PALWORLD: CUTE CREATURES, BIG GUNS, AND A FACTORY FLOOR

7.5 of 10 bananas. A messy, very funny survival game where your pets run the factory.

By the Alpha. PC on Steam. Updated Oct 2026.

Platforms: PC on Steam is the button. Xbox and PS5 versions also exist as digital games. I could not find a physical edition on Amazon, so there is no Amazon button here.

Sit with me a moment. I came home to my base and found a fluffy sheep creature carrying logs, a fire lizard cooking dinner, and a penguin I forgot about asleep in the mine. Then a raid came over the hill and my whole workforce picked up weapons. I laughed for a full minute.

What It Wants To Be

Pocketpair's open world survival crafting game. It launched in Early Access in January 2024, became a giant hit, and left Early Access with version 1.0 in July 2026. You catch creatures called Pals, put them to work at your base, build up from stone tools to factories, and explore with friends.

What Works

The base. Pals do real work: chopping, mining, cooking, crafting, and hauling. Watching an automated camp hum along is deeply satisfying. Co-op with friends turns it into a chaotic comedy show. Riding and gliding with Pals makes travel fun. The tone is silly, and it knows it.

What Breaks

Listen well. It is janky. Pals get stuck on walls, base pathing breaks, and bugs still slip through. Many creature designs feel borrowed from more famous monster games. The survival grind, hunger and gathering and repairs, will test anyone who just wants to explore. And the joke about cute creatures in danger wears thin for some.

Who Should Play

Play if you love survival crafting with friends and want a base that feels alive. Skip if bugs and grind ruin your night, or if you want a polished creature adventure. For a calmer survival game, read my Valheim verdict.

Related: Valheim 1.0, Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

Store note: the troop still needs an Amazon referral for this one. Steam is the only button until that listing is real.