Early Game Approaches to Help Earn Valuable Resources

Here's an overview of ideas to help early players get started in Palia, to help with a good foundation and a good foothold as you get your gameplay underway!

Getting started: what matters first ​

Follow the main quests — but don’t grind obsessively.
The early story quests (e.g. “Learning the Ropes,” “Strong Foundations,” “Like a Bird,” and “Ancient Battery”) guide you through unlocking essential tools, your home plot, and new mechanics (like glider, crafting stations, etc.) that make life easier later. (Gamepur)
These quests help unlock your basic toolkit and gradually ease you into what Palia has to offer. (Gamepur)

Don’t sell off everything blindly — early resources often become useful.
In the early game you’ll collect lots of materials (wood, stone, ore, hides, generic loot) while exploring, mining, chopping, fishing, foraging. But many of those resources will be needed soon for crafting, tool upgrades, housing, or quest requirements — so stash them rather than automatically selling. (Gamerant)
As one guide puts it: “hold onto a bit of everything you collect when starting out.” (NoobFeed)

Earning Gold & Resources Early — What Works Best​

Fishing, Farming, Hunting & Gardening — your early staples​

• Fishing is one of your best early-game income sources. Once you meet Einar, fishing becomes a near-reliable way to make Gold. For best results, use bait (when available) or even better: use Glow Worms as your “bobbers.” Fish in “hotspots” — areas of disturbed water marked on the map — for a chance at Star-Quality fish that sell for more. (PC Gamer)
• Gardening ramps up fast once you unlock it. As soon as you can, start investing in soil plots for farming crops. Over time, a well-maintained garden becomes a steady and passive income stream. (palia.wiki.gg)
• Hunting (and selling hides / meat / animal drops) is also viable early on. Some players report hunting creatures gives solid early income via hides or meat — especially before you have advanced tools or big gardens going. (Hardcore Gamer)

A balanced rotation between these (fishing, gardening, hunting, maybe foraging/mining on the side) tends to work best to keep steady income while you build up resources.

Upgrade Tools & Crafting Stations Early​

Your basic tools (axe, pickaxe, etc.) will work at the start — but as you progress you’ll want upgrades for speed, efficiency, and access to higher-tier materials. Invest in upgrading your tools as soon as upgrades become available. (Gamepur)
Similarly, crafting stations and refining tools are worth building early: refined materials are often more valuable or more useful for crafting housing items, gear, etc. (GINX TV)

Use Focus and Renown (Shrines) to Boost Progress​

The game uses a mechanic called Focus: when your Focus bar is filled, you gain bonuses to skill XP (fishing, crafting, mining, etc.). Keeping your Focus topped up — by eating food that restores Focus — helps you level skills faster. (palia.wiki.gg)
There are also shrines (the Phoenix Shrine and the Dragon Shrine) where you can spend Reputation/Renown to either expand your Focus bar capacity or increase the Focus bonus, which accelerates progression. Early on, putting points into the Phoenix Shrine (for better XP boost) tends to give a strong advantage. (Gamerant)

What to Avoid / What Beginners Often Do Wrong​

• Don’t let tools break: tools in Palia have durability. If a tool breaks you lose its upgraded benefits — which can seriously slow down your resource gathering. Use repair kits or visit the blacksmith to maintain them. (PC Gamer)
• Avoid relying solely on foraging/mining for gold early on. While useful for materials, their raw “gold per hour” tends to be lower than fishing, farming, or cooking. It’s good for gathering needed crafting materials, but not ideal for early-game income. (NoobFeed)
• Don’t rush to decorate or spend resources on “nice but optional” stuff in the early game. Early resources are more valuable for crafting tools, upgrading gear, growing crops, and unlocking core progression rather than aesthetics. (Horixn Gaming)

Community Wisdom — What Active Players Recommend​

From threads of newer and veteran players on community forums and sub-reddits:

“Chop, mine, catch, fish, hunt and sell everything you come across … sell what you don’t need.” (Reddit)
“Do not sell rare or starred items — hold onto them. Gardening once you max your plots will pay off, especially crops like potatoes or, later, produce for preserves.” (Reddit)

Other recurring advice includes: don’t spend all your Renown immediately on shrine upgrades (keep some flexibility), always carry food to refill Focus, and try to build up storage (chests) early — so you don’t have to constantly sort inventory or worry about losing resources. (Reddit)

Also: the community is often helpful. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in-game chat or on community discords; many players are happy to point out where resource spawns are or help with trading. (Reddit)

A Suggested Early-Game Strategy: Sample “First 5–10 Hours” Plan​

Here’s a rough plan many new players use (and find effective):

1. Follow the main quests to unlock your plot, tools, gardening, and glider.
2. Spend your early time gathering everything you see: chop wood, mine stone/ore, catch fish, forage — but hold onto rare/valuable items.
3. Once you can, unlock gardening and start planting crops. Water, harvest, replant each day.
4. Use fishing and, if available, hunting to generate consistent Gold income while your garden grows.
5. Upgrade tools (axe, pickaxe, maybe fishing rod) as soon as possible for efficiency.
6. Use food to refill Focus often; spend Renown at the Phoenix or Dragon Shrine to expand/boost Focus for faster leveling.
7. Only sell off “excess” resources; keep materials needed for crafting or quests.
8. Expand storage chest capacity early so you aren’t constantly managing a cluttered inventory.

Why This Approach Helps — Big Picture​

By focusing early on stability, efficient resource gathering, and skill leveling, you set yourself up for smoother long-term progression. Rather than chasing shiny things (decor, large houses, rare cosmetics), you build a solid foundation: enough gold, materials, tools, and staples to dive into the deeper systems (crafting, cooking, building, relationships) when you’re ready.

This reduces the “grind fatigue” many players hit when they don’t plan early, and lets you enjoy more of what makes Palia fun — exploration, creativity, community, and the cozy progression loop.