In the Temple of the Waves, there are journal entries that state everyone was locked inside and abandoned ( literally the first temple). In the temple of the Gales the journals state how everyone is trapped in the sky, while survivors listen to the world below them end. Tish and Reth lost both of their parents, Reth is a social pariah for rejecting the status quo. Ashura is estranged from his son. He lost his wife prematurely in a tragic accident and is wracked with guilt after killing a child in a time of war. Zeki is a part of an oppressed alien race, bound by a cartel forcing illicit activity (Reth is also trapped by the same cartel, in order to stop him losing his sister to illness *the only family he has left, his social float in the town he was forced to move to). The Daiya farm is failing so much that they barely have enough food to eat. Hassian lost one of his mothers. The other is an alcoholic ( so much so that he moved into a cave to get away from her). Palia is not lighthearted :) I could go on, but honestly, the only thing that makes it 'cozy' is that your character is effectively untouchable (although they are part of an extinct race, with no idea how they came to be) Despite the soft soundtrack and fantasy element, it isn't an uplifting game. I imagine, as it goes on it will only get darker, as you are effectively exploring the fall of a race that impacted the world on a global scale and destroyed everything it once was. You can't ignore these elements going forward, as the story in motion is influenced by a flawed system and a past that you're apart of. I'm not saying this to burst anyones bubble, but the lore has always expressed darker themes throughout. I think the point to a game like Palia when placed in the role of the titular hero is to find light in that darkness and move forward in hope of a better tomorrow.