How to catch Pals - Palworld

Published , by Sam Chandler

Catching or capturing Pals is one of the core mechanics in Palworld. Without catching any of these little monsters, you won’t be able to advance through the levels or automate your base. For those that are just starting, it might not be immediately clear how this feature works. Here’s what you need to know to catch your first Pal.

How to catch Pals

Catching Pals in Palworld requires Pal Spheres. If you don’t already know how to make Pal Spheres, then you need to sort that out before you start beating up Pals. Once you have your Pal Spheres, you can start hunting down your first Pal to capture. The trick is to attack them until they’re weak but not unconscious. Here are the basic steps:

  1. Find a Pal you want to capture
  2. Attack it until its health is low
  3. Press the Q key or Right Bumper to throw a Pal Sphere
  4. Go near the Pal Sphere to pick up your captured Pal

All of that is fairly straightforward, but there is a bit of nuance when it comes to catching a Pal effectively. Firstly, don’t just attack it with you fists. Fighting a Pal with your fists is a great way to waste stamina and potentially get yourself hurt. Use something like a wooden club.

When aiming at a Pal, the Capture Rate will indicate how likely you are to successfully catch the Pal.
Source: Shacknews

Secondly, do not completely defeat the Pal. If its health reaches zero, you will not be able to catch it. The goal is to hurt it enough to weaken it, allowing you to throw a Pal Sphere at it. The weaker it is, the higher your chance of catching it. You can also try sneaking up on it and trapping it, these both increase your odds of success.

You can check your capture chance by holding Q or Right Bumper. While you have the Pal Sphere in your hand, aim at the Pal and you can see the percentage chance you have of a successful catch. The higher the percentage, the better chance you have, but there is always the chance you’ll fail (unless it’s 100%). On the flip side, you can still catch something even if it’s only a 1 percent chance.

When it comes to catching some of the late-game or more powerful Pals, you will need stronger Pal Spheres. Continue playing Palworld to improve your tools.

Catching Pals is all part of the fun of playing Palworld. Once you’ve got some Pals, you can put them to work at your base or have them help you capture other Pals. Swing by our Palworld Strategy Guide for more help with all aspects of this exciting new game.