Attention fellow base-building ghouls and survival masochists, I've got good news and bad news. Starting with the good: Some of the best survival crafting games are no longer in early access, and have hit their 1.0 milestones. The bad news? Three of them piled into the same one-month window. I've seen a million posts all asking the same advice: "Should I get Valheim, RuneScape Dragonwilds, or Enshrouded first?" And as someone who can't stop sinking hundreds of hours into mining the same three types of rock, I'm qualified enough to help you decide. I've also recruited my colleague, Chris Livingston, who is always up to in-game riffraff resulting in funny animal encounters or injuries like some sort of bizarre, survival-crafting Jeff Corwin.Comparing Valheim, Dragonwilds, and EnshroudedWe've got our own opinions on who's who among the recent survival crafting 1.0 launches, but maybe you just need something to compare features before getting into recommendations. It's by no means everything included across all three games, but here's a quick comparison of the differences and similarities between features and default settings in Valheim, RuneScape: Dragonwilds, and Enshrouded.FeatureValheimRuneScape DragonwildsEnshroudedMapProcedurally generatedHandcraftedHandcraftedFast travelPlayer-crafted portals with item limitsPlayer-crafted portals that require runes as currencyUnlockable fast travel points and limited player-crafted basesThirst and starvationNo thirst or starvation mechanic, but food buffs are vitalAdjustable thirst and starvation mechanics with food buffs (enabled by default)Adjustable thirst and starvation mechanics with food buffs (disabled by default)Inventory capacitySlots and weightSlots and weightSlots onlyDeath penaltiesSkill XP/levels lost; leave behind a gravestone with inventory to retrieveNo XP loss; leave behind a gravestone with inventory to retrieveNo XP loss; leave behind a gravestone with inventory to retrieveItem durability✔️✔️✔️Crafting from storage❌✔️✔️Structural integrity✔️✔️❌Sleep through nightsSkips nighttimeSkips nighttimeSpeeds up nighttimeComfort/RestProvides rested buff through furniture and decor with comfort valuesRequires sleep to replenish rest meter; separate cosiness buff requires a bedProvides rested buff through furniture and decor with comfort valuesDynamic weather✔️✔️✔️Grid snap✔️✔️✔️Terraforming✔️❌✔️Stats and levelingGain XP and levels in various skills and weapon proficiencies upon using relevant tools or crafting benchesGain XP and levels in various skills and weapon proficiencies by using relevant tools or by collecting output from crafting benches. Some proficiency levels include stat bonuses or new abilitiesLevel up through combat and exploration; each level rewards skill points to spend on additional stats or abilitiesRaids✔️✔️❌Dungeons✔️✔️✔️Fishing✔️✔️✔️Farming✔️✔️✔️Taming and ranching✔️❌✔️Mounts✔️✔️❌QuestsA few optional sidequests; progression is instead driven by explorationMain story quests drive world progression; sidequests reward optional bonusesMain story quests drive world progression; sidequests reward optional bonusesCreative Mode✔️✔️❌Photo Mode❌(Has option to hide HUD, can control camera with console commands)❌✔️Custom difficulty✔️✔️✔️Official mod support❌❌❌Multiplayer1-10 players1-6 players1-16 playersSteam DeckVerifiedPlayableUnsupportedCrossplay✔️ Available between PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S (and Switch, pending an update)✔️ Available between PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S (and Switch, pending an update)❌ Planned for future updatePrice$30/£24 (Steam)$30/£25 (Steam | Epic)$40/£35 (Steam)Valheim vs Enshrouded vs RuneScape: DragonwildsMost traditional do-this-or-else survival game🥇 Dragonwilds🥈Valheim🥉EnshroudedMining sucks, and our debate on a winner here turned into "which is the least terrible" instead of an argument over the best. Hunting ore in Valheim's swampy biome was the worst, and stingy Dragonwilds nodes were second worst. Least terrible mining🥇 Enshrouded 🥈Dragonwilds🥉ValheimMining sucks, and our debate on a winner here turned into "which is the least terrible" instead of an argument over the best. Hunting ore in Valheim's swampy biome was the worst, and stingy Dragonwilds nodes were second worst. Best in deforestation🥇Valheim🥈Dragonwilds🥉EnshroudedIn Valheim, the trees hit back. Nothing beats getting crushed to death by an entire forest—the other two don't even come close. The one for building sickos🥇 Enshrouded 🥈Valheim 🥉DragonwildsEnshrouded is the best set of Legos, hands down. It has blocks in all shapes and sizes, tons of furniture, terraforming, NPC villagers, and even tools for adding a sprinkle of decay to buildings. Excellence in hunting you for sport (raids)🥇 Dragonwilds🥈ValheimValheim raids are a close second (a great way to get resources delivered to your front door) but there's something rad about a dragon boss showing up at your house and carpetbombing you with poison while you're trying to get cozy.Best 'There and back again' (exploration)🥇Valheim🥈Enshrouded🥉DragonwildsThe handcrafted worlds of Enshrouded and Dragonwilds are both awesome, but setting out on a voyage into the procedural world of Valheim is a mysterious thrill each and every time, which makes coming home again all the more satisfying.Most deserving of a Michelin Star🥇Enshrouded🥈Dragonwilds🥉ValheimEnshrouded wins us over with its cooking mechanics—holding your own meaty kebabs over an open flame is a nice touch—but this was a close one. The multi-step process in Dragonwilds is fun to micromanage, while Valheim's system feels the most rewarding.Valheim vs Enshrouded vs Dragonwilds: Our picks 2026 games: All the upcoming gamesBest PC games: Our all-time favoritesFree PC games: Freebie festBest FPS games: Finest gunplayBest RPGs: Grand adventuresBest co-op games: Better together