If you think you’ll reserve your spot in Valhalla by smashing through all of the best Viking games, well, there’s a strong case for that!
Viking games are trending and there’s no better time to grab your hands on some of the best Viking gameplay than right now. Regardless of whether you’ll be dining at Odin’s table at the end of it all, there’s nothing quite like a bone-crushing Norse mythology saga.
With a solid mixture of incredibly deep storytelling, interesting mythological artifacts and all-out skull-smashing warfare, Viking games are often embellished with extreme detail and variety. There are relics to forge, fairytales to get lost within and plenty of hacks and slashing as you carve your way to the gods above.
Top 6 Best Viking Games
The epic survivalist adventures of Valheim and Northgard’s simplex real-time strategy settler builder are nothing to sniff at. You could spend a lifetime on these games across PC, Xbox, Playstation & Switch and still be yearning for more Nordic action.
From strategy to shield maidens, Valkyrie to swordplay, it’s time to crown the greatest Viking titles to hit the shelves in recent years.
Here are my top 6 best Viking games to play now:
- Valheim – Best Overall
- Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla – Best For Role Playing
- For Honor – Best For Combat
- God Of War: Ragnarok – Best Action Adventure
- Northgard – Best For Strategy
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – Best Independent Game
As always, my personal list of the best Viking games has been curated with the mindset that you could own each one of these games and not feel like you are playing a repeat of another. I have played so many Viking-centric games over the years and while many draw inspiration from one another, there’s so much variety to suit your preferred playstyle.
Valheim
Best Viking Game Overall
Release Date: 2nd February 2021
Platforms: PC, Xbox, PS4 & PS5
Game Developer: Iron Gate AB & Fishlabs Entertainment GmbH
No surprises here that Valheim tops our list as the best Viking game of all time. And for bloody good reason too. It’s one of the greatest survival and sandbox video games to have ever been produced!
Nobody ever thought that Valheim would become such a huge hit and with porting across to consoles, we have no doubt it will become the best survival game on Xbox too. Learning the ways of the Viking through hunting, building, exploring and surviving, Valheim is a brutal journey that has been inspired by the depths of Viking culture.
With incredible scenery, Valheim is stacked full of surprises and the journey itself is one that will be remembered by every player that embarks upon it. Gather essentials, fortify your base, fend off trolls and brew some mead when the day is done.
Will you brave the elements alone?
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
Best Viking RPG Game
Release Date: 10th November 2020
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox, Series X, Google Stadia, Windows
Developer: Paradox Interactive
Despite the love-hate relationship for any game within the AC series, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla is still the best Viking RPG out there right now. Although that is mostly because there is nothing really to rival what Ubisoft have conjured with AC: Valhalla, you cannot deny that the tales of Eivor are fairly epic.
I know it’s super controversial and I’m not absolutely thrilled to be listing any Assassin’s Creed titles here. However, from representing Viking culture almost flawlessly to delivering graphics that are very much intoned with Viking era, the overall vibe of AC: Valhalla is just an all-round pleasant experience.
AC Valhalla does not entail the same detail of combat as other games in the series such as Odyssey. However, the combat system is still fairly enjoyable and there’s of course plenty to explore throughout the open world map. Which, by the way, is actually stunning.
Drop your hate speech for a moment and give AC: Valhalla an opportunity to change your mind – I think you might be moderately surprised at just how much AC: Valhalla is burdened by the series’ poor legacy.
For Honor
Best Viking Combat Game
Release Date: 15th September 2016
Platforms: PC, Playstation & Xbox
Game Developer: Ubisoft
If you’re hunting for one of the best Viking games that puts the clashing of swords at the forefront of its gameplay then For Honor is the perfect addition to your collection. Kind of like a grand scale version of the popular TV series ”Deadliest Warrior”, For Honor is every fighting game lover’s dream.
Pitted against Samurai, Knights and Wu Lin, For Honor delivers a high-octane bone-crunching Viking experience including both single hand-to-hand combat and large-scale fighting. Developed by Ubisoft, the graphics are as you would imagine and while the focus remains purely on combat, there’s a storyline brewing underneath that equally would be as good had the clanging of swords not broken your ears.
With so many updates over the years, For Honor continues to remain fresh with character balancing, new maps, heroes and plenty of minor changes here and there. If you have always wondered how Vikings would fair against the mighty Samurai, For Honor is definitely the game for you.
God of War: Ragnarok
Best Viking Action Adventure Game
Release Date: 9th November 2022
Platforms: PS4 & PS5
Game Developer: Santa Monica Studio
Despite an original Greek heritage, God of War: Ragnarok ditches the Greeks and puts Vikings front and centre of the series’ latest addition. And you bet, it’s just as good (if not better) than previous instalments of our much-loved limb-breaking warrior.
As a sequel to the critically acclaimed God of War, Ragnarok marks the final chapter of the series’ Norse storyline. Taking charge of both Kratos and a grown-up Atreus, players will be in search of answers across Nine realms in preparation for world-ending warfare.
There will be hacking, slashing, hunting and plenty of twists along the way.
If you haven’t played God of War, we recommend starting here first to get up to speed with the storyline. However, for God of War: Ragnarok, expect nothing less than searing violence and storytelling that rivals any action-adventure game on the planet.
