Video Games Similar to Valheim

Q: What are some games like Valheim for fans of survival and crafting?

Fans of Valheim might enjoy games such as Rust, ARK: Survival Evolved, Terraria, and Minecraft. These games offer a mix of survival mechanics, crafting, and exploration in various settings.

Q: Can you recommend multiplayer survival games like Valheim?

Conan Exiles, The Forest, and Don’t Starve Together are excellent choices for players seeking multiplayer survival experiences with strong crafting and exploration elements.

Q: How can I effectively market my indie game similar to Valheim?

Leverage social media platforms and gaming communities to build anticipation and engage with your target audience. Consider partnerships with content creators and streamers to showcase your game. Highlighting unique features and updates through regular devlogs can keep potential players interested and invested in your development journey.

By Eldar Kalinin

Game Designer at RetroStyle Games | Mar 8, 2024

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Valheim engages players with its Viking-inspired sandbox survival world. They have the freedom to discover it either on foot or by navigating the seas in a boat, viewing diverse and intriguing biomes along the way. While Valheim is a good game, you might get tired from it. This list is dedicated to games that share a kinship with Valheim, whether through the sandbox survival genre or their creative integration of Norse mythology.

Graphics & Game Design Games like Valheim

We will look at the best games like Valheim that have taken inspiration from it, focusing on their graphical and game design principles.

Raft

Raft is a lot like Valheim because it uses cool, cartoony graphics instead of trying to look super real. You start on a tiny raft in the ocean and have to collect stuff from the water to make your raft bigger and better, while also making sure you have enough food and water to survive.

Both “Raft” and “Valheim” have a similar artistic look. It’s one of the most successful ways on how you can design a survival game. They don’t try to look real but have a more cartoonish or stylized look that’s pretty and easy on the eyes. This means you can play them on different kinds of PCs, not just the really powerful ones. If we’re talking about colors, “Raft” uses a lot of blues and greens because you’re in the ocean, while “Valheim” uses almost the same color spectrum to show off its forests, meadows, and dark places, making each area feel special. Both games make it easy to know what you’re doing with clear icons and simple menus that don’t get in the way of the fun or the beautiful views.

Raft and Valheim both give you a huge, interesting world to explore and make your own. They’re about going on adventures, building stuff, and seeing what’s out there, all in a style that’s more about being artistic than looking like real life.

Age of Wonders 4

Age of Wonders is like Valheim but instead of Vikings and forests, you’re diving into realms filled with magic, mythical beasts, and ancient secrets. The game’s graphics are colorful and imaginative, making each discovery and battle a feast for the eyes.

The game takes you to places that are straight out of a fantasy book. From dark forests to glowing caves, it’s all about exploring and finding hidden treasures or challenges. You get to use magic and create your strategies to conquer lands and defeat enemies.

Both games are big on exploration and building, but Age of Wonders throws a heavy dose of magic and strategy. You’re not just surviving; you’re growing your empire, learning new spells, and dealing with all sorts of fantastical creatures.

If Valheim’s adventurous spirit caught your attention, Age of Wonders will too, but with an extra sprinkle of magic.

Realism vs Stylized Graphics

Realistic games try to copy real life as closely as possible, making you feel like you’re right there in the action. On the other hand, games with stylized graphics are all about creativity and imagination. These kinds of games don’t get old-looking as fast because they’re not trying to be super realistic.

Take Raft, for example. Or Age of Wonders. It’s not trying to win any awards for looking like real life, but it’s absolutely gorgeous in its own unique way. It’s got this cool, old-school vibe that makes its Viking world super inviting. Valheim proves you don’t need ultra-realistic graphics to make a game everyone wants to play.

Similar Gameplay Mechanics

Let’s see two survival games like Valheim that, while sharing core gameplay mechanics with it, introduce their own unique features and combat designs.

The Forest

The Forest shares a lot of what makes Valheim addictive — the survival aspect, building, and battling, but it takes place in a more sinister, horror-filled setting. After surviving a plane crash, you find yourself in a mysterious forest that’s not only beautiful but also hides a dark secret: cannibalistic mutants.

The AI behavior in The Forest is unpredictable. Enemies might stalk you from a distance, attack in groups, or even retreat to get reinforcements, making each encounter a unique challenge. Combat focuses on melee and improvised weapons. You’re not a warrior but a survivor, so every fight feels desperate and dangerous. Stealth plays a significant role, offering an alternative to head-on confrontations.

