NPCs

NPCs (non-player characters) are the AI-controlled Zois that populate the cities of inZOI. They live their own lives, go to work, visit community lots, form relationships, and contribute to the living world that surrounds your active household. NPCs come from three sources: premade characters created by the developers, randomly generated Zois that fill the population dynamically, and player-created families added through the Manage Families feature.

NPC Sources

The Zois that populate each city come from three distinct sources:

Downloaded Canvas Zois appear as presets during character creation rather than spawning directly in the world. To add a Canvas Zoi as an NPC, create them as a new family first, then place them in the city through Manage Families.

Meta-Characters

inZOI features several meta-characters who exist outside the normal simulation. These characters belong to the fictional AR Company and serve narrative and tutorial roles:

Two additional characters, Zeno (the CEO) and Nemace, were present in earlier versions but have been removed from the current Early Access build.

Premade Families by City

Each city comes with pre-made families that reflect its cultural theme. Most premade families start as "Not in the City" and can be placed by the player through the Manage Families interface.

Dowon

The Korean-inspired metropolis has approximately 30 premade families. Family names reflect Korean culture: Baek, Choi, Hur, Hwang, Jin, Joo, Jung, Kang, Kim, Kwon, Lee, Park, Ryu, Song, Sun, Yang, Yoon, and others. Dowon premade families tend to have diverse occupations matching the city's urban theme.

Bliss Bay

Bliss Bay has approximately 48 premade families with Western-themed names: Abbott, Armstrong, Brown, Carpenter, Chapman, Clark, Collins, Cooper, Ford, and many more. This is the largest premade family pool of the three cities.

Cahaya

Cahaya was added in the v0.3.0 Island Getaway update. It has fewer premade families than the original two cities, with names reflecting Southeast Asian heritage.

Population Management

Players can control city population through the Manage City settings, accessible via Game Options > Manage Zois > Manage City tab. Two key sliders affect NPC density:

• Maximum Population: Controls the upper limit of Zois in the city. Higher values create busier streets and community lots but may affect performance.

• Maximum Vehicle Count: Limits the number of cars and vehicles on roads.

Even at low population settings, extra Zois still randomly appear at public facilities and businesses to prevent locations from feeling completely empty. Players can also add or remove families manually through the Manage Families interface.

City Stability Settings

Nineteen city stability parameters can be adjusted across 9 levels (Highest to Lowest) to fine-tune the simulation. These settings affect all NPCs citywide:

NPC Behavior and Daily Routines

NPCs follow autonomous behavior patterns driven by their needs, traits, and schedules. When not controlled by the player, NPCs:

• Go to work at their scheduled times

• Address physical needs (hunger, sleep, hygiene, bathroom) as they decline

• Visit community lots like playgrounds, convenience stores, carnivals, and internet cafes

• Initiate brief conversations with nearby Zois

• Follow personality-driven urges influenced by their traits and values

The Schedule feature lets players set timetables that direct a Zoi to specific locations at specific times. However, only locations can be assigned, not specific actions. NPCs will decide what to do upon arrival based on their needs and personality.

NPC behavior on community lots can be inconsistent in the current Early Access build. Characters sometimes get stuck, repeat actions, or appear at locations without engaging in meaningful activities. The developers have acknowledged these issues as part of their "Fundamentals First" improvement initiative.

Smart Zoi AI

Smart Zoi is an advanced AI system that uses NVIDIA ACE (Avatar Cloud Engine) technology with small language models to create more lifelike NPC behavior. It is available only to players with NVIDIA GPUs (minimum RTX 3060 with 8GB VRAM).

Smart Zoi adds several AI-driven features:

Smart Zoi was rolled back to its October version after the v0.5.2 hotfix due to stability issues. In v0.6.0, action selection was further optimized. The system remains experimental and continues to receive improvements with each update.

Aging and Life Stages

NPCs progress through 9 life stages, the same as player-controlled Zois:

Players can control aging through Options > Simulation. Aging can be disabled entirely, or set separately for "My Zois" (your active household) and "Other Zois" (all NPCs). Day length can also be adjusted to slow or speed the simulation.

When an NPC dies, they become a Soul (ghost) managed by the meta-character Nyx. The type of afterlife depends on the Zoi's lifetime karma.

Story Progression

All households in the same save file are simulated simultaneously. Unplayed NPC families continue going to work, having their needs deplete, and living autonomously. However, unplayed households currently have limited story progression: NPCs do not autonomously get married, have babies, advance in their careers, or build significant new relationships without player intervention.

This is a heavily requested feature on the community wishlist. The 2026 roadmap includes plans for autonomous marriage and divorce actions, multiple breakup outcomes, cheating controls, and "unique Zois with their own events, stories, and personalities" to make NPC lives feel more dynamic.

Controlling NPCs and Switching Households

Players can switch between active households at any time:

• Switch active family: Press M (map), select another family's house, and press Play.

• Switch between Zois in a family: Press Space Bar to cycle through family members.

NPCs cannot be directly controlled unless they join your household. The primary way to convert an NPC to a playable character is through marriage: after your Zoi marries an NPC, the NPC joins your household and becomes fully controllable. Players can also merge and split households through the Manage Families feature.

NPC Jobs and Careers

NPCs hold jobs just like player-controlled Zois. Two career types exist: Active/On-Site careers (where the workplace interior is visible and tasks are interactive) and Rabbit Hole careers (where the Zoi disappears into a building and receives periodic notifications).

Each city has unique career options tied to its theme:

If a job position appears occupied by an NPC, players can still apply. The system may replace the current NPC employee. The 2026 roadmap plans to add multiple jobs, interviews, remote work, freelance careers, beauty careers, police expansion, and part-time jobs for teenagers.

Cross-Lot NPC Behavior

NPCs can visit community lots and public spaces throughout the city. Their behavior at these locations includes shopping, socializing, using public facilities, and attending events. Players can invite specific NPCs to their home lot using the Call Over button in the relationship panel.

Known issues in the current build include NPCs entering homes even when doors are locked to "Family Only," community lots appearing empty despite population settings, and NPCs spawning at locations without engaging in meaningful activities. These are being addressed through ongoing updates.

Upcoming NPC Improvements

The 2026 roadmap and recent developer updates outline several planned improvements to NPC behavior:

• Memory system: NPCs will remember significant and traumatic events, affecting their future behavior and interactions (March 2026 update).

• Multitasking while walking: NPCs will be able to talk, use phones, and interact while moving (March 2026 update).

• Automatic interruptions: NPCs will automatically interrupt activities for urgent needs (March 2026 update).

• Unique story Zois: Special NPCs with their own events, stories, and personalities (2026 roadmap).

• Improved seating behavior: Better decision-making for where and when to sit.

• Anti-loitering rules: NPCs will stop lingering aimlessly at locations.

• Group conversation dynamics: More natural multi-Zoi conversations.

Tips

• Use Manage Families (Map > Manage Families) to add, remove, or rearrange NPC families in your city.

• Adjust population settings in Manage City to balance world liveliness with game performance.

• Disable aging for "Other Zois" if you want NPC neighbors to remain the same life stage permanently.

• Build relationships with NPCs before opening a business so you have employees ready to hire.

• Use the Call Over feature from the relationship panel to invite specific NPCs to your lot for interactions or events.

• Switch households (M > select house > Play) to experience the game from different perspectives without starting a new save.

• Browse premade families in Manage Families. Many interesting characters start as "Not in the City" and need to be placed manually.