After an hour with Palia, the Stardew Valley MMO
Following a successful closed beta in late 2023, Singularity6’s cozy life sim is preparing for its first wave of players. To get ready for the Stardew Valley MMO, we’ve spent some time with Palia, and can safely say that if you’re a fan of Stardew Valley, The Sims, Zelda, Runescape, or Animal Crossing, there’s a lot to be excited about.
Blend of Experiences
Although it shares many mechanics with Stardew Valley, Palia isn’t looking to just copy and paste the experience wholesale. Instead, it’s offered players a blend of experiences that, to this point, has been executed well. It’s a place where you can base-build, farm, fish, hunt, mine, bug-catch, and more, all at your own pace. There are no specific goals to achieve, and if you feel like taking a break from it all, you can just have a chat with the well-written, funny NPCs or play with your neighbors.
Seamless Building Mechanics
The building mechanics are seamless and smooth, allowing you to customize your plots and homes without having to worry about placing objects or worrying about glitches. It’s just you, your avatar, and the space you’re working with, and you can make it look however you like using the tools available. It’s the same with the NPCs you can befriend, who all live in fully customizable houses you can place and decorate as you like.
Vast World with Secrets
The world itself is vast, with so many resources to collect, secrets to discover, and a host of well-written and funny NPC dialogue to discover through interactions. The first time I saw a fox-person, I had to stop and speak to them, and got the cutest bit of writing in return. I’ve been farming strawberries, fishing, and mining so far, and I’m already hooked – I can’t wait to find out what else there is to do.
Collaborative Cooking Mechanic
The cooking mechanics are perhaps my favorite part so far. Each time you cook delicious food, you’re improving your Focus, which is a system akin to Stardew Valley’s sleepiness, but with a twist. Cooking food makes you more focused, but sleeping doesn’t make you less focused. Instead, you must use meditation (which has its own skill tree) to clear your mind, and then your Focus will increase. It’s a really fun, collaborative cooking mechanic that I can’t wait to try out with my friends.
Charming World and Exploration
The world itself is just so charming, and traversing it with the glider and Zelda-like climbing mechanics only adds to the excitement of exploring. Secret chests, hidden ledges, and temples with puzzles all await those who want to take a moment to stop and look around. The only thing I can say is that the game can feel a bit tedious at times, simply because it takes a while to walk between areas. Every time I’d get tired of a place, I’d find myself stopping to pick up rocks and plants just to fill the time, and there were always things to collect along the way.
Social Aspect and Potential
I also got the chance to try out the social aspect of the game, which will be a big part of whether the world feels alive. Right now, there are about 20 other players in the closed beta, including Singularity6 staff, and you can form relationships with other players and NPCs. I got to visit a player’s house and try their cooking, and spend some time fishing with fellow beta testers. There’s a lot of potential here, and we’ll be keeping an eye on how social the game remains during the closed beta and beyond.
So, if you love Stardew Valley but want something a bit more social, or you’re a fan of The Sims and want to try your hand at a life simulation game, check out our Palia closed beta primer for a breakdown of what to expect. The closed beta is set to enter its final weeks, so if you want to try it out, you’d better sign up now.
