9 Best Games Like Valheim That You Should Know Update 04/2024

Games Like Valheim

Aside from the three million Vikings who are currently on their journey to Valhalla, you’re probably reading this post because you are one of them. It’s possible that you’ve already reached this point and are now seeking for additional Valheim-like games.

Despite the prevalence of survival games in today’s gaming landscape, this Norse-themed mega hit has managed to stand out from the crowd. Attractive low-resolution textures are combined with flawless lighting in Valheim to create a unique visual experience. The game also has an intriguing mythical heart, making it appealing to so many players.

Just like Valheim, it would be easy to slap some of the most popular surviving sandboxes of all time on the list of games like this one. The comparison of this game to Minecraft based just on its genre would be unfair to both of these games, which are very distinct from one another.

Despite the inclusion of several survival games, the primary focus of this list is on games that share Valheim’s story, ambiance, and visuals. So, if you’re a fan of mechanically complicated, engrossing games like Valheim, then keep reading for our selection of the finest Valheim alternatives.

1. Terraria

Terraria

We did not mislead you when we said this list wouldn’t all be 3D survival simulations. Terraria is one of the best survival games ever made, and it shares some striking similarities with Valheim.

The Norse survival sim’s coolest feature is the utilization of persistent characters across several virtual worlds or servers. Your Viking can be taken out into other seeds so that you can go mining and harvesting and return to your server at a later time. Terraria has the same feature, so you may travel to different planets and dimensions both in-game and outside of the game with your favorite character, even if it looks zanier than its Nordic survivalist cousin.

In addition, Terraria contains an NPC similar to the merchant in Valheim. The headgear he wears in the mineshafts projected light, and he also sells explosives and mining equipment. Iron Gate just released the Dvegar Circlet, which bears an uncanny resemblance to the dwarf’s witty banter.

There are also raids, in which the dreadful mobs descend upon your bases, which span both genres. This gives your world and buildings a real sense of peril and investment.

Despite the game’s cartoony aesthetics, Terraria’s wide-ranging and rather rich lore gives a sense of well-established verisimilitude. For Valheim gamers, Terraria is the perfect game, albeit in a different tone. This persistent adherence to the game’s theme is a major factor in its success.

2. The Long Dark

Will Mackenzie, a stranded bush pilot, is your character in The Long Dark. You were left stranded after a weird flare in the sky brought down your ship. With no dungeons or vicious little dwarves, the Long Dark challenges you to traverse more than 50 kilometers of icy Canadian wilderness.

The Long Dark is primarily concerned with the act of surviving. There is just the unwanted companionship of the Canadian tundra to keep Mackenzie company. There has been a lot of acclaim for the game’s intricate mechanisms, which give the player a genuine sense of surviving at all costs.

The Long Dark’s moment-to-moment gameplay is unmatched in terms of the cold, deliberate logic required to navigate the wilderness, and the believable, tense suspense of its gameplay.

Zen-like gameplay can also be found in the hard survival requirements of the game. As you become accustomed to the game’s principles, you’ll discover how rewarding the game’s quiet score, magnificent graphics, and the intense concentration required to play it are.

How potent is the adrenaline that comes from perilous survival? Anyone who’s ever been stuck in Valheim knows this to be the case. There are few games that can match The Long Dark’s stunning visuals or evocative soundtrack for this particular type of experience.

3. The Banner Saga

The Banner Saga

Over 160,000 players in the r/Valheim subreddit are now sharing their in-game experiences, creating a rich tapestry of stories. That’s an evocation of the skaldic poets of Scandinavia. These new epics may have caught your eye, and if so, The Banner Saga series may be right up your alley.

For the first time in the series’ history, The Banner Saga is a three-part story that spans from 2014 to 2018, following a group of Vikings as they fend off a fearsome new enemy.

The Banner Saga is a turn-based isometric RPG with hand-illustrated graphics comparable to Jotun, which appeared earlier in this list. The individuals and equipment you choose for your adventurous caravan have a significant impact on how long your group will be able to last in the game.

Writing in The Banner Saga is of the highest caliber, with beautiful characters and plotlines that culminate in a satisfying finish in the third game. In addition to the above-mentioned artwork, the soundtrack was composed by BAFTA-winning composer Austin Wintory.

In this tough but rewarding Norse fantasy RPG, gamers who enjoy stories inspired by settings like Valheim will be rewarded.

Availble on a wide range of platforms, including Windows PC and Macintosh computers, as well as Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles and several mobile devices.

4. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

At this point, Valhalla serves as an excellent example of the current tendency in Viking video games. As is customary with the Assassin’s Creed series, this chapter sees Layla Hassan, the protagonist from the previous two games, delving into the memories of Norse warrior Eivor Varinsdottir, who lived in the year 800 AD.

In favor of the historical mayhem that Assassin’s Creed loves to relish in, the present setting may be mostly ignored, as with many other games in this series. These two siblings, Eivor and her brother Sigurd, use the term “assassin” a lot as they try to establish themselves in Anglo-Saxon England.

Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, like its predecessors Valheim and Origins, appeals to players’ innate urge to discover new places. Saxon Britain’s finely detailed landscapes are at your disposal in Valhalla (the ability to look at London before themed micro-pubs took it over is immensely satisfying).

