Last updated: May 10, 2026. This guide covers everything a new player needs to know about Palworld, from your first spawn to building an automated base with a team of loyal Pals. See also: Base Building Guide, Technology & Progression Guide.
What Is Palworld?
Palworld is an open-world survival crafting game developed by Pocketpair, released into Early Access on January 19, 2024. Often described as “Pokemon with guns,” Palworld blends monster taming, base building, automation, combat, and exploration into a single experience. As of 2026, the game has received major content updates including the Sakurajima update and the Feybreak update, expanding the map, adding new Pals, and refining the endgame.
You play as a mysterious amnesiac stranded on the Palpagos Islands. Your goal: survive, build, capture Pals, and uncover the secrets of the islands. What sets Palworld apart from other survival games is its automation layer – your captured Pals can work in your base, crafting items, farming resources, and defending against raids while you explore.
First Steps: Spawn and Immediate Survival
1. Spawn Location
You start on a beach in the Grasslands region near the Sea Breeze Archipelago. The first few minutes are about gathering basic resources by hand. Here is your immediate priority list:
| Priority | Task | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Punch trees for Wood | Basic building material |
| 2 | Collect Stone from the ground | Tools and building foundations |
| 3 | Gather Fibers from bushes | Cloth, torches, tools |
| 4 | Pick up Berries from bushes | Food – your hunger depletes fast |
| 5 | Craft a Stone Pickaxe and Stone Axe | Faster resource gathering |
| 6 | Craft a Torch | Night vision and warmth |
| 7 | Catch your first Pal | Automates gathering, aids combat |
2. Hunger and Stamina Systems
Palworld has two critical player stats: Hunger and Stamina.
| Stat | Effect When Depleted | How to Recover |
|---|---|---|
| Hunger (Food Bar) | Health stops regenerating; you take damage over time | Eat Berries, Cooked Meat, or any food item |
| HP (Health) | Reduced to 0 = death, respawn with item loss | Sleep in bed, consume healing items |
| Stamina (Green Bar) | Cannot sprint, climb, dodge, or attack | Stop moving briefly; stamina regenerates automatically |
Your hunger bar depletes continuously. In the early game, Berries are your primary food source. Cooked Berries (craft at a campfire) restore more hunger than raw berries. Always carry a stack of food.
Pro tip: Raw food spoils in your inventory over time. Cooked food lasts longer. Once you build a Cooler Box (level 6 technology), food spoils much slower.
Catching Your First Pals
To catch Pals, you need Pal Spheres, which unlock at level 2 in the Technology tree. Each Pal Sphere requires:
- 3x Wood
- 3x Stone
- 1x Paldium Fragment
Paldium Fragments are found on the ground near rocks – they glow blue. You will also mine them from small blue ore deposits.
The Capture Mechanic
Weaken a Pal by reducing its HP (lower HP = higher capture chance). Then throw a Pal Sphere. A mini-game plays: a circle shrinks and expands. Press the button when the circle is at its smallest for a critical capture bonus.
For a complete map of every Pal’s habitat, check the Pal Locations Guide.
First Pals to Catch
These early-game Pals are abundant in the starting area and serve different roles:
| Pal | Type | Found | Role | Why Catch It |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamball | Neutral | Grasslands | Ranch (Wool), Combat (weak) | Produces Wool in ranch for cloth; easy first catch |
| Cattiva | Neutral | Grasslands | Base Work (Handiwork, Transport) | +1 carrying capacity passive; great early base worker |
| Chikipi | Neutral | Grasslands | Ranch (Eggs), Food | Lays eggs in ranch; also edible in a pinch |
| Foxsparks | Fire | Grasslands | Combat, Kindling | Fire attacks deal bonus damage to Grass-type Pals |
| Pengullet | Water | Beach/Shore | Watering, Transport | Waters your berry farm early on |
| Tanzee | Grass | Grasslands | Handiwork, Planting | Early farming work suitability |
| Lifmunk | Grass | Grasslands | Gathering, Medicine | Passive skill: increases capture power; kills for Low Grade Medical Supplies |
Early game team recommendation: Cattiva (carry capacity buff + transport), Foxsparks (combat + cooking), and Tanzee (base work). This gives you a balanced start.
Building Your First Base
Choosing a Location
Your first base location matters immensely (see our Base Building Guide for detailed location analysis and layouts). Look for a flat area with:
- Access to trees and stone (for building materials)
- Nearby ore deposits (for early metal)
- Water access (some recipes require water)
- Open space (at least 10x10 foundation area)
The area near the Sea Breeze Archipelago starting beach is excellent for a first base. It has abundant resources, flat terrain, and manageable raid difficulty.
