The game is set in an open world populated with animal-like creatures called "Pals", which players can battle and capture to use for base building, traversal, and combat. The game's comedic premise includes using pals as flamethrowers or equipping Pals with firearms, and using them as free labor or food. Humans can also be captured, although this is considered "inhumane".
In Palworld, players control a customizable avatar from a third-person perspective and explore the open-world Palpagos Islands. Players must manage their hunger level, craft basic tools, gather materials, and build bases that act as fast travel points. Unlocks through a technology tree allow the player to craft and use weapons, structures, and decorations. The islands are inhabited by over 100 creatures called Pals, which players directly engage in combat with to weaken and then capture using "Pal Spheres". Pals can also be bought on the black market through non-player characters or traded with other players. The game's antagonists include various factions, such as the Rayne Syndicate criminal organization, the Free Pal Alliance liberation movement, the Brothers of the Eternal Pyre fanatical group, the police-like Palpagos Islands Defense Force, and the Pal Genetic Research Unit.
Producer: Takuro Mizobe
Programmer: Hiroto Matsutani
Artist: Daiki Kizu
Composer: Tatsuya Yano