Quirks and Lately

Besides their traits, two things shape how a Zoi texts: their quirks, which stay, and how they are lately, which comes and goes. Both are on their card, and neither asks the AI anything.

Quirks#

Quirks are who a Zoi is. They stay unless the Zoi's traits or life stage change. You see them on the card under Personality > Quirks.

• Their take on each trait. Every trait comes in four flavors, so two Zois with the same trait don't text alike. That goes for the game's traits and for ZoiWorks traits. A Bookworm might be wordy, quote things, be shy or gush. The flavor comes from their values and their other traits, and it is always the same for the same Zoi.
• Texting habits. Two or three each, like lowercase, several short texts in a row, one-word replies, CAPS when worked up, typos left in, old-style emoticons or trailing dots. Habits shape every text after the AI writes it.
• Made different. If a Zoi would come out nearly the same as one already in your save, they are made again until they differ, and the card says so.

What you write under Add to their personality about how they text wins over all of this.

Every flavor#

Each trait and the four ways a Zoi can wear it. The first one is the usual one.

The game's personalities

• Adventurer: impulsive, restless, daredevil, wanderer.
• Authoritarian: bossy, protective, by-the-book, swagger.
• Charmer: smooth, devoted, playful, poetic.
• Explorer: curious, quiet, nosy, dry.
• Go-Getter: driven, showy, stretched, cheerleader.
• Idealist: hopeful, philosopher, believer, plan-maker.
• Individualist: dry, self-sufficient, free-spirit, aloof.
• Innovator: fired-up, inventor, advocate, contrarian.
• Intellectual: precise, patient, smug, absent.
• Leader: decisive, supportive, rallying, steady.
• Pacifist: smoothing, listener, defuser, stubborn.
• Perfectionist: exact, self-critical, coach, withering.
• Recluse: quiet, caretaker, wary, homebody.
• Rulebreaker: cheeky, schemer, principled, slick.
• Socialite: connector, gossip, status, host.
• Troublemaker: chaotic, deadpan, warm-clown, roaster.
• Visionary: dreamy, intense, gentle, guarded.

The game's characteristics

• A Good First Impression: easy, open-book, chameleon, gentle.
• Accident Magnet: restless, tinkerer, sneaky, whirlwind.
• Barista Sense: particular, cozy, connoisseur, buzzing.
• Bookworm: wordy, quoter, shy, gusher.
• Cheerful: sunny, warm, goofy, brave-face.
• Childish: silly, curious, sulky, bratty.
• Clumsy: flustered, laughs-it-off, mortified, distracted.
• Cutie: playful, puppy-eyes, prankster, sweet-talker.
• Depressed: flat, gallows, worn-out, tender.
• Devoted: loyal, doting, dependable, possessive.
• Emotionally Needy: anxious, affectionate, playful, testing.
• Extroverted: chatty, host, spotlight, butterfly.
• Fitness Enthusiast: upbeat, competitive, disciplined, encouraging.
• Frugal Handiwork: plain, proud, soft-hearted, resourceful.
• Genius: explains, absent, teacher, smug.
• Gentle Touch: unhurried, stubborn, drifting, storyteller.
• Good-Natured: sweet, trusting, daydreamer, shy.
• Hand of the Harvest: finder, keeper, braggart, sharer.
• Introverted: reserved, slow-burn, wry, shy.
• Lively: bubbly, scatterbrained, hype-friend, driven.
• Malicious: stinging, sarcastic, guarded, blunt.
• Materialistic: polished, enthusiast, self-aware, cool.
• Mixology Instinct: improviser, host, showman, measured.
• Neat Freak: particular, tender, anxious, exacting.
• Perception of All Things: tipster, know-it-all, guide, rambler.
• Prickly: blunt, stubborn, dramatic, protective.
• Sense of Contemplation: questioning, doubting, earnest, absent.
• Serene Aura: steady, soothing, withdrawn, wry.
• Slacker: laid-back, drowsy, dodger, entitled.
• Sweet Touch: patient, generous, exacting, shy.
• Touch of Allure: smooth, sincere, teasing, calculating.
• Wandering Heart: cheeky, silver-tongue, bashful, banter.
• Water Affinity: easygoing, carefree, tag-along, protective.
• Workaholic: driven, fretful, ambitious, provider.

