Big Fall Update: News on Life-Sim Games inZOI and Paralives, New Features & Gameplay
This fall, two major life simulation games shared exciting progress updates. The teams behind inZOI and Paralives are actively showcasing new gameplay systems, interaction features, and creative building tools.
Halloween Additions
- Pumpkin growing, cooking, and carving
- “Trick or Treat” events with kids and neighbors
- Ghost-fish fishing and nighttime walks through a decorated city
- Funeral gameplay
All Halloween updates remain available even after the holiday. And now, players can continue life after death — as a ghost!
Source: inZOI
Additionally, each in-game day now lasts 48 minutes, creating a smoother rhythm of daily life. Zois now behave more naturally — sleeping, eating, and socializing throughout the day.
What’s Coming in December
Players have been sharing ideas for the future of inZOI — asking for deeper character relationships, richer city interactions, and more lifelike behavior. The developers have listened, and many of these requests are already planned for the upcoming December update.
Family Tree
The new Family Tree system will display relationships for each selected Zoi — children, parents, and even multiple spouses. Players will be able to switch between one-sided and full family views.
Group Interactions
- Characters will move and act together.
- Cooperative household actions and natural multitasking.
- Emotional connections will deepen gradually in upcoming updates.
Source: inZOI
Autonomy and Personality
- Improved autonomy and social behavior.
- Longer, more detailed animations for conversations and romance.
- Unique dance animations and transitions.
Source: inZOI
Business: From Shops to Franchises
Players can now start small and build their own franchise empire:
- Open new branches, hire staff, and develop your brand.
- Manage wages and working conditions to improve efficiency.
- Customers react to cleanliness, service, and overall atmosphere.
New business types include bakeries, cafés, and flower shops. You’ll also gain new baking and beverage-making skills — perfect for both home and business use.
Karma System
The redesigned Karma System will affect:
- Behavior
- Relationships
- Social roles in the city
The focus isn’t on a simple “good/bad” scale anymore, but on real consequences and unique life paths for each character.
Source: inZOI
Court and Justice System
The team is also working on one of the most unexpected life-sim features — a court system. While early versions will be text-based, future updates will introduce lawyer and prosecutor careers.
Players will be able to:
- Take part in cases (traffic accidents, fraud, unpaid debts).
- Post bail, hire lawyers, and choose defense strategies.
- Receive verdicts such as fines, house arrest, or imprisonment.
Ignoring a court ruling will trigger police intervention and arrest. Part of the system will arrive in December, with more updates coming early next year.
Other Updates and Features
- Christmas decorations and winter festivities
- Seasonal outfits and city adornments
- Map filters by building type
- Expanded infant interactions
- New makeup and outfit presets
- Modular roofs and resizable windows
- New emotions, gestures, and reactions
- Enhanced dialogues
- Upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.6
Source: inZOI
Paralives
The recent Paralives build trailer revealed just how flexible the building and decorating tools will be. Everything is designed to help you create a home that feels natural and reflects your character’s personality.
Building Hotkeys
A new interface menu in the lower-right corner introduces shortcut keys for quick access — very familiar to players used to The Sims’ hotkey system.
Source: Paralives Youtube
Preset Palettes and Custom Colors
Objects come with preset color options — but the key feature is independent color editing for different parts of each item.
For example, you can set the bed frame color separately from the bedding color. It offers The Sims 2-level customization with a modern, user-friendly touch.
Source: Paralives Youtube
Scaling and Shaping Objects
Some items, such as rugs, posters, or curtains, can be stretched and reshaped — not just resized by fixed increments as in The Sims.
Source: Paralives Youtube
Free Object Placement (No Grid)
Placement isn’t tied to a rigid grid — you can position items:
- close together,
- at angles,
- anywhere in the room.
The grid can still be enabled for precision alignment if desired.
Source: Paralives Youtube
Full 360° Rotation
Objects can be rotated freely at any angle, allowing players to create more organic, realistic interiors instead of perfect right angles.
Source: Paralives Youtube
Radio in Paralives
At launch, four radio stations will be available: Lo-Fi, Indie Pop, Rock, and Old Ballads. Interestingly, the team is recording all the music themselves, giving the in-game soundtrack a unique handmade feel.
