This Valheim Beginner’s Guide was made while the game was still in Early Access. Some features might have been added/removed further in development.
Chances are, you’ve been hearing about Valheim a lot recently and now you’re curious. What is this game? Why are people playing it? Or maybe you’re one of the thousands of players who have flocked to the game to see what the hype is about, just to realize you have no idea what you’re doing.
Well, it doesn’t matter because we’re here to give you all the information you need. Before diving in, make sure to get some Steam Wallet Codes as the game is on Steam Early Access! Do note that Valheim is a Viking-themed survival game that doesn’t hold your hand as it goes. It drops you in immediately, and sometimes trial and error can leave you frustrated and annoyed, so read on to learn how to survive!
Introducing: Valheim
Valheim was released in February 2021 as Early Access on Steam. It is a sandbox, Viking-themed survival game. Basically, you’re a Viking in the afterlife and even if you’re dead you somehow still have to figure out how to survive. All this is done through crafting, building, gathering resources, and fighting off enemies. Tough luck, eh? You still have to work even if you’re dead.
Valheim supports up to nine players for co-op gameplay as well as PVP. There are Norse mythological creatures that you will meet and challenge in order to progress further and finally reach Valhalla.
Resources
As you spawn in the game, the first thing you should do is gather resources. It is crucial if you want to survive the Meadows – which is where you will first be spawned. The Meadows is filled with basic resources so make sure to start gathering food and crafting equipment to survive. The most important resources for you to gather this early in the game would be flint, wood, and stone.
There’s a food system in Valheim and it can be tricky to the untrained eye. In order to find food, you can scavenge bushes or hunt down small animals with some tools. Although you can’t starve, eating food will give you health and stamina buffs.
Eating better food will give you better health and stamina stats. Always remember to eat something before heading out to hunt, gather resources or fight enemies to better your odds. Everyone has a base health of 25 and three bars of stamina at the start of the game.
Building & Crafting
First things first, craft a hammer then build a workbench. This is where you’ll craft all the necessary tools and equipment, which will come in handy later. The first few basic types of equipment to craft are a stone axe, clothing, a torch, and a club. You’ll get better equipment as you gather more resources and start battling bosses later down the line.
There’s a lot you need to learn about building in general, from the different types of materials and the effect of weather conditions to the general stability of your house. We would suggest you create a simple yet functional base to start off.
Don’t go crazy on the house structure or creating massive mansions until you’ve made it further in the game. You don’t want to have to tear down the beautiful building that you spent hours building because you found better resources now do you?
A minor tip we can give you is to make sure each house or building has a chimney for ventilation or else you’ll choke on smoke or die from lack of oxygen.
Bosses & Upgrades
Valheim has a clear progression route, which is to defeat each boss in order to progress and unlock resources in other biomes. The first boss that you will have to fight against is Eikthyr, the powerful Stag boss of the Meadows. Only confront the boss when you’re absolutely ready; the bosses in this game are no joke and will end you. Better safe than sorry!
In order to fight the boss, you need to summon him first by going to a sacrificial altar and placing two deer trophies. You obtain those by hunting deer. Eikthyr attacks with a combination of lightning spells and melee attacks that can be shield blocked.
When you defeat him, Eikthyr drops antlers. Every boss in Valheim will grant you a Forsaken power too, which you can unlock by heading back to the Sacrifice Stones.
The antlers can be made into a pickaxes to start mining. Mining becomes a big part of the game later on, (in the Black Forest biome) here you mine copper and tin. That is turned into Valheim bronze, which unlocks better aror, weapons, tools, and workbench upgrades.
Biomes
These biomes are essentially regions in Valheim that you can progress to and there are a total of nine, six are released while three more are still in development. Each of these biomes offers different resources and creatures that you will encounter on your journey to Valhalla. They also have their own bosses that need to be taken down a notch.
Starting off, Meadows has basic resources. The Black Forest enables more complex crafting and a merchant becomes available for trading. The next biome, Swamp, has tougher enemies and special areas called Sunken Crypts. The snowcovered Montains require climbing and you’ll find obsidian and silver there. Subsequently, the Plains house even tougher creatures to fight.
Lastly, Ocean opens op the seafaring part of Valheim. We might cover the later stages of the game in another Valheim beginner’s guide eventually.
Conclusion
That’s as much information you need to somewhat get through the first part of the game. We can only give you the basics, you’ll have to experience the rest for yourself! Hopefully, you’ll survive to see Valhalla and the game fully released out of Early Access.
All in all, Valheim looks to be an interesting game and a lot of fun for fans of open-world and sandbox games. Some have even compared it to being a cross between Minecraft and God of War, minus the storyline of course. Do let us know what other tips you think beginners need to get through the first part of the game down below!
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