It’s easy to forget that Valheim is in Early Access given that it’s already so impressively polished. In a short amount of time since launch, the game has amassed an enormous, thriving community of players who adore its engaging survival mechanics and immense scale. The Valheim mods scene, too, is off to a great start. In this article, we’re going to go look at the best Valheim mods that have been released so far.
Thanks to the work of talented modders over at NexusMods, there are a whole bunch of excellent Valheim mods that help make the game even better. So, let’s jump in!
Do note that you’ll need to download and install a program called Vortex before mods will work. Don’t worry, it’s very simple! Check out the instructions here.
Finally, it’s worth keeping in mind that some of these mods may clash with each other and that Valheim is an Early Access game that may render some of these mods incompatible at some point in the future. Make sure you read the “Posts” section of each mod page to check their status.
Update 03/16/2023: Several new mods added.
Experience & Leveling System
Best Valheim Mods
If you’re looking for a deeper role-playing experience than that offered by the base Valheim package then the Experience and Level Mod is what you’re after. This allows you to gain new experience for killing monsters and bosses, which now accrue skill points. In turn, using these skill points unlocks a variety of skills for your character.
Valheim Defenders
If you fancy adding some new defensive weapons to your arsenal then Valheim Defenders will be of interest. The mod adds new Ice and Fire towers that inflict elemental AoE damage. Also there, are new: mini and normal-size ballista variants, all with their own elemental sub-types. These have infinite ammunition and only shoot at enemies.
Valheim Plus
Best Valheim Mods
If you’re only going to add a single mod to Valheim, this is an excellent option for a total overhaul. Valheim Plus is aimed at improving the quality of life across the board, from stamina recovery time to the amount of fuel required to keep a torch aflame.
Importantly, the mod allows users to adjust the values of every different adjustment via the config file, so you can tweak everything to your preference in order to find a difficulty level that suits you. Download link.
Epic Valheim v3.0
Not so much a mod in itself but a compilation of several different mods that massively expands the depth and scale of Valheim’s sandbox and overall gameplay experience. linamuss essentially reconfigures several popular mods from other talented developers and tweaks them according to their vision for a revamped Valheim experience. The overall list of changes is very extensive, from the realization of new biomes such as Mistlands, Deep North, and Ashlands to different loot, magic, and combat systems.
Installation is a little bit more technical owing to the sheer number of different mods, dependencies, and config files you will need to download and install, but if you are looking for a transformative mod to overhaul the game, this is it. Visit the NexusMods page here and carefully read through everything before going ahead.
Magic Overhaul
Best Valheim Mods
Another overhaul mod, this time for those who really like the idea of enhancing the magic of the game. It adds several classes to the game, each with its own unique spells and abilities. There’s a ninja, for example, which can make use of teleportation abilities, while the Warlock makes use of powerful combat spells and the ability to summon ghosts to aid them in battle.
The mod also adds a bunch of new items and animations to Valheim. You can check out the full list over on its NexusMods page here.
Clock Mod
Traversing the world of Valheim by night is generally a bit of a no-no, which is why it’s always crucial to keep an eye on the time of day when you’re off on an adventure somewhere. The problem is, there’s not really any way of telling the time except for continually checking the position of the sun, which isn’t always convenient.
This mod solves the issue by placing either a clock at the top of your screen or a rough estimate of the time of day — whichever you prefer.
While survival purists may prefer the realism of having no clock, it really does make life a lot easier to have at least some indication of what time of day it is. Download link.
Shield Me Bruh
This is a simple quality of live mod that auto-equips a selected shield when a one-handed weapon is equipped.
Simple Recycling
Best Valheim Mods
You’ll obviously be spending a lot of time harvesting and gathering different resources in Valheim, but you won’t always want to keep everything. Strangely, though, there’s not actually any way of recycling or even getting rid of items.
Your only option is to simply drop what you don’t want and wait for it to disappear from the server after a few IRL days.
What Valheim really needs is a recycle function, and that’s exactly what ABearCodes’s Simple Recycling mod adds.
It’s a simple menu option from the crafting table that allows you to recycle any item from your inventory and receive 50% of the materials back (though you can adjust the percentage if you prefer). Download link.
Pull From Containers
Your inventory space is only so big, which can make crafting items and building structures around your camp a chore of walking backward and forward from nearby containers to make sure all the necessary materials are equipped.
