Valheim quickly became a household staple for my husband and me. After watching Felicia Day playing on Twitch, we knew this would be the game for us. We have over 1,381 hours put into this title, so when the Mistlands playtest was launched, we knew we had to prepare!
Updates Leading to Mistlands Playtest
Before getting into our preparations, there were a few updates before this playtest. First, we had Hearth & Home. Here we mostly saw changes to the food system, new recipes, combat changes, and build pieces. The changes are noted in the table below.
| Food Rebalancing | Foods / Cooking Station | Combat | Build Pieces | Plains |
| Distinction between health and stamina boosting foods | Iron cooking station and stone oven | Tower shields have higher knockback | Darkwood pieces | Lox mounts |
| Timers on food slots | Onions | Stagger bar added during combat | Raven and wolf decorations | Lox saddles |
| Health-based foods marked by red fork | Jerky, Soups, Stews, Muckshakes, breads, and pies | Blocking power scales with max health | Crystal walls | Tar |
| Stamina-based foods marked by yellow fork | New shields, battleaxe, and knives | Cages | ||
| Neutral foods marked by white fork | QOL items : obliterator, cauldron upgrades, throne, hot tub, cartography table |
Additionally, we also saw the Frost Caves update. This added danger and intrigue to the Mountain biome. Players saw new creatures, resources, and crafting recipes. The changes are noted in the table below.
| Creatures | Resources | Crafting Recipes |
| Bats | Fenris claws and hair | Fenris Armor |
| Ulv | Ulv trophies | Flesh Rippers |
| Cultists | Cultists trophies | Standing Brazier |
| Red Jute | Red Jute carpet and curtains |
Thoughts Heading Into the Mistlands
We start a new save file whenever there is a significant update or a while since we last played. In terms of updates or playtests, this is because new areas will not render in a place you have already been. Therefore, it is essential to create a backup save if you are not making a new character. I will add a link below with directions on how to do so.
Coming into the Mistlands playtest, we read no spoilers. At the time of writing this, the playtest has only been open for about a week. Therefore our new characters have not gone to the Mistlands yet. However, there have been a few things we noticed as we have progressed through to the Mountain biome. The fishing system seems to have been revamped! Players can now craft bait and catch a variety of new fish. The only problem is that you cannot pick up fish you drop. This is noted in the images shared above. My husband caught a level four fish but mounted it in a weird spot. Upon unmounting, it is now stuck on our base’s floor. Overall, it is a minor bug and only caused him a tiny bit of disappointment. Overall, we look forward to sharing our journey into the Mistlands with you next week!
Odds and Ends
Andie Boyungs wrote a lovely article about Valheim when it was initially released. IGN also shared a comprehensive guide on backing up your save file. Valheim is available on PC and Xbox.
