inZOI is KRAFTON's life simulator, built in Unreal Engine 5 by the Korean studio of the same name and in Steam Early Access since late March 2025. It is unfinished on purpose: the build moved to Unreal Engine 5.6 with version 0.8.0 in April 2026, the studio has publicly targeted a 1.0 launch in early 2027, and several headline roadmap items including prisons and the Canvastown mod hub have been announced rather than shipped. What exists today is three cities, a character creator with hundreds of options, build tools, an active job system and a set of generative AI features that turn photos into in-game objects.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Dowon | Karma and reincarnation basics | IT Developer | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Bliss Bay | City Edit god mode mastery | IT Developer | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Cahaya | Multitasking and Zoi autonomy + gear | Architect or IT Developer | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | High school campuses | Build optimization | Architect | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Active job workplaces | Min-max | Architect or Travel Agent | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Dowon)
The Korean-inspired city and the most developed of the three, with the widest set of career options after the version 0.8.0 update. A mini-map to make Dowon easier to move around was still in early development as of the March 2026 developer update.
Level/Difficulty: First save, any experience level Key Rewards: Broadest career coverage, densest neighbourhood detail, high school property
What to Do in Dowon
- Learn Karma and reincarnation. A Zoi accumulates karma from behaviour, and karma shapes what happens after death rather than being a simple morality score. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick IT Developer as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- Check your build's version number against any guide you follow. inZOI shipped major changes through 2026 including the move to Unreal Engine 5.6 in version 0.8.0, and guides written against version 0.5 describe systems that no longer behave the same way.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Build and Craft mode or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Karma and reincarnation fundamentals
- IT Developer selected and functional
- Dowon main content cleared
- Ready for Bliss Bay
Phase 2: Early Game (Bliss Bay)
The Los Angeles-inspired city, sunnier and more spread out than Dowon, and the second city that received the Architect, IT Developer, Journalist and Music Producer tracks in April 2026. Its layout rewards owning a vehicle more than Dowon's does.
Level/Difficulty: Second save once you know the needs system Key Rewards: Creative career tracks, coastal build lots, high school property
What to Do in Bliss Bay
- Work on City Edit god mode. City Edit lets you change a city's conditions from above the simulation: weather, traffic density and the ambient mood of the population. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Build and Craft mode if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Run the in-game benchmark before committing to a resolution. inZOI is an Unreal Engine 5 title with heavy character rendering, and the difference between the top two graphics presets costs far more frame rate than it returns in visual quality.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Cahaya.
- Consider whether Architect might suit your playstyle better than IT Developer.
Phase 2 Checklist
- City Edit god mode integrated into gameplay
- Build and Craft mode acquired
- Bliss Bay fully cleared
- Ready for Cahaya
Phase 3: Mid Game (Cahaya)
The Indonesia-inspired city added after Early Access launch. It received the Travel Agent profession in the April 2026 update but carries fewer surrounding systems than the two original cities, which is normal for the newest content in an Early Access build.
Level/Difficulty: Third save, or first if you want the visual change Key Rewards: Travel Agent career, distinct architecture and vegetation, high school property
What to Do in Cahaya
- Master Multitasking and Zoi autonomy. Multitasking arrived through the 2026 update run and lets a Zoi walk around while performing a simple activity rather than freezing in place. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Create a Zoi editor. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- Save a Zoi as a preset before you start pushing sliders. The creator has hundreds of parameters and there is no reliable way to walk back forty adjustments once you have decided the face went wrong.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Seasons and dynamic weather for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Multitasking and Zoi autonomy mastered
- Create a Zoi editor acquired or in progress
- Cahaya fully cleared
- Ready for High school campuses
Phase 4: Late Game (High school campuses)
Active high school gameplay landed in June 2026 with school properties in Dowon, Bliss Bay and Cahaya. Teenage Zois enrol as students and attend until they graduate into the Young Adult stage, giving family saves a progression track.
Level/Difficulty: Requires a teenage Zoi in the household Key Rewards: Graduation into Young Adult, school-based relationships, structured daily routine
What to Do in High school campuses
- Finalize your build. You should be running Architect or IT Developer with optimized gear.
- Create a Zoi editor should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Feed the AI 3D Printer clean product photography on plain backgrounds. Cluttered reference images produce objects with baked-in background geometry that you cannot remove after placement.
- Careers and freelance work optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Active job workplaces.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Create a Zoi editor upgraded to max
- High school campuses fully cleared
- Ready for Active job workplaces
Phase 5: Endgame (Active job workplaces)
Rather than sending a Zoi into a black box for eight hours, inZOI's active job system lets you follow them to work for supported careers. Coverage is uneven across career tracks, which is one of the clearer markers of the game's Early Access state.
Level/Difficulty: Any Zoi with a salaried career Key Rewards: Faster career progression, workplace relationships, visible skill gains
What to Do in Active job workplaces
- Active job workplaces tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Use City Edit to lock the weather before photographing or filming a build. Seasons change lighting across all three cities, and waiting for the right conditions in real time wastes an evening.
- The endgame loop: run Active job workplaces, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Travel Agent for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Careers and freelance work mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Active job workplaces fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Reading a 2025 guide and assuming it describes the current build; the game changed engine version and career systems during 2026.
- Treating announced roadmap features such as prisons and Canvastown as if they are in the game today.
- Buying inZOI expecting the content breadth of a decade-old competitor rather than an Early Access build heading for a 2027 launch.
- Pushing graphics settings to the maximum on mid-range hardware and blaming the simulation for the resulting frame rate.
- Ignoring the Fundamentals First development plan and expecting new content updates when the studio has publicly prioritised simulation and autonomy fixes.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Check your build's version number against any guide you follow. inZOI shipped major changes through 2026 including the move to Unreal Engine 5.6 in version 0.8.0, and guides written against version 0.5 describe systems that no longer behave the same way.
- Run the in-game benchmark before committing to a resolution. inZOI is an Unreal Engine 5 title with heavy character rendering, and the difference between the top two graphics presets costs far more frame rate than it returns in visual quality.
- Save a Zoi as a preset before you start pushing sliders. The creator has hundreds of parameters and there is no reliable way to walk back forty adjustments once you have decided the face went wrong.
- Feed the AI 3D Printer clean product photography on plain backgrounds. Cluttered reference images produce objects with baked-in background geometry that you cannot remove after placement.
- Use City Edit to lock the weather before photographing or filming a build. Seasons change lighting across all three cities, and waiting for the right conditions in real time wastes an evening.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More inZOI Guides
- inZOI inZOI Overview
- inZOI Best Builds
- inZOI Tier List
- inZOI Beginner's Guide
- inZOI Tips & Tricks
- inZOI Weapons Guide
- inZOI Combat Guide
- inZOI Boss Guide
- inZOI Maps & Locations
- inZOI Crafting Guide
- inZOI Classes & Characters
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