Palworld’s early access debut exceeded expectations, achieving a level of success few anticipated. Developed by a small Japanese indie team with limited resources, this monster-catching survival game flew off the digital shelves on both Xbox and PC. Impressively, it secured the title of the most successful third-party launch on Xbox Game Pass at the time. While critics had mixed feelings, the game was embraced by fans, enjoyed by millions of players, and continues to boast a considerable player base even now.
Palworld made waves last year, though not all the attention was positive. Right after its launch, some gamers online accused its developer, Pocketpair, of taking inspiration a bit too literally from the Pokemon franchise. They alleged the team copied assets to create Pals, Palworld’s take on Pokemon-esque creatures. While many accusation points were eventually dismissed, the game found itself amid controversy again when Nintendo pursued a lawsuit against Pocketpair, citing copyright issues; this time due to similarities between Palworld’s Pal Spheres and Pokemon’s iconic Poke Balls.
Despite accusations of being a Pokemon clone, Palworld distinguishes itself. Although both games involve catching creatures, they reside in vastly different genres—one being a survival game and the other a JRPG. Even shared gameplay elements, like breeding, function differently in each game.
Breeding in the Pokemon series has been prominent since the release of Pokemon Gold and Silver on the Game Boy Color in 1999. Players could place compatible Pokemon together at a Day Care or Nursery to obtain eggs and hatch new Pokemon. Nearly every mainline Pokemon game incorporates this feature, allowing fans to secure Pokemon with desired traits, earmarked for battle success.
The latest entries, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, have ditched traditional nurseries for picnics as a new breeding method. Pokemon must be compatible and share Egg Groups to breed, though Ditto, with its unique shapeshifting ability, can pair with any Pokemon, except another Ditto. Genderless Pokemon can only breed with Ditto, providing users with strategic breeding flexibility.
Palworld features a breeding mechanic that echoes familiar elements but introduces its own unique twists. To breed Pals, players assign a pair to a farm and provide them with Cake—a crafted item via Cooking Pot or Electric Kitchen. Much like Pokemon, this process produces an egg. However, Pals don’t need to be of the same species or Egg Group, giving players freedom in pairing them.
The nature of offspring is less about physical traits and more about breeding ranks—a system defining what the resulting Pals will be. While certain Pals require same-species parents, most players can use crossbreeding to unlock diverse Pal variations.
Despite controversies, Palworld continues to carve its niche within the gaming landscape, offering a unique blend of familiar mechanics and new twists that keep gamers coming back.
