Palworld wouldn't be a proper exploration game if it didn't have some underground areas to explore, and Palpagos Island offers spelunkinig in spades whenever you enter dungeons. Indoor sections that provide additional opportunities for resource collection, not to menton expanding your Paldex, dungeons are an optional - but worthwhile - addition to Palworld.
This guide will teach you the basic ins and outs of dungeons in Palworld. Almost all dungeons are similar to one another, so once you've figured out how to get through one dungeon, you'll know how to handle them all - they just get larger and more difficult as you make your way to tougher areas of the game.
Finding Dungeons
Like many other dangerous locations in Palworld, dungeons don't appear on the map. Instead they show up as large, simple caves, carved into stony rock walls throughout the world. Dungeons tend to share a few things in common, as far as their locations go:
- They're usually - but not always - near Great Eagle Statues, allowing you to Fast Travel to them.
- They're often on the edges of clearings, and not hidden away in ridiculous-to-find places. As long as you explore open areas you'll eventually come across dungeons.
- They're not always open. You could be staring straight at the entrance of a dungeon and not know it. (Though you'll see an indent in the rocks if you look closely enough.)
The trick with dungeons is that last point: They're not always open. Dungeons pop open a few times a day, and are available to explore for 200 minutes before they close again. As long as you get inside the dungeon before the timer ends, however, you're good. Try to remember the locations of a few convenient dungeons, and check them regularly to see if they've opened up.
Explored dungeons do not respawn any Pals, enemies, or resources until they close down. Reentering a dungeon you've already checked won't get you anything new, unless you missed something on the first trip through.
Dungeon Contents
Dungeons, roughly speaking, contain four different things:
- Pals. Lots and lots of Pals, some of which you can't find aboveground.
- Enemy NPCs, such as Rayne Syndicate goons. Dispatch them as you would in the normal world.
- Resources, namely large deposits of Ore and Paldium. Dungeons are particularly good if you want Paldium, as these deposits are larger - and sometimes more plentiful - than what you'd find on the surface.
- Chests. More on these below.
Assuming you navigate your way to the end of the dungeon you'll find a particularly-large Pal waiting, often with smaller versions of itself. You'll get into a boss fight, and can capture the Pals. Which Pal you'll fnd is randomized, so it's worth checking and rechecking dungeons to see if you'll get a Pal you don't already have. You'll usually receive Ancient Civilization Parts for defeating these bosses, as well as other rare prizes.
Once you defeat the Pal boss you'll find a pedestal with chests and a crystal. The chests hold more useful items, while the crystal takes you out of the dungeon.
Navigating Dungeons
There are so many dungeons - most of which look similar - that it's virtually impossible to remember how to navigate each one. Here are some tips for making it to the boss room each time:
- Pick a direction and go that way every time you reach an intersection. Left or right are pretty solid choices, as whenever you turn around you'll always have another choice. Eventually you'll hit the correct string of tunnels, and find your way to the boss battle.
- Drop noticeable - but not that useful - items as you go. By doing this you can mark which tunnels you've checked already. This is more useful in larger, late-game dungeons.
- Pay attention to the bodies you're leaving behind. If you see corpses down a tunnel then you've already checked it.
- Bring along a swift Pal that you can ride. The faster you move, the more ground you can cover. This also allows you to skip past enemies if you're in a hurry.