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Viking-infused survival game Valheim spent just over 5 years in Early Access before it finally made the leap to 1.0. Now, Valheim is available to players across multiple platforms from PC and Xbox to newer additions like PS5 and Switch 2. As a full release, the game retains much of what made it popular in Early Access, but with new content and enhanced quality-of-life. Naturally, our team couldn’t wait to jump into the game to see what Valheim 1.0 is all about. Some of us are returning players while others are brand-new, but either way, a few helpful hints go a long way. If you’re just getting started in Valheim or returning from a hiatus, our quick start guide will cover all the basics to smooth your entry into the game.
Many survival games have relatively similar gameplay loops: gather resources, acquire food, build shelter, and repeat. But each one approaches things just differently enough that you have to learn your way around. Valheim offers some early-game guidance in the form of Hugin the crow, along with engraved stones peppered throughout the landscape. Even with these tips, sometimes it can be tricky to figure out what to do or how to progress in the game. That’s where we come in. Our getting started guide for Valheim covers early-game survival basics and helpful tips and tricks as you’re learning the ropes in the game.
Valheim Overview: Basic Game Details
Valheim is a Viking-inspired sandbox survival sim for 1-10 players. Its core gameplay loop consists of exploring, gathering resources, building, and combat.
Valheim Platforms (as of 1.0 release)
- PC via Steam
- PS5
- Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- Nintendo Switch 2
Valheim costs $29.99 on all platforms. It supports full crossplay, so you can explore with your friends regardless of platform.
How to Unlock New Crafting Recipes
In Valheim, you learn new recipes by gathering materials. Hugin should offer this helpful hint early on. Pick up stones and sticks to learn a few basic tool recipes. Many recipes require a hammer and/or workbench, but the basic tools you learn from grabbing stone and wood can be built directly from the build menu.
I suggest building a stone axe early on, as it will make it easier to collect wood to craft other items. You can also easily craft a club to defend yourself without degrading your axe.
To unlock more building recipes, including the workbench, make sure you build a hammer. This is one of the early-game recipes that unlocks, and it is essential for crafting shelter to protect you from the elements.
How to Find Shelter & Build Fire
In any survival game, building a fire and seeking out shelter are essential. This is true for Valheim, as well. You will come across a few makeshift shelters as you explore. But to build your own, and obtain the warming light of fire, you need to craft a hammer. This recipe requires 3 wood and 3 stone, so it’s pretty easy to come by even in the very beginning of your journey.
Crafting your first hammer will unlock the workbench, campfire, and other key building recipes. This will let you get started with creating your first base. Sadly for my fellow building-challenged friends, you will need to assemble your shelter using build pieces like walls, ceilings, and doors. There are no pre-made structures to place, at least not in early game.
Building a campfire will provide warmth, but not full protection. To get that, you need an enclosed space with walls and a roof. This is required to gain certain buffs like the rested buff, and you also need shelter to use the workbench. So, you want to build your first hut early on, even if it’s pretty ramshackle.
How to Place Markers on the Map in Valheim
Want to make sure you can easily find your freshly built shelter, even as you roam further afield? You can place a marker on the map to indicate your shelters. To do this, open the map using the M key on keyboard, or the Menu button on a controller. Then, you will see a list of icon options that you can place on the map. There’s a house-shaped icon to mark shelters. You can also type a name, which is helpful for differentiating your different shelters later on.
Early Food Sources in Valheim & Where to Find Them
To stay fed early on, you can eat mushrooms and raspberries. These fruits and fungi are dotted throughout the Meadows area. They are a great early-game source of food, since they don’t require cooking. However, Valheim has a cooldown between eating the same kind of food. So, you’ll want to build up a variety of snacks in your inventory pretty quickly.
Along with forageables, boar meat will be the easiest early-game food to obtain in Valheim. Unlike deer, which flee from you and are hard to kill with melee weapons, boar will fight back. So, you can club them and harvest meat and leather. Getting your first leather strips from a boar will unlock several helpful recipes, including your first bow. The meat can be roasted on your campfire once you place a cooking spit over it. However, don’t let it go too long! Meat can burn, which will result in harvesting some coal but not any edible food.
What Happens When You Die in Valheim?
Like any survival game, dying is part of the loop in Valheim. If your character falls victim to the elements or the beasts of the wild, you will respawn. You respawn at the game’s starting point until you craft and claim a bed. Then, that bed will be your respawn point.
Upon dying, you will lose your carried items and some progress on skills. You have a certain amount of time to return to where you died (marked on the map) to recoup your items. However, if you die again in the process, they will be lost for good. So, it’s a good idea to keep some basic supplies in a chest at your home base. That way, you won’t have to start fully from scratch if the bears get you.
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