Not really, but the friends usually just observe if you are doing fishing. If they have a quest in progress, they will follow you around. You can ask them to follow you around and dismiss them if you don't like it. They have special traits that improve various activities so usually I good idea to hook up with one that helps what you plan to do.

This is probably not a good game to pick if you want to be by yourself alot.

The only option is to Hide the Villagers and this removes them from the game world.

Look for the panel on the left side of the zone map.
https://ad.gamersky.info/@steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3126318710

But if a Villager has an Active Mission, then they will reappear until the mission is completed.

There's always characters milling around. But they're not "up in your face" or pestering you. They also only speak when spoken to. I did notice on the new floating islands , the characters don't go there much unless you move their house there. Except Merlin. He goes wherever he jolly well wants to. But he's a nice chap. There's also your own house that other characters won't follow you into unless you're grouped with them. Nice refuge to get away and craft, cook or decorate in solo peace.

As mentioned, even if you turn everyone off on the little menu, quest NPCs will pop up, and there will still be people in the furniture shop & restaurants. And if you want to harvest materials more effectively (and reduce grind), you'll want to have a buddy along for whatever type of harvesting you're doing.

(and, of course, you need to level up every villager's friendship level, in order to unlock any clothes/furniture they give you and to improve the harvesting bonuses.)

The "friends" from the neighborhood say hello if you pass by, but no one is in your face all the time like they are in Enshrouded. I had to take away all roaming to keep them beside their beds and off of me. When I came home, a dozen or more were right there mobbing me, saying, "Gimme, gimme, I want, I want! Go find my hat, etc. Fetch, Dog, fetch!" That does't happen here. They only follow you when you select to hang out with them.

To be all alone, go inside your house that can have 20 floors where you can cook, craft, and decorate.

You can be alone, but first you need complete all the villager's quests. After that, you can be all alone by disabling all villagers. They still will visit restaurants when scheduled.