Well met, warrior! You’ve just arrived in Valheim; now prove to Odin you’ve got what it takes to survive. Craft axes, slay trolls, and build shelters as you explore a vast, procedurally generated wilderness inspired by Norse mythology. To please the All-Father and punch your ticket to Valhalla, you’ll need to defeat a host of powerful monsters—but only after a journey worthy of a Viking saga.

What we love: The thrilling sense of discovery. Whether you play solo or cooperatively with up to nine friends, each foray introduces new landscapes, crafting materials, and enemies. Stumbling across a stone golem, only to find you definitely aren’t ready to fight one yet, is practically a Valheim rite of passage—right up there with building your first boat to sail across uncharted waters.

Quick tip: Always keep enough wood and stone on hand to build a campfire. Sitting by a fire for a moment or two, much like sleeping in a bed, dramatically increases health and stamina regeneration while boosting XP gains. A quick rest can make all the difference when you’re surrounded by a horde of murderous greydwarves!

Meet the creator: Valheim is the first release from Swedish indie studio Iron Gate, which was founded in 2018 by veteran game developers Richard Svensson and Henrik Törnqvist. The team is based in the heart of the Swedish province of Västergötland, close to the deep Nordic forests that inspired Valheim’s setting.