For years, Sims was the frontrunner among life simulations. In March 2025, the biggest competitor enters the scene with inZOI on Steam. The head of the game has now explained why no one dared to do this for so long.
Who is it about? Hyungjun “Kjun” Kim is the Game Director of the life simulation inZOI, which is set to be released in Early Access on Steam in March 2025. Before inZOI, he was involved in MMOs like Elyon and Aion.
On the official Discord server of inZOI, he has now commented on the development of the life simulation and why no one could really compete with Electronic Arts’ Sims before inZOI.
The MMORPG Problem
What makes development so difficult? “When I think back to two years ago when I first decided to take on this project, I have to smile because I know how reckless and brave I was when I even thought about developing a game of this scale,” Kim writes on Discord (via pcgamer.com).
The reason for this is one that he likely knows from his time as an MMO developer:
Now I understand why so few companies have attempted to develop a life simulation game. The challenge isn’t just additive; the more you try to build, the more it becomes exponential. At a certain point, it feels like playing tag with invisible ghosts when you find mistakes in this huge world we’ve created.
Furthermore, he admits that the development of inZOI is his “greatest challenge” so far. This is likely because inZOI – similar to new MMORPGs – has to deliver many features, systems, and content to have a chance compared to the competition, even though competitors like Sims or WoW have over 20 years of head start.
Different from Sims
What is inZOI? The characters in the game are called ZOI and are the focus of all activities. As with the genre king, you first create your family using an elaborate character editor. If you want, you can also use the integrated face scan that transfers your own face directly into the game.
inZOI differs significantly from Sims in terms of graphics. Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, the life simulation looks much better, and you can also add your own items from your household into the game via photo.
Additionally, you are supposed to have a high degree of say in many aspects of the game. You can freely place furniture and also determine how the world outside your four walls should look.
InZOI also offers a unique karma system that accompanies the life of your characters. When a character dies, they are forced into penance and must serve the common good as a ghost. You can learn more about this here: Anyone who is too mean in inZOI on Steam will be punished by becoming a ghost and must make amends
