Overview
The rumor system in inZOI lets players weaponize gossip against other Zois. Spreading rumors damages the target's reputation, lowers their Recognition need, and strains their relationships. Rumors propagate through Bubbly, the in-game social media platform, and through word-of-mouth in face-to-face conversations. The system is tied to the karma system; spreading rumors is an antisocial act that requires the perpetrator to have already lowered their karma from neutral.
Rumors are one of inZOI's most dynamic social mechanics. They create chain reactions of unpredictable social consequences, turning friends into enemies, damaging careers, and reshaping the social landscape of the city. Once a rumor starts circulating, it takes on a life of its own as other Zois hear, react to, and choose whether to spread it further. The AI driving NPC behavior means that each Zoi responds to gossip based on their own traits, experiences, and existing relationships with those involved.
Karma Requirements
A Zoi starting at neutral karma cannot spread rumors. The perpetrator must first lower their karma by performing negative actions before the rumor options become available. InZOI distinguishes between two tiers of rumor spreading, each requiring a different karma threshold:
Rumor Type | Karma Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
Send a Rumor Text | Slightly Bad or worse | A mild form of gossip sent digitally through the Smartphone. This is the first rumor option unlocked as karma begins to decline. |
Send a Malicious Rumor Text | Bad or worse | A more damaging version with worse consequences for the target. Requires deeper negative karma to access. |
In-person rumor spreading | Bad or worse | Done through face-to-face conversation using the News menu. Spread to one Zoi at a time through word-of-mouth. |
You can check your current karma level at any time by pressing O to open the Zoi Card. The karma indicator is displayed prominently on the card. You can also access a more detailed Karma Report that breaks down recent actions and their effects on your karma standing.
How to Lower Karma
To unlock rumor spreading, a Zoi must perform antisocial actions that lower their karma. Bad karma actions are marked with a red icon next to their text in the action menu, making them easy to identify. The following actions will push karma toward the negative tiers:
Discarding trash improperly (dropping litter on the ground instead of using a bin)
Sending mean, hostile, or prank text messages to other Zois
Fighting, physically threatening, or picking fights with other Zois
Stealing money from other Zois or locations
Robbing ATMs
Destroying vending machines
Selecting negative or cruel dialogue options in conversation (marked with red icons)
Mocking, insulting, or yelling at other Zois
Knocking down other Zois
Giving fake gifts to other Zois
Talking while looking at the phone during a conversation
Yawning right in someone's face
Telling someone to stop being stupid
Farting secretly near other Zois
Expressing anger publicly
Ignoring Zois who are in need of help
Each action chips away at karma incrementally. Several antisocial acts may be needed before karma drops enough to unlock the rumor options. Starting at Normal karma, even relatively minor infractions like dropping trash or sending prank texts contribute to the decline. Be aware that performing bad karma actions in view of a police officer can result in your Zoi being arrested and sent to jail.
Spreading Rumors via Smartphone
The most common method of spreading rumors uses the Smartphone. This text-based approach broadcasts the rumor digitally through Bubbly, reaching a wide audience quickly. Follow these steps:
Click on your active Zoi to open the solo action menu.
Scroll down until the Smartphone option appears.
Select the Smartphone option to view available phone actions.
Choose either "Send a Rumor Text" (requires Slightly Bad karma) or "Send a Malicious Rumor Text" (requires Bad karma).
Select the target Zoi from your contacts list.
Once sent, the rumor enters circulation on Bubbly and begins spreading through the social network. Other Zois see the rumor in their Bubbly feeds, react to it, and may share it further. The rumor's reach depends on several factors, including how many Zois interact with the post and how connected the target is within the social network. A rumor about a well-known or socially active Zoi is likely to spread faster and wider than one about someone with fewer social connections.
You can also access Bubbly directly through the Smartphone by pressing P and opening the Messages app. This lets you read stories about other Zois that are currently circulating through the community, including rumors that other Zois have started.
Spreading Rumors in Person
For face-to-face gossip, the in-person method spreads rumors through word-of-mouth. This method is available once karma drops to Bad or worse:
Click on another Zoi to start a conversation.