Base Building Basics
You unlock the Palbox at level 2. This is the heart of your base. Place it on flat ground – the blue circle it creates defines your base boundary.
| Build Order | Structure | Level Required | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palbox | 2 | Claims territory, houses Pals (up to 10 initially) |
| 2 | Wooden Foundation | 2 | Flat floor for buildings |
| 3 | Wooden Wall x4 | 2 | Enclose space |
| 4 | Wooden Roof | 2 | Shelter from weather |
| 5 | Door | 2 | Access control |
| 6 | Campfire | 1 (free) | Cooking and warmth |
| 7 | Bed (for you) | 3 | Set spawn point, rest to heal |
| 8 | Pal Bed (Straw) | 3 | Pals sleep to recover Sanity |
| 9 | Berry Plantation | 5 | Passive food production |
| 10 | Workbench | 2 | Craft tools and items |
Pal Assignment
Each Pal in your base will auto-assign to tasks based on its Work Suitability stats. You can manually assign Pals by picking them up and throwing them at a workstation.
| Work Type | Best Early Pal | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Planting | Tanzee, Lifmunk | Plants seeds in plantations |
| Watering | Pengullet, Fuack | Waters plantations |
| Gathering | Tanzee, Lifmunk | Harvests mature crops |
| Lumbering | Gorirat, Rushoar | Chops trees in base (automated) |
| Mining | Cattiva, Dumud | Mines stone and ore nodes |
| Transport | Cattiva, Lamball | Moves items to chests |
| Kindling | Foxsparks | Cooks food, smelts ore |
| Handiwork | Cattiva, Tanzee | Crafts items at workstations |
Keep your base population balanced. You will want at least one Planter, one Waterer, and one Gatherer for a self-sustaining food system.
Leveling Up: Experience and Technology
How XP Works
You gain experience from:
| Activity | XP Gained | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Catching a new Pal | High (scales by Pal level) | Best XP source – catch 10 of each Pal type |
| Defeating Pals | Low-Moderate | Scales by Pal level relative to yours |
| Crafting items | Low | Passive gain while working at base |
| Exploring new areas | Low | Discover fast travel points |
| Defeating Tower Bosses | Very High | One-time per boss |
Best leveling strategy: Catch 10 of every Pal species you encounter. The bonus XP for the 10th catch is significant, and you get bonus stats from the Statue of Power for each Pal you catch.
Technology Tree
The Technology tree unlocks as you level up. Spend Technology Points (TP) to unlock blueprints. You earn 1 TP per level. See the Technology & Progression Guide for a complete unlock priority roadmap.
| Level | Critical Unlock | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Palbox, Pal Sphere, Workbench | Base foundation and capture |
| 3 | Bed, Torch | Sleep to heal |
| 4 | Bow, Arrow | Ranged combat |
| 5 | Berry Plantation | Passive food source |
| 6 | Cooler Box, Cloth Outfit | Food preservation, armor |
| 7 | Parachute | Fall damage prevention, mobility |
| 8 | Nail (for selling) | Money farming |
| 9 | Furnace | Smelt ore into ingots |
| 10 | Egg Incubator | Hatch Pals from eggs |
| 11 | Armor (Pelt) | Damage reduction |
| 12 | Ranch | Passive Pal resource production |
| 13 | Crossbow | Better ranged weapon |
| 14 | Cooking Pot | Advanced recipes |
| 15 | Statue of Power | Upgrade capture power/player stats |
| 17 | Sphere Launcher | Launch spheres at distance |
| 18 | Refined Furnace | Coal + Ore = Refined Ingots |
| 20 | Sphere Factory (Mega+): | Mass craft spheres |
| 22 | Pal Essence Condenser | Upgrade Pal stats |
| 28 | Weapon Workbench | Guns! |
| 30 | Wheat Plantation | Bread production chain |
| 36 | Salad (farm recipe) | Best base food for working Pals |
| 38 | Legendary Sphere | Catch high-level Pals |
| 40 | Polymer | Crafting advanced items |
| 45 | Assembly Line II | Mass production |
| 50 | Ultimate Sphere | The best capture device |
Early Game Priorities Checklist
Here is a level-by-level roadmap from spawn to level 25:
Levels 1-5 (Hour 1-2):
- Gather wood, stone, fiber by hand
- Catch 1 Lamball, 1 Cattiva, 1 Foxsparks
- Build Palbox and wooden shelter (4 walls, foundation, roof, door)
