Karma and Reputation System

The Karma system is one of the most distinctive features in inZOI. It tracks the moral trajectory of every Zoi through a seven-tier scale, from Best to Terrible, based on the actions they take throughout their life. Karma influences how other Zois treat you, what dialogue options are available, your career prospects, and even what happens to your Zoi after death. The system operates on both an individual and city-wide level, meaning the collective behavior of all Zois in a city can affect the entire community.

A separate Reputation system based on local communities is planned for 2026. While Karma reflects a Zoi's internal moral path, Reputation will measure how the outside world perceives them. This article covers the Karma system as it currently exists, along with what is known about the upcoming Reputation features.

How Karma Works

Every Zoi has a personal karma tracker that starts at Normal (the neutral midpoint). As the Zoi performs actions throughout the day, their karma shifts up or down. Good deeds push karma toward Best; harmful actions push it toward Terrible. Karma changes are marked with colored indicators in the interaction menu: blue for good karma actions, red for bad karma actions, and purple for neutral actions that do not affect karma.

You can view your Zoi's current karma status on the Zoi Card (lower-right corner of the screen, above the Meow Store button). A more detailed breakdown is available in the Soul Management Report in the game menu, which records and organizes a Zoi's actions and explains how the karma level was calculated.

v0.4.0 Changes

The v0.4.0 update (October 2025) made significant changes to how karma is displayed. Karma interactions were merged into the general interaction menu rather than existing as a separate category. The visible karma score and karma icons on conversation options were removed from the UI, and the "Zoi Karma Status" section was removed from the Karma Report. This caused community backlash, and the developers acknowledged that the presentation needed reworking. They committed to rebuilding the karma display in "a clearer, better direction" in future updates.

Karma Levels

There are seven karma tiers, ranging from the highest (Best) to the lowest (Terrible):

Good Karma Actions

Actions that raise karma are marked with blue indicators. They generally involve being kind, helpful, and supportive toward other Zois.

Solo Actions

• Clap (applaud another Zoi's performance)

• Cheer On (encourage another Zoi)

Social Interactions

Phone-Based Good Actions

• Upload and leave complimentary posts on Bubbly

• Send thank-you messages

• Sign environmental petitions

Bad Karma Actions

Actions that lower karma are marked with red indicators. They range from minor rudeness to outright violence.

Solo Actions

• Secretly drop items (littering)

• Fart secretly in public

• Express anger aggressively

• Throw away trash improperly

Social Interactions

Phone-Based Bad Actions

• Send rumor texts about other Zois

• Send malicious rumor texts (requires Bad karma or worse)

• Send prank texts

Other Bad Karma Triggers

• Stealing valuables from other Zois or locations

• Committing fraud online

• Running over pedestrians while driving

• General acts of violence

New interaction options unlock as karma changes. For example, spreading rumors through Bubbly requires a karma level of Bad or worse. Some of the most harmful actions are locked behind low karma thresholds, meaning a Zoi must already be on a negative path before they gain access to the worst behaviors.

Effects of Karma

Social Consequences

Karma directly shapes how other Zois react to you. At Good karma and above, NPCs are friendly by default, offer more positive dialogue options, and are more willing to form relationships. At Poor karma and below, other Zois become wary, dismissive, or openly hostile. They may refuse to acknowledge you on the street, mock you, or warn others to stay away.

Karma is closely tied to the Recognition need. This is a Zoi's fundamental need to be acknowledged by the people around them. High karma helps fulfill the Recognition need through positive social feedback. Terrible karma starves it, since nobody wants to interact positively with the Zoi. If the Recognition need drops critically low, the Zoi may run away from home and never return.

Career Impact

Good karma makes job hunting and career progression easier. NPCs respond more favorably during professional interactions, and some career opportunities may require a minimum karma threshold. Low karma creates obstacles: it becomes harder to find jobs, get promotions, and maintain professional relationships.

Ghost and Afterlife Mechanics

When a Zoi dies, a karma evaluation determines the fate of their soul:

Ghost traits are inherited from the living Zoi. A calm Zoi becomes a mild-mannered ghost, while a bully Zoi becomes a mischievous spirit. If too many ghosts accumulate in a city, new Zois cannot be born and new families cannot be created, forcing the player to address the situation.

Generational Effects

Karma reportedly carries consequences across generations. If a Zoi was notorious for bad behavior, it can affect how NPCs treat their descendants. Some NPCs may be biased against your entire family line if an ancestor left a bad mark.

City Karma

Beyond individual karma, each city has a collective karma status determined by the combined karma of all its residents. You can view the city's karma by going to the City Map, selecting "Edit City," and opening the Karma Report. This report shows all residents and their karma status.

When the majority of Zois in a city have Poor karma or lower, the city status changes to Caution. Under Caution status, negative events become more frequent, and the player may be prompted to meet with the CEO outside the city to address the crisis. In severe cases, widespread bad karma leads to ghost infestations that prevent new families from forming.

City Stability Settings

Players can adjust several city-wide settings that influence how karma plays out:

Interventions

The intervention system lets you directly influence karma at the extreme ends of the scale. Interventions can be used once per 24 in-game hours through the City Menu.

Avoid using interventions between 5:00 and 6:00 AM, as this is a special time for Zois and interventions may not work correctly during that window.

Karma Items and Cheats

Meow Store Items

The Meow Store sells two karma-related consumables:

Cheats

Two cheat commands affect karma. Access the cheat console with Ctrl + Shift + C (after enabling cheats through the Psycat's Advice menu):

There is no cheat to set an individual Zoi's karma to a specific level. The resetKarma cheat affects the entire city at once.

Bubbly and Rumors

The in-game social media platform Bubbly plays a role in the karma system. Zois with Bad karma or worse can spread rumors about other Zois through Bubbly. Rumors propagate between Zois and can damage the target's social standing. When you spread a rumor, you receive a notification on your phone indicating whether it was successful.

Conversely, posting positive content and complimentary messages on Bubbly earns good karma. The platform functions as a social extension of the karma system, letting you influence others' perceptions without face-to-face interaction.

Planned Reputation System

The 2026 roadmap outlines a formal Reputation system separate from Karma. While Karma tracks a Zoi's internal moral path (functioning like "luck" that influences the probability of events), Reputation will measure how the outside world perceives a Zoi: how others talk about them, their social standing in the community, and how society responds to their presence.

Planned Features

The developers have noted that not every feature on the roadmap is guaranteed to arrive on schedule, and priorities may shift based on technical limitations and player feedback.

Tips

• If you want a good-karma playthrough, focus on complimenting other Zois, sharing food, and sending thank-you messages. These are easy actions that consistently raise karma.

• For a villain playthrough, buy a Diabolic Donut from the Meow Store to jump straight to Terrible karma and unlock the full set of negative interactions.

• Monitor city karma through the Karma Report. If too many Zois have low karma, take action before the city reaches Caution status.

• Use the Scold intervention on Zois with Terrible karma to reset them. This is especially useful for preventing ghost infestations.

• Keep in mind that karma affects what happens at death. If you want a Zoi to pass on peacefully, make sure their karma is at Fair or above before their time comes.

• Adjust City Safety settings if you want a more peaceful or chaotic city. Lower safety creates more dramatic gameplay but risks a karma spiral.

• Some of the most impactful bad karma actions (like spreading malicious rumors) require already having low karma. The system is designed so that Zois gradually slide into worse behavior rather than jumping straight to the worst actions.

Related Articles

• Relationships

• Traits

• Emotions

• Meow Coins and Store

• Careers

• 2026 Roadmap

• Memory System