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Ghosts - Version 15 vs Version 16
May 25, 2026, 02:18 PM
Corrected wikilink existence flags
Jun 8, 2026, 10:58 PM
Removed duplicate in-body wikilinks
11Overview22Ghosts are Zois who died with insufficient karma and could not pass to the afterlife. Instead of resting peacefully, they linger in the world as spectral presences that count toward the city's population cap. Ghosts retain aspects of their personality from life and can interact with the living under certain conditions. The ghost system ties directly into inZOI's karma and death mechanics.44A city with too many ghosts faces serious gameplay consequences, including blocked births and the inability to form new families. Ghost Play, introduced in v0.4.0, allows players to control a recently deceased Zoi as a ghost for three in-game days, fulfilling death-specific urges and earning karma to ascend peacefully.66The ghost system creates a meaningful loop between life and death. Moral choices made during a Zoi's lifetime determine whether they pass on or linger, and players who neglect karma management may find their cities overrun with spirits.88Death-to-Ghost Transition1111When a Zoi dies, the game evaluates their accumulated karma score to determine what happens next. The player is presented with two options: "On to the Afterlife" or reload an earlier save. Choosing the afterlife option summons Nyx, a black cat entity from AR Company who processes souls and explains the ghost state to the player.1313If the Zoi's karma is too low to pass on, they become a ghost. According to Nyx, "having too many ghosts in your city can make it harder to add new Zois." The ghost appears at the location of death and remains playable for three in-game days. During this period, the player can switch to controlling the ghost just as they would any other household member.1515Karma LevelOutcomeGood or ExcellentSmooth transition to the afterlife. No ghost is created.NeutralMay or may not become a ghost depending on circumstances.Poor or TerribleThe Zoi becomes a ghost. They cannot move on and remain in the world.1717There are currently 17 confirmed ways for a Zoi to die in inZOI, each of which produces a ghost with distinct abilities and urges. Death types include natural causes (old age), starvation, sleep deprivation, fire, electrocution, traffic accident, falling, food poisoning, drowning, shark attack, jellyfish attack, lightning, hypothermia, heatstroke, anger, overwork, and lack of recognition. Only Zois who have reached the Senior life stage can die of natural causes; younger Zois can only die from accidents, environmental hazards, or extreme neglect.1818The Karma System2020Every action a Zoi performs throughout their life accumulates karma points. These points act as a spiritual currency that determines their afterlife destination. A Zoi who accumulates enough karma passes on to the afterlife, while those who fall short remain as ghosts until they gather enough points to move on.2222Karma interactions are color-coded in the game's conversation menus: blue for good karma, red for bad karma, and purple for neutral actions.2424Good Karma Actions2626Good karma actions are marked with a blue indicator in conversation menus:2828Solo: Clapping, cheering onWith others: Compliments, offering directions, providing comfort, sharing food, giving encouragement, exchanging ideas, presenting gifts or thank-you cards, asking if help is needed, mood-lifting jokesSmartphone: Posting complimentary content on Bubbly, leaving positive comments, sending thank-yous, signing environmental petitions3030Bad Karma Actions3232Bad karma actions are marked with a red indicator:3434Solo: Secretly dropping items, secretly flatulating, expressing angerWith others: Heckling, yelling, offering fake gifts, knocking down, phone distraction, insulting, yawning in face, threatening, crude jokes, fighting, extortion, throwing punchesSmartphone: Sending rumors or malicious texts, prank messages3636Good karma takes sustained effort over several in-game days to shift levels. Bad karma has a spiral effect: low-karma Zois receive more bad karma options and fewer good ones, making recovery increasingly difficult without intervention.3838Crime and Karma4040The crime system introduced in v0.5.0 creates a direct pipeline to low karma. Zois who pursue the thief or scammer paths through the Suspicious Job Agency accumulate negative karma from each crime at escalating levels (0 through 5). Higher-level crimes carry heavier karma penalties. A Zoi deep into the criminal lifestyle will almost certainly have Bad or Terrible karma, making ghost status at death nearly guaranteed unless they reform before dying.4242Criminal activities that reduce karma include picking door locks, breaking down doors, opening safes, sabotaging surveillance cameras, attempting voice phishing, scamming in-game items, impersonating charity workers, and holding fake seminars. Success rates for thief interactions depend