Palia Announcement Trailer Teases the Year's Coziest MMORPG

Are you looking for a massively multiplayer online game that actually encourages community, exploration, and all things cozy? Then you'll want to keep an eye out for Palia, the first game from Singularity 6, the new game developer dedicated to the idea of delivering more meaningful online game experiences. Made up of a diverse group of game industry veterans from leading companies such as Blizzard, Epic, Riot, Zynga and Sony, and inspired by their team's personal stories of identity, friendship, and online social experiences, Singularity 6 is putting together an immersive online world where players can feel like they truly belong. Enter: Palia.

Set in a beautiful and inviting fantasy world, which you can check out thanks to the game's announcement trailer, Palia is a community simulation MMO game where players can build a home and life, meet and befriend a compelling cast of characters, and experience an evolving narrative with other players. In Palia, humans are the legendary race, having disappeared thousands of years ago at the height of their grandeur and mastery of magic. Nobody in modern times knows why. Players awaken as human characters without explanation in a quaint village on Palia’s southern coast where they’ll make their home and forge a new future for humanity. Together with a massive online community, players will uncover the secrets to humanity's past through an evolving narrative that will take years to fully unveil.

That's the plan anyway. And from our early behind-the-scenes sneak-peek, we're hoping that this super-cozy MMO delivers on Singularity 6's ambitious plans. I honestly fell in love with the look, feel, and sound of Palia from just the very first teaser. I wanted to know more about the world, the characters who lived within it, and what mysteries and possibilities await players once they get a chance to explore. Singularity 6 co-founder and game director Aidan Karabaich had the followign to say about all that:

“We started Singularity 6 to make games that bring people together. We’re so excited to invite players into Palia for the first time. Inspired by some of our favorite titles, our game lets you forge your own destiny, exist in a beautiful setting, and give you a sense of being at home. We expect the players to be a huge part of shaping the game, and we can’t wait to see what they do in Palia."

The plan is to make Palia's world one that’s "constantly evolving ... combining the welcoming atmosphere of a community sim with a massively multiplayer online experience [and giving] players the chance to be part of a global community of gamers as they collaborate, explore and progress."

Palia features all the things you expect from an MMO, including character creation options allowing players to embrace diversity and show off creativity, along with a variety of cosmetic options, all of which will continue to grow and expand over time. Perhaps the coolest part of the community-focused title is its "innovative social matchmaking system ensures that friends and neighbors can always be close by" in the game's Neighborhoods.

Other key features include:

●A World with Meaning - Palia isn’t just a place or a game, but somewhere you can feel like you really belong. It’s the feeling you get when you gather around a fire and celebrate a successful fishing expedition with friends. It’show you feel after winning a cooking competition alongside your neighbors. It’s the sense of accomplishment you feel after redecorating your home. It’s your community. It’s a place to call home.

●Massively Multiplayer Community Sim - Combining the welcoming atmosphere of a Community Sim with a massively multiplayer world that puts a premium on social play, Palia lets players collaborate, explore and progress with a global community of players. Social matchmaking ensures friends and neighbors are always close by and able to play together no matter what server they are on.

●A Celebration of Self Expression - Palia offers a robust set of character creation options that allow players to show off their unique style and creativity. This includes a diverse set of face and skin tone options, hairstyles that can go on any character, and a flexible fashion system. Players can mix and match different components, customize colors and patterns, and save their favorite outfits. Whether they want to be an award winning cook,or the best gardener in the world, it’s all up to them. New features will be continually added to expand player’s options.

●Build and Decorate Your Home - Each player has a plot of land where they can build the home of their dreams and then customize all the little details. Players can invite friends over and show off their newly remodeled chef’s kitchen or decorate together with hard earned rewards. More than 1,000 decor items with customization options will be available at launch.

●Welcome to the Neighborhood - Neighborhoods, Palia’s version of Guilds, allow players to collaborate with other players in new ways and forge their own communities. Players can search for the Neighborhood that is just right for them or create theirown. A Neighborhood can complete a variety of collaborative activities to earn unique rewards, then show off their collective accomplishments whether it’s a First Place trophy or a compelling aesthetic that is all their own.

●A Dynamic World That’s Fun Solo, Better Together - Whether a player is an aspiring chef, a big game hunter, or a bug catching extraordinaire, Palia provides a variety of gameplay options that are engaging solo, but even better together. As they play, a series of robust simulation systems bring the world to life, respond to their actions, and consistently change the game. Players will meet, befriend, and romance a compelling cast of characters that live out their days and evolve over time with stories of their own.

Palia is in early development but players can sign up now for a chance to get Pre-Alpha access this summer at www.palia.com. For more on Palia from our Q&A with the Devs, read on, and be sure to check out the announcement trailer below:

Where did the name Palia come from?

A name that helped express the rich history and the lore built into the game. Tons of history built in and they wanted it to come across. Name speaks to the fact that this is an approachable and soft world.

Payment structure?

Cozy game, but we saw weapons, too. What's the balance here?

Cozy game first. Extremely collaborative environment; all options and skills are opt-in, so you can avoid combat if you don’t want it.

Guild halls / neighborhoods?

One of the most requested features they’ve seen. Players are going to determine the arc of this game in the future. Tons of features associated with the Neighborhood system. More TBD

Humans, Golems, other races?

Elven - currently evaluating their final name, Elves inhabit the world of Palia and are very welcoming to the newly appeared humans

How big is the starting world?

Scale of the world is smaller than a Breath of the Wild open-world game or an at-launch MMORPGs, but dynamic systems do a lot to freshen up a given area.
Plans to continue to expand and explore all of the areas over time.
Trailer features one of the zones; outside of this are adventure zones for MMO gathering and exploring.

PC only or also on consoles?

Pre-alpha is only on PC
Hoping to get it to as many consoles as possible, depending on resources and time

Dungeons, etc?

With each skill, they ask, "How does this become a multiplayer activity? Will it be enhanced by playing together?" Hunting, bug-catching have a strong encouragement to bring others with you

Custom fashions / cosmetic items:

TBD; player expression is important and they want to offer options to do just that

Skill-based or classes?

Give players the ability to create the character they want; lots of flexibility and variety, with some starter guides baked in

To learn more about the game, Singularity 6 or to register for Palia’s Pre-Alpha, coming later this summer, visit www.palia.com. Players can join the Palia community on Discord, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram to stay up to date on the game’s progress.