City activity in inZOI already includes individual actions and movement—but what’s still missing is the kind of socially coordinated, emotionally textured group behavior that makes a city feel truly alive. From family stroller walks, couple kisses, friend picnics, and pigeon feeding in parks to amusement park queues with glowing glasses, cotton candy, and plush toys in hand – these behaviors create emotional texture and simulate real urban life.
You can add any group activities there—for example, families with children walking hand in hand, couples strolling, or small group interactions with emotional nuance. This topic has come up frequently on Discord.
Reference: Spider-Man 2
Of course, modern games offer plenty of examples, but I usually take screenshots as I play – and since this one is a worthy reference, there’s no reason to let it slip by.
NPCs push strollers, discuss parenting, lean on railings or sit casually, sketch or doodle, solve crosswords, stretch or warm up and engage in dozens of other ambient activities.
Public spaces host organic crowd movement—and there are many of them, dozens in fact, each offering its own rhythm, density, and behavioral palette.
Sometimes, NPCs turn and say or propose something as you walk away without direct player input.
And even with direct input, NPCs respond smoothly: they turn naturally, and choose a greeting, a shy handshake, or even a quirky selfie without breaking flow or immersion.
Watch Dogs 2 is highly catchy and expressive. Many NPC actions have multiple possible outcomes depending on the behavior of the player or other NPCs. They can play the guitar, then use it to strike someone if provoked, step in to defend other NPCs by resolving their conflict, or simply call the police. They can even start affairs that can end in absolutely anything! The city feels insanely alive for a 2016 game.
Genuinely hope this post receives more attention as it’s everything we need in a life sim. Would love for people and npcs to behave more realistic in the world. Amazing ideas!!
Oh, Discord was flooded with these requests, tons of upvotes. We just kind of guessed out of curiosity how much people are into this, but I don’t really know how to write a post here. Two completely different worlds))
Yes! This is exactly what this game needs, more random events and situations happening around the city will absolutely add yet another layer of realism and make it feel even more alive.
Character and NPC Autonomy
Previously, we were overly focused on building a technically perfect simulation world, which caused several problems — optimization issues, increasing system complexity, and high maintenance costs. After much testing, we realized that maintaining this approach is unsustainable. We’ve now shifted our design: instead of relying purely on simulation logic, Zois will act appropriately based on adaptive behavioral values that fit their situation. I’ll share a detailed video about this change on Friday. Players also requested more realistic relationship dynamics, such as betrayal, jealousy, and rumors — as well as NPCs who recognize each other and behave differently depending on their relationships. To achieve this, we’re enhancing multitasking, group behavior, and the event system. These improvements will be included in the December update. For example, during dates or family trips to amusement parks, Zois will engage in more conversations and interactions with each other. Once this system is implemented, families will naturally talk more often and move together when visiting parks. That’s the development goal — it’s a difficult system to build, but I’m determined to make it happen.
Does this match what you were hoping for? If so, please leave a comment and let me know.
I doubt this game is ever going to resemble WD2 (which I have just started playing, thanks for the indirect recommendation!), but at least this is a step in the right direction. More interaction between zois and some ability to group/recognise groupings would be a start.
Why This Matters
Reference: Spider-Man 2