on Handiwork, Programming, and Fitness skills, while scammer interactions use Rhetoric and Critical Thinking skills.4444Spirit Power4646Spirit Power is the energy resource that ghosts use to interact with the physical world. While alive, Zois use needs like hunger and energy. As ghosts, Spirit Power replaces these conventional needs and governs what a ghost can and cannot do.4848In the ghost state, interacting with objects and performing abilities consumes Spirit Power. Each action costs a different amount; simple actions like flickering lights use less than dramatic ones like setting objects on fire. Spirit Power slowly recovers over time on its own. Talking to another ghost also restores Spirit Power, making ghost-to-ghost socialization a practical strategy for staying active.5050If a ghost's Spirit Power is fully depleted, they become unable to interact with the world until it regenerates. Managing Spirit Power carefully during the three-day ghost period is important, especially for ghosts trying to earn enough karma to ascend. Players should prioritize high-impact karma actions and avoid wasting Spirit Power on mischievous interactions unless they have plenty to spare.5252Ghost Dependency5454When a Zoi dies, a special Ghost Dependency is created based on their cause of death. This dependency functions similarly to how living Zois have needs and desires, but the specific urges and goals are unique to the type of death the Zoi experienced.5656During the three-day ghost period, needs and desires related to the cause of death appear. Fulfilling these death-specific urges unlocks a special self-interaction. For example, a ghost who died from fire might feel compelled to interact with flames, while a ghost who died from starvation might obsess over food. Completing the dependency grants the special ability and contributes toward earning karma.5858The dependency system gives each ghost playthrough a distinct flavor. Two ghosts who died differently will have completely different objectives and interactions available to them, encouraging players to explore multiple death types to see the full range of ghost content.6060Ghost Abilities by Death Type6262Each death type grants a ghost a unique set of abilities and urges. These death-specific powers define how the ghost interacts with the living world during their three-day afterlife. Below is a breakdown of confirmed ghost abilities by cause of death:6464Cause of DeathGhost AbilitiesNatural Causes (Old Age)Can wear out furniture, leave final messages, talk to other ghosts, control TVs, and cook meals.FireCan set objects and surroundings on fire, control TVs, press doorbells, talk to ghosts, and flick lights on and off.StarvationCan make nearby living Zois feel hungry. The ghost itself also needs to eat. Can control TVs and talk to other ghosts.Sleep DeprivationCan make nearby Zois fall asleep and disturb other Zois' rest. Can talk to ghosts and flick lights.OverworkCan drain other Zois' energy, press doorbells, break computers, and sleep.ElectrocutionCan release electrical current that breaks electronics, press doorbells, break computers, flick lights, and control TVs.Traffic AccidentCan warn Zois walking on streets, talk to other ghosts, flick lights, leave final messages, and press doorbells.FallingCan warn others to be careful, flick lights, talk to ghosts, break faucets, and press doorbells.Food PoisoningCan make nearby Zois feel sick, break toilets and refrigerators, wash hands, and talk to ghosts.AngerCan spread anger to nearby Zois, press doorbells, throw trash around, talk to ghosts, and listen to music.HypothermiaCan blast cold air, break refrigerators, bathe in warm water, flick lights, and wash hands.HeatstrokeCan spread heat, flick lights, bathe in cool water, wash hands, and press doorbells.DrowningCan make nearby Zois feel seasick, break faucets, wash hands, soak in warm water, and press doorbells.Shark AttackCan make nearby Zois feel seasick, with abilities similar to drowning-type ghosts.Jellyfish AttackCan make nearby Zois feel seasick, with abilities similar to drowning-type ghosts.LightningCan release lightning strikes, press doorbells, break refrigerators, control TVs, and talk to ghosts.Lack of RecognitionCan cry out asking others to play. This ghost type also can sleep.6666Additional death types such as death by embarrassment and death by high fever have been referenced by KRAFTON but are not yet implemented as of the v0.7.0 update.6767Ghost Personality and Behavior6969Beyond death-type abilities, a ghost retains the traits and personality they had in life. A calm, mild-mannered Zoi becomes a gentle spirit, while a Zoi with troublesome traits becomes a mischievous ghost more likely to frighten the living. This personality carryover means no two ghosts behave identically, even if they died the same way.7171BehaviorDescriptionEmotional Impact on the LivingUnexpected ghost encounters can leave living Zois in a negative emotional state. The fear and unease from seeing a