For a game that is combat and exploration heavy, the other side to the game people will enjoy is the creation of structures. With the build mechanics of the game being a snap-on type deal, creating and joining together pieces of building material is easy, but making something good will depend on your understanding of design and how structural integrity goes. Unlike some games, Valheim takes into account some trivial things such as how the thing was built, such as the support beams, and how high up you are allowed to build before gravity collapses it.
With that in mind, this shouldn’t dissuade you from building amazing structures such as castles, large monuments, and the like, and for this list, we’ll be focusing on the most important of all structures, your house. This list will feature some good examples that you can take to make your dream house or something of a template for what a house design should be.
As with all Valheim lists, this was written at the time of the game’s latest version (Hearth and Home Update, version 0.207.20). For this list, the builds range from simple houses to large-scale, dual-purpose builds. I’ve also avoided compilation videos as I’d like to share the spotlight on the houses one by one.
5. Tiny Hut House (FireSpark81)
While anyone can easily build a rectangular house to make into a temporary or permanent shelter, as a complete beginner house, this rounded house looks to be a much better compromise in its ease of building and usability up until you decide to go bigger. Even with the concept of going bigger, this house fits your essentials for what it is, and is a good minimalist type build for those who do more fighting outside than staying at home. Having said that, even if you do a lot of prizefighting, you’d still have a decent inventory of key items all within reach after you get out of your bed.
What’s Great About This Design?
The great standouts for this build are the following:
- Compact design
- Mostly regular wood build
- Beginner, material, and time-friendly
- Can be useable for the entirety of the game
4. Modern Viking House Build (Yujimbo)
This house is all about the fundamentals. An easy rectangle-shaped base to start your structure, some core wood for a much sturdier support beam compared to regular wood beams and poles, and a lot of allowances below to make a sustainable meat farm via tamed Boars. For your actual quarters, an outside staircase will lead you to the proper floor, where everything is housed, from crafting benches, a fireplace in the center for cooking food, and general space to put whatever you desire. While the outside is grand and good looking, the inside doesn’t exactly show it, and for some, it could be a good or bad thing, but that’s really up to your taste as the extra headroom can allow you to build a flat-style second floor that can be to whatever you want it to be. Again, since the headroom is flexible enough to expand upwards, you can go function over form on the inside, while still being a gorgeous-looking form on the outside. Some nice additions like fencing and a paved road also give this house a grand vibe which makes it a good example of what a rectangular house can be.
What’s Great About This Design?
The great standouts for this build are the following:
- Easy rectangular shape to build on
- Mostly wooden design is efficient to gather
- The lower deck serves as a good breeding ground for boars
3. Medieval House Build (Versaugh)
When you look at the design, you may believe it’s tough to pull off something like that, but in reality, it’s just a lot of building resources banded together to form something more substantial in terms of visual depth. Granted there are some difficulties with the materials to get exactly this house recreated like stone, wood, and dark wood (more on that later), but for the most part, this is what a mid/end game house should be like in that it’s roomy, has more than 1 floor for putting whatever you desire in, and a good enough perimeter to be able to accent it by building extra bits like a garden.
The difficulty of a build like this is just the resources. Stone and wood are pretty easy to obtain, but if you want dark wood specifically, that would require you to take on the Growth, which is a black blob that spews liquid that damages and slows you down, putting you in a bad spot and likely killing you. You’ll have to take them on from afar as much as possible and repeat them for several times to be able to get the yields necessary to complete some of the things shown in the video. Overall, this is a build for those wanting more than a basic rectangular house while also being relatively easy to make.
What’s Great About This Design?
The great standouts for this build are the following:
- Simple house layout
- Great use of build materials
- Has some depth when partnered with extra-base builds like an outside garden
2. Dock House Build (Vetlive)
If you plan on making a house on the edge of an island, this is one of the best ideas to copy or build upon as the size of the house allows for a grand look when you leave and return from a long exploration trip to wherever you set sail to. Ship docking aside, the house itself is a huge complex allowing for a large first floor, perfect for adding extras like a workshop, dining area, and general space to run around in when you’re transporting things to and from the ship. Speaking of around, the deck brings in some additional walking areas for you to check your picturesque view of the waters, perfect for activities like fishing and general storage expansion via outdoor chests. Your sleeping quarters will be on the top, which is a little more modest in size, but will be plenty for you to rest and if you want to check the sunset before you go to bed, the terrace will give you a better view of it.
What’s Great About This Design?
The great standouts for this build are the following:
- Spacious inside
- All wooden design makes the resources easy to get
- Balconies allow you to enjoy a good seaside view
1. Swamp Tree House (Vetlive)
It’s too easy to make a home on the ground, but above ground? That’s going to net you some serious style points for a house. While trees can be chopped and destroyed in the game, there are a ton of huge trees that can’t be chopped, and while that used to be the thing with the barren Mistlands biome, Valheim’s choice to rework the biome has erased the tall trees that can make it possible, therefore your only choice to have the treehouse be sturdy enough to build on is the Swamp biome as the trees there can’t be cut with axes or damaged by enemies.
On to the build now, it uses a circular design similar to the hut build but with the size being a bit more extended and a portion of the wall being open to a bridge to another circular house which, for a solo player can be used as another house or a separate area that can house another function such as storage. In between these circular house are bridges that have roofs on them to prevent damage from the constant rain and serves as the way to go from one area to another without needing to go down via the stairs on the main entranceway. The circular design varies in that some are more raised than others, while others have more intricate roof designs, and so this build is a sum of multiple designs making an amazing compound of elevated houses/areas that is so unique relative to any ground-based house.
What’s Great About This Design?
The great standouts for this build are the following:
- Unique build
- Extremely sturdy base utilizing the big trees
- Can be linked with other houses
Conclusion
There is no right or wrong way to build a house, and Valheim doesn’t exactly have a formula for what is the overall best design for a house as there are so many things that can change your design choices such as biome size, seed generation, and personal taste. These are only a handful of design choices open to you, but consider these as some of the best of their class that can be shown on video with the only limiting factor being the creators’ imagination. It’s also worth noting that Valheim isn’t out of early access, meaning that there would be more places to build a house on, and a lot more ideas just waiting to happen, making for more amazing abodes just waiting to be built. Whether big or small, you’ll always have the option to change your home accordingly making that home sweet home just a little cozier.