Guides

Valheim, Enshrouded, and RuneScape: Dragonwilds Face Off!

October 16, 2026

Attention, fellow base-building enthusiasts and survival aficionados! I’ve got some exciting news and a bit of a dilemma for you. First, the good news: several top-tier survival crafting games have officially launched and are no longer in early access. Now for the not-so-great news: three of them have all dropped within the same month.

I’ve seen countless discussions asking, “Which should I dive into first: Valheim, RuneScape: Dragonwilds, or Enshrouded?” As someone who has spent countless hours mining the same three types of rock, I feel equipped to help you make that choice. I’ve also enlisted the help of a friend who has a knack for getting into hilarious in-game mishaps, often leading to unexpected animal encounters or bizarre injuries.

While we both have our favorites among the recent 1.0 releases, you might just want a straightforward comparison of features before making a decision. Here’s a quick rundown of the key differences and similarities in features and default settings across Valheim, RuneScape: Dragonwilds, and Enshrouded.

Feature	Valheim	RuneScape Dragonwilds	Enshrouded
Map	Procedurally generated	Handcrafted	Handcrafted
Fast travel	Player-crafted portals with item limits	Player-crafted portals that require runes as currency	Unlockable fast travel points and limited player-crafted bases
Thirst and starvation	No thirst or starvation mechanic, but food buffs are vital	Adjustable thirst and starvation mechanics with food buffs (enabled by default)	Adjustable thirst and starvation mechanics with food buffs (disabled by default)
Inventory capacity	Slots and weight	Slots and weight	Slots only
Death penalties	Skill XP/levels lost; leave behind a gravestone with inventory to retrieve	No XP loss; leave behind a gravestone with inventory to retrieve	No XP loss; leave behind a gravestone with inventory to retrieve
Item durability	✔️	✔️	✔️
Crafting from storage	❌	✔️	✔️
Structural integrity	✔️	✔️	❌
Sleep through nights	Skips nighttime	Skips nighttime	Speeds up nighttime
Comfort/Rest	Provides rested buff through furniture and decor with comfort values	Requires sleep to replenish rest meter; separate cosiness buff requires a bed	Provides rested buff through furniture and decor with comfort values
Dynamic weather	✔️	✔️	✔️
Grid snap	✔️	✔️	✔️
Terraforming	✔️	❌	✔️
Stats and leveling	Gain XP and levels in various skills and weapon proficiencies upon using relevant tools or crafting benches	Gain XP and levels in various skills and weapon proficiencies by using relevant tools or by collecting output from crafting benches. Some proficiency levels include stat bonuses or new abilities	Level up through combat and exploration; each level rewards skill points to spend on additional stats or abilities
Raids	✔️	✔️	❌
Dungeons	✔️	✔️	✔️
Fishing	✔️	✔️	✔️
Farming	✔️	✔️	✔️
Taming and ranching	✔️	❌	✔️
Mounts	✔️	✔️	❌
Quests	A few optional sidequests; progression is instead driven by exploration	Main story quests drive world progression; sidequests reward optional bonuses	Main story quests drive world progression; sidequests reward optional bonuses
Creative Mode	✔️	✔️	❌
Photo Mode	❌ (Has option to hide HUD, can control camera with console commands)	❌	✔️
Custom difficulty	✔️	✔️	✔️
Official mod support	❌	❌	❌
Multiplayer	1-10 players	1-6 players	1-16 players
Steam Deck	Verified	Playable	Unsupported
Crossplay	✔️ Available between PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S (and Switch, pending an update)	✔️ Available between PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S (and Switch, pending an update)	❌ Planned for future update
Price	$30/£24 (Steam)	$30/£25 (Steam \| Epic)	$40/£35 (Steam)

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Mining is a chore, and our debate on the best here turned into a discussion about which is the least frustrating. Searching for ore in Valheim’s swampy areas was the worst experience, with the stingy nodes in Dragonwilds coming in a close second.

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In Valheim, the trees can be deadly. There’s nothing quite like being crushed by an entire forest—neither of the other games can match that experience.

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Enshrouded offers the ultimate building experience. With blocks of all shapes and sizes, a plethora of furniture options, terraforming capabilities, NPC villagers, and tools to add a touch of decay to your structures, it’s hard to beat.

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Valheim raids are a close second (a fantastic way to gather resources), but there’s something exhilarating about a dragon boss showing up at your base and raining poison down on you while you’re trying to relax.

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Both Enshrouded and Dragonwilds feature beautifully crafted worlds, but embarking on a journey through Valheim’s procedural landscapes is a unique thrill every time, making your return home even more rewarding.

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Enshrouded takes the lead with its cooking mechanics—there’s something satisfying about grilling your own kebabs over an open flame. However, the multi-step cooking in Dragonwilds is enjoyable to manage, while Valheim’s system feels the most gratifying.

I’ve been playing Enshrouded since its early access launch, and it quickly became my top survival crafting game long before the 1.0 release. Valheim is a classic, and Dragonwilds has grown on me, but nothing compares to Enshrouded’s base building and acrobatic combat. I love swooping down on enemies with my glider.

I enjoy Dragonwilds, and Enshrouded is truly unique, but Valheim remains my favorite. It’s not just an excellent survival game; it’s one I know I’ll keep revisiting year after year. If you think survival games aren’t for you, think again—you might just be surprised!