Cosy MMO Palia now out in public beta

eurogamer.net:

Cosy life sim MMO Palia is now available in public beta.

The free-to-play game has been in development for five years and has seen multiple stress tests and closed betas. Now it's out on PC publicly in North America and Western Europe, with more regions coming soon.

Game director Aidan Karabaich has penned a letter to fans celebrating the release.

«Palia started as a mission to bring people together through games in new ways,» said Karabaich. «To create a place where you can be just who you want to be, and find a community that celebrates that.

»While entering Beta is a major milestone in pursuit of those aspirations, it's still early on in our quest. As a player, you can take it as a commitment to you that the best version of Palia is always in front of us. That we will work hard every week, every year, to reach for those stars."

The aim of the beta is to test how systems scale and operate over time in small steps, as well as gain player feedback. «Players are always at the heart of any decision we make in regard to Palia,» said Karabaich.

The letter also includes a list of features to be added this year, including events, quests and storylines, new villagers, crops and recipes, and — most importantly — beards.

A Nintendo Switch release is also planned.

So what can you expect in Palia? It's a shared-world online multiplayer game emphasising community and relaxation over combat and competition.

Create a character. Collect resources. Plant crops. Make friends with the villagers. So far, so Stardew.

What makes Palia interesting are the online aspects, meaning you can explore with friends and share your experience with the online community.

Palia is already seeing success on Twitch, especially within communities