ghost affects a Zoi's mood and behavior for some time afterward. Fear is one of 22 intense emotional states in the game.Emotional ReunionsWhen a living Zoi encounters the ghost of a deceased friend or family member, the game can trigger heartwarming reunion moments with dramatic emotional weight.Blocking PathwaysGhosts in houses can block essential areas like bathrooms and refrigerators. Living Zois become constantly distracted by "ghost events" and stop repeatedly to look, making navigation difficult.Autonomous NPC GhostsPlayers cannot directly control NPC ghosts. They appear and act autonomously based on their personality traits and death type.7373The v0.4.0 update introduced over 140 new urges broadly (not all ghost-specific), with 120 existing urges reworked to better align with personality traits. Ghost urges are a subset of this expanded system.7474Ghost Missions7676When Zois become ghosts, they can receive quests from Claire at the AR Library. These narrative quests reveal the backstories of different ghosts found around the city, providing context for why certain spirits linger. By solving a ghost's story, the player earns karma as a reward.7878Ghost missions serve two purposes. First, they provide a structured way for player-controlled ghosts to earn karma during their three-day period, which is necessary for peaceful ascension. Second, they offer lore and storytelling about the city's deceased population, adding narrative depth to the ghost system. The missions encourage players to explore the city as a ghost rather than simply waiting for the three days to pass.8080Karma earned through ghost missions was originally intended to feed into the planned reincarnation system, but reincarnation has not yet been implemented.8282Ghost Encounters8484NPC ghosts appear in the world under specific conditions. They tend to manifest in locations connected to their life: near their former home, workplace, or places where significant Shared Memories were formed. Each ghost's behavior reflects their unresolved issues and personality traits from when they were alive.8686A ghost who was angry in life may be hostile and spread anger to nearby Zois. A ghost who was neglected may cry out asking others to play. A ghost who died from fire might set objects ablaze. These encounters are not scripted events; they emerge naturally from the ghost's preserved personality and death-type abilities.8888Ghost encounters can range from mildly unsettling to genuinely disruptive. Living Zois who stumble upon a ghost unexpectedly may enter a fear state that affects their mood and productivity for hours. In contrast, encountering the ghost of a loved one can trigger emotional reunion moments with significant narrative weight.9090Ghost Towns9292The ghost population of a city is tracked through the Soul Management Report (accessible via City Map > Souls tab). This report shows every deceased Zoi and displays a Zoi-Soul Ratio indicating the proportion of living versus deceased Zois. The report also shows the karma level each Zoi had when they passed away.9494Cities have a population cap of 300 Zois, and ghosts occupy population slots. When the ghost percentage grows too high, the city becomes a ghost town. Ghost town status has two major consequences:9696No new births: Pregnancy attempts automatically fail. No new Zois can be born into the city.No new families: New family formation is blocked. Existing families continue, but no new households can be created.9898Reversing Ghost Town Status100100Reducing the ghost population requires a combination of prevention and active management:102102MethodDetailsGhost Appearance Rate SliderIn the City Edit menu. Nine levels from Lowest (removes all ghosts) to Highest (dense ghost population). Changes are applied gradually.City Karma SlidersAdjust "Conversation Karma Positivity" and "Conversation Negative Positivity" sliders. Increase positive karma probability and decrease negative karma probability. The Civic Consciousness slider affects karma interaction success rates.Intervention SystemScold Terrible-karma Zois to reset them to Neutral. This can be done once per 24 in-game hours per Zoi. Complimenting high-karma Zois rewards them with profitable opportunities.One and Only True Path (Exorcist)Hire via Pocket Market for 3,000 Mew. The exorcist comes to your property to remove ghosts.Manage Families MenuAccess from the city map to delete ghosts directly.removeZoi CheatUse showZoiInfo true to find ghost IDs, then removeZoi [ID] to permanently eliminate specific ghosts.104104Ascending and Departing105105At the end of the three-day ghost period, the player faces a final choice. The ghost can either:107107Ascend to the Afterlife: The ghost peacefully departs from the mortal world, disappearing permanently.Attend Their Own Funeral: The ghost visits their funeral ceremony one last time before moving on. This provides a final narrative moment and emotional closure.109109If the player does not make an active choice and instead selects "Continue" play, any remaining ghosts in the household will automatically ascend and disappear. Note that selecting "Continue" also resets certain NPC relationships (such as the relationship with Claire) back to their default state.111111Ghosts who successfully earn enough karma during their three-day period through good deeds, ghost missions, and fulfilling their dependency can ascend peacefully regardless of how low their karma was at the time of death. This gives players a final redemption window for even the worst Zois.113113Nyx and AR Company115115AR Company is the fictional virtual reality firm that oversees all Zoi lives. Players take on the role of the company's intern (a character named Bora) who manages virtual people and monitors their karma.117117Psycat is the player's supervisor at AR Company. Originally conceived as a deity in the game's earliest lore, Psycat was later rewritten as a supervisor and "ex-god." Psycat warns players when city karma declines.119119Nyx is a black cat that manages Zois in the afterlife. Nyx only appears in-game as a notification when a Zoi dies and explains whether the Zoi will become a ghost based on their karma. Nyx is the guide for the entire afterlife journey.121121Cupid is another AR Company employee who has a crush on Psycat (a mythology reference: Psyche is the goddess of the soul, Cupid represents physical love).123123If city karma drops critically low, the player must "meet with the CEO" outside the inZOI city, a narrative consequence designed to encourage karma management.125125Funeral Properties127127Three property types for handling death and remembrance were added in v0.4.0. These exist in all three cities: Dowon, Bliss Bay, and Cahaya.129129PropertyDescriptionFuneral HomeA venue for organizing and holding funeral ceremonies. Use the "Make Event" option on the urn to trigger a funeral gathering that friends and family attend.ColumbariumA building where urns of the deceased can be stored and visited. Use the "Enshrine Deceased" interaction to place urns here.CemeteryAn outdoor property where Zois can be buried and remembered. Also supports the "Enshrine Deceased" interaction.131131When a Zoi dies, an urn is automatically generated. This urn is used for funeral ceremonies and interment. Enshrined urns can be retrieved later for additional ceremonies. Urns are only generated for deaths that occur after v0.4.0; earlier deaths do not retroactively produce urns.132132Soul Services134134Several services help manage ghosts and communicate with the deceased. These are accessed through the Pocket Market on the smartphone.136136ServiceCostDescriptionUndertakerVariesCan be hired to request that souls be put to rest. Also offers "Talk About Soul You Wish to Meet" for contacting specific spirits. Some interactions are still placeholder in Early Access.Soul GuideVariesA psychic medium service that summons a specific ghost for conversation. Allows living Zois to talk with ghosts they may not encounter naturally.One and Only True Path (Exorcist)3,000 MewThe most expensive service. An exorcist comes to your property to remove ghosts. Also offers spirit contact options.138138Note that in the current Early Access build, some Undertaker interactions do not yet have full effects. The "Request for Soul to Be at Rest" and "Talk About Soul You Wish to Meet" options hint at deeper, more interactive possibilities planned for future updates.139139Ghost Appearance and Korean Folklore141141Ghosts in inZOI are designed to look eerie and unsettling rather than cartoonish or comedic. The developers took deliberate inspiration from Korean folklore, particularly in the city of Dowon, where cultural elements influence the visual style and behavior of ghosts. This gives the ghost system a distinctly atmospheric quality that differentiates it from similar features in other life simulation games.143143Korean supernatural traditions that may influence inZOI's ghost design include gwishin (spirits that have not fulfilled their life's purpose), dokkaebi (mischievous nature spirits with extraordinary powers), and dalgyal gwishin (featureless egg-shaped ghosts). The gwishin concept aligns well with inZOI's system where ghosts have "unfinished business" in the form of restoring their karma. In Korean tradition, gwishin are typically transparent, legless spirits that float in mid-air, and female gwishin are depicted wearing white funeral hanbok with long, drooping black hair.145145The visual effects become more prominent when a ghost is actively using objects or performing abilities. A fire ghost that sets an object ablaze has distinct visual cues, while an electrocution ghost releasing current produces visible electrical effects.147147Ghost Appearance Rate Slider149149Players have access to a Ghost Appearance Rate Slider in the City Edit menu that controls how frequently ghosts appear in their city. The slider has nine levels:151151SettingEffectLowestAll ghosts are removed from the city entirely.LowVery few ghosts