ZoiWorks traits#

With the ZoiWorks trait packs installed, their traits come in four flavors too.

ZoiWorks personalities

• Collaborator: teammate, captain, sidekick, brainstormer.
• Competitor: scrapper, showboat, grinder, hothead.
• Cult Leader: shepherd, guru, firebrand, patriarch.
• Doomsday Prepper: watchman, hoarder, doomsayer, drill-sergeant.
• Earth Child: earnest, zealot, wild-heart, healer.
• Eccentric: oddball, genius, kook, whimsical.
• Entertainer: showman, clown, diva, crowd-pleaser.
• Eternal Optimist: sunny, booster, denial, believer.
• Festive: host, ringleader, sentimental, escapist.
• Fierce: commanding, warlord, firecracker, ice.
• Free Spirit: breezy, drifter, wild-child, flower-child.
• Geek: fan, gatekeeper, superfan, shut-in.
• Guardian: sentinel, mother-hen, enforcer, martyr.
• Heartbreaker: charmer, collector, runaway, addict.
• Hedonist: lounger, glutton, connoisseur, sloth.
• Homebody: nester, recluse, host, sloth.
• Mad Scientist: manic, obsessive, showman, cold-blooded.
• Manipulator: flatterer, puppeteer, victim, seducer.
• Mediator: peacekeeper, diplomat, confidant, referee.
• Mentor: teacher, taskmaster, cheerleader, lecturer.
• Mystic: oracle, prophet, dreamer, hermit.
• Narcissist: star, victim, tyrant, peacock.
• Nurturer: caretaker, smotherer, martyr, matriarch.
• Old Soul: classic, curmudgeon, sage, romantic.
• Outlaw: hustler, con-artist, thug, rogue.
• People Pleaser: accommodating, doormat, chameleon, simmering.
• Psychopath: polished, predator, operator, void.
• Rebel: firebrand, anarchist, loner, crusader.
• Saint: gentle, doormat, preacher, fixer.
• Stoic: granite, soldier, philosopher, burned-out.
• Tortured Soul: brooding, poet, wreck, ghost.
• Tycoon: closer, shark, patron, grinder.
• Volunteer: neighbor, organizer, martyr, crusader.
• Wanderer: traveller, escapist, seeker, vagabond.

