RuneScape Dragonwilds vs Valheim: Which one should you play in 2025?

RuneScape Dragonwilds and Valheim are two survival games that offer a rich storyline and many similar mechanics. But which one is the better choice to play in 2025? Well, I've played both, and from my experience, the question is not which one you should play, but rather which one is more of your playstyle.

RuneScape Dragonwilds is the new kid on the block from the creative minds of the good folks over at Jagex. Yes, the same people who created RuneScape. Valheim, on the other hand, has been in Early Access since 2021 and is just about ready to leave it as well once the Deep North (1.0) update goes live.

Now that you know the basics, let's dive into the playstyles of each game. Of course, these are based on my personal opinion and will vary from person to person.

Note: I'm not taking into account graphics, price, and hardware requirements.

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RuneScape Dragonwilds vs Valheim: The battle of the survival genre

If you were to ask me, RuneScape Dragonwilds vs Valheim, which one is better? I would ask you, what do you prefer? Do you like a storyline with narrative-driven objectives, or do you want to do things as you see fit? Do complex mechanics allure you, or do you enjoy casual survival scenarios?

The reason I'm asking is that we need to look at the RuneScape Dragonwilds vs Valheim from an objective and subjective viewpoint. Without understanding how they function, the entire "versus" point will be moot. Let's start with the former.

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RuneScape Dragonwilds

Chop-Chop! (Image via Jagex Ltd)

RuneScape Dragonwilds takes a lot of inspiration from RuneScape and creates a memorable feeling set in the forgotten continent of Ashenfall. At face value, it may seem complex, but it's very simple to grasp.

If you are new to the genre and have played RuneScape, there is no question that this is something that will excite you. There are Quests to complete, resources to harvest, items to craft, and of course, dragons to slay.

Even if you don't have your merry band of adventurers to help you along the way, the game is quite palatable solo. You won't feel overwhelmed at any point as long as you have sufficient supplies. It's rather fast-paced once you get the hang of things and you understand what to do.

Dragons are part and parcel of RuneScape Dragonwilds (Image via Jagex Ltd)

Quests can be confusing at times since they don't tell you what to do, but with a keen eye, it shouldn't be hard to find the objective. As for crafting, well, you have a dedicated journal with information that will help you keep track of everything.

In my experience, the game even has a lot to offer to seasoned players of the survival genre. Yes, it is simplified, but the graphics and animations are amazing. Not to mention Spells that make certain tasks a breeze, and with the roadmap having been revealed, there's a lot of good stuff on the way.

Since it was only recently released in Early Access, you won't take long to complete the game. I reckon anywhere between 25 and 35 hours should be the time required. Once you're done with the final Quest, there's not much else to do. Until new content is added to the game, players can only take part in PvP and stock up on supplies.

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That's the first half of the RuneScape Dragonwilds vs Valheim debate. Now that you know about the former game, let's address the latter: the giant Norse mythology-inspired survival game that has most players giving up after a while.

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Valheim

There's a Troll in the dungeon! (Image via Coffee Stain Publishing)

There's not much to say about the latter in the RuneScape Dragonwilds vs Valheim debate. It is a brutal survival game that will have you dying mere minutes into the first playthrough. Yes, it is extremely frustrating, and dying 10 different ways to Tuesday is real. There is no shortage of ways you can die, and for this reason, it may not appeal to new players.

Nothing about Valheim is simple. There's very limited hand-holding, and you need to learn as you play. Unlike RuneScape Dragonwilds, where you're told about the biomes and their difficulties, there's nothing of the sort in Valheim. You'll be warned if you try to venture into the Black Forest, and the difficulty scales rapidly. You'll either run back in one piece or die a horrible death at the hands of a sneaky Troll.

Valheim does have relaxing moments (Image via Coffee Stain Publishing)

That's just surviving against enemies. You have to manage food, shelter, weapons, and the elements, all while exploring and charting the unknown world. Resources are much more complex, as well as the dynamics that are involved in crafting. While progression is linear, it can be dynamic as well.

Nothing is stopping you from exploring as far as you can travel, but it won't make a difference until you complete certain milestones; in this case, defeating bosses. It will be easier with friends, as many hands make light work, but more people mean more resources needed; hence, a lot more time required to even get past the first two bosses.

I could go into an entire tangent as to how complex and dynamic Valheim is compared to RuneScape Dragonwilds, but that won't be fair given how long Valheim has been out in Early Access. However, even in 2021, when first released, it was unforgiving. Due to the many dynamic layers present, the learning curve is less of a slope and more of a 90-degree wall.

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In conclusion

Now that I've given you my two cents on the RuneScape Dragonwilds vs Valheim debate, let me give you a conclusion. Which one should you play? The answer is both. They are very different games, meant for an entirely different set of players. Saying one is better than the other is like saying the Sun is bad because it makes you sweat and it goes into your eyes at midday.

If you want something challenging but fair, RuneScape Dragonwilds is going to be a sweet spot between survival and fun. There will be a time when you will die, there's no doubting it, but it's not unforgiving. Since scaling is very linear from one biome to the next, you shouldn't have trouble retrieving your loot, unless you die in a terrible spot.

Valheim is good if you have experience in the survival genre. It hugely ups the ante and can be difficult to learn. You could potentially circumvent the learning curve to an extent by asking someone to show you the ropes, but you still have to put in the legwork. If you want something challenging and raw, Valheim is going to be your best bet.

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