Overview
The Senior life stage is the final stage of a Zoi's natural life in inZOI. It begins when a Zoi ages up from the Middle-Aged stage and represents approximately ages 65 and older within the game's progression system. Lasting approximately 17 in-game days (with a theoretical maximum of 35), the Senior stage is the longest potential life stage in the game by a significant margin. During this period, Zois face mandatory retirement from their careers, the increasing possibility of natural death, and visible physical changes to their appearance.
Despite these realities, the Senior stage is far from a passive waiting period. Without work obligations consuming their daily schedule, Seniors have complete freedom to pursue hobbies, strengthen family bonds, develop skills, manage a business, and work toward unfinished Ambitions and Desired Life goals. Many players find the Senior stage to be one of the most emotionally meaningful portions of a Zoi's journey, especially as the possibility of death adds genuine weight to everyday moments.
After a Senior Zoi passes away, they enter a brief ghost phase lasting 3 in-game days, during which they can interact with the living world one final time. Once the ghost phase ends, the Zoi can either ascend to the afterlife or attend their own funeral, marking their permanent departure from the game world.
Duration and Death Probability
The Senior stage begins around in-game day 66 and typically lasts approximately 17 in-game days, though Seniors can theoretically live up to 35 days. At the default day length setting of 48 real-world minutes per in-game day, this translates to roughly approximately 14 hours (about 3,360 real-time minutes) of continuous gameplay. By comparison, the Young Adult stage lasts only 9 days and the Adult stage lasts 20 days, making the Senior stage nearly as long as both of those combined.
Life Stage | In-Game Days | Real-Time (Default) |
|---|---|---|
Young Adult | 9 days | ~14.4 hours |
Adult | 20 days | ~32 hours |
Middle-Aged | 15 days | ~24 hours |
Senior | Up to 35 days | approximately 14 hours |
However, unlike earlier stages where aging up to the next phase is guaranteed at the end of the timer, Seniors face the possibility of natural death at any point during the 35-day window. The probability of dying from natural causes starts very low during the first few days after aging up and increases gradually as more time passes. A Zoi who has been a Senior for only a handful of days has a minimal chance of passing, while a Zoi approaching the 35-day limit faces a much higher probability. This escalating system creates a realistic sense of aging without relying on a fixed countdown timer.
The exact timing of death varies between Zois, and female Zois tend to live slightly longer than male Zois on average. The city-level Health Level setting can also influence how frequently natural deaths occur across the population. If a Zoi reaches the full 35-day mark without dying naturally, death becomes essentially certain at that point. There is no way to extend the Senior stage beyond 35 days through normal gameplay.
Retirement
Job retirement is mandatory at the Senior stage. When a Zoi ages up from Middle-Aged to Senior, they are automatically retired from whatever career they held during their working years. A farewell announcement is delivered to the Zoi's Smartphone, notifying them (and the player) that the retirement has taken effect. Unlike quitting or being fired, retirement is not something the player can prevent or delay.
Only Young Adult, Adult, and Middle-Aged Zois are eligible for employment. Once a Zoi reaches the Senior stage, they can no longer apply for jobs, accept new positions, or return to any career track. The retirement age for most jobs aligns with the start of the Senior stage, though some careers have earlier cutoffs. For example, Idol Trainees retire when they reach the Adult stage rather than waiting until seniority. Players can check the retirement age for any specific job by opening the Career App on the Smartphone, navigating to Recruitment, and pressing the Eligibility Criteria button in the top right corner.
Retired Zois no longer have any work obligations, which frees up their entire daily schedule for leisure, family time, and personal projects. However, this also means they lose their regular salary income. Without a paycheck, Seniors must rely on savings accumulated during their working years, income from a business they own, or financial support from other household members who are still employed.
Physical Appearance Changes
When a Zoi enters the Senior stage, their physical appearance changes immediately to reflect their new age bracket. These visual transformations are applied automatically by the game and cannot be customized or prevented. The changes include:
Wrinkles and skin texture: The Zoi's face and hands develop visible wrinkles and age spots. Skin becomes more textured and shows signs of aging across the forehead, around the eyes, and along the jawline.
Hair color: Hair may gray or turn white. The extent of graying varies but is noticeable compared to the Zoi's appearance during younger stages.