ZoiWorks characteristics

• Airhead: ditzy, bubbly, spacey, fake.
• Angler: tranquil, loner, storyteller, patient.
• Baby Fever: broody, pushy, wistful, gushing.
• Beach Bum: drawling, slacker, mellow, show-pony.
• Boring: beige, pedant, content, drone.
• Born Swimmer: fluid, competitor, dreamer, playful.
• Born to Dance: kinetic, show-off, free, shy-until.
• Bratty: pouty, tyrant, whiner, charmer.
• Brutally Honest: blunt-force, cruel, principled, tactless.
• Bully: jeering, ringleader, brute, sniper.
• Chatterbox: run-on, gossipy, nervous, monologuer.
• Coffee Addict: wired, jittery, zombie, ritualist.
• Collector: curatorial, hoarder, snob, magpie.
• Commitment-Phobe: breezy, panicker, player, wounded.
• Compulsive Liar: inventive, grandiose, cover-up, pointless.
• Conspiracy Theorist: urgent, preacher, hushed, hobbyist.
• Crafty: resourceful, perfectionist, gifter, snob.
• Daydreamer: misty, romantic, escapist, inventor.
• Disturbing: uncanny, creep, morbid, blank.
• Doomscroller: plugged-in, anxious, cynic, numb.
• Drama Queen: operatic, tragic, diva, stirrer.
• Early Bird: chirpy, smug, sunny, drill.
• Family-First: clan-loyal, clannish, doting, dutiful.
• Fearless: brash, daredevil, cold, reckless.
• Film Buff: narrative, snob, dreamer, quoter.
• Flamboyant: technicolor, diva, joyful, armour.
• Freeloader: opportunistic, charmer, entitled, sad-sack.
• Fresh: crisp, fussy, vain, calm.
• Gambler: high-rolling, addict, high-roller, superstitious.
• Gamer: locked-in, rager, escapist, strategist.
• Generous: open-handed, showy, pushover, quiet.
• Glutton: ravenous, hangry, jolly, sneaky.
• Gold Digger: purring, strategist, spoiled, hustler.
• Gossip: conspiratorial, venomous, harmless, investigator.
• Gourmet: discerning, snob, sensualist, exacting.
• Green Thumb: patient, earth-mother, solitary, proud.
• Grudge Holder: simmering, vengeful, wounded, petty.
• Grumpy: prickly, bitter, gruff, deadpan.
• Gullible: trusting, sweet, excitable, stubborn.
• Gym Rat: pumped, meathead, coach, obsessive.
• Handy: practical, gruff, tinkerer, helpful.
• Health Nut: optimized, preachy, anxious, glowing.
• Homewrecker: illicit, thief, devoted, thrill.
• Hot-Headed: explosive, brawler, seether, passionate.
• Hyper: caffeinated, chaotic, driven, anxious.
• Hypochondriac: fretful, dramatic, researcher, fussy.
• Idiotic: thick-headed, cheerful, stubborn, lost.
• Insatiable: wanting, demanding, aching, roving.
• Insomniac: frayed, manic, haunted, dry.
• Internet Troll: snide, nihilist, clown, coward.
• Killjoy: deflating, scold, bored, anxious.
• Kleptomaniac: sticky-fingered, compulsive, smug, magpie.
• Know-It-All: encyclopedic, condescending, enthusiast, insecure.
• Lightweight: tipsy, giggly, weepy, bold.
• Loyal: steadfast, blind, fierce, quiet.
• Maestro: expressive, diva, soulful, drilled.
• Mellow: low-key, hazy, peacemaker, checked-out.
• Mixologist: hospitable, showman, confidant, perfectionist.
• Morbid: macabre, gleeful, philosopher, gothic.
• Night Creature: nocturnal, stalker, melancholic, theatrical.
• Night Owl: late, productive, restless, reveller.
• Outdoorsy: hearty, rugged, gentle, restless.
• Paranoid: vigilant, accuser, jumpy, plotter.
• Party Animal: rowdy, sloppy, ringleader, escapist.
• Passionate Baker: hearth-warm, perfectionist, feeder, comfort.
• Pathetic: hapless, whiner, clown, grovelling.
• Penny Pincher: thrifty, miser, bargain-proud, anxious.
• Pessimist: resigned, doom, sardonic, defeated.
• Petrolhead: high-revving, showoff, speed-freak, tinkerer.
• Photographer: observant, artist, snapper, voyeur.
• Poet: lyrical, melancholy, romantic, pretentious.
• Polyamorous: open-hearted, idealist, free-wheeling, organised.
• Possessive: territorial, controlling, insecure, explosive.
• Prankster: impish, cruel, goofy, mastermind.
• Prude: prim, scold, flustered, repressed.
• Puny: brainy, whiny, sardonic, scheming.
• Puzzle Nut: methodical, obsessive, smug, playful.
• Pyromaniac: entranced, destroyer, dreamer, reckless.
• Rain Lover: cosy, gloomy, homebody, puddle-jumper.
• Repulsive: coarse, proud, oblivious, feral.
• Scaredy-Cat: skittish, shrieker, worrier, clinger.
• Seductive: smooth, predatory, playful, sultry.
• Shameless: brazen, crude, exhibitionist, oblivious.
• Shopaholic: impulsive, status, comfort, hunter.
• Show-Off: flexing, bragger, humble-bragger, needy.
• Shy: tentative, frozen, sweet, watchful.
• Sleepyhead: heavy-lidded, cranky, cuddly, dopey.
• Slob: slack, defiant, oblivious, depressed.
• Smitten: starry-eyed, obsessive, dreamy, fickle.
• Socially Awkward: halting, rambler, silent, literal.
• Softie: tender, crybaby, sentimental, empath.
• Sore Loser: volcanic, cheater, sulker, rager.
• Squeamish: delicate, prissy, fainter, giggler.
• Stargazer: wonder-struck, philosopher, lonely, excitable.
• Straight-A Student: studious, anxious, teachers-pet, driven.
• Street Artist: gritty, vandal, visionary, hustler.
• Sun Chaser: radiant, worshipper, moody, bouncy.
• Sunset Lover: golden, sappy, melancholy, peaceful.
• Superstitious: wary, fearful, believer, gambler.
• Sweet Talker: honeyed, salesman, flirt, peacemaker.
• Sweet Tooth: treat-driven, sneaky, comfort, sharer.
• Technophobe: analog, suspicious, helpless, nostalgic.
• Thrill Junkie: amped, adrenaline, self-destructive, instigator.
• Vain: preening, insecure, catty, glamour.
• Weirdo: bizarre, creepy, whimsical, chaotic.
• Wholesome: sunny, preachy, naive, homespun.
• Witty: nimble, sarcastic, goofy, deflector.
• Yogi: centred, smug, zen, floaty.

