I've checked out many MMOs over time. In each one, I've felt my virtual life was at risk. This could be due to being pursued by foes, playing a healing role, or struggling in fiery raids. Thus, taking a break in a cozy life Sim MMO felt like a refreshing vacation from constant battles.
Palia, this game unexpectedly came to me a few years ago. It promised a comforting experience from former Blizzard and Riot developers who started their own project to create an MMO. Now, on August 2nd, we can try out their hard work in the largest testing phase, the closed beta. There are no non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) or progress wipes for this phase and beyond. If you missed out on the beta or didn't know about it, don't worry. Today, on August 10th, they're starting an open beta where every interested player can join.
We don't have a release date yet for Palia. However, we know it will be free to play on PC and Switch. It's possible it could launch soon since the Switch release is confirmed for the holiday season this year.
To start off, you'll create your character, which reflects your presence in the Palia world. You can choose from different body types that include: face style, skin tones, eye color, voice, hair, and outfits. There's a makeup tab too, with minimal options like different eyelashes. Currently, the Character Creator doesn't offer extensive personalization, but it's possible that more choices will be added in the future. I'm hoping for additional options, as I'd like to better embody the character I'm crafting.
I'm aware that some of male players were disappointed that the game currently lacks beards or mustaches. However, there's good news – these features are planned, so facial hair enthusiasts, take heart. The exciting part is that, apart from body type, you can freely alter any choice at the in-game Wardrobe whenever you want, without any cost. So, don't stress too much during character creation; you have plenty of time to make changes.
As you play, you'll transition from the Character Creator into the ruins of Palia. Here, you'll meet the first inhabitant of the world, Jina.
Following that, she will guide you towards Kalimia Village, where you'll start your fresh journey among its residents. Every individual you encounter in this realm possesses their own distinct personalities, looks, and preferences. From a single father residing in the woods to a married couple managing a farm, and even a rebellious wealthy girl challenging her mother, you'll gradually uncover their identities while untangling the overarching mystery of why humans have returned to Palia after an extended absence. As days pass, you'll converse with them and forge stronger connections. In fact, you might even pursue romantic relationships with some of them, including a robot.
As you develop stronger bonds, they'll present you with more quests. Each in-game day, you'll have the chance to engage in fresh conversations with them. Every real-time day for us, you'll have a new chance to offer them a cherished gift. However, they have specific preferences, so it's important to maintain ongoing conversations. Over time, you can inquire about their likes, or they might even suggest gift ideas for other villagers.
Initially, I found this feature a bit unusual, but as time passed, they started to come across as well-developed individuals with distinct personas, intriguing me to learn more about them. While they don't use full speech and mainly emit brief sounds or phrases, their text interactions are quite extensive. In fact, they even send you letters that show up in your mailbox on the piece of land they provide for you to construct a house.
That's right, there's housing – individual housing, to be precise.
While you receive a piece of land that requires clearing and development, your journey involves crafting, farming, and construction. Apart from the initial house they provide, you'll have to expand your property by purchasing unrevealed land using Ritz, as well as buying house sections using in-game currency obtained from selling gathered or crafted items. Crafting determines furniture availability, with each crafted piece unlocking more items for your furniture-building expertise. Furniture is also available for purchase from Trish, the town's furniture vendor.
You don't need to reach a specific crafting level to purchase her items; having enough gold is sufficient. However, the one drawback I noticed with the furniture is the lack of interactivity. For instance, I can't sit on a chair or lie on a bed, which was a bit disappointing. I'm hoping that these functionalities are being developed because I'd greatly appreciate experiencing those small interactions. It's these little exchanges that contribute to making the game world feel more vibrant and dynamic.
Inside your land plot, you can engage in farming, involving tasks like tilling soil, planting seeds, removing weeds, watering, and fertilizing. Farming is more intricate than my brief explanation. If you organize your crop planting, you can speed up growth, prevent weed growth, or enhance the quality of neighboring crops.
Personally, I'm not focused on optimization and simply plant without much planning. These crops are valuable for acquiring gold through sales or for cooking purposes.