Height and posture: Slight changes to height and overall posture occur, giving the Zoi a more stooped or less upright silhouette.
Reduced physical energy: While not a visual change per se, Senior Zois display lower stamina compared to their younger counterparts, which is reflected in their movement animations and energy recovery rates.
These appearance changes are fixed for the Senior age group and cannot be reversed through any in-game cosmetic tools. They are purely cosmetic in the sense that they do not lock Seniors out of activities, but the reduced stamina does affect how quickly the Energy need drains during physical activities.
Daily Life and Activities
Seniors retain access to nearly every activity available in the game. Without the daily obligation of attending work, they have the freedom to structure their days however they choose. Common activities during the Senior stage include:
Maintaining and deepening relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners
Continuing to develop skills such as Gardening, Cooking, and Art
Managing existing businesses (business ownership does not expire with retirement)
Spending quality time with grandchildren and younger household members
Enjoying hobbies and leisure activities around the home and at community lots
Working toward unfinished Ambitions and Desired Life goals
Skill progression continues during the Senior stage, though community reports suggest that leveling feels slower at this point in a Zoi's life. Players who began investing in skills during earlier stages will find it much easier to reach high levels, while starting a brand-new skill from scratch as a Senior can be challenging given the limited time remaining. That said, there are no hard restrictions on skill acquisition: a Senior Zoi can learn any skill that a Young Adult can.
Business ownership persists through retirement. If a Zoi built or purchased a business during their working years, they continue to own and manage it as a Senior. The income from a successful business can be especially valuable after retirement, since the Zoi no longer receives a salary. Players who plan ahead often set up a business during the Adult or Middle-Aged stage specifically to provide financial security during the Senior years.
Needs Management
All eight needs remain active throughout the Senior stage and must be managed to keep the Zoi happy and healthy. These are Hunger, Hygiene, Sleep, Bathroom, Fun, Social, Recognition, and Energy.
The most notable difference compared to younger stages is the Energy need. Senior Zois lose energy more quickly during physical activities and recover it more slowly through rest. This means that activities like exercising, cleaning the house, or spending long hours at a community lot can leave a Senior Zoi drained faster than expected. Players should pay close attention to the Energy bar and plan rest breaks accordingly.
If a Zoi's Hunger, Sleep, or Energy needs remain critically low for too long, their health will deteriorate rapidly. While this mechanic applies at every life stage, it becomes especially dangerous for Seniors because their already elevated natural death probability compounds with health decline, making neglected needs potentially fatal much sooner than they would be for a younger Zoi.
Ghost Phase
When a Senior Zoi dies from natural causes (or any other cause of death), they do not simply disappear from the game. Instead, the player receives a notification that the Zoi has passed away, along with the message: "This Zoi lived a full life, gaining knowledge through many experiences." At this point, the player can choose "On to the Afterlife" to continue playing as a ghost for 3 in-game days.
During the ghost phase, the deceased Zoi takes on a spectral appearance and gains access to a unique set of ghost abilities that vary depending on how the Zoi died. Ghosts unlock special skills by fulfilling death-related urges that appear during the 3-day period. The specific interactions available to a ghost depend on their cause of death:
Cause of Death | Ghost Abilities |
|---|---|
Natural Causes (Old Age) | Wear out furniture, control TVs, leave messages via bookcases, cook meals |
Set fires, control TVs, press doorbells, flick lights on and off | |
Starvation | Make living Zois hungry, eat food, control TVs |
Sleep Deprivation | Make living Zois sleepy, disturb their sleep, flick lights |
Electrocution | Break electronic devices, press doorbells, control TVs |
Drowning | Make living Zois seasick, break faucets, wash hands |
Some ghosts retain residual needs such as eating, sleeping, and energy, depending on their cause of death. During the 3-day window, the ghost can wander around the home lot, visit community spaces, and interact with living Zois in limited ways. This period provides narrative closure and lets the player say goodbye to the character before they leave the game permanently.
Funeral and Memorialization
After the 3-day ghost period ends, the Zoi is presented with a final choice: ascend to the afterlife or attend their own funeral. Either option marks the Zoi's permanent departure from the game world.
When a Zoi dies, an urn is generated and can be found at the Funeral Home. Players can use the "Make Event" option on the urn to organize a funeral ceremony. The funeral system, introduced in the v0.4.0 update, added three new property types to support memorialization:
Funeral Home: The venue where funeral services are held. The Zoi's urn appears here after death, and players can organize the ceremony from this location.