Lately#

Lately is how a Zoi is right now: one short line that colours how they text, never what they talk about, and it never says what happened. A Zoi has at most two at a time, and each fades after a while. You see them on the card under Now > Lately, each with what started it, like "after a warm streak with you".

What starts one#

• Big moments: a promotion, being fired, graduating, first love, an engagement, a wedding, a divorce, a baby, a loss, a scare like a fire, a trial and the like. Each starts one.
• Growing older into a new life stage.
• How you treat them: a warm or cold stretch over a few days, one very hurtful exchange, a block, making up, and how your texts come across (kind, encouraging, pushy, hostile or flirty; flirting counts for adults only).
• Being badgered or ignored: repeating yourself or piling on texts can make them guarded or firm. Leaving them on read, long silences, hanging up and unanswered calls can make them quieter, wary or hurt.
• Between two Zois: a close friendship that falls apart, or a new close friend.
• Small things that add up: a long low or good mood, long stress, a skill reaching a high level, moving house, someone new at home. One alone does nothing; a few within days start a mild one.
• Finishing an ambition.

Which one starts depends on the Zoi: their traits and values make some likelier, and the same event always gives the same Zoi the same result. A wedding, an engagement or a divorce gives both people their own.

ZoiWorks traits don't change which one starts. The Zoi's values and the game's own traits do.

How long they last#

• Each one has a strength from 1 to 5. A death in the family is a 5. A friend's death, a divorce, finding out about cheating, prison, bankruptcy or blocking you is a 4. A wedding, a baby, a promotion, being fired or making up is a 3. Most other things are a 2.
• It lasts from about a week to a month of game days: the stronger, the longer. Grief and being guarded last the longest.
• It fades as it goes. With two already, a stronger new one takes the place of the weaker, and a weaker one doesn't start.
• The same one again starts its time over. How you treat them starts at most one each way every 3 game days.
• Children get none, and nothing romantic counts below High Teen.

The list#

• Quieter: slower to joke, shorter texts than usual.
• Guarded: slow to open up, quick to deflect with a joke.
• Confident: sure of themselves, more direct and a little cockier.
• Softer: more patient, warmer with the people close to them.
• Stretched: stretched thin, with shorter replies, slower to answer, easily irritated.
• Restless: impatient, quick to change the subject.
• Giddy: a little sappy, more exclamation points, can't stop smiling.
• Humbled: less swagger, quicker to listen.
• Shaken: a little jumpy, checking in on people more than usual.
• Proud: glowing, quick to share good news.
• Wistful: reflective and a little nostalgic.
• Bitter: an edge to them, sarcastic and short with people who let them down.
• Lighter: easier, more jokes and less worry.
• Braver: more willing to try things and speak up.
• Driven: focused, pushing to get things done.

Four are about the person texting them: you in HEARTDM, your Zoi in DREAMDM.

• Opened up: more open with you, sharing more than usual.
• Wary: slower to trust you, reads your words twice.
• Hurt: a little distant with you, shorter replies.
• Firm: firmer about what they will put up with from you.