Palworld throws a lot at you in the first hour. You land in the Plateau of Beginning with empty pockets, a Paldeck that barely works, and a technology tree that makes no sense until you have used it. I died to a Chikipi on my first night because I thought “cloth outfit” sounded optional. It is not.

This guide is a survival checklist for the first few hours. It covers the exact tools to craft, the Pals worth catching first, how to stay alive after sunset, and the technology unlocks that actually matter before level 15. Everything here is checked against the current Palworld Fandom wiki and the v1.0 tech tree.

First 10 Minutes: Tools and Materials

Your fists work, but barely. The very first thing to build is a Primitive Workbench — it costs 2 Wood and unlocks the tools that let you stop punching things.

Priority	Item	Materials	Why it matters
Essential	Primitive Workbench	Wood x2	Unlocks every early tool.
High	Stone Pickaxe	Wood x5, Stone x5	Mines stone and ore nodes faster.
High	Stone Axe	Wood x5, Stone x5	Chops trees and doubles as a weapon.
Medium	Hand-held Torch	Wood x2, Stone x2	Light at night + minor warmth.
Low	Wooden Club	Wood x5	Cheap melee option.

Paldium Fragments are the bottleneck most new players miss. They are the blue-white shards near streams, and you need them for Pal Spheres and your first Palbox. Head just north of the Plateau of Beginning fast-travel point; the stream there has fragment nodes. You can also find a free Pal Sphere on the ground east of the Expedition Survivor, near the trees.

Catching Your First Pal

Once you have a Pal Sphere — crafted from Wood x3, Stone x3, and Paldium Fragment x1 at level 2 — you can catch Pals. Do not waste it on anything that looks cool. Catch a Cattiva first.

Cattiva has the right mix of early work suitabilities — Handiwork, Mining, and Transportation — which means it can keep your base running while you are out exploring. It is also common near the starting area.

Catch rate tips that actually work:

• Lower the Pal’s HP to roughly 30% before throwing a sphere.
• Switch to weaker weapons (slingshot, Wooden Club) so you do not accidentally kill it.
• Use the radial menu (default 4 on PC) to set your Pal to Don’t attack before the target faints.
• Hold the Pal Sphere throw button and press right-click to cancel if the angle is wrong.
• Once you unlock the Fire or Poison Bow, inflict a status effect before throwing — burned or poisoned Pals are easier to catch.

If you want a deeper breakdown, see our how to catch Pals guide.

Surviving the Night

Night in Palworld drops your temperature fast. Without protection you lose HP steadily. The two items that fix this are cheap:

• Hand-held Torch — crafted immediately on a Primitive Workbench. Gives warmth and light.
• Cloth Outfit — unlocks at level 4 for 2 Technology Points. Requires Cloth, which you craft from Wool dropped by Lamballs.

Wool is also used for the Straw Pal Bed, which lets your Pals sleep off stress. Build at least one bed early. A stressed Pal stops working, and a sleeping Pal is a useless Pal.

Building a Base That Actually Works

Your first base should go near the Plateau of Beginning. It is safe, has nearby wood and stone, and is close to a fast-travel point. You can always move later with our how to move bases guide.

Unlock the Palbox from the Technology menu at level 4. It is the central storage for your captured Pals and also the structure that marks your base boundary. Place it first, then build around it.

Base automation priorities:

Facility	Recommended Pal	Work Suitability	What it solves
Logging Site	Tanzee or Eikthyrdeer	Lumbering + Transportation	Wood bottleneck.
Stone Pit	Cattiva	Mining + Transportation	Stone bottleneck.
Berry Plantation	Pengullet + Tanzee	Watering, Planting, Gathering	Food supply.
Ranch	Vixy	Farming	Free Pal Spheres and Arrows.

You do not need perfect Pals for these roles. A level 1 suitability Pal is infinitely better than no Pal, because facilities stop working when unattended.

Technology Unlock Order: Levels 2–15

Technology Points are limited. Spend them on things that save time, not things that look powerful.

