quality. Sold items are permanent and cannot be retrieved.

Alternatively, Zois can sell physical products at Flea Market Stalls (Secondhand Sales Counter, placed on public lots via Build Mode). Sales last 3 hours and attract walk-up customers. Market Stalls are also available in Cahaya through the Island Getaway DLC.

Additional Sellable Products

Beyond the five main creative paths, Zois can also sell:

• Bonsai trees: Pruning creates sellable bonsai via the Pocket Market. Income of 1,000 to 2,000 Meow per day at max skill

• Furniture: Crafted on the Furniture Workbench (tied to Housework skill). Can be sold through the Pocket Market

• Gardening produce: Crops grown on farming plots (added in v0.3.0)

• Fish: Caught fish can be sold (added in v0.3.0)

Combining with Traditional Careers

Creative selling is not a formal career in the Career app. It is an independent activity. A Zoi can hold a full-time traditional career and still paint, write, compose music, program, or create videos in their free time. This makes creative selling an excellent supplemental income source, especially for Zois in careers with short work days like Law Careers (6 hours) or Education and Academic Careers (6 hours).

Related Traits and Desired Lives

• Life of Creativity: A Desired Life that comes with the Visionary and Dreamer traits and the Great Painter Ambition. Focuses on art, science, technology, and creative skills

• Great Painter Ambition: Tied to the Art skill; generates urges related to painting

• Pro Musician Ambition: Tied to the Instrument skill; generates urges related to playing instruments

• "Wants to Appreciate Art" Urge: Triggered by relevant traits

• "Wants to Go Busking" Urge: Triggered by the Entertainer trait or Singing preference

Planned Formal Freelance Careers (Q2 2026)

The 2026 roadmap (announced December 26, 2025, by Game Director Hyungjun "Kjun" Kim) lists formal Freelance Careers as a Q2 2026 feature. The planned freelance career types are:

• Writing

• Game Development

• Photography

• Blogging

These will be formal career options in the Career app with their own progression systems, distinct from the current skill-based creative selling system described above. Other Q2 2026 career additions include Taxi Driver and Elderly Zoi careers. The 2026 roadmap also includes Q1 additions of multiple job support, interviews, remote work, and performance evaluations.

Tips for Maximizing Creative Income

• Painting is the most profitable: At Level 10, Perfect paintings sell for up to 6,794 Meow each through the Pocket Market. Running 8 to 10 easels simultaneously maximizes output

• Place finished paintings on walls: This frees up the easel for the next painting while keeping the completed work safe until you sell it

• Writing is the most convenient: Books sell instantly via computer with no travel or marketplace delay. Great for earning income during spare time

• Wait until Level 10 for mass production: The quality distribution improves at higher levels, and Perfect quality items sell for dramatically more

• Busking for tips: Playing instruments in public with a guitar case nearby earns 100 Meow per NPC tip. This supplements music composition income but depends on the Performance skill, not Instrument

• Digital products sell instantly: Books, programs, music, and videos sell immediately through the computer. Only paintings and bonsai go through the Pocket Market with a delay

• Stack with a career: Creative selling works alongside a traditional career. Use the 4 free days per week from most careers to produce and sell creative products