appear. Minimal disruption to daily life.Medium (Default)Moderate ghost presence. Balanced gameplay experience.HighFrequent ghost encounters. Noticeable impact on living Zois.HighestGhosts densely populate the city. Very challenging to help ghosts ascend.153153Higher ghost density makes it more challenging to help ghosts earn enough karma to move on, creating a difficulty factor that players can tune to their preference. At the lowest setting, the slider effectively disables the ghost system for players who prefer to avoid it.154154Ghost-Related Cheats156156Enable cheats via Psycat's Advice menu, then open the console with Ctrl + Shift + C.158158CheatEffectresetKarmaResets karma status of all Zois in the game to Neutral. Does not affect existing ghosts.apocalypseTheWorldSets city status to lowest. All Zois' karma set to Terrible. Some families disappear permanently. Cannot be reversed.removeZoi [Zoi ID]Permanently removes a specific Zoi by ID. Works on ghosts.showZoiInfo true/falseDisplays or hides Zoi IDs and coordinates. Needed to find ghost IDs for removeZoi.immortalZoi true/falsePrevents or allows all Zois from dying. Useful for preventing new ghosts while managing existing ones.160160Planned Features161161The developers have outlined several expansions to the ghost system for future updates:163163FeatureDescriptionReincarnationConfirmed as a future feature by the developers. Karma earned during the ghost period was originally designed to feed into this system, but it has not been included in any update through v0.7.0.Ghost Expert JobA planned profession that raises a Zoi's sensitivity to nearby ghosts, allowing them to specialize in spirit communication.Lingering Fear EffectsAtmospheric effects triggered by ghost presence. Living Zois in the vicinity would experience prolonged fear-based emotions.Supernatural StorylinesScripted narrative events involving ghosts, giving players story-driven reasons to engage with the ghost system.Korean Folklore in DowonExpanded ghost content inspired by Korean cultural traditions, giving the supernatural elements distinct regional flavor.165165Version History166166VersionDateGhost-Related Changesv0.4.0October 2025Ghost Play introduced (three-day playable ghost period). Funeral Home, Columbarium, and Cemetery properties added across all three cities. Urn system added for deceased Zois. Soul Services (Undertaker, Soul Guide, Exorcist) added to Pocket Market. Ghost missions via Claire at the AR Library added. Over 140 new urges added, with 120 existing urges reworked. Karma system overhauled: dedicated karma score displays, karma-specific icons, and standalone karma menu items were removed; karma interactions merged into general interactions.v0.5.0December 2025Karma interaction selection rate decreased by 50% for more gradual progression. Psycat alerts for declining city karma removed. Karma interactions now consider the Zoi's emotional state and relationship dynamics. Crime system added, creating new pathways to low karma through theft and scams.v0.6.0February 2026Minor polish and stability improvements to ghost-related systems.v0.7.0March 2026Anniversary update. Core system improvements and quality-of-life changes across all gameplay systems including ghosts.168168Community Tips169169If ghosts are blocking pathways in your house, they will eventually move out naturally over time. Relocating the household is a last resort.Use the Ghost Appearance Rate Slider at the Lowest setting to remove all ghosts from a city that has become unmanageable.Adjust city karma sliders in 5% increments to find a comfortable balance between positive and negative karma.The Intervention system (scolding bad-karma Zois) resets them to Neutral once per 24 hours, which is the fastest free method for improving city karma.The removeZoi cheat is the most direct way to eliminate a specific problematic ghost. Use showZoiInfo true first to find their ID.During Ghost Play, prioritize fulfilling your ghost's dependency urges early. Completing the dependency unlocks a special ability that makes the remaining time more productive.Talk to other ghosts regularly to restore Spirit Power. This is especially useful for ghosts with energy-intensive abilities like fire or lightning.Ghost missions from Claire at the AR Library are the most reliable way to earn karma during the three-day period. Pick these up as soon as possible.If you want to experience Ghost Play without permanently losing a Zoi, save before the death event and reload after exploring the ghost mechanics.Keep an eye on the Zoi-Soul Ratio in the Soul Management Report. If it starts tipping toward more souls than living Zois, intervene before births and family creation get blocked.The Exorcist service costs 3,000 Mew but is the only guaranteed way to remove a specific ghost without using cheats.Zois involved in criminal activities through the Suspicious Job Agency will almost always become ghosts when they die. Plan accordingly if you want to keep your ghost population low.
