Valhalla Hills

51%
Game Brain Score Based on 442 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
Valhalla Hills Game Cover
Valhalla Hills is a well built title easily capable of fulfilling a short term RTS fix. It’s complex without being complicated and rewards players with dozens of unlockables for clever and calculated play. Valhalla Hills’ only real drawback is the lack of a tutorial system that allows players to learn and take advantage of all the things it has to offer. RTS hardcores should find little difficulty with this potential caltrop, but moderate and casual players might have a very hard time.
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In Valhalla Hills, you lead a group of Vikings, guiding them to build and manage a thriving settlement in a hostile wilderness. Gather resources, construct buildings, and complete various quests to help your Vikings reach Asgard. Navigate through procedurally generated landscapes, facing ever-changing challenges and environments in this construction and management simulation game.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

51%
Audience ScoreBased on 442 reviews
gameplay22 positive mentions
story6 negative mentions
  • The game features charming graphics and a fun Viking theme that appeals to fans of city-building and strategy games.
  • Gameplay is simple yet engaging, allowing players to build settlements and manage resources in a relaxed manner.
  • The procedurally generated maps provide variety and replayability, making each playthrough feel unique.
  • The AI can be frustrating, with units often failing to perform tasks efficiently, leading to issues like starvation despite available resources.
  • The game lacks depth and can become repetitive quickly, with little incentive to explore or expand beyond basic objectives.
  • Camera controls and user interface can be clunky, making navigation and management cumbersome at times.
  • gameplay108 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it monotonous and lacking depth, often comparing it unfavorably to classic city-building games like the Settlers series. While some appreciate the casual and relaxing tempo, others criticize broken mechanics and a lack of engaging content, leading to aimless gameplay. Despite its beautiful graphics and potential for replayability, many feel it falls short of expectations, particularly in terms of gameplay structure and challenge.

    • “The gameplay is fun along the lines of Banished but without the community and fun items to build at the moment.”
    • “Beautiful graphics, AI I would say is 80% smart, you get to build beautiful Viking villages, and the game technically has unlimited gameplay, since every time you beat a map, a randomly generated map will be created for your next level, and they do indeed get harder and harder.”
    • “The progression feels very fluid for the first few missions and gives plenty of helpful advice in the early game to get you familiar with the game mechanics and how they work.”
    • “The mechanics aren't great, and I found after playing through 6 levels that it's just... a fairly boring game.”
    • “After 4-6 hours of playing the game, after understanding the gameplay, the question immediately arises: why for each time, without any motivation, do exactly the same thing?”
    • “The gameplay was boring, the tutorials lacking, the camera angles and movements are clumsy, the characters literally have no character.”
  • graphics104 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the cute and charming art style, as well as the overall aesthetic appeal. However, some users criticize the graphics for being simplistic or reminiscent of older games, with occasional performance issues and glitches reported. Overall, while the visuals are generally considered attractive, they do not always meet players' expectations in terms of detail and functionality.

    • “The graphics are beautiful and each map gives its own difficulties on building spots and resources available.”
    • “Graphically appealing with an absolutely beautiful art style and an amazing soundtrack as you build up your small viking village outside the gates of Valhalla.”
    • “Beautiful graphics, I would say the AI is 80% smart, you get to build beautiful Viking villages, and the game technically has unlimited gameplay, since every time you beat a map, a randomly generated map will be created for your next level, and they do indeed get harder and harder.”
    • “The graphics and overall game design quality did not match the expectations -- they look like Lego characters... not the feel I was hoping for.”
    • “It feels like it has all the problems and graphics of the old (very old) Settlers games without any of the charm and twice the price.”
    • “I'm afraid the graphics designer never saw a tree in real life, though.”
  • story46 mentions

    The story in "Valhalla Hills" is minimal and lacks depth, primarily revolving around the premise of a cast-out son of Odin striving to return to Valhalla. While some players appreciate the guided sandbox experience and gradual introduction of game mechanics, many criticize the absence of a cohesive narrative and engaging missions, leading to a feeling of incompleteness and monotony. Overall, the game's storytelling is seen as weak and fails to provide a compelling backdrop for the gameplay.

