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Needs
February 10, 2026 at 08:03 AM
Major expansion with all 8 needs, priority tiers, decay mechanics, death conditions, satisfaction methods, and trait interactions
Every Zoi has 8 needs that must be maintained to keep them healthy, happy, and alive. Needs are displayed as bars in the Zoi's interface panel, gradually decaying over time. When a need bar reaches critically low levels, the Zoi's behavior changes, their emotions shift negatively, and in some cases, death becomes possible. Managing needs is the fundamental loop of daily life in inZOI.
The 8 needs are divided into three priority tiers that determine how urgently the Zoi reacts when the need is low:
High priority: Hunger, Sleep, Bathroom
Medium priority: Fun, Hygiene, Social
Low priority: Energy, Recognition
High-priority needs trigger the most dramatic behavioral changes when low. A Zoi with critical Hunger will abandon most other tasks to seek food. Medium-priority needs cause discomfort and negative emotions but are less likely to override ongoing activities. Low-priority needs influence mood and long-term well-being but rarely interrupt immediate actions.
Hunger is the most immediately dangerous need. It decays at a steady rate throughout the day and is satisfied by eating meals, snacks, or prepared food. Cooking skill affects the quality of meals a Zoi can prepare, and higher-quality meals restore more Hunger. Zois can eat at home, purchase food from restaurants, or grab quick items from shops.
If Hunger reaches zero and stays there, starvation begins. A Zoi will die from starvation after 3-4 in-game days of having no food whatsoever. The exact time varies slightly based on the Zoi's traits and other factors. Before death, the Zoi displays increasingly distressed emotional states and reduced ability to perform other actions.
Sleep decays throughout the Zoi's waking hours and is restored by sleeping in a bed. The quality and type of bed affects how quickly Sleep is restored. A well-rested Zoi has better skill gain rates and a more positive emotional baseline. A Zoi with low Sleep becomes Lethargic and Annoyed, and their performance at tasks degrades.
Extreme Sleep deprivation can cause death from exhaustion. This is harder to trigger than starvation, as Zois with autonomy will typically seek out a sleeping spot before reaching lethal levels. However, if the player repeatedly cancels sleep actions or if no bed is available, exhaustion death becomes possible.
Bathroom decays over time and is satisfied by using toilet facilities on the Zoi's lot or at public restrooms. When the Bathroom need is critical, the Zoi will become visibly uncomfortable and rush to find a facility. If no bathroom is available, the Zoi will have an accident, which causes a spike in the Embarrassed emotion and drops their Hygiene need. Bathroom deprivation does not cause death but creates cascading problems with Hygiene and emotional state.
Fun represents the Zoi's need for entertainment and enjoyment. It decays when the Zoi is engaged in tedious or repetitive tasks and is restored by activities the Zoi finds enjoyable. What counts as "fun" varies by trait and hobbies. A Scholar might restore Fun by reading, while a Socialite restores it by attending a party. Available Fun activities include watching TV, playing games, swimming, surfing, playing instruments, and socializing.
Low Fun causes the Bored emotion, which reduces skill gain rates and makes the Zoi less responsive to player commands. Prolonged boredom can escalate to Lethargic. Fun deprivation does not directly cause death.
Hygiene decays through normal daily activities and is restored by showering, bathing, or washing hands. Cleanliness of the Zoi's environment also plays a role: living in a dirty household accelerates Hygiene decay. Certain activities like exercise at fitness facilities or gardening cause Hygiene to drop faster.
Low Hygiene causes the Uncomfortable emotion and makes other Zois less willing to interact socially. Extremely low Hygiene can trigger negative relationship modifiers with nearby Zois. Hygiene deprivation does not cause death.
Social represents the Zoi's need for contact with other Zois. It decays during periods of isolation and is restored by conversation, interactions, phone calls on the smartphone, and participation in social events. Traits heavily influence Social decay rate: Socialites experience rapid Social decay and need frequent contact, while Scholars and Individualists can go longer without socializing.
Low Social triggers the Sad and eventually Worried emotions. Extended Social deprivation contributes to loneliness, which interacts with the Recognition need. While Social alone does not cause death, the combined effect of Social and Recognition deprivation can lead to fatal despair (see Recognition below).
Energy represents physical stamina and vitality. It decays faster during physically demanding activities like exercise, swimming, gardening, and manual labor at certain jobs. Energy is restored by resting, sitting, eating, and consuming caffeinated beverages. The distinction between Energy and Sleep is that Energy can be partially restored through rest without requiring a full sleep cycle.
Low Energy causes the Lethargic emotion and reduces the Zoi's movement speed and task completion speed. Energy deprivation does not directly cause death but compounds with Sleep deprivation to make exhaustion more likely.
Recognition is the Zoi's need to feel valued and acknowledged by others. It is the most nuanced need, decaying slowly and restored by receiving compliments, achieving career milestones, completing Desired Life goals, building strong relationships, and being appreciated by family members. Traits like Authoritarian, Leader, and Go-Getter have faster Recognition decay, making them more dependent on acknowledgment.
Critically low Recognition, especially when combined with low Social, can lead to death from loneliness and despair. This is the rarest form of death and requires prolonged neglect of both needs simultaneously. The Zoi will display increasingly negative emotions as they approach this state, giving the player time to intervene.
Each trait modifies the decay rates of specific needs. This means two Zois in the same household can have noticeably different maintenance requirements based solely on their traits. Preferred activities for restoring needs also vary by trait: a Dreamer might prefer painting to restore Fun, while an Adventurer prefers surfing or outdoor exploration. Understanding how a Zoi's trait interacts with their needs is important for efficient household management.
With up to 8 Zois in a household, need management becomes a juggling act. The Interaction Queue and autonomy toggle ([T]) help manage multiple Zois. With autonomy on, Zois will attempt to satisfy their own needs based on their personality priorities, though they do not always make optimal choices. Strategic lot design also helps: placing furniture and appliances that satisfy needs efficiently (high-quality beds, entertainment items, well-stocked kitchens) reduces the amount of manual intervention required.
