Valheim is the new video game by Iron Gate Studio that takes the gamer to the lands of the Vikings and conquers him with simple graphics and a slightly retro style
Valheim has quickly become a cult title, so much so that it has collected over 500 thousand simultaneous users on the Steam platform. A survival role-playing game made in Sweden, it features simple graphics and a not particularly innovative style. Why, then, does everyone want to play it?
Although it’s available exclusively for PC – no version for Apple users for the moment – at the price of 16.79 euros and is still characterized by the status of “early access game”, that is a title not fully perfected that may still require some fixes from the developers, Valheim has beaten many records established by much more famous names. In fact, the video game has already reached the seventh place of the most downloaded games on the platform, surpassing competitors of the level of Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Minecraft and Rust, thanks to the remarkable number of three million downloads.
Valheim, why everyone wants it
Probably, one of the basic aspects of the video game produced by Iron Gate Studio has attracted the attention of players. In fact, unlike current titles, Valheim combines exploration with basic graphics and a slightly retro taste. It is easy to play and, not less important, is the possibility to do it alone or in company, since it supports up to 10 players in the same game.
The gameplay is extremely linear, with clear and easy-to-find objectives. In addition, the goals are combined with the possibility of discovering new corners of the world granted by Odin to the protagonists of the title, building objects and shaping it according to the needs of the game. There’s no hurry to tick off items from the quest list: the player can take his time, choosing which steps to take and when to do it.
Valheim, a success born in Sweden
If Iron Gate has produced, with only five employees, a game able to reach this level, it’s right to remember that to publish Valheim, giving it the push towards success, was another house that has been able to sow well and reap even better the fruits of their work. This is the compatriot Coffee Stain Studios, a company that before the Vikings had already launched on the market interesting names such as Goat Simulator and Sanctum.
Valheim, the previous
The numbers to be included in the curriculum Valheim are of the first order but, currently, the biggest record is that established by another title that with the Viking mold shares a similar fate. This is PlayerUnkown’s Battleground, a multiplayer battle royale style game developed and published by PUBG Corporations, a subsidiary of South Korean publisher BlueHole, which three years ago gathered 3 million players at the same time.
Also arrived on the video game streaming platform as “early access”, this title managed to reach the staggering figure in a much longer time than its Swedish counterpart. There is, therefore, still room for a new notch to be added to Valheim’s future achievements: we just have to wait for the new steps of the Odinoi faithful.