game guide

I Played 200 Hours of Palworld — These Are the Mistakes I Wish I Avoided

I wasted time optimizing the wrong things. These are the lessons that would have made my first playthrough much better.

Every adventure starts with the first step.

So, you’re finally buying Palworld.

Welcome. I should probably warn you now: the “I’ll just try it for an hour” plan rarely survives.

I still remember launching the game for the first time. I told myself I would explore a little, catch a few Pals, build a small shelter, and log off.

A few hours later, I was standing in front of a half-finished berry farm, rearranging production lines and wondering why my “simple starter base” had somehow turned into a full logistics project.

That is the strange magic of Palworld. It starts as a relaxing survival game and slowly becomes a game about planning, collecting, building, and optimizing.

After hundreds of hours across different stages of the game, I’ve watched many new players make the same mistakes I did. None of them are game-breaking, but they can make the early hours much less enjoyable.

Here are the things I wish someone had told me before I started.

1. Change the Settings Before You Get Too Far

The first mistake I made was treating the default settings like they were the “correct” way to play.

They aren’t.

Palworld gives you a surprising amount of control over your experience, and using those options doesn’t mean you are playing incorrectly. It simply means you are adjusting the game to match the kind of experience you want.

The biggest example is XP gain.

At the default rate, progression can move faster than you expect. You may unlock new technology before you’ve really had time to enjoy your current equipment, explore your surroundings, or learn how your Pals work.

For a slower, more adventure-focused playthrough, reducing the XP multiplier can make the early and mid-game feel much more natural.

Instead of constantly rushing toward the next unlock, you actually get time to appreciate each stage of progression.

Another small setting that I wish I discovered earlier: Press-to-Craft.

If you are spending a lot of time holding down a button just to finish crafting, turn this on. It is a simple quality-of-life change that removes unnecessary friction from hundreds of small actions.

These settings don’t make the game easier.

They make the game fit you better.

2. Don’t Turn Your First Base Into a Forever Project

One thing almost every new player does: they spend hours trying to create the perfect first base.

I did the same.

I wanted the ideal location, the perfect layout, and a design that would last forever.

Then I eventually moved anyway.

Your first base is not supposed to be your final masterpiece. It is a place to learn how the game works.

You will discover better locations. You will unlock new production options. Your priorities will completely change after a few dozen hours.

The good news is that rebuilding is much easier than it seems. When you dismantle structures, you get your materials back, so moving is not nearly as painful as many new players expect.

Build somewhere that feels interesting. Experiment. Make mistakes.

Your first messy base is part of the story.

Your first base doesn’t need to be perfect.

3. Stop Chasing the Meta Too Early

One of the fastest ways to make Palworld less enjoyable is trying to optimize everything from the beginning.

Online communities are full of incredible information: perfect breeding combinations, strongest combat Pals, optimized production layouts.

That knowledge is useful.

But it can also remove the fun if you start following it before you even understand what you enjoy.

Early on, catch the Pals that interest you. Keep the ones you like. Experiment.

That random Pal you caught near the beginning might not be the strongest option on paper, but it may become the companion you remember years later.

I still think about some of my early Pals more than the ones I eventually replaced with stronger choices.

A good team is not only about stats.

It is also about the memories attached to it.

4. Learn This Small Map Shortcut Early

This is one of those tiny features that saves a surprising amount of frustration.

When you open the world map, pressing R on PC (or the equivalent button on console) will quickly move your cursor to your nearest base.

It sounds insignificant, but it becomes extremely useful when you are:

• carrying too many resources
• trying to escape dangerous areas
• far away from your base
• searching for a quick return route

Palworld has many small quality-of-life features that are easy to miss, and learning them early makes the whole experience smoother.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Get Lost

The best moments in Palworld usually happen when you are not following a guide.

It is tempting to search for the best farming locations, strongest Pals, and most efficient progression routes immediately.

Try not to.

Some of my favorite memories came from going somewhere I probably shouldn’t have.

Entering an area where everything was stronger than me. Running away from an Alpha Pal I had no chance against. Finding a new location simply because the landscape looked interesting.

Those moments make the world feel alive.

The best discoveries are often unexpected.

If you already know exactly where to go and exactly what to collect, you remove a lot of the surprise that makes exploration exciting.

Final Thoughts

Palworld is flexible because it lets different players create completely different experiences.

Some people love building the most efficient bases. Some enjoy breeding the strongest possible teams. Some just want to explore with their favorite Pals.

All of those are valid.

The biggest lesson I learned after hundreds of hours is simple:

Don’t optimize the fun out of the game.

Change the settings if they make your experience better. Build imperfect bases. Keep the Pals you like. Take the wrong path sometimes.

The best Palworld adventure is not the one where you progress the fastest.

It’s the one that still feels like your own.

Image Credits & Fair Use Disclaimer: Images © Pocketpair. Used for editorial commentary and fair use.