A game that mixes the best of Valheim and Skyrim has just hit one year on Steam, and it’s still getting rave reviews.
Survival games are a dime a dozen nowadays, and it can be hard for new ones to stick out from the crowd. Still, if you’re a fan of the genre there can be a lot to discover just from trawling the Steam home page.
If you want something that combines the sandbox nature of Valheim with the open world shenanigans of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the in-development title Aska might have what you need.
Developed by Black The Fall studio Sand Sailor Studio and published by Thunderful, Aska is a game where you build and sustain a powerful Viking tribe in a harsh world.
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“In Aska, build and sustain a powerful Viking tribe where you and your villagers work, craft, hunt, and fight together,” reads the official description on Steam.
“Command intelligent NPC villagers, guiding them through the challenges of survival in a harsh and dangerous world. Play solo or with up to three friends and forge your legend.
“Design and construct every aspect of your village - from homes and workshops to altars and fortifications. Each structure serves a purpose, contributing to the functionality and defense of your thriving community.”
Aska also has support for both solo and co-op gameplay, where you can live out your Viking dream alone or with up to three friends.
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It currently has a total review score of 79%, indicating a “mostly positive” rating.
“The game concept is absolutely brilliant,” reads one Early Access review on Steam with over 300 hours logged. “City building combined with survival. I've read many complaints about the NPC AI. I can't understand any of them. The NPCs do what you want, and if something doesn't work, you get a message telling you what's missing.”
“This is the perfect combination of survivalcraft and colony builder,” reads another review with 238 hours logged.
Aska is still in Steam Early Access, but the developer has indicated that it plans to release the game some time in 2025.