Palworld is Pocketpair's open-world survival and crafting game built around creatures called Pals. It launched in early access in January 2024 on PC and Xbox, came to PlayStation 5 later that year, gained crossplay during early access, and left early access with version 1.0 in July 2026 as a free update for existing owners. You catch Pals, fight alongside them and, most famously, put them to work.

Palworld can be played alone, in a small co-op world or on a dedicated server, and dedicated servers are where community play happens. Their owners choose the rates, the death penalty, whether players can fight each other and how big guilds can grow, which is why two Palworld servers can feel very different.

Catch Them, Work Them, Build With Them

Every Pal has work skills such as mining, logging, kindling, watering, planting or handiwork, and the heart of the game is a base where they do that work for you. A good base turns into a small factory, with Pals hauling stone, cooking meals, crafting ammunition and tending fields while you explore. Pals also fight beside you, carry you on land, water and in the air, and can be bred for better traits.

Outside the base you explore a large island, clear dungeons and take on the tower bosses, while your base defends itself against raids. On a shared server all of this happens next to other players and guilds, which adds trading, cooperation and, where the server allows it, conflict.

What to Look For in a Palworld Server

Capture, EXP and Work Rates

Server owners can change the experience rate, capture rate, Pal spawn numbers, egg hatching time, work speed and the length of day and night. Higher rates get you to the late game fast, which suits players who already finished it once. Rates close to default keep the climb through the early islands meaningful. Read the listed numbers rather than just the word boosted.

Death Penalty

This one setting changes how the whole game feels. Some servers let you keep everything on death, others drop your items, your equipment or even the Pals in your party where you fell. A harsh penalty makes every boss and every PvP fight tense; a soft one is friendlier to casual players.

PvP and Base Raids

Most servers are cooperative, but owners can switch on damage between players and decide whether bases face raids. A PvP server is a very different game from a co-op one, so check the rules on fighting, stealing dropped items and attacking other guilds before you settle in.

Guild Size and Base Limits

Servers cap how many players fit in a guild, how many bases each guild can run and how many Pals can work at a base. Those limits keep large guilds from dominating and keep the server running smoothly, since busy bases full of working Pals are hard on performance.

Version, Mods and Stability

The 1.0 update broke many older mods, so a modded server should show a mod list that is current for the version it runs. Check which platforms the server accepts, how often it restarts and whether it keeps backups. A server that lost its save once will lose it again.

Co-op World or Dedicated Server

A co-op world is hosted from a player's own game for a handful of friends, and it is only online while the host plays. A dedicated server runs around the clock for up to 32 players, keeps the world going when you log off and gives the owner full control over its settings. If you want a community rather than a game night, you want a dedicated server.

Getting Started

Choose cooperative or PvP first, then a death penalty and a rate level you can live with. Join the Discord, read the rules on guilds and bases, and claim a good spot for your first base early. The ranking below lists the Palworld servers players vote for here. Vote for the server where your Pals work - rankings reset every month, so the list follows where players are building now.