Recent reviews by i hate this game

As someone who has played Palia since Alpha, this game has deserved a lot of the criticism that it is currently receiving, but some of it is also unfair. My three biggest gripes: 1) monetization needs an overhaul, 2) multiplayer functions don't satisfy me enough, and 3) QoL needs a lot of improvement. Most of these are annoyances of mine because they used these for marketing, but only completed them in a half-way fashion.

1.a) Monetization CONS - I have spent well over $150 USD for cosmetics in this game since the cosmetics have released, and it is expensive, even for my taste. Those who can fork it over for cosmetics can and will. There are also three variations of the same outfit you have to pay for which is something I have never seen before in cosmetics, but I find it very odd and takes away from the performance of a single cosmetic. While there are options for non-monetized cosmetics, they all look the same and are very bland. Mix this in with the very limited color combinations they provide and you have a complete disaster and very little incentive to want to pay.

1.b) Monetization PROS - The paid cosmetics are fitting to the game. Cute, fun, and whimsical. Sometimes the designers miss their mark by not providing enough categories, colors, or masculine options, but I do quite enjoy the outfits I have purchased. In the store page, there are three variations per cosmetic, but most people do not realize after purchasing one of the three, the other two are half-price (mostly because of the terrible wording S6 has provided on the store page). While this isn't necessarily a solution to the issues at hand, it isn't obvious and is often overlooked because most tend to only buy one variation. I have used the half-price function on multiple occasions because I do use some of the combinations of variations for different reasons. The best part is if you don't like their cosmetics, you don't have to buy them! It doesn't impact any of your game play.

2.a) Multiplayer Function CONS - I come to play Palia to play with my friends. But what can we do that's multiplayer? Well, not much. Multiplayer options are limited to leveling skills together and dragging around already placed furniture as long as you have the editor title in housing plots, but neither is done very effectively. Sure, you can use emoticons/emotes and join a community, but what for? There are no real purposes for either of these things. Although I am not one to roleplay, you would still have very limited options for those that do in this game in its current state. My biggest hope is that at some point in the future, you can live on a plot with another player and not be limited to what they have placed. I would LOVE to own a plot with my friends and be able to use decor items freely to make it seem more like a multiplayer/co-op game.

2.b) Multiplayer Function PROS - Groves are a very unique feature that require at least two people to do. While these events do take time, it does invite low-pressure multiplayer events for everyone to do together. I also do find their newest update to ore mining to be a lot more do-able for everyone. You no longer have to wait around for others as a solo player (or on a time crunch), but everyone can still get their loot from the same item so long as it doesn't disappear. Cooking is also another unique feature I never thought of wanting to join others for. As long as everyone contributes in some way - chopping, stirring, flipping, adding ingredients, etc - you will still receive the reward which is welcoming for all players, old and new. I have also seen many complaining about the 25-player limit areas, but I find this to be the perfect number. The areas are fluid, so the players will be different if you zone elsewhere and come back. I very rarely see the same people unless they are on my friends list or am currently in a party with them. In my opinion, it makes the chat easier to read, invites light conversation, and you meet new people every time you go elsewhere!

3) My Thoughts on QoL - Although I have a long, long list of QoL improvements, I'll try my best to keep this one trimmed. Waiting for housing to build is inconvenient, especially when we've gone through the trouble of finding and refining the materials already. You have to wait for the rooms, fireplaces, and even bay windows to be built. I wish this wasn't a thing, but it doesn't seem nearly as big of an issue when there are so many other things to do outside of building. Although I have already touched base on this, they NEED to add more color varieties to clothing. Why can't we just have a sliding bar to determine what colors we want? Why do we only have 3 preset options for each outfit? I would be way more willing to spend more money if I could mix and match whatever cosmetics I wanted, but it's really hard to do so if they aren't the same color or shade. Screw the ammo pouch, just add another inventory tab to house all of our tool items! Nearly a line of my inventory is filled with smoke bombs, different variations of arrows, and different variations of worms at all times. This doesn't even include the used slots for tool repair kits, boosters, or tracking items. Why is there no mini map? I think the compass tracker and clock are fine, but why does the clock need to be so big? Surely a mini map would fit just fine within the same space. I don't necessarily need a mini map to know where to go (at least anymore), but it would make it so much easier to relay where items are or your location to friends if you could see it without having to close chat, open the map, close the map, then type again. Climbing is my worst enemy and it has been since Alpha. They have tried to improve it multiple times, but it is still a struggle and just as frustrating as it was then with invisible walls, cliffs you get stuck on, and the stamina. I would love to see a skill tree of some kind for each skill much like Stardew Valley but simplified. An example would be it only has 5 levels to the tree per skill, each giving you an option between A or B. Using cooking for example, option A would give you more time to complete the cooking (EX: tomato soup gives you 2mins 40secs versus it's original of 2mins 20secs) and option B would give you a little more focus per completed item (EX: tomato soup gives you 300 focus versus it's original of 275). It doesn't need to be a huge difference, but it would build the character upon the players preferences, ultimately making it more personalized. Please, make switch more player-friendly! I don't own a switch myself, but I have heard that the chat and functionality on it is terrible.

Summary - I, like a few others, wish there was a neutral option for recommending games. I have had a lot of fun with this game in both solo and co-op, but it definitely needs a lot of work still. It's taking a unique concept that I am excited to see go further, it just hasn't satisfied me enough to align with what it is currently marketing. However, it is a free game. If you want to try it, what harm will that do?

From a strictly PvE perspective only playing solo or with friends, this game is a lot of fun. Combat and building are really entertaining and the Gloomrot release has provided a lot of additional content as well. Smooth game-play for early access and I highly recommend playing it.

i love being tilted 10/10

I originally had a positive review that I felt was no longer viable with the most recent updates to the game and, as such, am creating this new one where I do not recommend it. I can see the vision of the game and have enjoyed the contents within the game, but I really cannot recommend Craftopia in its current state. The current cost for an early access game that is nearly unplayable due to bugs is absolutely insane to me. I prefer the seamless world overall and the direction they are going in comparison to its previous update with separate islands as their own instances, but it also came with a large variety of additional problems in its wake that were not an issue beforehand. The artistic aspect, music, and visuals are great, but it isn't enough to overlook the rest.

This game has endless activities, fun mysteries, and interesting game-play. Would totally recommend to a group of friends who want a relaxing game to play!

As someone who is in no way good with horror anything, this game is great! It provides a creepy atmosphere and terror without jumpscares. The voice mechanic makes Phasmophobia very immersive, fun, and terrifying. Keep up the good work!