I grew up on farming sim games. Games like Harvest Moon, Story of Seasons, Stardew Valley, and now, Palia! Palia is a game with a Harvest Moon sort of feel, with its unique twists and turns. It’s a casual, farming, crafting, hunting, and gathering sort of game that feels familiar to me with the genres I played growing up. There’s plenty to do and adventures to be had.
So let’s dive in!
Foraging
Foraging is probably the easiest skill to level in Palia. You gain skill points for foraging by cutting down trees/bushes and gathering things like plants throughout the lands. These can be anything from moss to flowers to mushrooms! Unfortunately, the things that you forage don’t seem to be worth a whole lot of money, especially wood, but they make for a fantastic supply of crafting materials that you will need early on and later down the road. It’s also an easy source of food if you know where to look. Mushrooms grow all over and can be cooked in batches of 3 to make 1 grilled mushroom dish.
Mining
Mining is another easy skill to level in Palia. Mining is done by bashing rocks and mineral deposits with your pickaxe. From this, you will collect rocks, ore pieces, flint, clay, and more! Mining, much like foraging, can be started on your plot of land. There are loads to be broken down, but for some of it, you will need to upgrade your pickaxe before you can break them down. Same with the trees and foraging. You will want a forge as quickly as possible if you are going to make the most out of this skill!
Gardening
Have a green thumb? You get plots of dirt early on that you can then hoe and turn into a plant-filled haven. Gardening is a fantastic food source, but if you’re going to make the most of it, you’re going to want a seed-maker early on. This will cause your crops to yield some seeds so that you can continue gardening without having to continue to pay for seeds. It’s very handy as a food source, food also makes great gifts for villagers too! Crops are especially welcomed by the cook in the town, so keep that in mind.
Cooking
Cooking goes hand-in-hand with gardening and hunting. You can cook food that you forage, grow, or hunt. This skill starts with just a single recipe which is grilled mushrooms. As you up your skill in cooking you will unlock more recipes, some of them will also come from the villagers as you get to know them. This includes the cook in town who’s always looking for more ingredients. Eating cooked food increases your focus which in turn affects how much experience you gain per skill that you use. Focus is very valuable especially when you’re looking to level up those other skills of yours!
Hunting
Hunting is not only a food source! It’s also a source of furs and hides which can be used to craft all sorts of different goods. Some early recipes require just the furs and hides, while for later recipes you’re going to want a loom so that you can make leather out of what you hunt. A loom can also make cloth from things like cotton which comes from gardening. All the skills intertwine in Palia!
Furnishing
Furnishing is a fun skill to level as it lets you expand your home and customize what it looks like! You start with a few simple recipes but each time you craft something new, you will get a choice of three different things which you can branch your crafting off into. Looking for that perfect look for your home? Look no further than leveling your furnishing skills. To work on them, you will need a basic crafting bench, but this is given to you very early on in the game as you need it to craft your starting home. Yes, it is a tent!
Bug Catching
Bug catching is similar to hunting. You will use your belt and smoke bombs to stun bugs so that they can be picked up easily. Bugs can be sold or put on display in your home via a variety of methods. You won’t be able to put them on display right away though, as you will need something to keep them in! (That is unlocked by working on your catching level and then reporting to this skills trainer.)
Fishing
Fishing comes with its challenges in Palia. Different fish show up at different times of day and locations so you will have to travel far and wide to test your luck with a line. Fishing requires time and patience as well as a little skill with timing to get it right. Fish, like bugs, can be displayed in your home, but only after a certain point. You will need an aquarium which is unlocked by completing levels of fishing and then reporting to the trainer.
Conclusion
And there you have it! You have plenty to do and be within Palia. If you like casual games with a cozy feel, this may just be your next MMO. It is free to pay and all the cash-shop items are cosmetic. I’m enjoying this game and I hope you will too. Happy, whatever you choose to do!
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