Pocketpair released the trailer for their upcoming spin-off, Palworld: Palfarm. It’s a farming simulator that’s supposed to invoke a cozy vibe similar to Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing. A release date hasn’t been revealed but you can add it to your Wishlist on Steam.
From Guns to Gardening
Instead of the high-stakes PvE grind, you move to the Palpagos Islands to create a farm. Pals help with crafting tools, cook meals, and tend crops. You’ll have to leverage your Pals skillset as some will be better at certain tasks like harvesting. There will be moments where you have to defend your farm from hostile Pals, so there’s some combat.
Palfarm will also allow you to form special relationships with other Pals or human characters. Giving gifts and daily interactions can help strengthen bonds, which could lead to romance. The trailer showed Pals officiating a wedding. Some dark edge from the main game is present, with the Black Marketeer inviting the player to a game of Russian Roulette.
It’s meant to be a cozy game with a little dark comedy thrown in. Perfect for those who want to relax, surround themselves with (virtual) animals and creatures. However, is Palfarm just another lawsuit waiting to happen?
Pokémon Pokopia Enters the Ring
Just days before Palfarm was announced, Nintendo revealed they were releasing their own farming spin-off called Pokémon Pokopia. It’s the first life simulation game in the franchise, it’s co-developed by Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force and Pokémon’s developer Game Freak.
You’ll play as a Ditto transformed to look like a human. Instead of using tools, Ditto can find wild Pokemon and copy their moves to progress. The goal is to turn empty land into a special paradise for other Pokemon. Pokopia is set for release sometime in 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2.
A Potential Lawsuit in the Works?
Will Nintendo try to sue PocketPair over this Palfarm spin-off? It’s sad that I even have to ask about something like that. Nintendo’s already in court with Pocketpair. Their 2024 lawsuit alleges that Palworld infringes on patents tied to creature capture and certain game mechanics.
It’s clear the game is Nintendo’s attempt to break into the “relaxed creature sim” space. They already see Pocketpair as a competitor. A lot of people are watching to see if they’ll try to accuse Palfarm of stealing certain mechanics or infringing on their patents.
Which would be stupid to do now because both games haven’t been released yet. Any accusations Nintendo makes now will raise eyebrows because they’d be referencing features that haven’t been publicly revealed yet.
Sigh…I wonder if the real reason Pocketpair is releasing a farming sim spin-off of Palworld is so they can be known for something other than being Nintendo’s punching bag.
