Before you start: this guide targets the Palworld 1.0 release build. Returning from Early Access? Old saves carry over directly — no forced wipe — but 1.0 adds the Awakening system (Radiant Gems), Genetic Recombination breeding, and the Sky Islands / World Tree regions. At minimum, skim the "Returning player crash course" fold below.
Returning player crash course: 4 key changes from EA to 1.0
- Save migration: old saves upgrade automatically on first load — Pals, bases and tech all carry over, and new content picks up from your existing progress.
- Awakening: the new resource Radiant Gems unlocks new skills and stat upgrades for your Pals — see the Awakening section of this site.
- Breeding cap raised: the breeding tech tree gains a top tier, Genetic Recombination, raising passive slots from 4 to 5.
- New map regions: Sky Islands and the World Tree open up as endgame zones — entry requirements are covered in the related guide.
Hours 0–2: Landing and the survival three-piece
Pick Windswept Hills as your starting point — flat terrain, dense resources, and in 1.0 it holds a reserved teleport anchor that later links toward the Sky Islands.
Your priorities after landing are simple:
- Gather wood and stone by hand, build a Workbench
- Unlock Pickaxe, Axe, Pal Sphere in the tech tree (the first 2 levels of tech points cover it)
- Catch your first Pal
Early tech order:
| Level | Unlock | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Workbench, Pickaxe, Axe | Basic gathering |
| 2 | Pal Sphere, Campfire | Catching + cooked berries |
| 3 | Palbox, Primitive Bed | Your base begins |
| 4 | Wooden structures, Chest | Infrastructure |
| 5 | Bow, Cloth Armor | First combat kit |
| 6 | Ranch | Lamball / Chikipi production |
Hours 2–6: Picking your first base location
Three rules for the first base
Your first base doesn't need to be perfect. It needs three things:
- Enough flat ground: room for the Palbox, 3 beds, a ranch and 2 berry plantations
- Resources in walking distance: wood and stone respawns nearby; ideally 1–2 visible ore nodes
- Near a fast-travel point: teleport towers are still free in 1.0 — proximity saves lives
Two concrete spots (check coordinates on the in-game map):
- Eastern plateau of Windswept Hills (approx. 78, -477): the classic starter spot, gentle slopes on three sides; 1.0 added a small ore vein just west of it.
- Plateau north of the Abandoned Church (approx. 233, -394): close to the first tower boss — convenient when you take on Penking's tower mid-game.
Why not settle directly in an ore field?
Ore fields have broken, steep terrain. Pal AI still handles slopes imperfectly (much better in 1.0, but not perfect), which tanks work efficiency, and mobs around ore fields run higher levels. The right mindset: first base plays it safe; the second base is the dedicated ore base. You start with 2 base slots in 1.0 (quests raise it to 4), which is plenty.
Hours 2–6 (in parallel): must-catch early Pals
Prioritize catches by base job coverage:
| Pal | Element | Why you want it |
|---|---|---|
| Lamball | Neutral | Wool from the ranch, backup Handiwork/Transporting |
| Cattiva | Neutral | Partner skill adds carry weight |
| Chikipi | Neutral | Eggs from the ranch — food stability |
| Lifmunk | Grass | Planting + Medicine + Handiwork, five suitabilities |
| Foxparks | Fire | The only easy Kindling worker — cooking and smelting |
| Fuack | Water | Watering for berry plantation automation |
| Rushoar | Ground | Mining 1 + rideable ore-smashing charge |
Catching tips: back attacks grant a catch-rate bonus; spheres matter more than guns early — craft plenty; and don't fight Pals 2–3 levels above you — mark them and come back.
Hours 6–12: berry automation and your first tier-up
The goal of this phase is a base that runs itself while you're away:
Minimum automation loop:
Berry plantation (Lifmunk plants) → Fuack waters → Lamball harvests & hauls
→ Chikipi lays eggs → Foxparks cooks → everyone stays fed → work never stops
Unlock the Stone Furnace and Crusher along the way and smelt your ore stockpile into ingots. By hour 12 you should be around level 15 with 8–10 working Pals.
Hours 12–24: building the ore base
Why a dedicated ore base
Metal ingots bottleneck everything mid-to-late game. Instead of making Pals commute between your main base and the ore field, drop your second base directly on top of an ore spawn cluster and let miners run around the clock.
Locations and staffing
The classic spot still works: north slope of the ore valley (approx. 189, -38) — 7–8 ore nodes on one flat shelf. New in 1.0: the sea cliffs south of the Sunreach lighthouse (approx. -73, -244) — 6 ore nodes plus a low-chance Radiant Crystal spawn (awakening material; any early pickup is pure profit).
Standard ore base staffing:
| Job | Pal | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Mining | Digtoise (mid-game) / Rushoar (early) | 3–4 |
| Transporting | Tombat (night shift, never sleeps) | 2–3 |
| Support | Foxparks (cooking) + Lifmunk (berries) | 2 |
Does the ore base need defenses?
In 1.0 you can disable raids per base region in world settings (a new option). If you keep raids on, two stone wall segments plus an alarm at the slope entrance is enough — your miners shouldn't be moonlighting as soldiers anyway.
End-of-day-one checklist
- Main base: berry automation loop running with food surplus
- Pals: 10+, covering Kindling / Watering / Planting / Handiwork / Mining / Transporting / Farming
- Ore base: Palbox placed, at least 3 miners on site
- Level: 18–22, bow + cloth armor crafted
- Paldeck: 10 unique species caught (the capture XP bonus is substantial)
Next up: plan your mid-game breeding chain — 1.0's Genetic Recombination completely changes how you build Pals. Continue with the Genetic Recombination Breeding Guide.