Valheim is an indie hit that came out in February of 2021. Most of its success is due to the excellent survival elements, and the Viking-inspired setting.
What made Valheim so succesful
The main gameplay loop is focused on surviving in a limbo world, as a Viking warrior shocked not to find himself in Valhalla after dying in combat. Your primary goals are to take out the main boss for each of the biomes while you constantly upgrade your gear and base.
While not a very difficult game, there are still challenges to face. Going into a new biome unprepared can always spell disaster, especially the late-game ones like the Mountains or Plains. Base building is also an essential part of the game, giving you complete freedom in creating your fort. Just make sure to read up on the physics elements of the base building since this is not Minecraft. Every material has a maximum height you can reach, forcing you to use better materials to go higher with your creations.
Alongside the base building, you can fish, hunt, mine, and much more. From time to time your base will be invaded by various beasts. What those beasts are depends on the final biome you finished by defeating its boss.
The beauty of co-op
Even though you can fully enjoy this game in single-player, co-op is where it truly shines. Sailing the sea with your buddies is very enjoyable, especially on long trips where having companionship adds so much to the experience. Certain biomes are pretty tricky so having someone to back you up is a great bonus.
Hosting a server is relatively easy, with a bit of legwork. You can also rent one from multiple providers, allowing you to play with up to nine other friends.
What Mistlands adds
- New mechanics
- Nine new creatures to deal with, plus the Mistlands boss
- 20 new crafting materials with various uses
- Two new crafting stations, 3 crafting station extensions, and 3 entirely new resource/crafting constructions
- 15 new food items with varying stats and bonuses
- Three new potions
- 25 new craftable items (weapons, armor and tools)
- More than 35 new building/furniture pieces that can be used for building, decorating, and defending your bases
- An entirely new type of dungeon that can be found in the Mistlands
- New lore stones that give more depth to the somewhat lackluster story elements
- New dreams
- New music
- A very needed fishing update
- 12 new emotes
- Nine new hairstyles and seven beard styles to customize your Viking
- New Yule seasonal items (Yuleklapp, Yule wreath, Yule garland, Yule tree, and Mistletoe)
- Console command improvements for server hosts
- A ton of new animations and updates to already existent ones
- VFX elements improved and tweaked
People who already own Valheim will get the Mistlands update for free. And if you don’t own Valheim, this might be the best moment to join in. Grab some of your friends and embrace the Viking nomadic lifestyle.