1. Pal Sphere (level 2) — catch more Pals.
2. Shoddy Bed / Straw Pal Bed — pass the night and reduce Pal stress.
3. Cloth Outfit (level 4) — survive cold nights.
4. Wooden Structure Set — build enclosed shelter.
5. Logging Site + Stone Pit — automate wood and stone.
6. Crusher (level 8) — turns stone into Paldium Fragments.
7. Ranch — passive Pal Sphere/Arrow farming with Vixy.
8. Crossbow (level 13) — much stronger than bows; skip the Three-Shot Bow.
9. Mega Sphere — higher catch rate for rare Pals.
10. Rushoar Saddle (level 6) — first mount.

For a full ranked list, check best technology to unlock first.

Good Early-Game Pals to Catch

Beyond Cattiva, aim for these Pals in your first day:

• Daedream — Dark type, strong against Neutral Pals. Unlock its necklace so it attacks while a different Pal is out.
• Foxparks — Fire type. Its harness turns it into a flamethrower for early boss fights.
• Rushoar — Ground type mount. The saddle unlocks at level 6.
• Chillet — Ice type boss Pal near the first Rayne Syndicate Tower. Risky at low level, but its saddle at level 13 is worth it.
• Vixy — put it in the Ranch to generate free Pal Spheres and Arrows.

For builds and IV advice, read best early-game Pals and best stats to level up.

Leveling Up Faster

EXP comes from catching Pals, not just killing them. The first 10 captures of every species give a large bonus. This is the fastest way to push both player and Pal levels early.

Practical loop:

1. Catch every new species you see at least once.
2. Reroll Alpha bosses at the end of dungeons by leaving the room and re-entering.
3. Catch the Alpha’s underlings for multi-species bonus EXP.
4. Assign base Pals to tasks matching their suitabilities — they gain EXP while working.

Once you are ready for the first boss, our how to beat Zoe and Grizzbolt guide has the team setup.

Breeding and Cake

Breeding unlocks stronger Pals through inherited stats and can create Fusion Pals. Build a Breeding Farm (called Mixed Farm on Game Pass) and feed the parents a Cake.

Cake recipe, cooked in a Cooking Pot with a Kindling Pal:

Ingredient	Amount	How to get it
Flour	5	Wheat Plantation + Mill
Red Berries	8	Berry Plantation or Ranch with Caprity
Milk	7	Ranch with Mozzarina
Egg	8	Ranch with Chikipi
Honey	2	Ranch with Beegarde

For the full breeding mechanics, see all breeding combos.

Multiplayer and Crossplay Notes

Palworld has co-op and dedicated server multiplayer. Crossplay works across Game Pass PC and Xbox, but Steam and Game Pass do not play together. PC Game Pass players also cannot use mobile streaming.

If you are setting up a persistent world for friends, our dedicated server guide covers the basic settings.

FAQ

What should I do first in Palworld? Craft a Primitive Workbench, make a Stone Pickaxe and Stone Axe, gather Paldium Fragments north of the Plateau of Beginning, then craft a Pal Sphere and catch a Cattiva.

How do I stay warm at night? Craft a Hand-held Torch immediately, then unlock and wear the Cloth Outfit at level 4. Wool comes from Lamballs.

What is the best starter Pal? Cattiva. It can mine, craft, and transport items, which covers every early base need.

How do I catch Pals without wasting spheres? Lower HP to about 30%, use status effects once you have a bow, and set your own Pal to Don’t attack so it does not knock the target out.

When should I build a base? Within the first hour. Place the Palbox near the Plateau of Beginning fast-travel point, then add beds, a Logging Site, and a Berry Plantation.

Can I play with friends on Xbox if I am on Steam? No. Steam only plays with Steam. Game Pass PC plays with Game Pass Xbox.

Final Tip

Do not over-plan your first base. Palworld rewards movement: new Pals, better resources, and Ancient Technology Points from Alpha bosses all come from leaving the starting zone. Build enough to survive, then explore.

External sources: Palworld Wiki, Palworld on Steam