Palworld Dating Sim Is Just a 'Goofy Thing,' Not a True Spin-Off

Ever wondered what counts as a true spin-off? According to Pocketpair's head of communications and publishing, John 'Bucky' Buckley, the upcoming Palworld dating sim doesn't make the cut.

In a chat on the official Palworld Discord server, Buckley shared his thoughts on the growing Palworld universe. "Most gamers will consider a spin-off to be very in-line and thematically similar to the original Palworld with some notable twist or gimmick," he explained. By that definition, only Palfarm – the farming sim – is a "true spin-off." The dating sim, More Than Just Pals, is just "a little goofy thing," he said.

Buckley also pushed back on the idea that every Palworld-related project is a spin-off. Calling them all spin-offs "would be pretty wrong," he noted, because they're "fundamentally completely different." So while Palfarm fits the bill, More Than Just Pals is more of a side project – albeit one that looks surprisingly legit based on its first trailer and Steam page.

He also cleared up a rumor: "there are not four spin-offs in development." Alongside the base game, there's an MMO in the works, bringing the total known projects to three. Pocketpair has also said there are plans for further expansion.

Of course, not everyone agrees with Buckley's definition. Some might argue that anything explicitly part of a franchise counts as a spin-off – like how Mario Paint is as much a spin-off as Luigi's Mansion. And without data, claiming "most gamers" think a certain way is a bit dubious. These sound like internal definitions more than anything.

Regardless of labels, both Palfarm and More Than Just Pals will likely do well given Palworld's massive install base. The latter might be a meme writ large, but that doesn't mean it won't find an audience. After all, Palworld becoming the best-reviewed Steam game of 2026 is "nothing short of miraculous," according to Buckley.

So, what do you think? Does a dating sim count as a spin-off, or is Buckley right to keep the label for Palfarm? Let us know in the comments!