Palia is a free-to-play MMORPG, but is nothing like any other MMORPG I've ever played. It's a cozy game, there are no mobs to fight, no enemy-filled raids or dungeons, and the goal is simply to make friends with the villagers, gather resources, and build up your plot of land while investigating what happened to the ancient humans and why magic was outlawed.
MMO? Other people also play in this online world and do the same thing that you do!
As a free-to-play game of course there is a cash shop in-game, but it is solely for cosmetic items. As far as I can tell there is nothing in the game you need to spend money on in order to further your gameplay.
In saying that, it doesn't seem like there are many "nice" clothes to wear that are free so some people may opt to throw money at the shop just so their character has something decent to wear.
I played through this a fair bit a few months ago... I only got a week or two into it but I recently asked for my character to be deleted so I could start again, right from the start, so that this time I could share it with Hive as I progress! 😊
(You can't delete your own character; you need to ask Support to do it for you.)
This young lady screenshotted above is Ellukha Kael, and she's about to live a peaceful new life in Palia.
After creating my character, she materialises before a young purple lass who is ever-so shocked at my sudden appearance.
When speaking with NPCs there are various dialogue options to choose from, each associated with an element. It doesn't have much bearing on the game at the moment, but there is speculation that your main element will have something to do with the game later on.
I'm going for excitable, fiery, brimming with emotion! 🔥🔥🔥
Apparently humans have been materialising willy-nilly all over the place, so while my appearance was unexpected it wasn't unfamiliar. We're directed to a nearby plot for my character to build up so that she has a roof over her head.
It's a mess of bushes and rocks and debris, but that's okay... for we have been given a pickaxe and an axe and we're going to use them!
Once I've cleared a bit of debris and have some materials, I build myself a work station then a little storage chest. Quick note: the storage chests in this are a combined storage! Each new chest just adds to the storage limit.
You can also craft from storage. Hallelujah!
Soon the plot of land is all cleaned up, I've built a makeshift tent so that rain doesn't tarnish my beautiful head, and it's time to head down to the village to meet the townsfolk and get some food.
You don't need to eat in order to do stuff... but, eating gives you focus, and with focus, as you do things, allows you to gain XP. So if you chop a tree with no focus, you don't get tree chopping XP. With energy? Tree chopping XP!
With my land sorted for the time being, I leave my new home and head down into the village to talk to a few people.
It's night time so they're in bed, but that doesn't stop you from being able to speak with them! 🙂 You just knock at their bedroom doors and they'll answer.
One of the people I speak with teaches me the basics of farming.
Another person teaches me the basics of cooking.
And then the mayor stopped by to offer me some blueprints so I no longer have to live in a tent but a proper house. The people of Palia are very friendly!
All that land in the screenshot above can be unlocked for me to build further on and I can have a sprawling manor one day if I so wish.
I have the foundation down for my home but I don't have the plans available to build my own sawmill or furnace yet. The people of Palia are friendly but they still use money to live, so if I want to continue building my home and further progress I'll need to earn some money so I can buy the plans.
I go hunting, fishing, mining, flower picking, bug catching, and tree chopping. The bugs and fish I sell straight away, but everything else I only sell the gold-star versions of and keep the basic stuff for my own resources.
Soon I have enough money to buy the plans required and another money to expand my inventory a little! Which is fantastic because I'm constantly going back home to dump things in storage. My Hive tag "resource goblin" is there for a reason! 😅
NEED ALL THE THINGS.
My new sawmill and furnace are creating all the stone bricks and wooden planks required for my new house. This activity is time-gated, but being an MMO when I log on next all the items will have finished being made.
Palia is a beautiful cozy game, and it's free to play. If you love a good grindy game where you can chill for hours, I highly recommend this. It's not like you're going to lose any money trying it out.
I'll be writing up a few more posts on Palia as I (slowly) progress (this isn't a game you rush), so if you're interested in my future home expansion and decorating... come see me again in the near future. 😁
