I am enjoying it. Like the other commenter, I had the opportunity to be in closed alphas and betas. It’s indeed a cozy game that’s great for relaxing at home.

It’s a bit like BoTW or TotK where you set off to go do one thing and you realize an hour later you’ve done 30 other things. I enjoy that you are rewarded for playing with others (equal drops and spoils) and even gain bonuses when you are near or cheering on others.

There is no health bar, combat, or competition. So this is not a game for typical MMO players. Which I find nice, coming from other games where I tend to min-max or play competitively on a rigorous schedule.

However, 25 player instance limit can get a little lonely. Timegating crafting mechanics make it feel like a little too much like a mobile game and lack of controller support have prevented me from putting too many hours into it. (I am a new dad and controller support has become essential lately. For a game so focused on inclusion, I am baffled that it’s still not in the game at this point.)

There are also micro transactions in the form of $25 skins - which is just stupid expensive. They also don’t look that great though, imo. You’re not introduced to the cash shop at all, in any way. No pop ups at log in, no daily rewards, very little bullshit like is popular in other games lately.

I have noticed a lot of complaints around character customizing (only 2 body types, no facial hair, only 1 race).

For f2p Palia is definitely worth visiting, but you probably won’t be there for long.