There’s a big, mysterious world out there. Exploring is rewarded with resources, new types of equipment, and secrets about the island and its inhabitants.

The game has beautiful animation and such an approach requires professional animation studio services.

Conan Exiles

Conan Exiles transports you to the brutal world of Conan the Barbarian, where survival is just the beginning. Like Valheim, it offers a vast open world filled with dangers, crafting, building, and an emphasis on multiplayer experiences.

A standout feature is the ability to capture and enslave NPCs, turning them into workers or soldiers for your base. This adds a layer of strategy and resource management unique to the survival genre. Conan Exiles features a more sophisticated combat system than Valheim, with a variety of weapons and movesets. Blocking, dodging, and strategic attacks are crucial, making fights feel dynamic and rewarding. Building and raiding become more complex with the introduction of siege weapons like catapults and battering rams. Defending or attacking a fortress requires planning, strategy, and cooperation in multiplayer mode.

Similar Crafting and Survival Experience Games

Let’s explore two Valheim like games that, while echoing the crafting and survival essence found in Valheim, present their own unique perspectives through their art and development approach.

Subnautica

Subnautica has a unique take on the survival genre by setting its adventure underwater on an alien planet. Players must manage oxygen levels, craft equipment, and build underwater bases to survive.

The main gameplay is mostly going on underwater exploration which distinguishes it from Valheim. Players discover biomes, collect resources, and encounter alien sea creatures in a beautifully rendered environment. Instead of fighting, you often have to sneak around or run away from sea monsters, which makes it more about using your head than fighting.

Subnautica’s crafting is all about scavenging materials from the ocean floor to build tools, submarines, and underwater bases. The game’s art and design make crafting intuitive — each crafted item fits beautifully into the game’s alien underwater aesthetic. The process is not just about survival but also about creating a home in a mesmerizing, bioluminescent world.

From an art and development perspective, Subnautica’s survival mechanics are integrated with its environmental storytelling. Managing oxygen levels while exploring caverns or evading deep-sea predators adds a layer of tension. The game’s art — vibrant coral reefs, dark trenches, and alien sea life — enhances the feeling of being an explorer in an unknown world. Survival is about smart navigation and resource management, pushing players to plan their journeys based on the layout and dangers of the ocean.

It’s a good, but kind of old game. Perhaps there will be a remaster soon, because a lot of fans have been asking for it since the 2020s. By the way, there is a huge difference between remake and remaster if you didn’t know about it.

Another important aspect of the game is the successful UI/UX design.

Without it, the player will leave after visiting the main menu.

By chance, we also provide professional game UI UX services for your future survival game.

Ark: Survival Evolved

Ark puts you on an island full of dinosaurs and ancient creatures. You’ve got to tame dinosaurs, build shelters, and sometimes team up with other players to make it. You can also make friends with dinosaurs and ride them. They help you get around and gather items, and you can also use them in battles. From simple huts to high-tech gadgets, you can create a bunch of different things like guns or vehicles. If you like battles, there’s a mode where players can fight each other’s teams. Using dinosaurs and weapons to attack other players’ bases is pretty exciting.

The visual design of items and structures is detailed, contributing to a world that feels alive and dynamic. Ark combines the challenge of surviving in a wild environment with the thrill of taming it. The game’s development focuses on a balance between exploration, resource gathering, and combat. Players face environmental hazards, hunger, thirst, and aggressive creatures. The art style, from lush jungles to barren deserts, creates diverse settings for these survival challenges. The addition of dinosaurs as both threats and allies introduces unique gameplay mechanics, such as breeding for traits and using tamed creatures for combat or resource collection.

Open-World Like in Valheim

Is there a game like Vlaheim that shares open-world characteristics, highlighting their maps, exploration rewards, landscapes, and other related aspects? More than one actually.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt offers a vast world filled with diverse regions, each unique in its ecosystem, culture, and stories. The game features a world divided into several regions, each with its own distinct ecosystems, cultures, and conflicts. The attention to detail encourages thorough exploration, with every location offering something of interest.

The Witcher 3 intertwines its exploration rewards with its deep narrative. Discovering hidden treasures, secret locations, or stumbling upon a distressed villager often leads to quests filled with complex characters and moral dilemmas, enriching the player’s experience beyond mere loot. Players explore forests, towering mountains, lively towns, and eerie swamps, uncovering hidden treasures, encountering rare creatures, and engaging in complex side quests. The game’s landscapes are central to the storytelling, with a dynamic weather system and day-night cycle that influence gameplay and quest outcomes.