    • “The story goes that Odin is angry at the Vikings for some reason, so when Vikings die, they don't 'really' die; they go into some sort of purgatory Viking world, where if you die, you just get swooshed to an island, and you must fight for your honor.”
    • “The quests slowly introduce you to each building, but it never feels like a chore, more of a guided sandbox play, which I enjoy.”
    • “Valhalla Hills doesn't have a story mode aside from the short story of being the cast-out son of Odin who needs to build his way back to Valhalla.”
    • “It is hardly worth expecting the addition of a story scenario to the sandbox, for the concept of the game is so primitive that it is difficult to imagine even a network mode in it without a complete overhaul of the entire gameplay.”
    • “The lack of a central story or progression in the game leads it to fall short.”
    • “It feels incomplete and has no storyline.”
  • music34 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its ability to enhance gameplay and create a fitting ambiance, while others find it dull and lacking in catchiness. Some users noted that the soundtrack is well-implemented and can be addictive, contributing positively to the overall experience, though a desire for more variety in tracks was expressed. Overall, the music is seen as a significant aspect that adds to the game's quality, despite some criticisms.

    • “The background music really enhances the gameplay.”
    • “All in all, this music for the game really spruces it up and adds to the overall quality.”
    • “Graphically appealing with an absolutely beautiful art style and an amazing soundtrack as you build up your small Viking village outside the gates of Valhalla.”
    • “For those that are interested - the graphics are ok, but sadly the music is dull and not in the slightest bit catchy.”
    • “All I remember about the music from this is that I remember thinking 'this is dull'.”
    • “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
  • grinding12 mentions

    Players frequently criticize the game's grinding mechanics, describing them as repetitive and tedious, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. Many find the process of grinding for achievements and in-game resources confusing and unfulfilling, leading to a sense of dullness rather than engagement. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a significant drawback, making the game feel less rewarding.

    • “The biggest thing I have noticed is the repetitive grindy nature of the game.”
    • “Other than that, it just feels too dull and tedious.”
    • “Confusing until you've worked things out; I still have no idea whether grinding honor and taking over a map is better than just getting out of there after killing the baddies.”
  • stability10 mentions

    The game's stability is a mixed bag, with some players experiencing significant bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including freezing issues that result in lost progress. However, others report relatively few problems after extensive playtime, suggesting that stability may vary between users. Overall, the game appears to have notable stability issues that need addressing.

    • “However, there's some buggy behavior going on that can break the level. Restarting the level and doing exactly the same thing fixed it, so I made sure it wasn't just me being daft.”
    • “Oh, and just when you are about to get a viking to Valhalla, the game freezes and all your progress is lost - all new vikings at zero again, and two days later the same thing happens again.”
    • “This game is really buggy.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the constant changes that encourage trying different maps, others criticize it for limited content that undermines its potential for endless gameplay. Overall, the experience varies significantly among users, with some finding it highly replayable and others feeling it falls short.

    • “The core value of this game depends heavily on the replayability and endless type of gameplay, and it failed to deliver it.”
    • “Limited content is affecting replayability.”
    • “Because of the constant change, I feel like trying map after map, so it gets high marks for replayability at this time.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, providing a relaxing and entertaining experience for players, particularly through the amusing antics of the characters. However, some reviewers note that while the humor and presentation are commendable, the gameplay suffers from significant shortcomings that detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “I really like to play the game after work; it's relaxing and funny at the same time.”
    • “The humor and the presentation are overall nice and well done.”
    • “The game is pretty and funny, especially the way the Vikings do what they have to do while you focus on city planning and building.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The game is praised for its unique charm and inviting atmosphere, characterized by bright and fun colors that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers note that the well-implemented passive control scheme contributes to a smooth and enjoyable gameplay dynamic.

    • “The game has its own charm, its own atmosphere, its own gameplay and dynamics.”
    • “Well built with few noticeable hiccups, the passive control scheme is well implemented, and the bright and fun colors make the atmosphere inviting.”
    • “Nice atmosphere.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    Overall, the game is noted to be somewhat unoptimized, though not severely so. Reviewers anticipate that further optimization improvements will be made during the early access phase.

    • “There's also a good amount of optimization that needs to be done, which I presume will happen over the course of the early access stage.”
    • “The only bad thing I would have to say so far is that it's unoptimized (but not terribly).”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game resonates with players, as many express a strong connection that draws them back even after extended breaks, highlighting its lasting impact and the variety of challenges it offers.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
2-9hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs

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