Somehow growing tired of the Viking flavored survival king and ready to move onto some other game like Valheim? There's plenty more out there to explore no matter what particular flavor you most enjoy about Valheim. Iron Gate's survival adventure has remained popular over the year thanks to its hardcore survival mechanics and its impeccable Norse vibes. Millions of players have fallen in love with the journey to reach Valhalla from fighting, chugging mead, and crafting.
But we all crave something different now and then. Plenty of games out there share similarities with Valheim, and are just as great. Whether it's games that add their own twists to the survival genre, or simply embrace even more Viking vibes, there's a lot of options. We've got some games in the mix here that span the likes of the best survival games and best action games. Grab yourself a horn of mead and get ready for a new adventure as we run down the best games like Valheim that you can play right now!
10. Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Developer: Ubisoft
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
So, you like vikings? While Assassin's Creed: Valhalla isn't a survival game in any sense, it does have a detailed world that goes beyond just starring vikings for similarities. You can turn off waypointing to find your own way around this action-stealth adventure, and its huge open world is incredibly detailed – primarily focusing on the English countryside. Still, for the most part, this is just a great viking simulator that's not too demanding, with a story that's interesting to both series fans or complete newcomers, and lashings of Viking mythology. Expect plenty of mentions of Odin, Valhalla, and more. Assassin's Creed Valhalla is certainly less demanding than Valheim, but sometimes that's what you want.
Read more in our Assassin's Creed Valhalla review, where we said it "brings a triumphant balance to the series"
9. Conan Exiles
Developer: Funcom
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One
Conan Exiles, much like Valheim, begins with a poor, clothing-bereft player character abandoned in the harsh wastes of an expansive open world. While Iron Gate’s survival simulator might focus on a Nordic mythos, Exiles bases its harsh climates and menagerie of beasts on Conan The Barbarian. This franchise has an already established lore, an incredibly rich one that has been iterated upon since 1932. Like Valheim, Exiles allows you to supplement your survival with boons from gods, the main difference being that Conan Exiles does not have you kill the deities in question. If you want some Norse vibes, Ymir is the one you want here.
8. God of War Ragnarok
Developer: Sony Santa Monica Studio
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4
Like Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, this suggestion ditches survival in order to focus on a pure Norse mythology lovefest. No game approaches that as lavishly as God of War Ragnarok, a superb action game that has Sony Santa Monica Studio firing on all cylinders as it has Kratos and his son Atreus cutting through all the viking realms with extreme prejudice as a looming apocalypse causes chaos among all the pantheon's gods. Not quite fully open, each large realm has loads to see and do, and plenty of reason to return to them, with a couple even offering huge expanses full of optional challenges to complete. Unlike Valheim this won't be a game that keeps giving you new possibilities, but this is an absolutely stacked and action-packed game that's a joy to make it through, with some of the best thrills in gaming. The only reason this isn't high is because, admittedly, you're probably looking for a bit more push back as a Valheim lover, and that's valid.
Read more in our God of War Ragnarok review where we called it, rightly, "exceptional"
7. The Banner Saga
Developer: Stoic
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
What if survival didn't have to be about exploring and crafting, but instead revolved around making difficult decisions? That's the joy of The Banner Saga, a rich viking tale that riffs off of the skaldic bards of Scandinavian history to create your own journey that feels like a true epic. Spanning a trilogy, it follows a caravan of people having to journey through a harsh land. Tactical RPG battles are broken up by the choices you make about the progression of the caravan, and how you choose to play will greatly affect the fate of these great characters. It's kind of like a viking Game of Thrones. With fantastic hand-illustrated artwork, this is a spellbinding adventure all about viking survival, though it might not be the one you expected.
Read more in our The Banner Saga review where we scored it a lofty 4.5 stars
6. Towers of Aghasba
Developer: Dreamlit
Platform(s): PC, PS5
The strange, vibrant, and vertically orientated world of Towers of Aghasba makes it feel fresh and stand out, alongside its gorgeous worlds. Similarly early access, this is a survival game that's also constantly evolving, and so far learning more about the bizarre lore of large creatures has been compelling. Towers of Aghasba's focus on how ecosystems evolve is also a great new approach. While survival and crafting is vital, we've not been quite as impressed as it is in Valheim, though gliding around the world and pressing on to make new discoveries has kept us coming back. With a few more updates, this could become a genre great, and one well worth getting invested in early if you love the look of it.