Rich with side quests that often rival the main storyline in depth and intrigue, The Witcher 3 ensures that every detour and exploration feels meaningful, with outcomes that can impact the larger narrative.

Breath of the Wild

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild redefines open-world exploration. The game encourages discovery through visual cues and landmarks, inviting players to glide, climb, and sail through a variety of terrains without the need for map markers. Hyrule is an open canvas from the outset, with no prescribed path. The game’s innovative navigation mechanics, such as climbing any surface and paragliding, coupled with the absence of a traditional waypoint system, encourage a pure form of exploration.

The game rewards curiosity with puzzles, shrines, and environmental challenges that grant abilities to aid the player’s journey. Discovery feels organic, with every action and experiment potentially leading to new insights or abilities. Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule is vast and varied, featuring towering mountains, expansive plains, and ancient ruins. The dynamic weather and physics engine affect everything from puzzle solving to combat, making the environment a central element of gameplay. The world feels alive with a day-night cycle, changing weather, and wildlife. These elements aren’t just cosmetic; they have tangible effects on gameplay, requiring players to adapt their strategies.

Just as Valheim, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild have captured the hearts of gamers with their worlds and engaging gameplay, carefully designed game icons can captivate gamers at first glance. Game icon design services can provide a cohesive set of icons optimized for different resolutions and platforms, ensuring a consistent and polished look across all elements of the game interface.

Building and Construction

If you’re fascinated by the construction aspects in Valheim and seek similar experiences, we’ll explore a couple of games that share the same features.

Minecraft

Minecraft is the epitome of creative construction in gaming. It provides an open world made entirely of blocks, where players can build almost anything they can imagine. The game’s simple yet deep building mechanics encourage experimentation and have sparked an entire community within the gaming sphere.

The game’s survival mode adds an extra layer of challenge, requiring players to secure resources and defend against creatures. Minecraft’s success lies in its simplicity and the depth of creative expression it offers, making it a source of inspiration for incorporating sandbox building elements into games like Valheim.

Cities: Skylines

Cities: Skylines presents a different take on construction, focusing on city planning and management. Players design and develop their cities from a small town to a metropolis, facing the complexities of infrastructure, traffic, public services, and zoning laws. Unlike the survival-based building in Valheim and the free-form creativity of Minecraft, Cities: Skylines emphasizes strategic planning and resource management.

Its detailed simulation and realistic city-building mechanics are for those who are interested in city building games development.

Modeling for games can be difficult, that’s why you may need professional help. RetroStyle Games can assist in creating detailed and functional cityscapes that are both appealing and optimized for gameplay, providing services like 3D modeling.

Mythical and Fantasy Game Art

Valheim is perfect for those who are interested in Norse-mythology-inspired culture. Let’s look at games that blend mythological themes with fantasy elements.

God of War

God of War is renowned for its deep dive into ancient mythologies, Greek and Norse, presenting gods and monsters. The game’s fantasy character concept art has the raw essence of these myths with characters like Kratos and Atreus in a world filled with mythical creatures and epic landscapes.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Skyrim has its own unique mythology, influenced by various real-world cultures and shares the best video game art styles known to history. The game’s mythology is deeply integrated into its world-building, with players encountering gods, daedric princes, and ancient prophecies as they explore.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Inquisition’s one of those games with character customization. From towering dragons to ethereal wraiths, are a visual testament to the game’s deep mythological roots.

Our team can create your ideas and characters, making sure your game has an authenticity that resonates with fans of mythology with our character design services.

Progression Systems

Here we will explore a couple of video games similar to Valheim that offer progression systems similar with their engaging mechanics, mentioning skill development, character advancement, and the strategic depth of leveling systems.

Minecraft

Although Minecraft does not feature a traditional skill tree, the game embodies skill development through its gameplay. Mastery is demonstrated through the complexity of structures built, the efficiency of resource gathering, and survival against the game’s challenges, rather than through explicit skill levels.

Like the Valheim biome progression mechanism, advancement in Minecraft is closely tied to resource accumulation and crafting. As players gather more resources and craft better equipment, they can explore more challenging biomes and structures, each with their own set of rewards and hazards.

