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Trial and Justice System
February 19, 2026 at 03:16 PM
Initial version
The Trial and Justice System was introduced in Update v0.5.0 (December 2025) and gives inZOI a full criminal underworld alongside a functioning legal system. Zois can now commit crimes — ranging from petty theft to elaborate investment fraud — and face real consequences if caught, including fines, arrest, trial, and imprisonment. The system adds a darker narrative dimension to the game, letting players explore life on the wrong side of the law or simply deal with the fallout when a household member gets into trouble.
Only Young Adult and older Zois can engage in criminal activity. The system ties into the Karma system, the careers framework, and multiple skill trees.
A Zoi does not start the game as a criminal. Crime opportunities appear when certain conditions are met:
Financial desperation — the Zoi's assets drop below 2,000 Meow or they are carrying significant debt
Social isolation — strained or broken relationships and lack of social connections
Personality traits — Zois with the Rulebreaker trait or Malicious characteristic are predisposed to criminal behavior
Once these conditions are met, new interaction options appear. Players can also seek out crime proactively through the Suspicious Job Agency.
The Suspicious Job Agency is a shady organization that serves as the entry point for most criminal activity. Zois can visit the Agency's Bulletin Board to purchase crime information — intelligence about potential targets, security weaknesses, and profitable opportunities. The Agency also offers shady job postings that function as one-off criminal missions, paying out Meow upon completion.
Using the Agency is not itself a crime, but the jobs it provides invariably involve illegal activity. Think of it as a black-market job board that connects aspiring criminals with opportunities.
There are two criminal paths in inZOI, each with its own set of interactions, skills, and progression:
Thieves specialize in breaking into properties and stealing valuables. Their success rates are influenced by the Handiwork, Programming, and Fitness skills. The thief path progresses through six levels (0 through 5), with each level unlocking more sophisticated criminal interactions:
Level 0 — basic theft of money, snacks, and bags from public areas
Level 1 — skimming parking meters for small amounts of Meow
Level 2 — tampering with POS machines, picking door locks, breaking down doors, and cracking basic safes
Level 3 — hacking ATMs for larger payouts
Level 4 — cracking advanced safes with higher-value contents
Level 5 — disabling CCTV surveillance cameras, enabling undetected theft from high-security locations
The core thief interactions available in the game include:
Pick Door Lock — silently open a locked door using lockpicking tools
Break Down Door — force a door open (faster but louder, higher chance of witnesses)
Open Safe — crack a safe to steal valuables inside
Sabotage Surveillance Camera — disable security cameras to avoid detection
Scammers use social manipulation and deception to steal money. Their success rates depend on the Rhetoric and Critical Thinking skills. Like thieves, scammers progress through six levels:
Level 0 — gaming item fraud, tricking Zois into trading valuable virtual items for worthless ones
Level 1 — basic trade scams, manipulating deals to shortchange other Zois
Level 2 — impersonating charity workers to solicit fake donations
Level 3 — holding bogus seminars and charging attendance fees for worthless content
Level 4 — running investment fraud schemes that target multiple victims
Level 5 — voice phishing (vishing), the most sophisticated scam that requires high Rhetoric skill
The core scammer interactions include:
Attempt Voice Phishing — call a target Zoi and try to trick them into sending money
Scam In-Game Items — manipulate a trade to steal valuable items
Impersonate Charity Worker — pose as a charity representative to collect fake donations
Hold Fake Seminar — organize and charge for a fraudulent educational event
Every criminal action increases the Zoi's crime score, a hidden value that determines how the justice system responds if the Zoi is caught. Higher-level crimes add more to the score than petty theft. The crime score is separate from the Karma system, though criminal activity also lowers a Zoi's Karma.
If a Zoi is witnessed committing a crime, the witness may report it to the police. Officers will respond and either issue a fine (for Zois with a low crime score) or make an immediate arrest (for Zois whose score exceeds the threshold).