Navigate to More > News in the conversation menu.
Select "Spread News About [Zoi's Name]" from the available options.
Choose the target of the rumor.
In-person rumors work differently from the smartphone method in one important way: you can only spread a rumor to each Zoi in person once. However, this action does not further lower the perpetrator's karma, unlike the text-based method. The Zoi you tell may then relay the gossip to others they interact with, creating a chain of information (and misinformation) spreading across the social network through natural conversations.
The in-person method is more targeted but potentially just as effective. When a Zoi hears a rumor directly from someone they trust, they may be more inclined to believe it and pass it along, compared to seeing an anonymous post on Bubbly.
How Rumors Propagate
Once a rumor is in circulation, it spreads through a combination of digital and social channels. The game tracks a social chain for each rumor, determining which Zois hear it and how they react. Several factors influence how far and how fast a rumor spreads:
Factor | Description |
|---|---|
Social connectivity | Zois with many friends and acquaintances amplify rumors faster because they have more people to tell. |
Personal experience | If a rumor aligns with something a Zoi has personally witnessed or experienced (for example, seeing the target behave suspiciously), they are more likely to believe it and pass it on. |
Personality traits | Some Zois are natural gossips who spread information faster. Others are skeptics who may ignore the rumor or even defend the target, especially if they have a close relationship with them. |
Karma effectiveness | The perpetrator's karma level may influence how effective the rumor is. A Zoi deeper into negative karma territory may produce rumors that gain more traction. |
Bubbly amplification | Rumors posted through the Smartphone get broadcast via Bubbly, where other Zois can see them in their feeds. The more engagement a rumor gets on Bubbly, the wider it spreads. |
Not every rumor succeeds. Some rumors fail to gain traction and simply fizzle out if too few Zois pay attention or if the target has strong social standing. The outcome is never guaranteed, which makes the system feel realistic and unpredictable.
Tracking Rumor Spread
After initiating a rumor, the perpetrator receives text message updates on the Smartphone from Bubbly tracking how far the rumor has spread. These messages show how many Zois have heard the gossip and whether the rumor is gaining attention or being ignored. The updates arrive periodically as the rumor propagates through the community.
Bubbly notifications provide feedback on the rumor's progress, letting you know whether your gossip campaign is succeeding or fading. If the rumor gains traction, you will see increasingly dramatic updates about its impact. If it fails to spread, the messages will reflect the lack of interest from the community.
Consequences for the Target
The rumor's target suffers in multiple ways. The severity of the consequences depends on the type of rumor spread (regular vs. malicious) and how widely it circulates:
Effect | Description |
|---|---|
Relationship damage | Relationship bars with other Zois may drop as the rumor colors their perception of the target. Friends may distance themselves or even abandon the target entirely. |
Reputation decline | The target's general standing in the community deteriorates. This is especially impactful for public figures or Zois with active social lives. |
Recognition need | The Recognition need takes a direct hit. Severe rumor campaigns can push this need dangerously low, causing the target significant distress. |
Emotional impact | The target may experience negative emotions like sadness, embarrassment, or anger. Their mood and behavior can change as a result. |
Behavioral changes | Victims of sustained rumor campaigns may become withdrawn or anxious. They may also become desperate to clear their name. |
Social exclusion | The target may find themselves uninvited to social events, losing Bubbly followers, or being avoided by Zois who have heard the gossip. |
The more widely a rumor spreads, the more severe these consequences become. A single rumor that fails to gain traction may cause only minor discomfort, while a sustained campaign of malicious rumors can fundamentally alter a Zoi's social standing and quality of life.
