Valheim, the beloved crafting-survival game set in the Viking afterlife, has gone from pixelated forests to your tabletop. The board game adaptation just kicked off its crowdfunding campaign on Gamefound. In true Viking fashion, it crushed its goals, hitting 300% funding faster than you can say, “Where’s my crafting bench?”
Now, before you start sharpening your axes at the fact that the campaign has already had its goal met before you even knew it existed, there’s a twist. Valheim: The Board Game itself had no stretch goals. That’s right, developer Ole Steiness has opted for a complete core experience right out of the box.
For those of you who don’t regularly support crowdfunding campaigns, that means there is no need to gather ten units of hardwood for a new expansion pack. Instead, everyone receiving the board game will get the same content.
However, for those of you itching for something extra (you know who you are, collectors), there are still plenty of shiny goodies to pledge for, including a snazzy dice set, a game mat, and even a dice tower that’ll make your tabletop feel like it’s about to be raided by a Viking horde.
You can also nab the Collector’s Edition, which comes decked out with holographic cards and a box that’s as classy as it is gold-foil fancy. Even Odin himself would approve.
As for how the game will play out, each game will be a roughly two-hour session where you and your pals build, craft, and defend your Viking homestead – much like the chaos of a Valheim multiplayer server, but without the technical hiccups.
There are roles for everyone in your party, from the warrior types who can’t wait to charge into battle to those who’d rather stay home, tending the fire and reinforcing the walls.
As players explore the map, they’ll face events, creatures, and all sorts of Viking-esque madness. And naturally, there’s a big bad boss fight waiting for you at the end. Think of it like that last raid in World of Warcraft. Still, instead of endlessly arguing about loot distribution, you’re just trying to survive the next wave of draugr.
There’s also a solo mode for the lone wolves out there because sometimes, it’s just you, your mead, and a pile of monsters to hack through.
The crowdfunding campaign will run until the 21st of October. If everything goes according to plan (and they don’t run out of mead), the game should land on our tabletops by October 2025. But from a crowdfunding veteran, I would add about 12 or so months onto that date to be safe.
If you feel ready to embark on your Viking afterlife, this time without the risk of a troll demolishing your longhouse, you can head over to Gamefound and get in on the action.