Step into a brutal world of Norse mythology in Valheim, an open-world survival adventure for 1–10 players by Iron Gate AB and Coffee Stain Publishing. This procedurally generated realm invites you to craft legendary weapons, raise mighty longhouses, and battle fearsome creatures to earn your place in Odin’s halls. I have been playing in Valheim since it came to Early Access on Steam in February 2021. That chapter, however, looks likely to close very soon as Iron Gate AB works on implementing its final biome. 

Not Quite Valhalla

You are a Norse warrior slain in battle, yet not valiant enough for Valhalla’s halls. At least, not yet. You have shown potential, however, and so Odin has brought your spirit to the purgatory realm of Valheim. A great number of Odin’s enemies have been sealed in this realm, and you must battle your way through them all to prove your worth!

Starting off in the Meadowlands, naked and weaponless, you have to fend for yourself. Foraging for food and materials is just the start. Craft yourself a home base, weapons and armor, and find the boss’ altar. There are seven biomes and seven bosses to fight, each one the key to new abilities and new tools to advance further than before. Once you have slain the final boss and chained his head to the standing stones you spawn in from, Odin will acknowledge your worth and welcome you to Valhalla’s halls.

Insane Power-Scaling

From misty forests to frozen mountains and sunken crypts, each environment presents distinct challenges and rewards. It is incredibly difficult to first venture into a new biome, not only because you don’t know exactly what you’re getting into, but because you often need resources from that biome to survive in it! You need wolf skin from the Mountain wolves to survive its cold, for instance. Or you need the new metals hidden in the Swamp crypts to effectively kill the zombie Duergar that infest it.

On the flip side, earlier biomes become laughably easy the further you progress. The Black Forest, which is absolute death when you’re just starting out, becomes a pleasant jaunt once you’re starting to explore the Plains. And it’s not because you’re leveling your character, either. You level your skills, but that just means you spend less stamina when using that skill. The progression and power-scaling is all tied into your cooking and crafting. Weapons and armor are straightforward, in and of themselves.  Eating the right combination of foods, though, can massively increase your health, stamina, and even grant you damage resistances. Take all of that away, however, and you’re just as mortal as you started.

Whether venturing alone or with a band of fellow warriors on player-hosted servers for up to 10 companions, the world scales to challenge your skills. This includes the epic boss battles. They stand as ultimate tests of your preparedness, requiring careful strategy and mastery of the game’s combat systems to overcome. Each victory grants powerful rewards, whether it’s a tool to sense metal deposits in the ground or the power to control the winds themselves at sea.

Base Builders Welcome!

The crafting extends to your ability to build as well. A large part of the game is securing a safe base for yourself, which can be a sprawling village or a stalwart castle. Valheim’s system rewards both creativity and practicality. You’ll need spaces to grow crops and raise your domesticated animals, as well as defenses against the sporadic raids the bosses send against your base.

Different materials and crafting stations open up a variety of menus and options for your build, which remains flexible even while adhering to a grid. It’s become a community thing, like in Minecraft, to show off your builds in the game forums. The developers themselves hold regular competitions, like the recent Favor of Freya, and Builds of the Month to celebrate and show off player builds or epic moments in combat. There’s a little more build limitation than in Minecraft just because the style is universally Norse, and because Valheim uses a stability mechanic that makes it impossible to defy the laws of physics. Still, you can make some really cool buildings like this.

You also get to build a number of ships, letting you sail windswept seas to uncharted islands. Get the full Viking experience as you raid forgotten ruins and prove your worth against bloodthirsty monsters that grow ever more dangerous as you venture further from your starting grounds. Later biomes like the Mistlands and the Ashlands shouldn’t be connected to your initial island, so navigating the seas becomes crucial as you outgrow your roots.

Developers and Players Hand-in-Hand

The developers chose Early Access to collaborate directly with players, ensuring Valheim evolves into its best possible version. “We want to make a truly great game,” said Iron Gate AB, noting that while the game already offers substantial content, they planned to add significantly more before reaching version 1.0. When I first started playing, for example, they had only implemented four or five biomes, and the crafting was a lot more limited. Now they are readying to launch their final, eighth biome, and with it the 1.0 version of Valheim.

 It’s been a long road over four years, and an absolute joy to follow Valheim’s development. Even from the start it felt like a fully fleshed game, and they’ve only ever added to it. Iron Gate AB has been actively involving its players through Discord discussions, suggestion channels, and a closed test group that evaluates new features before public release. They even have community translated languages to open the game to audiences beyond the English-speaking world. Collaborating with the players has been such a key role in developing Valheim in directions the base wants, while keeping true to the developer’s original vision. 

 I can also personally attest to the multiplayer functionality. Iron Gate AB has a dedicated server tool for persistent worlds, where you don’t have to have someone actively hosting a game to play in it. Anyone in my friend group can jump on at any time to chill and build or mess around in the advanced areas. And while it can be frustrating to have to restart the server whenever a new biome drops, it’s worth it to get to explore all of the updates they have to offer.

Overall

Valheim is a solid game that has been growing and developing steadily, consistently delivering for its fanbase. It is a standout survival game with a massive, yet intuitive crafting system. It’s incredibly challenging and best tackled with a group of friends to support you, but not impossible for a single player to conquer. Whether you’re interested in the building, battle, or resource gathering aspects there’s going to be something to keep you occupied. And with a procedurally generated map each experience promises something fresh.

While there’s not a definite release date for The Deep North biome and the full 1.0 Valheim release, the developers have been keeping the community updated regularly with their progress. They also have been putting out cinematic videos with the devlogs, detailing The Voyage of Hervor Bloodtooth. They’re short, but beautifully done, and show off the unique landscape and creatures of the Deep North. Iron Gate put out an even more impressive fully animation for their release of the previous Ashlands and Mistlands biome, introducing new boss battles and abilities. I’d love to see them do something similar with Hervor when the update drops, or even develop the IP further for a connected series. It definitely has a lot of potential. Until then, however, we’ll keep striving for Valhalla together! Skal!

Valheim is currently in Early Access on Steam. It can be purchased for $19.99 USD.