Read more in our Towers of Aghasba review where we said that its "exploration is a joy thanks to gorgeous visuals and a varied landscape"
5. Terraria
Developer: Re-Logic
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Mobile, and more
Not every survival game has to be a 3D experience. Terraria is a standout thanks in part to how fresh it manages to make its side-on perspective feel, something you'd usually associate with retro platformers as opposed to hardcore crafting and survival. But it has plenty in common, including deep lore, mob raids, and the ability to shove your customized character between different world seeds. While Terraria is a little zanier than its more grounded cousin, there's still plenty of depth – literally, as much of the game revolves around digging down for safety. As you shape the world around you, this is much more than the 2D take on Minecraft it may first appear, but something that stands much closer to Valheim in how it regards survival.
Learn more in our Terraria review, where we said "you’ll always find more and more excuses to just keep digging away"
4. Minecraft
Developer: Mojang Studios
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Mobile, and More
Speak of the Creeper, and it shall appear (to blow you up). Look, what's there to say about Minecraft at this point that hasn't be said? It's such an obvious pick that we hesitated to include it. But this blocky survival sandbox is a titan for good reason. There may not be much in the way of viking theming, but these massive procedurally generated worlds are phenomenal to explore either solo or (ideally) with buddies, and there's almost no limit to what you can build or the adventures you can undertake – whether you're set on reaching the Nether, or just on the hunt for a particular ore to round out the perfect base. The vibes may be different to Valheim, but the same loop is at its core intact, with Minecraft's immediate simplicity hiding one of the deepest crafting experiences available at the moment.
Read more in our Minecraft review, where we call it "a superb example of gaming’s ability to ignite and inspire our fascination with creation"
3. The Long Dark
Developer: Hinterland Studio
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
The Long Dark is all about survival, pure and simple. There's nothing fantastical about the grounded and grim situation you end up in as a stranded bush pilot thrust into the frozen Canadian Wilderness. But few games are this focused. With systems both complex and intuitive, there's a real authentic sense of navigating the harsh environment, and palpable tension as you struggle against the odds every moment. Situations where you're up against are some of the most memorable in survival games, and The Long Dark is engineered to constantly hang on that edge. Likewise, few games are able to feel as satisfying when you have a good run and begin to master the expectations required to make it through. No survival fan should miss this one.
Fans of this one should keep their eyes out as well, as 10 years later, The Long Dark could finally be getting a sequel as its developer shares a clip from "an unannounced survival game"
2. Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Developer: GSC Game World
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S
Stalker 2 is about as close as you come to being a survival game without really being a full on survival game. It basically is one, in fact, but it just so happens it's also a brutal FPS with a heavy emphasis on questing and a tailored story at the same time. Setting off into The Zone, an irradiated area full of unusual happenings and its own culture cut-off from the rest of the world, you're free to essentially approach progressing the story how you like including, at times, not really at all. This is a harsh world by design, where you're just as likely to get immediately gunned down by a handful of outlaws as you are to be ripped apart from a reality-warping anomaly that pops up in your path. Everything has to be carefully considered, from the path you take, to the equipment you use, and what you shove into your supply pack.
Read more in our Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl review where we called it "one of the best survival experiences you'll ever play"
1. Palworld
Developer: Pocketpair
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
At a glance Palworld with its cutesy world of monsters or varying sizes might seem too cutesy to go toe-to-toe with Valheim. Then you realize this world is just a little bit darker that it might seem, the world these 'Pals' inhabit one with a bit more edge than its monster-capturing brethren. Some even have guns. Crucially, Palworld's survival and crafting loop gives it way more in common with Valheim than the monster collecting genre. With a truly massive world, the inclusion of Pals only adds to the sense of adventure, and that you're not quite sure what could be over the next horizon. The ability to put your Pals to work in helping you build, expand, and explore creates loads of variety in how you progress, and there's always something new to uncover – thanks in part to frequent and substantial updates that keep things fresh. No doubt about it, Palworld is the survival game of the moment, and not one you can afford to skip.
Read more in our Palworld review where we noted that there's "some real thought running through its core design"
Want to be the best Viking you can be? Be sure to check out our Valheim tips guide.
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