A viking traversing the Valheim seas using a technological marvel - the boat.
Level Up!Valheim Technology
The author's iconChristopher R. RiceJun 11, 2023

Valheim possesses (sometimes literally) a boatload of technology that can be sorted, sifted, and organized for the players to use. Nominally you start out the game as not much better than a caveman, but it can get quite complex later on (especially with all the yummy, yummy food you can unlock).

Like most survival games, Valheim sorts things out into “ages” for your overall technology. You can go from “stone age” to “it’s magic!” fairly quickly if you can find and locate the bosses, the right precursor items, and survive it all when the whole video game world is seemingly against you.

Basics of Valheim Technology Ages

In Valheim, the technological progression is divided into different "ages" that represent advancements in technology and gameplay. Each age introduces new materials, recipes, enemies, and challenges for the players to overcome. Here are the five technological ages in Valheim:

  1. Stone Age: The Stone Age is the starting point of the game. Players begin with basic tools crafted from stone and wood, such as stone axes, stone spears, and wooden clubs. They can build simple structures using wood and stone materials. During this age, players focus on survival, gathering resources, and establishing a base of operations.

  2. Bronze Age: The Bronze Age is the first major technological leap in Valheim. To enter this age, players must defeat the first boss, Eikthyr. By doing so, they unlock the ability to smelt copper and tin ores, which can be combined to create bronze ingots. Bronze allows players to craft superior tools, weapons, and armor, providing significant upgrades in efficiency and combat capability. Additionally, players gain access to new building materials like copper and tin roofs.

  3. Iron Age: The Iron Age is a significant milestone in Valheim's technological progression. It is initiated by defeating the boss known as the Elder. During this age, players can mine iron ore, smelt it into iron ingots, and use those ingots to create powerful iron tools, weapons, and armor. Iron equipment offers improved durability and effectiveness in combat. Players can also construct new structures like iron gates and iron bars, enhancing base defenses and aesthetics.

  4. Moder Age: To reach this age, players must defeat Moder, the fourth boss in the game. The Moder Age introduces silver and obsidian resources. With silver, players can craft stronger weapons and armor that are particularly effective against certain enemies. Obsidian is used for creating powerful tools and building materials. Players can also construct advanced structures like stone arches and stone stairs.

  5. Mistlands Age: This age represents the latest technological advancements in Valheim. It also adds another resource and ability: magic. Magic allows for more diversity in builds, and the technological age brings with it new workstations and gear to be made in them.

It's important to note that Valheim is an evolving game, and additional content and technological advancements may be (or have been) introduced beyond the Mistlands Age. The developers, Iron Gate AB, have been actively updating the game, so there could be more technological ages or improvements in future updates.

Basics of Valheim Tech

Valheim is a popular survival and exploration game developed by Iron Gate AB. It is set in a procedurally generated Viking-inspired world and features a variety of technologies that players can unlock and utilize as they progress in the game. While Valheim's technological advancements are not as elaborate as those in some other games, they play a crucial role in improving efficiency and expanding players' capabilities. Here are some notable technological aspects in Valheim:

  1. Workbench: The workbench is the foundation of technology in Valheim. It allows players to craft various basic items and structures, such as tools, weapons, and building materials. As you progress, you can upgrade your workbench to unlock new crafting recipes.

  2. Smelting: Smelting refines raw materials into more useful forms. Players can construct smelters to convert ore into ingots, which can then be used for crafting advanced tools, weapons, and armor.

  3. Forge: The forge is an essential tool for improving weaponry and armor. By using a forge, players can upgrade their gear to increase its damage, durability, and other attributes. It also enables the creation of special metal items, like nails and arrowheads.

  4. Fermenting Stations: Fermentation is an incredibly important technology within Valheim as that is how you acquire healing potions, boosters, resisters, and more.

  5. Crafting Stations: As players unlock new crafting recipes, they can construct specialized crafting stations, like the tanning rack, spinning wheel, and loom. These stations enable the production of advanced items: e.g., leather armor, threads, and textiles.

  6. Boats: Valheim features a large and treacherous world, much of which is surrounded by water. To explore distant lands and reach new biomes, players can construct and upgrade different types of boats. From the basic raft to the mighty longship, boats allow players to travel more efficiently and carry additional resources.

  7. Portals: As players venture further into the game world, they can unlock the ability to create portals. These magical structures allow for instantaneous travel between different locations, significantly reducing the time required to traverse vast distances.

  8. Windmills: Windmills are advanced structures that harness the power of wind. They can be constructed to automate certain processes, such as grinding grain into flour or producing other valuable resources. Windmills provide a significant efficiency boost for resource gathering and crafting.

  9. Teleporters: In addition to portals, players can also create teleporters to establish quick transportation networks within their bases. Teleporters are especially useful for connecting different parts of a large base or establishing shortcuts between important locations.

These are just a few examples of the technological elements found in Valheim. The game emphasizes a gradual progression system, where players unlock new technologies by defeating bosses and exploring further into the world. The available technologies not only enhance efficiency, but also open up new possibilities for construction, combat, and exploration in the game.

Possible Valheim Technology

There are several potential technological advancements that the developers could have introduced or may introduce in future updates. Here are some generalized ideas:

  1. Advanced Crafting Stations: Valheim could introduce new specialized crafting stations that allow players to create even more advanced items and equipment. These stations might include a foundry for smelting higher-tier metals, a laboratory for alchemy and potion-making, or a workshop for crafting intricate machinery such as clockwork or steampunk tech.

  2. Advanced Transportation: Valheim may introduce new forms of transportation to facilitate exploration and travel. This could include the introduction of vehicles like carts or mounts such as horses that allow players to move quickly across the vast game world.

  3. Automation and Machinery: The developers could introduce "automated" systems to streamline resource gathering, crafting, and base management. This might include the ability to construct water wheels, aqueducts, or other mechanical devices, automating processes like grinding grain, sawing wood, or mining resources.

  4. Advanced Combat Equipment: As players progress, Valheim might introduce new weapons, armor, and combat-related technologies. This could include siege weapons, ranged weaponry like firearms, or even more magical artifacts that enhance combat capabilities.

  5. Weather and Environmental Systems: Valheim may expand upon the environmental elements of the game, introducing weather systems that impact gameplay and require players to adapt. This might include extreme weather conditions like blizzards, heatwaves, or thunderstorms, which could necessitate the development of technology to mitigate their effects.

Remember that these are speculative possibilities, and the actual technological advancements introduced in Valheim may differ. It is best to refer to official sources or the game's updates to obtain accurate information about the latest technology in Valheim.

Final Thoughts

When not writing here at Haptic my other gig is as a game designer (I have written for Steve Jackson Games’ GURPS line), and one of the things I’ve done over there is to imagine technology that evolves differently from what the real world actually has. Valheim causes some of those same synapses to fire and misfire all the time, as the world’s lore and mechanics are neat and could be easily done for a roleplaying game. I especially like what they’ve done with the Mistlands expansion and I’m looking forward to Ashlands or the Deep North. (Whichever comes first is fine by me!)

A background composed of pleasingly symmetrical rounded fourier outline shapes

Play on Haptic

Try for free


The Author
The author's icon
Christopher R. Rice@RavenpennyChristopher R. Rice has authored, co-authored, or contributed to fifteen gaming supplements (and counting!) on a range of subjects and many articles from various magazines. Of course, if he's not writing about gaming, he's blogging about it. Visit his site, Ravens N' Pennies — for more goodies — or consider joining his Patreon. He's an old school gamer with a particular love for rogue-likes, RPGs, the Zelda franchise, and the Diablo franchise.

Haptic logo© Haptic, LLC — 2024