Once you access the oven and prep station, cooking involves a mini-game where you must click at the correct moment to chop or roll a rolling pin before the timer expires. It's an enjoyable and engaging activity, though I personally struggle with timing. This is where your visiting friends become useful. Friends can enter your property and assist by watering plants, repositioning items if you grant them editing rights, or importantly, joining you in cooking endeavors.
source: in-game screenshot
When your friends bring resources, they can contribute to the ingredients for cooking or directly participate in the cooking process. In my situation, if I haven't unlocked an oven for baking due to my cooking level, I can visit my friend's house and help them cook, gaining rewards in return. Everything is distributed equally, regardless of the efforts or supplies contributed. However, be mindful that your friends might eventually realize you only show up during mealtime, which could lead to them questioning the nature of your friendship.
You can only visit your friend's home when they are present; otherwise, you won't have access. However, as long as they're on your friend's list, you can visit any friend's home. This means we can easily share a world with friends from anywhere. If you want to interact with your friends outside of your home, make sure to add them to your party so you can navigate the map together.
A map can accommodate up to 25 people simultaneously, while the party can consist of up to four players. Keep this in mind if you have more than four friends. Beyond socializing with other players, the open world offers a variety of activities. You can engage in fishing, mining, capturing bugs, gathering plants, tree chopping, and hunting. Each of these life skills, including farming, furniture crafting, and cooking, has its own skill level. As your proficiency increases, you'll gain access to improved tools that aid you in performing these tasks.
You can engage in most of these activities with friends, except for furniture making. Some tasks require collaboration, such as chopping down magical trees that regrow. The Palia community calls this "tree raids," where players unite like Kirito and Yugioh in Sword Art Online. If you're committed to not leaving any task unfinished, any action you take together—whether in a party or not—is shared.
source: in-game screenshot
Having a friend along can speed things up, such as mining operations. If the idea of playing with someone else is unappealing, don't worry. You can play this game entirely on your own if that's your preference, except for tree cutting. You can simply imagine you're enlisting an NPC's help for those magical trees – it works out fine. Currently, the game world consists of Kilma and Bahari Bay, with additional areas in development. Each region exhibits a distinct biome, whether it's sandy beaches, undulating hills, or enchanting dense forests, depending on your location.
While the world may not seem incredibly expansive, it does require some legwork to navigate. The world feels rich and meaningful, a quality I appreciate. Fast travel is available, but it requires in-game currency, which isn't readily accessible for me at the moment. As a result, I'm conserving it by journeying on foot everywhere. You can teleport to your home for free every 30 minutes, providing a convenient option.
As you progress, you'll eventually receive a quest to acquire a glider. This unlocks new areas for you to soar to, saving you some steps. Each region also boasts distinct plants, minerals, and insect species. The animal population appears to feature consistent creatures like sirnocks and kappos. A noteworthy encounter in Bahari Bay was meeting Tamila, which suggests a potential future skill like alchemy. The idea of learning potions from her excites me, and to be frank, I'm attempting to build a romantic connection with her. Yet, she resides quite a distance away, making daily conversations a bit challenging.
Honestly, the entire Bahari Bay region exudes a magical ambiance. Nevertheless, NPCs do mention its potential existence in conversation. With time, I hope to defeat it and explore its potential drops. The world itself maintains a cozy atmosphere, yet it also harbors subtle hints of darkness. You might stumble upon a concealed black market interaction, encounter a mysterious witch-like character whom other villagers warn you about, and even utter controversial statements that displease others.
I found myself unexpectedly engrossed in the game world, striving to unlock additional stories because I was genuinely excited for more content. The monetization for this free-to-play game centers around an outfit store, allowing you to adorn your character in stylish attire.
Considering the current state of the game, keeping in mind that it's in beta, the gameplay seems to revolve around acquiring rare resources to gradually unveil a hidden revelation, probably shedding light on the history of humans. As additional content gets introduced, I anticipate players will have a substantial amount of activities to engage in, despite the game's straightforward nature. Although various actions require time, it's not to the extent where you feel idle, except perhaps while fishing and waiting for a catch.
There's still considerable work to be done on this game, especially since it's in its beta phase.
Even after the official release, they appear to have well-defined plans, including potential weather features, new regions, regular patches, and more. It's my hope that they will address server problems, fix random core issues, tidy up graphical glitches like the dangling square and T-poses. Despite these ongoing improvements, I'm committed to continuing my playtime, and I'm genuinely delighted to admit that I found a lot of unexpected enjoyment in the experience.
I know this game won't be for everyone, but if you like cozy games, you can try it today.