Palia
Setting: Fantasy | Developer: Singularity 6 | Platform: PC, Nintendo Switch | Release Date: August 10, 2023 | Model: Free2Play
What kind of game is this? Palia is being developed by an indie studio made up of old gaming veterans from Blizzard and Riot Games. They have taken games like Animal Crossing as a model and want to create an MMORPG out of it:
- You move into a house with your character and then live in direct proximity to other players, but also next to NPCs with a rich background story. You can build relationships with them.
- You can expect more of a shared world than a true MMO world.
- You can decorate your house with thousands of items.
- In the game, you can then engage in various activities, including cooking, maintaining your own garden farm, or catching insects.
- If you want, you can create a community with friends and gather resources together. When cooking, tasks can be divided among several players.
As a Free2Play game, Palia monetizes itself through an in-game shop. Here, there are cosmetic sets that can be quite expensive (from about 18 to almost 50 euros). For this, you get free access to a cozy pastime that requires nothing and invites you to relax.
Who is it interesting for? Palia is a casual feel-good game that allows for relaxation, whether playing alone or with others. Fans of housing, collecting, and crafting systems should give it a try. However, those looking for a true MMORPG or a game with challenge may quickly get bored in this cozy game.
How is it performing currently? Since the start of the open beta (which is essentially equated with a quasi-launch for free-to-play MMORPGs), a lot has happened. You can now experience Palia on Nintendo Switch and Steam, and on Valve’s distribution platform, the game is holding up well.
The first peak at Steam launch was 12,065 concurrent players and could be increased to 12,878 two months ago. Currently, there are still about 6,400 players online simultaneously in Palia. The decent reviews at launch have since risen to 82 percent positive reviews. Unfortunately, this does not help the employees who had to leave in April 2024.
The Wagadu Chronicles
Setting: Fantasy | Developer: Twin Drums | Platform: PC | Release Date: December 4, 2023 | Model: Buy2Play
What kind of game is this? Wagadu Chronicles is a special indie MMORPG that completely focuses on role-playing and a unique setting. It takes place in an Afro-Fantasy world.
- The MMORPG does without fixed classes and grinding for new equipment.
- You should focus on the story and interact with other players in a dialogue mode. There is no classic text chat.
- In “communities,” you can team up to claim islands and build your own village.
- The economy is completely player-driven.
- To additionally motivate players, there are rewards for groups that deliver particularly interesting and well-thought-out roleplay.
- Somewhat uncharacteristic of the genre, the game relies on a turn-based combat system. With its hexagon fields, it resembles strategy classics like Civilization.
- A “pen & paper” rule set was planned, with which adventures in Wagadu can also be experienced analog at the kitchen table.
The developers planned for the game to be in early access for about a year. However, we now know that there will be no final release, even though the game is still available on Steam.
Who is it interesting for? The Wagadu Chronicles is aimed at players who want to experience a strongly story and RPG-focused MMORPG in a very different setting. Those looking for a classic online role-playing game will not find it here.
How is it performing currently? The unusual Africa setting and role-playing focus have only attracted a few players to the servers. At peak, there were 36 concurrent players, which was at the early access launch. Since January 2024, a maximum of eight players have been online at the same time, most of the time only one or none at all.
Equally disheartening: Only 53 percent of just 26 reviews are positive. It is not surprising that the developers announced the premature end of the project in May 2024: Berlin supports MMORPG with €175,000 – It fails on Steam and dies before release
