There’s something truly exciting about starting a new game of Valheim, whether you’re a complete beginner to the game or if you’re just exploring a brand new Valheim world as a seasoned player. However, getting your new character established with a base and the right gear can sometimes seem a little tricky, and to this end, we’ve summarized several key tips and tricks you should know as a beginner player in Valheim to help.

10 Great Starter Tips and Tricks for Beginners in Valheim

If you’ve been looking to make the most of your game of Valheim, knowing how to kick off your game effectively is a must. Fortunately, there are several different tricks you can potentially consider to help with your brand new game.

1 Collect Everything You Can Find

At first, it might seem like you’re just picking up junk, but almost every item in Valheim has a crafting purpose. Even common materials like wood and stone are critical for building, crafting, and upgrading your equipment, and rarer materials will lend themselves later on. Given this, if you can carry it all, make sure you pick up and store as much as you can; for the early game specifically, focus on gathering wood from fallen branches and picking up flint near water edges.

2 Craft Every Item as Soon as You Unlock It

Following on from our previous point, crafting is a core mechanic in Valheim, although some recipes can sometimes seem less important in the early game. However, crafting recipes you don’t yet need can unlock new recipes; given this, you may want to craft as many items as you can once you’ve unlocked them to potentially open up new recipes. For example, crafting bronze nails unlocks two critical new recipes that you’ll likely rely on heavily during your game: carts and boats, both of which are hugely helpful for progression and exploration.

3 Make a Shield and Learn to Parry

You might want to focus initially on building weapons, but don’t forget about protecting your character too! Indeed, crafting a shield as soon as possible allows you to massively reduce the amount of damage your character takes; this also allows you to parry by blocking just before an enemy attack lands. This will cause your character to stagger the aforementioned foe, allowing you to get a quick counterattack for more damage!

4 Watch Out for Falling Trees!

It’s easy to assume your biggest enemies in Valheim will be bosses and wildlife; however, falling trees can - and will - also kill you in Valheim. Given this thought, when chopping wood, always stay aware of your surroundings, especially since trees can also cause nearby trees to fall as well, triggering a “domino effect.”

5 Keep Moving Toward the Next Boss

It’s easy to lose track of your progress in the game, especially while adventuring new lands. Given this thought, if you’re not sure how to progress further from your current point in the game, make sure you’ve killed the next boss. This will often open up new areas or allow you to access materials needed to progress the game further.

6 Don’t Over-Build Early On

Building is great fun, and Valheim’s construction system makes it tempting to craft a massive Viking hall right away. However, it’s often a better plan to hold off on making expansive buildings in the early game, and instead focus on exploring the world and making new equipment to promote your exploration. That’s not to say you shouldn’t build a base, of course, but you may want to start with a simple starter base with a bed, workbench, chest, and campfire. Save the big builds for later when you have access to better materials.

7 Experiment with Different Food Combinations

Valheim’s food system provides several buffs to your character, and your max health and stamina depend partly on what you’ve eaten. Given this thought, and since you can only have up to three food buffs active at once, it’s worth looking at how different food types can impact your stats, especially before going into a boss fight.

8 Repair Your Gear

Did you know that, while Valheim does have a condition system, it’s actually free to repair your gear? As a result, never wait until your items break—repair everything often, especially before setting out on long expeditions. This can save a huge amount of material.

9 Build a Cart as Soon as Possible

Inventory space is limited in Valheim, and weight limits make hauling ores and wood a real challenge. Fortunately, once you unlock (and craft) bronze nails, you’ll learn how to make a cart. Carts add 18 extra storage slots with no weight limit, making them perfect for resource runs.

10 Always Backup Your World and Play on a Private Server if Possible

Unfortunately, bugs, crashes, and unexpected glitches can happen, which could lose all of your early game progress. In addition, if you’re playing with friends, consider setting up a private server. This ensures everyone’s progress stays safe while also providing a lag-free gaming experience.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Overall, getting started with your new journey can present a few key challenges. However, keep in mind that there’s plenty out there that will try to kill you - so, making sure that you know about today’s starting out beginner tips could help make your next game of Valheim even more successful.