That’s no longer an issue with this mod from aedenthorn, the same creator behind the awesome clock mod listed earlier.
With it installed, any materials required for a crafting recipe are automatically pulled from nearby containers housing them, making the entire process much snappier. Download link.
Take Me Home
Best Valheim Mods
Fang86’s Take Me Home mod will be a controversial pick to the survival purists out there, but if you can discipline yourself to use it sparingly it’s a great addition to the game.
As the name implies, the mod allows you to instantly teleport home from any location on the map. It basically makes every adventure a one-way trip, with the option to zip home at the press of a button.
Of course, the journey of every adventure is a large part of what makes Valheim adventures such fun. But there are also plenty of times you just wish you could quickly return to base without the hassle of a long journey. Download link.
Locator
Best Valheim Mods
This mod is an extension of the Locate Merchant mod by purpledxd, which not only pins the location of the merchant after you’ve discovered him but also any other useful points of interest.
For example, a copper deposit, Dragon Eggs, Runestones, etc, are all automatically pinned on your map so that you won’t have to memorize every location.
Of course, you can add custom pins yourself as standard in Valheim, but this just makes everything so much simpler and easier. Download link.
Custom Graphics Settings
While Valheim isn’t the most graphically sophisticated game, it certainly isn’t the best optimized, either.
That’s where aedenthorn‘s Custom Graphics Settings mod comes in handy, allowing players control over the game’s more granular graphical settings.
Whether you’re running an old potato or want to squeeze the most out of a capable gaming PC then this mod gives you a far greater degree of control over the graphical options. Download link.
Hold Attack
Best Valheim Mods
A very basic mod, but one that fixes an issue that some players will have been finding a nuisance.
Valheim’s combat hardly requires much finesse, which is why it would be much easier if you could simply hold attack rather than having to continually click. Well, here’s the fix! Download link.
Epic Loot
If you’re looking to transform Valheim into more of a loot-based RPG experience akin to something like Diablo, then the Epic Loot mod from Randyknapp is for you.
Here’s how Randyknapp describes it:
“This mod aims to add a loot drop experience to Valheim similar to Diablo or other RPGs. Monsters and chests can now drop Magic, Rare, Epic, or Legendary magic items. Each magic item has a number of magic effects on it, that give bonuses to the item or your character when that magic item is equipped.”
Planting Everything
Best Valheim Mods
For Valheim players with a green thumb, this particular mod will be of special interest. Plant Everything by Advize is a rework of a previous mod called Planting Plus by bkeyes93, enhancing the original with several important bug fixes that now makes it the ultimate planting mod.
Essentially, Plant Everything expands the cultivar options to include a variety of new plants, which can be planted using resources collected from various flora. This includes the following:
- Raspberry Bush, Blueberry Bush, Cloudberry Bush
- Mushrooms, Yellow Mushrooms, Blue Mushrooms
- Thistle, Dandelion
- Birch Sapling, Oak Sapling, Ancient Sapling
With EnableMiscFlora enabled in config (see instructions):
- Small Beech Tree, Small Fir Tree, Small Dead Fir Tree
- Small Plains Bush, Small Fruitless Bush (2 tints), Small Shrub (2 tints)
- Vines
Note: You will need the BepInExPack for Valheim for this mod to work. Make sure you read the instructions for Plant Everything before attempting to install.
Better Archery
Ranged combat is such a large part of Valheim, but it’s rather basic and uninspired in terms of how it actually operates. Good thing, then, that elfking23‘s Better Archery mod completely overhauls it for the better.
Installing this mod, which also requires BepInExPack for Valheim, makes the following core changes to the way archery works in the game:
- New Quiver (Charlie)
- Retrievable arrows
- Zooming while drawing the bow
- Aim improvements
- Arrow physics improvements
You can read the full list of changes over on the mod page here.
Use Equipment in Water
Best Valheim Mods
Does exactly what it says on the tin! Super important mod that just makes constructing docks and other waterfront structures so much easier. A must have mod by ElTheLedge.
Requires BepInExPack Valheim.
Valheim Legends
If you’re looking to overhaul Valheim to a more conventional RPG experience then Legends by torann introduces 12 selectable hero classes to the game, each with its own unique abilities and attributes.
