Enshrouded vs Valheim (1.0): Key Differences
Pick Enshrouded if you want a hand-built world with a fixed map, a skill tree with a level cap (50), a glider and a grappling hook. Pick Valheim if you want a new world from a seed every time, skills that grow by use, and boats. Both are co-op survival games with base building and bosses; they differ in how they build the world and the character.
- Enshrouded world10,240 msquare, 7 regions
- Skill tree243nodes, level cap 50
- Co-op16players on a dedicated server
- Flame levels11open the regions in order
Players ask this because the two games look alike from far away: survive, craft, build a base and take on bosses with friends. Up close they are built differently, and the difference is what decides which one suits you.
A rule for this page: every Enshrouded number comes from the 1.0 game files on this site. Valheim is described only by facts that are well established and not numeric, because we do not track Valheim's files or patches here. If you want numbers for Valheim, check its own sources.
At a glance
Seven differences. The sections below take them in this order.
| Point | Enshrouded | Valheim |
|---|---|---|
| World | One hand-built map, 10,240 m on a side, 7 regions | Generated from a seed |
| Gate to progress | 11 Flame levels open the regions in order, the Shroud limits time outside | Bosses you summon with offerings |
| Character growth | Level cap 50, 243-node skill tree | Skills that rise with use, no character level |
| Gear | 505 weapons and 81 armor sets, with rarity and perks | Crafted and upgraded at stations |
| Building | Blocks you place and terrain you dig, inside a Flame Altar zone of 40–160 m | Pieces that need structural support |
| Getting around | Glider and grappling hook | Ships |
| Co-op | Up to 16 players on a dedicated server | Co-op survival |
The world: built by hand or generated
Enshrouded has one map, made by hand and the same in every world: 10,240 m on a side, with 7 regions from the Springlands (enemies around level 5) to Cinder's Cradle (around 48). That is why guides can say "the chest is here" and our interactive map can pin all of it.
Valheim builds a new world from a seed. Two worlds differ in where the biomes and landmarks fall, so a Valheim guide teaches you what to look for rather than where it is. Neither is better; they reward different habits. One is a place you learn, the other a type of place you learn to read.
How progress is gated
Enshrouded gates regions. 11 Flame levels, each bought with materials at your Flame Altar, open the next region in order and raise how long you can stay in the Shroud. The order is on the progression page and the Shroud rules are in the Shroud guide. There are 21 named bosses placed in the world, and the last is Lord Vorgoth.
Valheim gates progress with bosses: you gather offerings, summon the next boss at its altar and the fight opens the next stage. If you like to choose the moment of each fight, that is the difference you will feel most.
How your character grows
Enshrouded has levels: the cap is 50, each level gives 2 skill points, and the skill tree has 243 nodes in 4 trees (Core, Ranger, Mage, Warrior) with 212 points to spend in all. Gear comes in rarities with perks: 505 weapons and 81 armor sets (411 pieces). You can respec; the respec order shows the sensible order.
Valheim has no character level. Each skill rises as you use it: swing a sword and the sword skill grows. There are no classes to pick, so your build is what you do. Enshrouded asks you to plan a build; Valheim lets it emerge.
Building and your base
In Enshrouded you place blocks and dig terrain, and build around a Flame Altar whose zone grows from 40 m to 160 m a side as you upgrade it. 11 crafters (survivors you rescue) move in and give you recipes: see base building and the quest order.
Valheim builds from pieces that have to be held up: a roof needs beams and posts, and the game shows how much support a piece has. It is a physical puzzle in a way Enshrouded's blocks are not.
Getting around
Enshrouded gives you a glider and a grappling hook early, so the map opens up vertically: see gliders and grappling hooks. Valheim's answer to distance is the ship: you cross seas under sail, and the ocean is part of the game.
Co-op and difficulty
Enshrouded's dedicated server takes 16 players, and the enemy amount scales with the group: ×1 at 4 players, ×1.3 at 5 and ×3 at 16 (the 1.0 balancing table). The world has 38 server settings, from enemy health to XP, with four presets (Relaxed, Default, Hard, Survival). Details in multiplayer and co-op and crossplay.
Valheim is also a co-op survival game and is a natural fit for a small group. We do not compare player limits here because we do not track Valheim's numbers.
Who should pick which
Pick Enshrouded if you like a fixed, hand-built world you can learn, a character you plan with a skill tree, gear with perks, and a base that you can shape freely. It released 1.0 on October 15, 2026.
Pick Valheim if you like a world that changes every time, a character that grows by doing, and the sea. Both play well with friends, so the better question is which kind of world you want to play in.
Still unsure? Try the one whose first hour you would not mind repeating with a friend. If you like the genre, games like Enshrouded lists more to try, and the beginners guide gets you through the first steps of Enshrouded.
Related guides
Enshrouded Multiplayer & Co-op (1.0): Play With Friends
How to play Enshrouded 1.0 with friends: up to 16 players on PC and 8 on PS5, the new host permissions, and how enemies scale with the party.
Enshrouded Beginners Guide: First Steps in 1.0
Your first hours in Enshrouded 1.0 as a checklist: the Flame Altar level-up, the Blacksmith, the first Flame upgrade, Springlands' skill points and a starter build.
Enshrouded Base Building (1.0): Altars, Storage, Water
Enshrouded 1.0 base building from the game files: Flame Altar zones and caps, 74 block recipes, chests and Magic Chests, water dispensers and wells, beds.