Cozy community MMO Palia turns fishing and cooking into co-op activities

pcgamer.com:

Typically when I hear I'm getting a «gameplay first look» for an upcoming game I don't expect all that much: maybe a video lasting about five minutes showing some combat, a bit of exploration, possibly some building or crafting. But nothing too extensive: a first look is usually just a quick snack,not a banquet.

That wasn't the case this morning with cozy community MMO Palia. The gameplay first look was a huge hour-long presentation hosted by several members of Singularity 6's development team. This was a Starfield Direct-style affair, covering practically everything you might want to see in action: character creation, crafting, base-building, adventuring, quests, romance, plus two big life-sim staples: fishing and cooking.

Those last two activities really leapt out of me, because while I usually think of them as somewhat solitary pursuits, even in multiplayer games, Palia turns them into a co-op affair. Yes, you can fish and cook solo, but there are benefits to doing them alongside other players.

The fishing minigame involves casting the line into the water and reeling it back while trying to keep the fish in a target zone. And while it's not designed to be overly challenging or frustrating, some rare or high-quality fish might wind up being difficult to reel in. That's where fishing alongside other players comes in. You'll get a buff just for fishing near another player that will make reeling in your catch easier. And there's another way to make fishing a team sport: You can walk up to a player who is fishing and give them encouragement (like clapping), and that will make the fishing minigame easier for them. The more players cheering you on, the easier it'll be to catch a fish. Pretty cool.

And cooking looks like fun,