Thieves who successfully escape the scene of a crime are not immediately safe. The game places a wanted notice on the Zoi that lasts for one in-game day. During this period, any encounter with a police officer results in immediate arrest. Avoiding the police for the full day clears the wanted status.
The wanted system means that even a successful crime carries risk — the Zoi must lay low and avoid police-patrolled areas until the heat dies down.
When a Zoi is arrested, they are taken into police custody. The arrest can happen in two ways:
Caught in the act — a witness reports the crime and police arrive on scene
Wanted encounter — a wanted Zoi crosses paths with a police officer during the one-day notice period
Once arrested, the Zoi is transported to jail and held in custody. A trial date is scheduled. The Zoi can post bail to be released temporarily while awaiting trial, giving them time to prepare their defense. Zois who cannot or choose not to post bail remain in detention until the trial.
Jail in inZOI is a confined space with limited facilities. An arrested Zoi has access to:
A bed for sleeping
A sink and mirror for basic hygiene
A toilet
A vending machine for food
The Zoi cannot leave jail freely. Standard jail time is 24 in-game hours. The Zoi is automatically released at 9:00 AM the following day, or the player can manually trigger the "Get Out of Jail" option any time after 4:00 AM. While in jail, the Zoi cannot go to work, attend events, or interact with anyone outside the facility.
The trial is the centerpiece of the justice system. When a Zoi is arrested and charged, the following steps unfold:
Before the trial, the Zoi can choose between two types of legal representation:
Free legal representative — a court-appointed lawyer with limited ability; they provide basic defense but the chances of acquittal are lower
Elite lawyer — a private attorney who costs Meow to hire but significantly improves the odds of getting a reduced sentence or acquittal
The choice of lawyer is one of the biggest factors in the trial outcome. Players who want to beat the charges should invest in an elite lawyer.
After the arrest, a trial preparation mission is assigned. This mission involves gathering evidence, talking to witnesses, or completing specific tasks that build the defense case. How well the Zoi performs during preparation directly influences the opportunity cards that appear during the trial — better preparation means more favorable options.
Trials proceed mostly automatically, but the player is presented with opportunity cards at key moments. Each card offers a choice, and selecting the correct answer can reduce the sentence or even lead to acquittal. The cards available depend on how well the preparation mission went and the quality of the lawyer.
Guilty verdicts are the typical outcome. Not-guilty verdicts are deliberately difficult to achieve and require thorough preparation, an elite lawyer, and good choices during the opportunity cards. KRAFTON designed the system so that crime has meaningful consequences — beating the charges should feel like a genuine achievement.
The trial can result in one of three outcomes:
Acquittal — the Zoi is found not guilty and released. This is rare and requires significant preparation and luck.
Fine — the Zoi is found guilty but receives a monetary penalty rather than jail time. Common for lower crime scores and first offenses.
Police custody — the Zoi is sentenced to incarceration. The duration depends on the severity of the crimes. Failed attempts at acquittal may result in harsher sentences than if the Zoi had not contested the charges.
The justice system connects to several career paths:
Prosecutor — a legitimate career where the Zoi works within the legal system. Prosecutors handle cases from the other side, and their career progression is tied to conviction rates.
Criminal path — while not a formal career, pursuing crime through the Suspicious Job Agency functions as an alternative income source. Successful criminals can earn significant Meow through high-level theft and scams.
Lawyer — elite lawyers that players hire during trials are NPCs, but the profession is part of the world's legal ecosystem
As of the current Early Access build, the trial system has some known limitations:
Traffic accident cases do not currently proceed to trial — the Zoi is sent directly to jail instead
The range of opportunity cards during trials is still being expanded
Crime progression is shared per Zoi, so a single character cannot be both a thief and a scammer simultaneously at high levels without significant grinding
Household members are not affected by the arrest beyond losing the Zoi's income contribution during incarceration
KRAFTON has indicated that the justice system will continue to be refined throughout Early Access, with plans to add more crime types, expand trial scenarios, and deepen the consequences of criminal activity on household dynamics and relationships.
