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Building Your First Home: inZOI Tutorial

Ready to move your Zoi into their dream home? Whether you're starting with an empty lot or renovating an existing house, inZOI's powerful Build Mode offers the tools you need to design, construct, and furnish the perfect living space. This guide will walk you through the essentials of building your first home.

Accessing Build Mode​

You can enter Build Mode in a few ways:

  1. From Live Mode: While playing your active household on their home lot, click the Build Mode icon (usually a house/hammer symbol) in the lower-right UI, or press the default keyboard shortcut [I].
  2. From Build Studio: Select Build Studio from the main game lobby to build freely without budget constraints, perfect for designing presets or practicing.
  3. From City Map: When selecting an empty residential lot (Empty Property) for your Zoi to move into, you'll often be given the option to enter Build Mode immediately after purchase.

See Build Mode Overview for more details

Understanding the Build Mode Interface​

The Build Mode interface provides access to all construction and furnishing tools, typically organized into categories on the left or top of the screen:

  • Building Presets: Quickly place pre-designed properties, rooms, or furniture sets. Great for inspiration or a fast start.
  • Building: Contains all the tools for constructing the physical structure: Walls, Floors, Foundations, Doors, Windows, Stairs, Roofs, Fences, etc.
  • Furniture: Browse a vast catalog of objects sorted by room (Bedroom, Kitchen, etc.) and object type (Chairs, Beds, Appliances, Decor).
  • Craft: Access tools like the 3D Printer and Custom Furniture creation (though clothing craft is in CAZ).
  • Edit Colors and Materials: Customize the look of almost any object or surface using colors, materials, and even AI-generated textures.
  • Top Bar: Usually contains essential functions like Undo (Ctrl+Z), Redo (Ctrl+Shift+Z), Save Preset options, and access to the Canvas.
  • Bottom Panel: Shows controls, costs (if applicable), and tool options.

You can customize the UI layout by clicking and dragging most elements to different screen positions. See Controls & Interface Guide

Step-by-Step: Building Your First House​

Let's build a simple house from scratch on an empty lot.

Step 1: Choose Your Lot​

Start by selecting an empty residential plot on the City Map for your Zoi family to move into. Note the lot size, as this will constrain your build dimensions. See Lot Types Explained

Step 2: Lay the Foundation (Walls & Rooms)​

  1. Enter Build Mode ([I]).
  2. Select the Building category, then the Wall Tool.
  3. Click and drag on the ground to draw your exterior walls, forming the basic shape of your house. Hold Shift to draw continuous walls.
  4. Draw interior walls to divide the space into rooms (Living Room, Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom). Remember to leave space for hallways and doors.
  5. (Note: Curved walls are not currently available).
  6. (Tip: Use Blueprints found under Building > Home > Blueprints as a visual guide for room layouts if needed).

Step 3: Add Floors and Ceilings​

  1. Select the Floor Tool (usually within the Building category).
  2. Choose a floor pattern.
  3. Hover over a defined room; the floor outline will highlight. Click to apply the flooring. You can apply flooring room-by-room or to the entire level.
  4. Repeat for ceilings using the Ceiling Tool.

Step 4: Place Doors and Windows​

  1. Select the Door Tool or Window Tool.
  2. Browse the styles and choose one.
  3. Hover over a wall where you want to place it. The outline will show where it fits. Click to place. Doors and windows automatically create openings in walls.
  4. Remember to add an exterior door for entry!

Step 5: Going Up (Optional: Stairs & Additional Floors)​

  1. If building a multi-story house, select the Stairs Tool.
  2. Choose a stair style. Click to place the base, then drag to set the direction and length. Stairs need clear space above and below.
  3. Use the slanted arrow toggles while placing stairs to create L-shaped or U-shaped landings.
  4. Press [Page Up] to go to the next floor level. Draw walls and floors for the upper story. Repeat Steps 3 & 4 for doors/windows on this level.
  5. (Note: Basements are not currently available. The maximum building height is 30 floors). See Apartments Guide for floor limits

Step 6: Topping It Off (Roofs)​

  1. Press [Page Up] until you are viewing the level where the roof should sit.
  2. Select the Roof Tool. Choose a style (gable, hip, flat, etc.) and trim.
  3. Click and drag to place roof sections. They often snap automatically to cover rooms.
  4. For complex rooflines, hold [Alt] while placing pieces to allow free placement and connect sections smoothly. Adjust pitch and overhang using available sliders/handles.

Step 7: Exterior Touches​

  1. Use the Edit Colors/Materials tool (Paintbrush icon) to apply exterior wall paint or siding.
  2. Select the Fence Tool to enclose your yard or create garden areas. Add a Gate for access. (Tip: Place fences last, as they can sometimes glitch during other construction).
  3. Add pathways, plants, trees, and outdoor lighting from the Furniture > Outdoors category.

Step 8: Furnishing the Interior​

Now for the fun part – making it a home!

  1. Switch to the Furniture category.
  2. Browse by room (Kitchen, Bedroom, etc.) and object type (Beds, Tables, Plumbing, Appliances, Decor).
  3. Select an item and click to place it on the lot.
  4. Use rotation keys ([Z], [C], or Right Mouse Click) to orient furniture. Hold [Alt] while placing to ignore the grid for precise positioning.
  5. Don't forget essentials: Bed, Toilet, Shower/Tub, Sink, Refrigerator, Stove/Oven (for cooking), Countertops, Seating (chairs, sofa), Lighting.
  6. Use the Edit Colors/Materials tool extensively to customize furniture colors and textures to match your desired style. Apply custom patterns or generate unique AI textures.

Essential Build Mode Tips for Beginners​

  • Start Small: Don't aim for a complex mansion on your first try. Build a comfortable starter home to learn the tools.
  • Budget Wisely: If building in live mode (not Build Studio), keep an eye on your household funds (Meow). Building can get expensive quickly!
  • Use the Grid: Toggle the grid ([G]) on/off. It helps with alignment but use Alt for free placement when needed.
  • Master Wall Views: Use [Home] and [End] frequently to toggle wall views (Up, Cutaway, Down). This is essential for placing interior objects.
  • Floor Navigation: Use [Page Up] and [Page Down] to move between floors easily.
  • Undo is Your Friend: Made a mistake? [Ctrl+Z] is your best friend. Don't be afraid to try things out.
  • Test Accessibility: Before adding lots of clutter, briefly switch to Live Mode and have your Zoi walk through the house to ensure doorways aren't blocked and furniture is usable.
  • Light It Up: Place lights early (ceiling lights, lamps). Building in the dark is difficult!
  • Save Often: Use the Save option in the Game Menu ([Esc]) frequently, especially for larger builds.

Saving and Sharing Your Creation​

  • Saving Your Game: Build Mode uses the regular game save system. Manually save often via the [Esc] menu. Autosave provides backups too.
  • Saving Presets: You can save your entire build, individual rooms, or even furniture arrangements as presets. Look for "Save Property Preset," "Save Room Preset," or "Save Furniture Preset" options, often in the top bar or by selecting the relevant items.
  • Uploading to Canvas: Share your creations with the world! Saved presets can be uploaded to the inZOI Canvas (requires a KRAFTON ID). Use the "Upload to Canvas" button found during the preset saving process or sometimes directly in the top bar.

Building in inZOI offers immense creative freedom. Take your time, experiment with the tools, draw inspiration from real-world architecture or the Canvas, and soon you'll be crafting amazing homes for your Zois!