Palia Preview

If you’re an avid reader of GameGrin’s weekly “What We’re Playing” series, you might have noticed I have two perpetual gaming loves: World of Warcraft (WoW) and cosy games. Fishing in Stardew Valley is, in fact, one of my favourite ways to unwind after a long night of running arena matches as a Mistweaver trying to Fistweave her way to victory. I get to take a breath, enjoy the soothing music, and fish until I inevitably fall asleep with my Switch still in my hands (kidding… mostly). Simply put, it’s relaxation at its best; I always wanted, but never dreamed I could have that same type of wholesome, cosy experience with an MMO. That is, until I saw Palia's announcement trailer two years ago and immediately said, “I need that”.

Thus began my adventure of following Singularity 6’s progress and Q&As, hoping I’d get a chance to try out Palia in its earliest stages. I eventually got that golden ticket, taking my journey from Discord to Kilima Village, and now I’m here, excited and ready to tell you about my time with the closed beta.

For those who aren’t familiar with Palia, it’s an upcoming free-to-play 3D cosy MMO inspired by the likes of Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, offering a world with no combat or health bars, just good vibes. You’ll meet the friendly inhabitants of Kilima Village, start your own homestead, and level up your skills, but first things first — character creation. Players begin their adventure by selecting from a variety of appearance options, including body type, face shape, skin tone, hairstyle, makeup, accessories, and clothing. The creator is simple and easy to use. The clothing, in particular, is detailed and decent for just starting out. You can also choose different colour combos for those base clothing options, as there are eight for the tops and a slightly different set of eight colours for the bottoms. Currently, there are no options to adjust the player’s age, as everyone plays as a young adult.

After choosing your character’s full name and nickname, it’s time to head to the titular world of Palia. A glowing pink orb materialises you from seemingly nowhere, and you land at the site of ancient ruins, where you’re greeted by the aspiring scholar Jina, who informs you that you’re not the first human to randomly appear. The sudden influx is quite weird, though, since humans are supposed to be extinct. But that’s a whole mystery to save for another day. You need to get settled in, so Jina sends you on your way to Kilima Village to talk with the Innkeeper.

Part of Palia’s draw is definitely its cosy atmosphere. The moment you step out of the ruins, you’re met with a vibrant, rural landscape crafted with an art style reminiscent of Pixar movies. On my way to the main town, I couldn’t help but take a detour to explore some homes, finding comfy, maximalist interiors that are the personification of a warm hug. Outside is just as cute and magical, with plenty of animals — the adorable Chapaas, especially — and insects filling the lush green areas. The NPCs also fit the bill for a Pixar film, and it’s been fun getting to know them during the beta. You can improve your relationship (or possibly start a romance) with them by frequently talking, gifting items, and completing their quests. The dialogue is well-written, with each NPC brimming with personality. Additionally, you can decide how your character interacts thanks to the elemental dialogue system, which gives you access to water, earth, air, and fire responses when talking with other characters. From my experience, it doesn’t seem like the elements attached to the dialogue have any gameplay impact, so it’s mostly for roleplay purposes, as far as I can tell.

Palia lets you take things at your own pace, but many gameplay elements unlock quicker than I expected. For example, one of your first quests is to visit your housing plot, which is the quintessential farming sim location with overgrown weeds, trees, and rocks crowding the space. You’ll clear the property out with your trusty axe and mining pick — you’ll need upgraded tools to handle the sturdier nodes — and once you have enough space, you can place your tent. As someone who is used to Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ pacing, I started decorating, assuming I’d be stuck with it for a while, but I quickly realised I was wrong. Your transition from living in a tent to owning a home can actually be done in just a few quests. I was surprised but didn’t mind it, as it let me focus more on everything else the game has to offer without worrying about jumping through a ton of hoops to unlock my house. Overall, it feels like a “dessert first” kind of philosophy, and I’m here for it.

That’s not to say the progression is instant, though. Real-life time plays a big part in your Palia experience. For example, building your house will require you to use a Stone Smelter for 35 Stone Bricks and a Sawmill to cut 100 Sapwood Planks. Since it takes one minute to craft a plank, you’ll have to wait an hour and 40 minutes to have enough for your house. Once you allocate the resources, the actual building process takes eight hours, which worked out for me since I started it right before logging off to head to bed for the night! In-game time, however, has a day/night cycle that equals one hour in our time, which determines other elements, such as NPC schedules, water levels for crops, or resources that only spawn at night.

It never feels like you’re waiting, though. There’s always something to do in this game, including fishing, cooking, hunting, bug-catching, foraging, gardening, and crafting. Each one is simple and relaxing, very in tune with the cosy genre. The cooking was probably the standout for me, as it includes prepping your ingredients and stirring the dish, making it one of the more active mini-games I’ve enjoyed compared to the cooking in Stardew and New Horizons. The other skills are a bit more simple in practice. Fishing is laid-back, as you toss your line and reel in the fish by following it with your mouse, keeping your catch in the space between two green parentheses. Hunting Sernuks and Chapaas, on the other hand, can be a bit chaotic in the beginning as you’ll often have to chase after your spooked target; this gets better as you level up, though. You do get XP for using your skills, unlocking more tools and recipes to buy as you progress. There’s also a mechanic called Focus, which gives you bonus XP in everything you do, and all it takes to keep it full is eating food. Levelling up fishing from one to four already gave me access to a new rod and a Worm Farm for bait, so I am well on my way to becoming a seasoned angler.

Palia’s social experience is definitely still in progress, but let’s talk about what’s currently available for multiplayer. While your housing plot is located in your own instance, you will run into other players out in the world, and you can invite friends to your plot or visit theirs. Direct trading is currently not available, but there is a request feature that sort of fills this gap. For example, if you’re cooking and are short one mushroom, you could hit the “request item” button to put up an order that other players can fill. Another way you can help each other is by teaming up to chop down enchanted trees, cooking meals, and fishing together for a bonus. For those looking for a community in Palia, you’ll have to join Discord to find guilds or potential party members. From coffee lovers to cooking enthusiasts, there are plenty of groups to explore, but let’s face it, it’s not great to have to build your MMO community outside of the actual game. Hopefully, Singularity 6 can integrate an in-game LFG search function, as well as more community spaces or instances for multiple members to enjoy together.

It’s still early to say, but fans of the wholesome games genre will feel right at home with Palia. With more character customisation options and themed events on the horizon, this is certainly a budding MMO to keep an eye on, especially considering that Singularity 6 is eyeing this holiday season for a Nintendo Switch launch as well. An official release date has yet to be announced, but the open beta will let you experience these humble beginnings to see if it’ll be your new, relaxing break from the high-intensity releases of this year.