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Life Stages
February 10, 2026 at 10:08 PM
Full rewrite with detailed abilities at each life stage, toddler/child skill lists, teen abilities, aging cheats, and transition mechanics
Zois progress through 9 life stages. Transitions happen instantly -- one moment the Zoi is a child, the next they're an adolescent with a different body and new abilities. One in-game day lasts 96 real-world minutes by default, adjustable in Game Options > Simulation. The shortest setting compresses a day into 48 minutes; the longest stretches it to a full 24 real hours. Changing day length only speeds up or slows down how fast time passes. It does not extend a Zoi's overall lifespan.
There is no way to stop aging completely through normal gameplay. The cheat command stopAging true freezes all Zois at their current stage. The immortalZoi true cheat prevents death entirely.
Newborn -- 1 day. Only occurs through pregnancy. The baby appears in a crib and cannot be directly controlled. Parents handle feeding and care automatically. Not selectable in Create-a-Zoi.
Toddler -- 2 days (cumulative: 3). Follows Newborn. Toddlers walk, talk in fragments, and begin developing 4 foundational skills. They sleep on toddler rugs or mattresses that spawn on the ground when they get tired. Purchased toddler beds from Build Mode are decorative only in Early Access. Not selectable in Create-a-Zoi.
Child -- 7 days (cumulative: 10). Attends elementary school (9 AM to 2 PM, five days a week). Gets homework. Can develop up to 6 child-specific skills. If a child's needs become critically low, Child Protection takes them away rather than letting them die. Selectable.
Adolescent -- 5 days (cumulative: 15). Attends middle school (9 AM to 4 PM). Bridges the gap between child and teenager. Not selectable in Create-a-Zoi -- only reachable through aging.
Teenager -- 5 days (cumulative: 20). Attends high school (9 AM to 5 PM). Can drive cars. Gets access to teen-and-older skills (Cooking, Art, Instrument, etc.). Teenagers can die like adults. Selectable.
Young Adult -- 10 days (cumulative: 30). Can attend university, pursue careers, get married, and have children through pregnancy. Can commit crimes. Full access to all systems. Selectable.
Adult -- 20 days (cumulative: 50). The longest stage. Full career access. Selectable.
Middle-Aged -- 15 days (cumulative: 65). Full career access. Selectable.
Senior -- Variable, roughly 17 days. Zois pass away from old age during this stage. The exact timing has some randomness. Selectable.
Six stages are selectable when creating a new Zoi: Child, Teenager, Young Adult, Adult, Middle-Aged, and Senior. Newborn, Toddler, and Adolescent can only be reached through gameplay (birth or natural aging). When adding a new Zoi to an existing household through the Create a Family screen, the same restrictions apply.
Toddlers have 4 foundational skills with a max level of 5:
Cognitive Development -- exploring and understanding objects in the environment. Levels up by touching objects and reacting to toys or music.
Emotional Development -- forming bonds with others. Levels up through greeting people and building attachment.
Language Development -- expressing thoughts and communicating. Levels up by speaking and using gestures.
Physical Development -- controlling the body and maintaining balance. Levels up through walking and playing.
When a toddler maxes out a skill at level 5 and later grows up, the game automatically gives a head start on the related grown-up skill.
Children have their own set of skills, separate from the adult skill tree. The original 4 child skills are:
Creativity -- imagination and creative expression. Levels up through drawing, painting, playing instruments, and video games.
Motor Development -- body control and physical ability. Levels up on treadmills, yoga mats, ball play, and riding rocking horses.
Responsibility -- planning and carrying out tasks. Levels up by cleaning, journaling, and doing self-directed tasks.
Social -- communication and relationship building. Levels up through conversations and friend interactions.
The Island Getaway update (v0.3.0, August 2025) added 2 more child skills:
Aquatic Adaptability -- water comfort and swimming readiness. The child version of the adult Swimming skill.
Curious Mind -- observing the world with inquisitiveness. Levels up through activities like fishing and mining.
Child skills don't carry over directly, but maxing them out gives a boost to related adult skills. A child who maxes Creativity will start with higher Art and Instrument levels as a teen. Motor Development feeds into Fitness. The transition happens automatically when the Zoi ages up.
When a Zoi dies (whether from old age or other causes), the player gets a "Go Back In Time" option to load a previous save. If the Zoi's karma is low enough, they become a ghost instead of passing on peacefully. Surviving family members experience sadness and depression.