Consequences for the Perpetrator
Spreading rumors is not without cost. The perpetrator faces their own set of consequences:
Consequence | Description |
|---|---|
Karma decline | Each rumor text sent through the Smartphone pushes the perpetrator's karma further into negative territory. Continued rumor spreading accelerates the descent toward Terrible karma. |
Social backlash | Other Zois may discover that the perpetrator is the source of the rumors. If this happens, the perpetrator's own relationships can suffer as Zois lose trust in them. |
Afterlife consequences | A Zoi with Bad or Terrible karma who dies becomes a ghost instead of passing peacefully to the afterlife. Persistent rumor spreading is one of the fastest ways to accumulate enough negative karma to trigger this outcome. |
Law enforcement risk | While spreading rumors itself does not attract police attention, the other antisocial actions required to lower karma beforehand (fighting, stealing, vandalism) can result in arrest and jail time. |
Retaliation | Targets who discover the source may fight back through confrontation, counter-rumors, or other hostile actions. |
It is worth noting that in-person rumor spreading (through the News conversation menu) does not further reduce the perpetrator's karma, unlike the Smartphone method. This makes it a lower-risk option for Zois who have already reached the karma threshold and want to spread gossip without digging themselves deeper into negative territory.
NPC Responses
Zois targeted by rumors do not always take it quietly. The game's AI produces varied and sometimes unexpected reactions depending on the target's personality traits, current emotional state, and relationship with the perpetrator. Common responses include:
Response | Description |
|---|---|
Confrontation | The target approaches the perpetrator and initiates an angry conversation, demanding they stop spreading lies. |
Counter-rumors | The target starts spreading gossip about the perpetrator in retaliation, creating a back-and-forth escalation. |
Revenge | The target may take hostile actions against the perpetrator, ranging from social snubs to physical confrontation. |
Withdrawal | Some Zois internalize the damage, becoming withdrawn and avoiding social interaction rather than fighting back. |
Defense by friends | Zois close to the target may step in to defend them, confronting the perpetrator or refusing to believe the rumor. |
How a target responds depends heavily on their traits. An Authoritarian Zoi is more likely to confront the perpetrator directly and escalate the conflict. A Dreamer may internalize the damage and become sad rather than confrontational. Zois with social or outgoing traits may fight back through counter-rumors, while more introverted Zois tend to withdraw. The target's existing relationship with the perpetrator also matters: a Zoi who considered the perpetrator a friend will react more intensely than someone who barely knew them.
Connection to Other Social Systems
Rumors do not exist in isolation. They interact with several other systems in inZOI:
System | Connection |
|---|---|
Karma system | Rumor spreading is gated behind karma thresholds and contributes to further karma decline. It is part of the broader antisocial gameplay path that includes crime, theft, and vandalism. |
Needs system | Rumors directly affect the target's Recognition need. A Zoi whose Recognition drops too low will become unhappy and may struggle to function normally. |
Relationships | The relationship system tracks how Zois feel about each other. Rumors can cause relationship values to drop between the target and other Zois who hear and believe the gossip. |
Emotions | Targets experience negative emotions when rumors affect them, which in turn influences their behavior, decisions, and interactions with others. |
Bubbly | The Bubbly social media platform serves as the primary digital channel for rumor distribution. Rumors appear in Bubbly feeds alongside regular social posts. |
Suspicious Job Agency | Zois pursuing criminal careers through the Suspicious Job Agency naturally accumulate negative karma, making rumor spreading readily available as part of an overall antisocial lifestyle. |
Tips and Strategies
The fastest way to lower karma to Slightly Bad is to repeatedly choose red dialogue options (insults, threats, mean comments) when talking to other Zois. This is quicker and less risky than committing crimes.
Prank texts and dropping trash are low-risk karma-lowering actions that do not attract police attention.
Use in-person rumor spreading when you want to gossip without pushing your karma even lower, since it does not carry additional karma penalties.
Send rumor texts through the Smartphone for maximum reach, since Bubbly broadcasts them to a wider audience than one-on-one conversations.
Monitor Bubbly updates after spreading a rumor to see whether it is gaining traction or being ignored.
Be cautious about targeting Zois who have many loyal friends. Their social circle may defend them, reducing the rumor's effectiveness and potentially turning the community against you.
If you want to maintain the option to spread rumors without permanently ruining your karma, alternate bad actions with good ones to hover near the Slightly Bad threshold.
Remember that reaching Bad or Terrible karma has long-term consequences, including becoming a ghost after death. Plan accordingly if you intend to run a sustained rumor campaign.