There’s everything from a raging berserker to a fireball-wielding mage to choose from, and selection of each class is as simple as offering a resource to your Eikthyr Altar.
Requires BepInExPack Valheim.
Valkyrie Mount
Best Valheim Mods
You can never have too many mounts, and especially not when one of them is an enormous Valkyrie that lets you fly around your seed in style. Simple to install and the mount itself is enough to control. Download link.
Populated Villages
Traversing your seed in Valheim can often be a lonely experience if you’re playing in single-player mode, and that’s why we’re particularly enamored with the populated villages mod which adds tame NPCs to any Drauger villages you clear of enemies throughout your adventure.
Note that to install this mod you will need to also have RRR Core and RRR NPCs from neurodr0me.
Monster Mash
Best Valheim Mods
If you’re looking to add some more monster diversity to your game then Monster Mash is perfect. It adds 16 spooky and mysterious creatures to your game, meaning that you can turn Valheim into a Witcher-like monster-hunting game! Note that you will need to install Spawn That so you can manually create a spawning system that adds the monsters into your game organically. It sounds complicated, but it’s not too hard to sort.
Steamheim Airships
Perhaps not a mod suited to the Viking purists out there, but if you want to have a bit of fun and turn your seed into something even more fantastical then the Steamheim Steamship mod adds a truly unique way to traverse your seed. There are a couple of different steamships to choose from, and you can even create your own! Download link.
Castles & Buildings Mods
Best Valheim Mods
The building mechanics in Valheim are one of its most accomplished features, but creating complicated structures requires a lot of time and effort, and for those who simply want to enjoy navigating large castles, medieval buildings, and other interesting structures without the hassle of building them yourself, we’ve compiled a bunch of the best from NexusMods.
Adventurer’s Dungeon
If you’ve got a group of buddies to play with, PvP dungeon crawling is one of the most entertaining activities in Valheim. If you’ve just started a new seed, here’s a dungeon designed for new characters to explore by WAAAGH guild.
Here’s the synopsis:
‘There is a tavern with chests of basic equipment and food and mead as well as beds to bind before entering the dungeon. Once inside the dungeon beware of perils untold. Delight in treasures within the complex. And most importantly enjoy the fun build we made for adventurers!’
KGoptimizer
Best Valheim Mods
Valheim is hardly a graphically complex game, and so in theory it should run well on basic PC rigs. In practice, however, its performance leaves something to be desired, and even pretty decent gaming PCs can struggle to get good FPS. For those playing on lower-end setups, the KHoptimizer might be just the hot ticket — it disables 30+ graphic/semi-gameplay features in order to increase FPS in-game.
Whistlr
The ability to tame wolves and lead them into combat is a really cool feature of Valheim, but if you’re sick of having to control your doggo companions individually then the Whistlr mod will be of special interest. This simple mod allows wolves to be called with J and dismissed with K. The range of all whistles along with the keys to control the wolves are fully configurable.
Snap Points Made Easy
Best Valheim Mods
Building is a massive part of the Valheim experience, but it isn’t always as precise as it should be. This great mods allows you to cycle through various snap-points when targeting a piece in-game without needing to point at them directly with the mouse. Every keen Viking builder should use it!
Fantasy Followers
If you’re looking to populate your seed with some cool fantasy personalities then this mod by salpati is just what the doctor ordered. The fantasy follower pack adds “custom RPG-style party Npc Followers to the game, with custom abilities & weapons/armor from other mods.” There are a total of six different characters across classic RPG classes, such as Mage and Thief.
Sea of Vikings
Best Valheim Mods
Sea of Vikings was created by mikegrauohr after the modder decided that sailing in the game was boring in comparison to Sea of Thieves, which tasks passengers with maintaining a ship’s condition while it’s on the open water. That same principle has been applied to Valheim’s Raft, Karve and Longship. It should make every journey that much more intense, and of course that much harder.
RecipeX
This mod from thedefside is a super handy quality of life improvement that allows you to craft a certain amount of an item with a single click, with no waiting in between. It is described as “True multi-crafting.”
For example, if you typically craft x20 of an item then you can simply add that as a new recipe without having to craft the x5 option 5 times.
That does it for Twinfinite’s list of best Valheim mods. For more information and tips on the game, be sure to check out our guide wiki.