- Build a bed and campfire
- Cook berries and catch 10 of each Pal species encountered
- Build Berry Plantation
Levels 6-10 (Hour 2-4):
- Craft Cloth Outfit for armor
- Unlock and build Cooler Box
- Catch a Nitewing (flying mount) or a Rushoar (ground mount)
- Explore the first tower dungeon (Rayne Syndicate – Zoe & Grizzbolt, recommended level 11+)
- Build a Furnace and start smelting ore
- Collect Paldium for Pal Spheres
Levels 11-15 (Hour 4-6):
- Unlock the Ranch and assign Lamball for wool
- Craft better armor (Pelt Armor)
- Build a second base near ore deposits
- Explore and capture Fire and Electric Pals
- Build the Statue of Power and start upgrading
Levels 16-20 (Hour 6-10):
- Unlock the Crossbow
- Explore the desert and volcanic biomes (prepare heat-resistant armor)
- Capture a Digtoise for fast ore mining
- Build the Egg Incubator and start hatching eggs
Common Mistakes New Players Make
| Mistake | Why It Hurts | How to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Building on a slope | Pals get stuck, pathfinding breaks | Build on completely flat terrain |
| Ignoring Sanity | Pals become depressed, stop working | Build Pal beds, hot springs, feed them well |
| Rushing without food | Starvation death, lost items | Always carry 100+ cooked berries |
| Single base only | Resource bottleneck | Build 3 bases focused on different resources |
| Not catching 10 of each | Misses Statue of Power bonuses | Catch 10 of every species |
| Placing Palbox too late | No base to return to | Build Palbox within first 10 minutes |
| Forgetting to assign beds | Pals don’t sleep, Sanity drops | Build one Pal bed per base Pal |
| Overbuilding early wood | Wood burns – raids set fire | Upgrade to stone buildings ASAP (level 13) |
| Selling all Pal Spheres | Can’t catch rare Pals when needed | Keep 50+ spheres in reserve |
Food and Hunger System Deep Dive
Food Types
| Food Type | Hunger Restored | Sanity Effect | Spoils? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw Berries | 15 | None | Yes | Berry bushes / Plantation |
| Cooked Berries | 25 | +1 Sanity (negligible) | Yes (slower) | Campfire + Berries |
| Baked Berry | 30 | +2 Sanity | Yes | Campfire recipe |
| Bread | 48 | +3 Sanity | Slow | Wheat Plantation + Mill |
| Jam-filled Bun | 58 | +5 Sanity | Slow | Bread + Berries |
| Grilled Lamball | 90 | +10 Sanity | Yes | Campfire + Lamball meat |
| Omelet | 65 | +7 Sanity | Slow | Ranch eggs + cooking |
| Salad | 112 | +15 Sanity | Slow | Lettuce + Tomato (farm) |
| Pizza | 140 | +20 Sanity | Slow | Wheat + Tomato + Mozzarina Milk |
| Cotton Candy | 15 | +30 Sanity | No (Ranch) | Ranch with Woolipop or Swee |
Feeding Your Pals
Pals eat from the Feed Box in your base. They auto-feed when hungry. Higher-quality food keeps Sanity high.
| Food Type | Best For | Sanity Restoration |
|---|---|---|
| Raw Berries | Emergency only (low Sanity gain) | Minimal |
| Cooked Berries | Early game default | +1 |
| Baked Berries | Better early option | +2 |
| Salad | Mid-game base food (level 36) | +15 |
| Pizza | Endgame base food | +20 |
Optimal base food progression: Raw berries (level 5) -> Cooked berries (level 5 + campfire) -> Baked berries (level 11+ with Cooking Pot) -> Salad (level 36) -> Pizza (level 40+).
Where to Go Next
Once you have a stable base, food production, and a team of level 15-20 Pals, your next goal should be tackling the first Tower Boss (Zoe & Grizzbolt) and expanding your territory. Check our dedicated guides for deeper dives into each aspect of the game.
Continue Reading
- Palworld Best Pals Tier List (2026) – Which Pals are worth your time at every stage of the game.
- Palworld Pal Locations Guide – Where to find every Pal by biome.
- Palworld Base Building Guide – Detailed base layouts, automation, and defense.
- Palworld Breeding Guide (2026) – How to breed top Pals with perfect passives.
- Palworld Boss & Tower Guide – Strategies for every boss in the game.
- Palworld Resources & Materials Guide – Where to farm everything.
- Palworld Technology & Progression Guide – Full tech tree breakdown.