Enshrouded vs. Valheim: Which Is Better?

Fans of crafting, survival, and resource-collecting games are keen on doing their research before diving into any game in the genre. These games require a lot of focus and dedication, with a sprinkle of coordination between friend groups for co-op play. In that specific genre, Enshrouded and Valheim are the two most revered. The former takes you through the world of Embervale and challenges you to survive against a deadly Shroud that covers the land while uncovering the lore of a world left behind. The latter is focused on the Tenth Realm, where you are tasked with proving your worth to the Gods by surviving against the enemies that Odin has cast there. In the battle between Enshrouded vs Valheim, which one gets your attention?

Same Gameplay, Different Stories

The battle between Enshrouded vs Valheim is more than which one is better at the genre. While Enshrouded focuses a lot on resource collecting so that you don’t drop dead, the story is yours to uncover. The gameplay is more about surviving against alert areas while building safe havens all over the place. While you survive against the Shroud and large-scale enemy bosses, you’ll come across abandoned towns, fortresses, and structures and tell the tale of where you are. You will pick up lore sheets and piece together a yet-to-be-finished story as it’s still in early access.

Valheim is also in early access, but it’s more fleshed out and the story is far more direct. You are sent to the Tenth Realm and have to travel through different landscapes and face mystical bosses. With every boss you beat, you will earn a Forsaken Power that you can use for five minutes after a 20-minute cooldown. If you’re a fan of Norse mythology like us, then you’ll find all the references and mythology poured into every aspect interesting. Although it doesn’t create its own lore, you can follow the story via personal research and previous knowledge on the subject.

Prove Your Worth To The Gods or Suffocate In the Shroud?

Enshrouded is still in early access, and there’s not much to do beyond discovering Ancient Spires and defeating Shroud Roots. You’ll be leveling up your Flame Altar and earning more time to survive in the Shroud but there’s no direct story after collecting all the craftspeople and unlocking more crafting recipes. You’re free to build immense structures and uncover the whole overworld of Embervale with friends at a leisurely pace. In comparison to Valheim, you’ll have a much more peaceful experience. This is especially so for those who aren’t actively seeking a fight since enemies don’t randomly spawn and start attacking at any point.

Valheim far more unforgiving than the world of Embervale, with random events having a 20% chance of happening every 46 minutes. This could be anything from being attacked by a ton of Boars to a boss sending out a horde. The game punishes those who let their guard down. Although the game is also in early access, the world is much more fleshed out and the bosses and enemies are more robust with the aforementioned previous knowledge of Norse mythology. Hunts in co-op feel more cooperative and engaging as opposed to what’s available in Enshrouded.

The Final Verdict Between Enshrouded and Valheim

With both games being in early access, Valheim and Enshrouded still have a long way to go. However, a much more fun experience awaits in the world of Valheim; especially if you’re looking to play with friends. Enshrouded has fun base building and terraforming features, but it doesn’t compete against acting like a Viking with your friends. Valheim also has gameplay features that aren’t available in Enshrouded like building boats and sailing to other parts of the map while also engaging in sea battles. We’ve been a part of servers that have had whole villages built with different stations for resource collecting that have had more movement than Enshrouded. It almost feels like a no-brainer.

Enshrouded’s much more lonesome approach also has its appeal. The name of the game is Discovery in Enshrouded, so the focus is more on staying alive, upgrading your altar, and building different bases. Enshrouded vs Valheim is based on what each game offers, and Enshrouded wants you to discover what it can offer you as you play. In our experience, we really enjoy the freedom to go pretty much anywhere on the map without worrying about being mauled unless we actively want to be.

Valheim is available on Xbox and PC, while Enshrouded is available for PC in early access.