Developers of sandbox games often choose to leave their overarching narratives to the imagination, but Valheim's Nordic inspiration opened up a wealth of lore that has catapulted the Iron Gate Studios release to the apex of the genre. Each biome in the harsh climate tells a different tale with its unique creatures, and players can easily get sidetracked from the plethora of base-building mechanics to explore the enthralling boss battles. Valheim's status as the Nordic purgatory - the unavoidable route for warriors to prove their worth to ascend to Valhalla - is only alluded to via the environment's runestones, and the sandbox title could expand on these pieces of lore by bringing them to life in the form of NPCs.