How to Catch Pals in Palworld: A Beginner’s Guide

Catching Pals lets you build a team, fill your Paldeck, and find helpers for your base in Palworld. You’ll need Pal Spheres, a way to weaken a target, and enough room in your party or Palbox; the steps below cover aiming, capture odds, and what to do when a throw fails.

What You’ll Need

• Pal Spheres: These are the basic capture items. Craft them at a workbench after unlocking the recipe, or find them while exploring. Higher-tier spheres are needed as you encounter stronger Pals.
• A weapon: A basic weapon such as a wooden club or bow helps reduce a Pal’s health. Use care: killing it ends the capture opportunity.
• Food and suitable gear: Bring food and equipment appropriate to the area so you can manage hunger and environmental hazards while you explore.
• Available Pal storage: Check your party and Palbox space. Captured Pals that do not fit in your party are sent to the Palbox when there is room.

Step-by-Step

1. Make or obtain Pal Spheres. Unlock the Pal Sphere recipe through the Technology menu as you progress, then craft spheres at the required workstation using the listed materials. The exact recipe and available sphere types depend on your progression. Keep several in your inventory; a failed throw consumes a sphere.
2. Choose a suitable target. Look for a Pal you want to add to your team and check its level before starting a fight. A target near your level is generally easier to weaken safely than one far above it. Avoid drawing several enemies at once, especially early in the game.
3. Prepare your sphere and weapon. Put a Pal Sphere in your quick-access item selection so you can throw it quickly. Equip a weapon that lets you control damage. If you have a Pal companion out, consider recalling it before the target gets close to defeat; your companion can deal more damage than expected.
4. Damage the Pal without knocking it out. Attack in measured bursts and watch the target’s health bar. Lower health improves your capture chance, but a Pal that reaches zero health cannot be captured. If your weapon hits too hard, switch to a weaker one or stop attacking sooner. Avoid damage-over-time effects or powerful attacks when the Pal is nearly defeated.
5. Get within throwing range and aim. Face the weakened Pal, select your sphere, and use the throw control shown for your platform. Aim at the Pal rather than the ground or a nearby object. Throws can miss if the target moves, so wait for a clear angle and avoid throwing through obstacles.
6. Watch the capture attempt. A successful hit starts the sphere’s capture animation and displays the chance or shaking sequence. Do not assume the Pal is caught until the attempt resolves. If it breaks free, the sphere is spent; weaken the Pal further if it is still alive, then try again.
7. Check your party and Palbox. After a successful capture, the game confirms the result. If your party has space, the new Pal can join it; otherwise it is placed in the Palbox if storage is available. Open the party or Palbox to confirm where it went and make room if needed.
8. Use better spheres for tougher targets. Higher-level Pals and stronger species are harder to catch with basic spheres. Unlock and craft more effective sphere types as you advance. Pair a better sphere with a safely reduced health bar rather than relying on the sphere alone.

Common Mistakes

• Throwing at full health: This usually gives you worse odds and can waste spheres. Weaken the target first while keeping it alive.
• Using too much damage: Strong attacks, companion attacks, and damage effects can finish the Pal unexpectedly. Stop attacking when its health is low and switch to a weaker option if needed.
• Assuming a sphere always catches: A successful hit is not a guaranteed capture. The Pal can break free, so carry spares and be prepared to try again.
• Ignoring the target’s level: Higher-level Pals can be difficult to capture and may be dangerous to fight. Build your equipment and sphere supply before challenging them.
• Forgetting storage space: Make sure the Palbox has room, particularly if your party is full. Check both locations after a capture instead of assuming the Pal vanished.
• Throwing from a poor angle: Rocks, walls, and movement can block or spoil a throw. Move to clear ground and aim directly at the Pal.

Tips

• Carry more spheres than you expect to need, especially when exploring somewhere new. You may miss, or several attempts may fail.
• Use the Pal’s health bar as your guide. Lower is better for capture odds, but never keep attacking just to reach a sliver of health if your next hit could knock it out.
• Separate a target from other enemies before engaging. This makes it easier to focus damage and avoid being interrupted.
• Learn the quick-access controls for your platform before a fight. Switching between a weapon and a sphere is easier when you are not searching through inventory menus.
• Use the strongest sphere you can reasonably craft for a difficult target, but do not waste scarce advanced spheres on easy, low-level Pals unless you have a reason.
• Capture duplicates when useful: they can provide different traits or be used for progression systems later. Check the game’s current menus before deciding what to keep.

Troubleshooting

The sphere misses: Move closer if it is safe, wait until the Pal pauses, and aim at its body. Try from a clear line of sight rather than throwing around a corner or through foliage. Check your platform’s displayed throw control if the item does not launch.

The Pal breaks free repeatedly: Reduce its health further without defeating it, and use a higher-tier sphere if available. Check the capture chance displayed during the attempt; a low chance means you may need better preparation, not just more throws.

The Pal was defeated: It cannot be captured after being knocked out. Leave the encounter and find another of that species. Next time, recall your companion earlier, use weaker attacks, or stop damaging the target at a higher health level.

You cannot throw a sphere: Confirm that you have spheres in your inventory and that one is selected in your quick-access item slot. Check for a blocked action, an invalid target, or a control prompt indicating a different input.

You cannot find the captured Pal: Check your active party and Palbox, including whether the party was already full. If storage is full, make space and follow any on-screen message; do not assume an unsuccessful-looking animation means the capture was lost.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get Pal Spheres?
Unlock their recipe in the Technology menu, gather the required materials, and craft them at the listed workstation. You can also find spheres while exploring.

Do I have to lower a Pal’s health to catch it?
No, but weakening it generally improves the chance. Keep it alive; a defeated Pal cannot be captured.

Why does a Pal keep escaping?
The capture chance may be low. Lower its health safely, use a more effective sphere, and check the displayed chance during the attempt.

Can I catch a Pal that is a higher level than me?
You can attempt to catch Pals above your level, but they may be harder and more dangerous to handle. Better equipment and spheres help.

Where does a Pal go when my party is full?
It is sent to the Palbox if there is available storage. Check the Palbox after the capture to confirm.

Can I capture a boss Pal?
Some powerful or special encounters may have different rules, and availability can depend on the game’s current version. Follow the encounter’s on-screen behavior rather than assuming every boss can be captured.

Related

• Word Insert Multiple Pictures: Quick Steps & Fixes
• Google Them: What It Means & How to Do It
• Franchise Business Plan & Financial Forecast Guide