Minecraft uses experience points, which can be accumulated by performing various in-game activities such as mining, combat, and animal breeding. These points are essential for enchanting equipment, which adds special abilities to tools and armor.

Terraria

Terraria has skill progression through its vast array of items and equipment, which players must use effectively to survive. Proficiency comes from understanding the various uses of items and the tactical approaches to combat with the game’s many enemies.

Like in Vaheim biomes, in Terraria, character advancement is primarily through gear and accessories. The more powerful the equipment, the deeper players can delve into the world, uncovering its secrets and tackling more formidable foes.

For game developers looking to replicate such depth in character progression, understanding these mechanics is key, and resources like RetroStyle Games’ insights on level design tips can be incredibly helpful in crafting worlds that support such systems effectively.

Console vs PC

The debate between console gaming versus PC gaming is a longstanding one, with each platform offering advantages and considerations for both gamers and developers. Let’s see the key aspects of this debate, considering how games like Valheim can impact the player experience on different platforms.

Console Gaming

1
EASE OF USE
Consoles are known for their ease of use. You plug them in, launch your game, and you're ready to go. There's no need to worry about system requirements or compatibility issues. For Valheim similar games, this means a straightforward setup process and quick access to Viking adventures.
2
hardware optimization
Games on consoles are optimized for the specific hardware, providing a more consistent and stable performance. For instance, games like Valheim on Xbox would be tuned to take full advantage of the console's capabilities, ensuring smooth gameplay.
3
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
Consoles often have exclusive games that aren't available on PC, which can be a significant draw for players who are fans of those franchises.

PC Gaming

1
better performance
PCs can be upgraded and customized for better performance. High-end PCs tend to outperform consoles, allowing games like Valheim to be experienced with higher fidelity graphics and potentially better frame rates.
2
MODDING COMMUNITY
PC gaming has a robust modding community. Valheim has thrived on PC due to mods that expand gameplay, add content, or customize the experience, something that is often limited or unavailable on consoles.
3
OLD GAMES AVAILABILITY
PCs can run older games without much issue, and digital storefronts provide a vast library of titles across various genres and time periods.

RetroStyle Games offers porting game service that help developers adapt their games to different platforms, ensuring that players get the same great experience regardless of where they play.

Porting is not just a technical challenge but also a design one, as developers must consider the different control schemes and user interfaces that suit each platform.

Whether to play on console or PC often comes down to personal preference and priorities. Console gamers value the simplicity and exclusive content, while PC gamers prize the high performance and extensive modding possibilities. For developers, ensuring that games lare well-adapted to each platform’s strengths is essential, and professional porting services can facilitate this process, making the game accessible to a wider audience.

Hidden gems in the survival genre: Our Last Pirate is among them

The survival genre is replete with titles that range from widely-acclaimed AAA games to indie projects that may not have received as much attention but are nonetheless captivating experiences. Let’s explore a couple of hidden gems in the survival genre.

Hidden Gem #1: The Long Dark

This game is a survival experience set in the aftermath of a geomagnetic disaster, with players facing the harsh Canadian wilderness. Its unique selling point is its emphasis on realism and survival elements, such as tracking calorie intake, temperature, and weather. The game’s atmosphere and challenging gameplay make it a cult favorite.

Hidden Gem #2: Subnautica

While Subnautica has gained a bit more visibility, it remains an underappreciated jewel for many. It is an underwater adventure game set on an alien ocean world, combining deep-sea exploration with survival mechanics and a brilliant storyline with a banger plot-twist. Its beautiful and terrifying seascape, along with the thrill of discovering new aquatic species, creates an unforgettable experience.

Hidden Gem #3: Our Last Pirate: Island Survival – Sea Atlas

Last Pirate: Island Survival – Sea Atlas is a game that deserves its spot in the limelight for its unique take on the survival genre. Set against a backdrop of buccaneering and sea voyages, the game offers a distinctive blend of survival mechanics, treasure hunting, and naval combat. Players are thrust into the role of a shipwrecked pirate on a deserted island, where they must navigate the treacherous waters, fend off menacing creatures, and survive the harsh environment.

What sets Our Last Pirate apart is its attention to the maritime aspects of survival, which is not commonly explored in the genre. It features crafting, building, and resource management, all while offering players the thrill of constructing their ship and setting sail on the high seas in search of adventure.

For those interested in the art and development behind such a game, we provide an insight into its creation at Last Pirate: Island Survival – Sea Atlas. Here, enthusiasts can appreciate the game’s aesthetic, learn about its design, and perhaps find inspiration for their own game development projects.