The world is about to end.
Northgard
Best Viking Real Time Strategy Game
Release Date: 22nd February 2017
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch & Android
Game Developer: Shiro Games
Making our list as one of the best real-time strategy games of the modern era, Northgard presents as an Age of Empires-style settler-based strategy game set within the epic adventures of Norse mythology. All of the components from AOE can be expected alongside a few modifications that frankly make the game diversely improved. There are freak weather conditions to contend with, a variety of Northgard clans, plenty of foes along the way and a multiplayer mode that is just as intense as the fairytales of Ragnarok.
Available now at just a fraction of the price of the first release, there is so much replayability to Northgard that you quite simply just have to spend a few dollars and grab this bargain. While the story mode is a little bleak for content, single-player and multiplayer skirmishing is extremely entertaining with so many ways to reach victory.
Related: Northgard Review (Console & Mobile)
From generating lore to trading with other factions, forging mythological relics and preparing for the blitz of the winter storm before it leaves your population starving, the details within Northgard are just as epic as the graphics and the base game.
Northgard is without question one of the best Viking games to hit the shelves within the past 2 years. A must-buy for AOE and Viking game fans – even on your mobile!
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.
Best Independent AAA Viking Game
Release Date: 2nd February 2021
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Series X, PS4 & Switch
Game Developer: Ninja Theory, QLOC
For anyone looking for a high-quality Viking game that doesn’t necessarily pay homage to true Viking culture but is centred around Helheim, look no further than Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. Without question, this is one of the best indie games on the Nintendo Switch!
As an astonishing dark fantasy RPG that entails fighting, puzzling and adventure, Senua’s storyline is nothing short of beautiful. Assuming the role of a grieving Senua, you are tasked with travelling to Helheim to retrieve the soul of your lost lover and avenge the death in the process.
While Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice looks nothing like your typical Viking game, the script writing is bang on the money with the Viking era and as such, Hellblade is just one of the games that you simply must play before you die. Your wits will be tested, your metal put to the sword and your mind enthralled with the tale that paves its way before you.
Hellblade is a Viking game at its core – just without the a-typical Viking skin.
Best PC Viking Games
Topping the list of the best PC Viking games is of course the epic survival experience of Valheim. Yet, there are many other Viking experiences well worth playing on PC.
Here are the top 10 PC Viking games to play before you die:
- #1: Valheim
- #2: Northgard
- #3: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- #4: For Honor
- #5: Jotun
- #6: Volgarr The Viking
- #7: The Banner Saga Trilogy
- #8: Bad North
- #9: Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
- #10: Smite
Best Xbox Viking Games
Xbox is absolutely stacked with awesome Viking games, what with the porting of Valheim onto consoles too. But are there any others here that may have missed your gaze?
Here are the top 10 best Xbox Viking games to play right now:
- #1: Valheim
- #2: Northgard
- #3: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- #4: For Honor
- #5: Jotun
- #6: Volgarr The Viking
- #7: The Banner Saga
- #8: Bad North
- #9: Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
- #10: Vikings: Wolves of Midgard
Best Viking Games PS5
Home to the critically acclaimed God of War series, when it comes to the best PS5 Viking games, there is plenty to choose from. While other platforms have fairly good Viking games, it’s hard to look past God of War on the PlayStation.
Get ready for bloodshed; here are the best PS5 Viking games right now:
- #1: God of War: Ragnarok
- #2: God of War (2018)
- #3: Northgard
- #4: For Honor
- #5: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- #6: The Banner Saga
- #7: Jotun
- #8: Volgarr The Viking
- #9: Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
- #10: Vikings: Wolves of Midgard
Best Viking Games Switch
Fight your way to Valhalla and pay homage to the Valkyrie on your Switch consoles. While not blessed with epic RPG adventures like consoles such as Xbox & Playstation, there are plenty of other Viking games to enjoy on the Switch.
Here are the top 10 best Switch Viking games you can play right now:
- #1: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- #2: Skyrim
- #3: Northgard
- #4: Dead In Vinland
- #5: The Banner Saga
- #6: Niffelheim
- #7: Jotun: Valhalla Edition
- #8: Bad North
- #9: Volgarr The Viking
- #10: Swords & Soldiers
The Final Word
Phew, my blood is boiling just even thinking about some of gaming’s best Viking experiences. With a lot of Viking games being ported across multiple platforms, there are plenty of options for you to choose from – regardless of your preferred gaming console.
There’s literally a Viking game for every type of gamer and with new entries coming thick and fast now that Viking sagas are trending, I for one am personally looking forward to what the future brings. If there was one game on my list that I would recommend playing at all costs, it would be Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. While the game does not present as your traditional Viking game, everything about it screams Vikings and it is absolutely packed with some much diversity, you’ll be entertained for hours upon end.
What would you consider the best Viking game?
Drop a comment below with your favourite Viking games in order from best to worst. Once you’re done, don’t forget to check out some of my other roundups, game reviews and technology deep dives. Here’s a quick list of other articles you might like:
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- Nintendo Switch OLED Review.
- Best Zombie Shooter Games.
- Elden Ring Xbox Review.
- Best Military Warfare Games
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- Best Real-Time Strategy Games.
- The Best JRPG Games Of All Time.
- Best Horror Games On Xbox.
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