KEY POINTS

  • Extra snap points can be added by placing a Wooden Door
  • Additional snap points can make interior and exterior decorations easier to account for
  • Using different building materials can make any building look more interesting

No other game does base-building quite like “Valheim” does. The game is surprisingly lenient in terms of building placement, having seemingly little care for whether or not an object clips through or into another. While clipping is usually frowned upon, it works surprisingly well in Iron Gate’s Viking survival game.

Players who are tired of making the same old boxy houses can use “Valheim’s” leniency with clipping objects to create some intricate details on their buildings. Countless community members have made stunning structures over the duration of the game’s first year, and thankfully, even amateur builders can get learn how to make amazing bases with this one simple trick.

How to add details to buildings

The first step to designing a base is to lay out its foundation first. After placing down the walls, roofs and floor, it’s time to add depth to the exterior.

[Valheim] Three depth levels provided by a Wooden Door's snap points
Three depth levels provided by a Wooden Door's snap points Valheim

Adding depth to a building involves adding extra snap points to walls or platforms. This will let players place even more walls or other objects that are extruded by just a few inches from the main building. Doing so will add a bit of contrast to a structure, making it look more appealing.

To add more snap points, players need to add a normal Wooden Door to a horizontal beam or piece of floor. Wooden Doors actually have three snap points, which will let players add those few extra inches to a wall without messing up measurements.

[Valheim] Adding snap points makes external wall decoration hassle-free
Adding snap points makes external wall decoration hassle-free Valheim

Contrast and Material Variety

The best way to avoid boxy builds is by adding contrast and variety to a structure, either by making the floor plan less symmetrical, adding varying degrees of elevation or simply using different materials for specific building parts.

Use a mix of regular wood, logs and the new Darkwood to add variety to a building. Then, consider adding a few extra rooms, corners and stairs to make each building less symmetrical and boring.

Wooden beams make for great decorative pieces for even the most basic of house builds. Use them as support beams or as rune-styled decorations for exterior walls. Combine this with the previous point about depth and experiment with what works and looks best for given buildings.

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