Conclusion

While some titles garner widespread acclaim and attention, it’s the hidden gems that often provide some of the most profound and unique experiences. The games we’ve highlighted each bring a distinctive flavor to the table, inviting players to test their survival instincts in video game environments that are as beautiful as they are dangerous. Let’s compare Valheim vs everyone else.

Game Title	Unique Features	Environment
The Long Dark	Realistic survival simulation, immersive Canadian wilderness	Terrestrial, Cold
Subnautica	Underwater exploration, alien sea creatures, base building	Aquatic, Alien
Last Pirate: Island Survival – Sea Atlas	Maritime survival, naval combat, treasure hunting	Maritime, Tropical
The Mythical Wilds	Fantasy-based survival, mythical creatures	Forest, Fantasy
Eldritch Realms	Dark fantasy survival, eldritch horrors	Dark Fantasy
The Forest	Horror survival, forest setting, cannibalistic natives	Forest, Horror
Conan Exiles	Barbaric survival, building in a brutal world	Desert, Fantasy
Ark: Survival Evolved	Dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, base building	Various, Prehistoric
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	Narrative-driven, monster hunting in a rich fantasy world	Fantasy, Open World
Breath of the Wild	Adventure in a vast open world, puzzle-solving	Fantasy, Open World
Minecraft	Block-building, resource management, exploration	Various, Sandbox
Cities: Skylines	City-building, urban planning, management simulation	Urban, Simulation
God of War	Norse mythology, epic combat, narrative depth	Mythological, Adventure
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim	Open-world exploration, dragon slaying, role-playing	Fantasy, Open World
Dragon Age: Inquisition	Tactical combat, rich storytelling, character development	Fantasy, Role-Playing
Terraria	Side-scrolling, crafting, and exploration	Various, Sandbox

FAQ

What happened to Valheim?

Fake

Is Valheim still being updated?

Yes, Valheim is still receiving updates. The developers are committed to enhancing the game with new content, bug fixes, and performance improvements based on community feedback.

Common Questions About Valheim Alternatives

Fake

What are some games like Valheim for fans of survival and crafting?

Fans of Valheim might enjoy games such as Rust, ARK: Survival Evolved, Terraria, and Minecraft.

These games offer a mix of survival mechanics, crafting, and exploration in various settings.

Can you recommend multiplayer survival games like Valheim?

Conan Exiles, The Forest, and Don’t Starve Together are excellent choices for players seeking multiplayer survival experiences with strong crafting and exploration elements.

Additional Q&As with Tips for Potential Leads and Recommendations

Fake

How can I effectively market my indie game similar to Valheim?

Leverage social media platforms and gaming communities to build anticipation and engage with your target audience. Consider partnerships with content creators and streamers to showcase your game.

Highlighting unique features and updates through regular devlogs can keep potential players interested and invested in your development journey.

Are there any specific tools or engines you recommend for developing a game like Valheim?

Valheim utilizes Unity, and if you’re looking to create a game with a similar gameplay/vibe to it, we recommend considering using our Unity game development services.

Engines like Unity and Unreal Engine are highly recommended for their versatility, extensive documentation, and supportive communities. Both engines are capable of handling the procedural generation and complex systems required for a game like Valheim, and they offer scalability for projects of different sizes.

Graphics & Game Design Games like Valheim

Raft

Age of Wonders 4

Realism vs Stylized Graphics

Similar Gameplay Mechanics

The Forest

Conan Exiles

Similar Crafting and Survival Experience Games

Subnautica

Ark: Survival Evolved

Open-World Like in Valheim

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Breath of the Wild

Building and Construction

Minecraft

Cities: Skylines

Mythical and Fantasy Game Art

God of War

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Progression Systems

Minecraft

Terraria

Console vs PC

Console Gaming

EASE OF USE

hardware optimization

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

PC Gaming

better performance

MODDING COMMUNITY

OLD GAMES AVAILABILITY

Hidden gems in the survival genre: Our Last Pirate is among them

Hidden Gem #1: The Long Dark

Hidden Gem #2: Subnautica

Hidden Gem #3: Our Last Pirate: Island Survival – Sea Atlas

Conclusion

FAQ

What happened to Valheim?

Common Questions About Valheim Alternatives

Additional Q&As with Tips for Potential Leads and Recommendations