Columbarium: A facility for storing cremated remains. Urns can be enshrined here using the "Enshrine Deceased" interaction, providing a permanent memorial within the game world.
Cemetery: A burial ground that is an alternative location for memorialization. Like the Columbarium, it offers a place to honor departed Zois.
These properties are available in all three cities: Dowon, Bliss Bay, and Cahaya. After the funeral concludes, other household members may experience mourning and sadness for a period of time. The emotional impact on surviving family members adds a layer of depth to the gameplay that continues even after the Senior Zoi is gone.
It is worth noting that reincarnation is not currently available. Once a Zoi ascends or completes their funeral, they cannot be brought back to life through any in-game means.
Aging and Lifespan Settings
Players who want more control over the Senior stage can adjust several options in the simulation settings. These are accessed by pressing the pause button, opening the Options menu, and navigating to the Simulation tab. For a full breakdown of every available option, see the Aging and Life Span Settings article.
Disable aging (My Zois): Toggling this setting from "Enable" to "Disable" prevents the player's own Zois from aging. A Senior Zoi with aging disabled will remain a Senior indefinitely and will not die from natural causes. This is useful for players who want to keep a beloved character alive.
Disable aging (All Zois): A separate toggle below the player Zois setting stops aging for every Zoi in the world, including NPCs. This freezes the entire population at their current life stages.
Length of Day: The default in-game day lasts 48 real-world minutes. Players can increase this to 4 hours or even 24 hours per in-game day, which effectively slows down aging by giving each day more real-time playtime. Lengthening the day does not add more in-game days to the Senior stage, but it does let the player accomplish more within each one.
These settings can be changed at any time during gameplay. A common approach is to lengthen the day when a Zoi enters the Senior stage so that the player has more real-time hours to enjoy the final chapter of the Zoi's life without actually altering the in-game day count.
Creating a Senior in Character Creation
Unlike the Infant, Toddler, and Child stages, the Senior life stage is available as a starting age group in Create a Zoi. When beginning character creation, players can select Senior from the Profile section alongside the six other available age groups (Child, Teenager, Young Adult, Adult, Middle-Aged, and Senior). A Zoi created as a Senior will begin gameplay at the start of the Senior stage with all 35 potential days ahead of them.
Keep in mind that the Profile settings (including age group and gender) cannot be changed after creation. A Zoi created as a Senior will remain a Senior for the rest of their life, with no option to revert to a younger age. The Senior-specific appearance changes (wrinkles, white hair) are applied automatically and cannot be removed in the character editor.
Tips
Build savings early. Without a regular salary after retirement, financial security depends on what was accumulated during the working years. Setting up a profitable business before reaching the Senior stage is one of the best ways to ensure a steady income stream.
Use the freed-up time wisely. Retirement removes work from the daily schedule entirely. This is the perfect opportunity to max out skills that were partially leveled during younger stages, since the player no longer needs to balance work hours against skill training.
Invest in relationships. The bonds formed during the Senior stage carry emotional weight, especially knowing that the Zoi's time is limited. Spending quality time with family members and friends creates meaningful gameplay moments.
Train a successor for your business. If a Senior Zoi owns a business, consider having a younger household member learn the ropes before the Zoi passes. Business ownership itself does not transfer automatically, so planning ahead is important.
Monitor energy closely. Senior Zois drain Energy faster than younger Zois. Scheduling rest breaks and avoiding back-to-back physical activities will keep the Zoi's needs in a healthy range.
Do not procrastinate on goals. The 35-day maximum is generous, but natural death can strike well before that limit. If a Zoi has unfinished Ambitions or Desired Life objectives, prioritize them early in the Senior stage rather than assuming all 35 days are guaranteed.
Consider adjusting the day length. Increasing the Length of Day setting from 48 minutes to 4 hours (or longer) lets the player spend more real-world time with a Senior Zoi without changing the in-game day count. This is a good middle ground for players who do not want to disable aging entirely.
Embrace the ghost phase. When a Senior Zoi dies, the 3-day ghost period offers one last chance to interact with the world. Ghost abilities tied to natural death (furniture wear, leaving messages, cooking meals) can provide a touching farewell for the character's story.