While players will always wash up in the same place in Palworld's single-player mode, this isn't true when connecting to a Server. Instead of being forced to start at the Plateau of Beginnings, players can choose from a range of different locales with varying access to resources and certain Pal types. This means that the choice of starting location can be hugely important and result in a notably different starting experience.
Palworld offers eight different starting locations to choose from when entering a multiplayer server for the first time, scattered across the entire map and offering a range of different biomes to players at the start of their journey. While some locations are more dangerous than others, all of them could make for an interesting start. That said, here's a breakdown of the starting locations to help answer the question: "Which starting location is best?"
Palworld: Best Pals To Catch Early
Get your base up and running pronto by catching all the best early game pals in Palworld.
Windswept Hills: Plateau of Beginnings
The default starting location certainly has a lot to offer for players, with a good assortment of Pals to capture and an abundance of resources to gather. This starting location is also relatively close to the Rayne Syndicate Tower, which serves as the tutorial's final task. This proximity makes it particularly helpful for new players. Another locale nearby is the Old Settlement, an NPC settlement with merchants that can supply a ton of useful items in exchange for coins.
Windswept Hills: Flying Fish Coast
A locale not far from the Plateau of Beginnings, the Flying Fish Coast is a lovely spot to catch Water element Pals and put together a base on the shore. There are fewer materials to use in this area, with trees being a bit more scarce due to the coastal environment, but there's still more than enough for players to get their base going and establish defenses. Its proximity to the rest of the Windswept Hills area is beneficial for players who want easy access to the Old Settlement and the Rayne Syndicate Tower, much like the Plateau of Beginnings.
Marsh Island
Found to the east of the Windswept Hills, Marsh Island is a great alternative starting location. The immediate area surrounding the spawn has good access to wood and stone, with a huge array of Pals available almost immediately, though Lamball can't be found without heading further into the Island proper.
Eastern Wild Island
The Wild Island is a harsh locale with no Fast Travel spots, but players willing to brave the Island anyway will be able to circumvent this by building a base here. A trek to the west after getting a mount should solve any issues caused by the remoteness of the island, but it still lacks resources when compared to other options available. After leveling up a bit, some powerful Pals can be caught closer to the island's center. A choice for survivors with a taste for danger, to be sure.
Sea Breeze Archipelago: Reef
With wide open spaces and an abundance of stone, the Reef has lots to offer for players seeking a good building spot. Trees are a little bit further off, but not much of a problem, and there are plenty of Pals to catch in the immediate vicinity. Players can even trek up to the abandoned church to unlock a Fast Travel Point and upgrade their Catch Power at the Statue, though admittedly, building a Statue won't be too hard once a base is established.
Palworld: How to Make a Base (& How to Move It)
Creating a base is an important step in Palworld, and knowing how to move it can be crucial to you and your party's safety. Here's how to get started.
Sea Breeze Archipelago: Castaway Beach
To call Castaway Beach a rocky start would be both accurate and a terrible pun. The beach has a lot of rocks but nothing in the way of trees, though players can easily reach a small forest by heading east along the coastline and climbing up onto the main part of the island. Water element Pals can be found all over the beach, with the forest and the sandy area further east from it offering a larger variety of Pals. One notable benefit to this location is a poachers' camp, found near the aforementioned forest and regularly guarded by level 5 poachers. Raiding this camp with a bow and arrow is relatively easy with help from a Pal and allows players to bolster their supply of Pal balls and collect some ammo for later on, while also retrieving new Pals from the cage at the heart of the camp. The poachers' camp respawns fairly regularly and can be easily farmed for more Pals.
Ice Wind Island
Despite its description, Ice Wind Island is a perfectly reasonable temperature when starting, with the chillier locations found a fair way north/northeast of the spawn point. It has a decent number of Pals around, though they spawn at a lower rate than some other starting areas, and there's plenty of wood for building a base and getting started with crafting. There are also plenty of berries further inland, and players can cross the water to the south to find stronger Pals once they're properly established. Alternatively, there's a pair of merchants living on the Forgotten Island to the west, who can be accessed pretty easily by climbing down the west side of Ice Wind and swimming across to the beach.
Forgotten Island
Speaking of the Forgotten Island, it can be a fun starting spot for players with a taste for exploration. Beginning on a vast beach area with trees to spare and a scattering of Pals to catch, players might have to walk awhile before they see any NPCs, but the far side of the island has a pair of merchants and the island itself makes a fine spot for a base. It is, however, a very long way from most other locations and players will have to trek quite some way to run into anyone who didn't start here.
Palworld: How to Catch Pals
Pals are the heart and soul of Palworld. Learn how to catch them and have an adorable companion for all adventures.
Which is Best?
When it comes to selecting the best starting location, the best options for new players would be, in order:
- Windswept Hills: Plateau of Beginnings
- Marsh Island
- Windswept Hills: Flying Fish Coast
- Sea Breeze Archipelago: Reef
These all offer excellent access to resources and an abundance of Pals to befriend/enslave, making them easy starting spots. Players looking for more of a challenge should head for Forgotten Island or Eastern Wild Island instead.
Palworld
Pocket Pair's Palworld is a creature-collection game set in an open-world. Entering early access on January 19, 2024, the project blends survival, building, farming, monster breeding, and shooter elements.
- Platform(s)
- PC , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One
- Released
- January 19, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Pocket Pair, Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- Pocket Pair, Inc.
- Genre(s)
- Open-World , Shooter , Survival
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Violence
