Valheim
Iron Gate Studios and Coffee Stain Publishing | Released on Feb 2, 2021
- 9.0
- GW Score
- 90
- Metacritic
- 84%
- Community
About Valheim
Valheim is a celebrated survival and sandbox epic that thrusts players into a procedurally generated world steeped in Norse mythology. As a slain Viking warrior, your quest is to conquer this purgatorial realm, prove your worth to Odin, and finally earn a place in Valhalla.
Gameplay revolves around a deeply interconnected loop of survival, crafting, and exploration. You must hunt and farm to manage food for vital stat boosts, harvest resources to forge ever-improving gear, and construct everything from humble shelters to imposing Viking fortresses. Progression is masterfully gated by defeating monstrous biome bosses, whose trophies unlock new resources and crafting tiers. Moment-to-moment play balances careful preparation with intense third-person combat, featuring mechanics like parrying, dodging, and damage-type weaknesses, all while navigating distinct, perilous biomes.
What sets Valheim apart is its striking, low-poly visual style and its vast, mythic scope. The world unfolds from serene Meadows to frozen Mountains and mist-shrouded Mistlands, each brimming with unique foes and secrets. Its robust cooperative multiplayer, supporting up to ten Vikings on a dedicated server, transforms the journey into a shared saga of building and conquest. Developer Iron Gate Studios has continually expanded this universe with major free updates like Ashlands, adding entire new biomes and endgame challenges.
The game has cemented its legacy by perfecting the survival genre formula, offering a sense of tangible progression and discovery that resonates with builders, explorers, and combat enthusiasts alike. It stands as a monumental title where every felled tree, raised longhouse, and felled Forsaken boss contributes to a deeply personal and often communal Viking legend.
Review Verdict
A landmark survival achievement that masterfully blends Norse myth with rewarding progression. While the late-game grind and building performance can grate, its atmosphere and physics are unmatched.
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Codex
73 entries30 linked- EikthyrA giant stag summoned in the Meadows that serves as the first major combat and preparation test.
- The ElderA massive tree entity in the Black Forest that requires mastery of fire and ranged combat to defeat.
- BonemassA bloated mass of sludge in the Swamp that challenges players with poison and resistance to non-blunt damage.
- ModerAn ancient dragon in the Mountains that tests the player's ability to fight flying enemies in freezing conditions.
- YagluthA skeletal Fuling shaman found in the Plains who utilizes powerful fire and magic attacks.
- The QueenThe Mistlands boss, encountered inside the Infested Citadel through a Dvergr vault opened with a Sealbreaker built from nine fragments at a Galdr table. Unlike the other Forsaken she is not summoned on a first visit — she is already alive and roaming inside; the Hive seat altar only re-summons her afterwards, for three Seeker soldier trophies.
- FaderGuideThe Ashlands boss, 25,000 health, immune to Fire and Spirit, resistant to Pierce. His primary hazard is a delayed green fissure that erupts into 15-second fire pools, requiring a movement-first strategy to preserve escape lanes.
- GeirrhafaGuideThe Howling Caverns miniboss is immune to Frost and weak to Fire. Its ice nova cannot be blocked or dodged; this guide covers the close/side positioning and the Silver Chest return.
- Valheim Fader Fissure Guide: How to Survive the Fire, Meteors, and CharredGuideRelated guides article.
Guides & Articles
22Guide
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Valheim Fader Fissure Guide: How to Survive the Fire, Meteors, and Charred
Fader's fissure is Valheim's priority positioning hazard. Learn the fire-resistance loadout, movement drills, parry limits, and Charred-friendly-fire plan.
Valheim's No-Kill Mistlands Route to the Dvergr Extractor
Exactly one Mistlands item is locked behind the Dvergr — and Valheim blames whatever dealt the damage, not you. The two-cart route to the extractor, with every resident left alive.
Where Fader's Vegvisir Spawns in Valheim's Charred Fortresses
The Fader Vegvisir is usually in a Charred Fortress tower—but only half the towers roll it. Find it without turning the raid into a demolition job.
How to Crack a Charred Fortress With Valheim's Battering Ram
A Charred Fortress only takes pickaxe damage at tool tier 5, and no tool you can carry reaches it — one wheeled machine does. How to build, aim, fuel and repair Valheim’s Battering Ram.
Valheim Feasts Ranked by Biome: All Eight Recipes, Stats, and Best Uses
Compare all eight Valheim feasts by biome, ingredients, stats, unlock gates, and the sessions each one supports.
Valheim 1.0's Permanent Achievement Lock Is a Command, Not a Modifier
Iron Gate names one world modifier that blocks Valheim 1.0 achievements, and calls it temporary. The permanent flag comes from the console, and it marks the shared world as well as the character.
- Jul 31, 20265 min read
Valheim 1.0 Achievements: What Carries Over, and What Resets
Valheim 1.0 keeps old saves intact, but achievement tracking starts with the update. Here is how old worlds, cheat flags, spawned items, and fresh runs interact.
Christian Kuri
- Jul 30, 20265 min read
Deep North Turns Valheim’s Snow Into a Map Problem
Valheim’s Deep North arrives with 1.0 on September 9, 2026, but its real hook is a broad, early-accessible biome where snow, ice, dungeons, and resource runs all change how you choose a route.
Christian Kuri
- Jul 30, 20265 min read
How Valheim’s Cult of the Wolf Update Added a Dungeon Beneath the Mountains
Valheim’s Mountain update did more than add Frost Caves: it gave a familiar biome an interior expedition with new enemies, a new build path, and a world-generation catch.
Christian Kuri
Screenshots
