The Skills of Palia

Hello, Palians!

We’re super excited to give you a sneak peek into one of the core components of Palia gameplay today. With a game so full of things to do - houses to decorate, stories to explore, and fascinating people to meet - it can be hard to figure out where you want to start! What ties all of these things together? From making delicious food to building a beautiful couch, it’s your skills that come into play all across Palia, and are a near-constant part of the game.

But what are these skills? How many do I have? Can I learn them all? How do I level them up? I’m sure these are the questions at the top of your mind - and maybe there are a few more! Without any further ado, let’s dive in.

What skills do I have when I start playing?

Initially, players will be focusing on eight skills to help round out their life in Palia: foraging, mining, insect catching, gardening, hunting, furniture making, cooking, and fishing. Each of these is important in their own right - the food you cook might affect the way you play, and maybe you can’t cook that food without catching some fish or doing a little bit of gardening. Maybe you want to build a couch, but you need some Chapaa Fur first, so you need to go out hunting to get it. The more you use the skill in question, the more you level up. Leveling up is best thought of as learning - you’ll improve overall at the skill, but more ideas, items, recipes, and tools will become available to you as well.

Though the skills may seem lightly intertwined, various tasks are specific to each skill, and contribute to leveling it up. So while you might need a carrot to make stew, growing and harvesting that carrot is Gardening. Chopping it up, though? That’s Cooking.

Anyway, enough rambling about the skills - let’s take a look!

Foraging

Credit to Tester Finchinious Flep. Credit to Tester Almoria.

An essential skill for gathering wood and other ingredients that grow in the wild, Foraging is one of the first skills a player can learn. Foraging utilizes the Axe to harvest wood and other crafting necessaries needed from trees. You’ll also find useful bits, bobs, blooms, and mushrooms scattered about the fields of Kilima Village and Bahari Bay to gather as you run around and explore.

Mining

Credit to Tester Finchinious Flep. Credit to Sixer AmeliaMarz.

If you’re looking to break up stone or ore, your pickaxe is a gold mine of skill - get it? Mining skill, that is! From soft clay deposits to heavy stone, to metals as useful as copper and iron or as rare as gold, your pickaxe will help you bring those precious ores home.

Gardening

Credit to Tester TardisKnight. Credit to Sixer AmeliaMarz.

For those times you can’t find your greens in the wild, there’s Gardening! At the outset, Gardening seems simple. After all, what could be easier than “plant seeds, water, ????, profit?” But don’t be fooled! As the only skill that takes two individual tools - the hoe and the watering can - Gardening takes far more planning and strategy than meets the eye. Still, if you upgrade your tools and take your time, you’ll absolutely be able to reap the rewards of the seeds you sow.

Cooking

Credit to Tester AnnaBanana. Credit to Tester Shyloh.

Tired of eating raw carrots and mushrooms? Cooking might be the skill for you! With a wide array of recipes to learn and ingredients to choose from—not to mention all the fun ways food can impact the way you play your game. If you’re looking for a little hectic fun, invite your friends to join in cooking the more complicated recipes with you and host a potluck! With so much to explore, it’s no wonder cooking is such a popular skill in Palia!

Hunting

Credit to Tester Seraph.

If you’re looking to grill up a juicy steak or hearty stew, you’re going to have to bring that meat in yourself. Let your trusty bow and arrows carry you across the rolling hills and dramatic cliffs of Palia as you tussle with mighty Sernuk and mischievous Chapaas. Lean in on a zero-waste lifestyle, and find ways to utilize leather in your crafting and antlers in all of your decorating! (And keep in mind what Hassian says - we’re all a part of this great, big, beautiful world, so remember to only take exactly what you need.)

Furnishing

Credit to Tester Cassahrae. Credit to Me! Sixer GingerbreadWitch!

What’s a house without fun decor? Flex your interior design skills by building your own furniture and decoration, and use it to create a space that feels authentically you. From hallways to spacious, workshops to kitchens to libraries to aquariums—let your imagination run wild and build your dream house. Whether you prefer cozy, cottagecore vibes or tend toward sleek, shiny, and industrial, there’s sure to be a style that makes your house feel like a home.

Insect Catching

Credit to Tester Miri. Credit to Tester Finchinious Flep.

If you’re a budding entomologist, you’ll be thrilled to pick up Auni’s traps and try your hand at Insect Catching! Palia’s bursting with biodiversity, from dizzyingly fast dragonflies to a dazzling rainbow of butterflies and moths, not to mention a rare bug or two. But these crawlies aren’t creepy - and if you find one you think is cute enough, you might even consider keeping it as a buddy in your house.

Fishing

Credit to Tester Sisquinanamook. Credit to tester Otter.

Whether you’re a master angler looking for your next big catch, or someone who would rather take a nap at the reel, there’s enough fishing in Palia to keep you satisfied. Like insects, there’s a huge variety of fish to collect - and like hunting, you’ll find that many of them are delicious! If one particular species is proving to be elusive, try testing different kinds of equipment and bait, fish at different times of day, or visit different areas. And keep an eye out for those bubbling spots in the water, too - who knows what you might reel in?

Where will you begin?

In a world like Palia, you can explore to your heart's content - so the only question left is, what skill excites you the most? Are you excited to cook up a storm or help your garden grow? Are you a budding entomologist or an aspiring angler? Maybe you're a jack-of-all-trades, or maybe you're most interested in pursuing only one or two skills to their fullest - whatever sparks your imagination!

Palia's release date hasn't yet been announced, but we're continuing to develop at full speed! If you're interested in playtesting Palia, please remember to enter your email on our website so we know where to contact you. While we can't guarantee an invite to a playtest, signing up also allows us to tell you about any important future dates or news for Palia. You can also find out more by following us on Social Media at our Twitter and Instagram or joining our Discord server. Thank you so much for joining us and we can't wait to see you again!