Palia Open Beta: How to Play, Early Rewards, Nintendo Switch Version, and Everything to Know

After spending over 2 years in alpha tests, Palia has now moved into its beta stage with more players finally able to experience the MMO for themselves. The cozy high-fantasy game that’s largely free of combat and focuses more on life-sim elements and community entered its closed beta phase just this month but has since moved onto the open beta tests now. That means that even more players are able to take part, and best of all, there are basically no restrictions on getting into the beta assuming you have the proper setup to run the game.

So, now that Palia is in open beta, how do you get into the beta to play, and what can you expect? Those questions and more are answered below along with more info on the game to get you started in the new MMO.

What Is Palia?

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Starting with the basics: what exactly is Palia? It’s been in testing for a long time, but given how it was only in the alpha stage and was therefore under NDA restrictions, the exclusive groups that got to play couldn’t say hardly anything about the game.

Developer Singularity 6 has been pretty forthcoming with info about the game, however, and describes the free-to-play Palia as a “massively-multiplayer community simulation game set in a brand new high fantasy world with elements of open world adventure games.” It’s got minimal combat with focus instead placed on developing skills like fishing, cooking, mining, and more while you build up your own home. From the looks and sounds of it, it’s got a bit of Disney Dreamlight Valley and Animal Crossing in it mixed with the MMO elements.

As far as the story goes, you play as a human in the fantasy world, but it’s a world where humans were thought to be extinct until you and others showed up. The non-humans who lived there are called the “Majiri,” so expect to be talking to them a lot while you take on quests and other challenges.

How to Play Palia’s Open Beta

For Palia’s closed beta, players had to sign up to be considered for the test and then had to be lucky enough to gain access to it. The let in some but not all players, though the open beta is much more forgiving when it comes to requirements. 

To get into the open beta that’s live as of August 10th, all you have to do is head to Palia’s site and sign up for an account. Once you do that, you’ll be able to download the game from the game on the same site to be played on the PC platform. No end date for the beta has been announced at this time, so barring any server interruptions that sometimes happen with MMOs and other online games, you’ll have plenty of time to play seeing how it just started this week.

Free Palia Rewards in the Open Beta

Like many multiplayer games you can play in the beta stage, Singularity 6 is incentivizing would-be Palia players to get into the beta and bring their friends with some extra rewards. Those include things like a windmill decor item that’s available for those who play anytime before October 31st, but you’ll get more for opting into the refer-a-friend program with the max rewards obtained once five friends join. 

Once you create an account, you’ll have the option to refer friends with an invite link. Anyone who joins the game using your link gets a fruit basket, and you’ll get one reward per friend who joins up to five friends at which point you’ll have the Chapaa hat, plush, outfit, fountain, and glider skin rewards shown above.

Is Palia Coming to Steam?

The open beta that you can play now is on the PC platform, but you’ll only find the launcher through the game’s website. It’s not on Steam, the Epic Games Store, GOG, or anywhere else like that at this time. Singularity 6 has not indicated which stores the game will be available in whenever it fully launches, but for the beta at least, it said don’t expect a Steam version.

“For now, Palia will only be available to play for players that register at palia.com, download the launcher, and use the launcher to install and play the game,” the developer said.

Is Palia Coming to the Nintendo Switch?

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For those waiting on Palia to release elsewhere besides the PC platform, there’s some good and bad news. The game is indeed coming to the Nintendo Switch, but like the full PC release, that version doesn’t have a set release date. On top of that, the beta is not going to be available on the Nintendo Switch, so you’ll need a PC that meets the requirements to play it.

The store page for Palia on the Nintendo Switch is at least up for those who want to wishlist the game there with an expected release window of Holiday 2023, so Nintendo Switch owners at least shouldn’t be waiting too much longer before they’re able to play.