The Sims rival InZoi isn't actually close to rivalling The Sims, according to the new life simulator's very own director.
Krafton's ultra-realistic take on the life sim genre is hitting early access in just a few days - March 28 - and much has been said about how it's reheating The Sims' nachos. Basically, you create your own incredibly lifelike digital characters and guide them through everyday events, but this time, there are massive open-world cities, a really cool 3D printing feature, and everyone looks like they've been pressed through Instagram filters.
Despite InZoi's various innovations on The Sims 4's playbook, game director Hyungjun 'Kjun' Kim recently said the team isn't close to overtaking the genre's lynchpin.
"The Sims is an incredible game, and I don't think InZoi is anywhere near comparable – at least not yet," Kim recently told PCGN. "We're just taking our first steps along the path The Sims has paved. Every time I play The Sims, I learn something new, and I often find myself resonating with the decisions made by its development team." He then reiterated that he doesn't necessarily want the two games to compete; he just sees InZoi as a different option for fans of the genre. "Just as every person leads a unique life, The Sims and InZoi each have their own meaning and value."
EA isn't abandoning The Sims 4, a game that's been chugging and expanding for over a decade, any time soon, though, making the inevitable comparisons between the two games all the more brutal. Kim himself admitted that the team is under "a lot of pressure" since "The Sims has spent decades perfecting its life simulations." That's probably why other companies have barely tried to dip their toes into the genre, and any attempts haven't gone down super well (you might remember that Paradox infamously cancelled Life By You.)
"If The Sims 5 were in development, we could have started fresh alongside it," Kim said. But, for now, EA's plans for the series are sort of shrouded in mystery. We know Maxis is also working on Project Rene, but that game won't replace The Sims 4 or serve as a straightforward sequel, according to the publisher.
So, who knows? InZoi might just have two Simses to live up to.
Check out what else is in the pipeline with our new games of 2025 guide.