Valhalla doesn’t just take you back in time to ancient England; it also takes you to Asgard and Jotunheim, two of the most dangerous places in the world.

One of the more mystical entries in the Assassin’s Creed series, Valhalla is Assassin’s Creed: A less complicated action RPG mechanics will be welcomed by Valheim players looking for a more peaceful Viking adventure.

5. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice

“Hellblade,” the game’s appropriately ominous moniker, takes players on a journey into the afterlife. Senua’s Sacrifice and Iron Gate’s newer game share a common mythology, despite their differing gameplay styles, which may put them in a separate genre.

Your character in Senua’s Sacrifice goes deep into the Norse afterlife like Valheim, but for entirely different reasons. This stunning action-adventure title from Ninja Theory features a Celtic warrior on a “vision journey into Viking hell” to reclaim the soul of your long-lost beloved.

Anyone interested in exploring a distinct aspect of Norse mythology, namely how it relates to trauma, would like this game. Playing as Senua, Ninja Theory collaborated with specialist psychologists to help develop the game’s examination of psychosis, as well as myth and folklore.

In Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, you won’t find Valheim’s joyful cooperative pleasure. Like Valheim, you can expect an experience in which the mechanics and narrative are heavily influenced by Norse mythology. Furthermore, Hellblade’s treatment of mental health is careful and studied, giving the cruel and exhilarating fighting a great deal of emotional weight.

6. Valnir Rok

In November 2020, Valnir Rok was released and is still in early access. At first impression, it may resemble Valheim in terms of faithfulness, and its goals are surely comparable. With a focus on exploration and defeating huge beasts, both games are immersive survival simulators/RPGs.

Ogres, trolls, and even some spectacular dragons are all present in Encurio’s early access release, which features raids from fearsome Norse mythological animals.

Valheim, on the other hand, is noticeably more polished in many ways. In terms of gameplay, it’s a little sluggish and the graphics aren’t quite as vibrant. Due to a lack of content, it received mixed reviews when it was first launched on Steam, but it’s still a perfectly adequate alternative to Valheim even if it is a little lacking.

When you’ve done everything Valheim has to offer, or if you’d want to play with a larger group of Vikings from across the world, Valnir Rok is a terrific alternative to Valheim.

7. Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen

Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen

Though they appear to be very different, Valheim and Dragon’s Dogma share a strange resemblance. It’s all about the fight. In Valheim, there is a combat roll, stamina management that can be challenging, and a wide array of varied methods that are best suited to particular foes.

This sense of accomplishment in Valheim’s melee combat carries over into Dragon’s Dogma, which is even more difficult to master. Dragon’s Dogma and Dragon’s Dogma appear to have similar combat mechanics because the bow is frequently regarded as one of the best Valheim weapons.

Players who enjoy Valheim’s massive creatures and intriguing bosses may want to consider purchasing Dragon’s Dogma as a natural next step after completing their current game. The combat is obviously more challenging, but that isn’t the only reason to play.

A greater emphasis is placed on the game’s original mythology, which draws inspiration from myths and legends from around the world, including those that date back to the Norse pantheon. If you’ve ever wished you could climb up one of Valheim’s Frost Trolls, this is the game for you.

8. Conan Exiles

Similarly to Valheim, the story of Conan Exiles opens with a character who has been cast out into the harsh wastelands of an expansive open world. Conan Exiles has finally been published after a long period of early access.

Checking out this game could give Valheim a taste of what’s to come. Exiles’ enormous breadth, on the other hand, may satisfy the cravings of Valheim gamers for even more survival content in the future.

Exiles, on the other hand, is based on Conan The Barbarian’s harsh climates and a wide variety of animals. Since its inception in 1932, this franchise has amassed an impressive body of canonical knowledge.

Rather than focusing on Conan, Exiles’ backstory focuses on the mythology of the Norse gods. Giantking Klael, one of Exile’s Giantkings, explains in-game how the Giants ushered people into the cold North wastelands before the war broke out.

The biggest difference between Conan Exiles and Valheim is that you do not have to murder the gods in order to supplement your survival with their boons. The deity Ymir, based on the mythical Ancient Norse Frost Giant of folklore, can be sworn fealty to at the beginning of the game.

9. Spirit of the North

Spirit of the North

Finally, we return to a title that accentuates the beauty of Nordic scenery created by Scandinavian creators. You can also play as a fox in this game. A magical fox, to be exact. In Spirit of the North, you take on the role of a red fox who happens to cross paths with the protector of the Northern Lights.

To recreate authentic Norse landscapes in Spirit of the North is admirable, and the stunning art direction on display here proves it to be a success. Bold, non-photorealistic textures are paired with stunning lighting in this game, much like Valheim.

For the most part, though, this game aims to immerse you in a mythological realm by creating a harsh, tough environment free of exposition. In fact, there is no conversation in this game at all. Pay attention to the subtleties of the world around you as you journey through this beautiful landscape.

There has never been a game that epitomizes the phrase “environmental puzzles” like this one, and fans of Valheim’s measured Nordic immersion will like it. Of course, they’ll be smitten with the fox as well. It’s a magical fox, if you ask me.