In an April Fools’ Day prank in 2024, the developers of Palworld, Pocketpair, announced a fake dating sim spin-off called “Pal♡world! ~More Than Just Pals~”. The announcement was made through a tweet and a video trailer that showcased a cute and colorful world with Palworld’s creature companions, Pals.
The tweeted trailer cleverly uses a visual style similar to popular visual novels like Doki Doki Literature Club. It shows bipedal, 2D versions of popular Pals like Katress, Chillet, and Lovander as potential romance options, as well as human characters like Zoe, a familiar boss in Palworld, and the mysterious Black Marketeer.
The game’s premise follows classic dating sim tropes, allowing players to choose between pursuing friendship or romance with their selected companion. However, the announcement takes a unique twist by introducing the option to “dismantle and eat” the in-game characters known as Pals. The tweet also hints at the upcoming release of an adult version of this fictional dating sim.
The video trailer maintains an air of innocent charm throughout most of its runtime, lulling viewers into a sense of familiarity with the dating sim genre. However, the reveal comes at the end with a sudden shift in tone. Katress, one of the featured Pal romance options, confronts the player accusingly, her expression morphing into one of obsessive jealousy. The video ends with her repeating the word “LIAR!” as a chilling zoom emphasizes her unhinged demeanor—a clear nod to the psychological horror elements popularized by Doki Doki Literature Club.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a soft sell for a real mode for the game. The “Pal♡world! ~More Than Just Pals~” dating sim joke release date is April 1, 2025. The trailer also teased an upcoming update for Palworld, promising fans more content for the core game, but it was a line at the very end of the tweet, so no real information was given.
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