Elden Ring Meets Valheim In New RPG You Can Play Free Now

1 hour ago 8

Published Jun 13, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT

Sean Migalla (he/him) is a non-fiction and fiction writer with a B.A. in Television from Columbia College Chicago. He is a life-long fan of video games, having started on an NES as a kid and continuing to play ever since. Sean also has a strong love for all things table-top gaming, especially TCGs and TTRPGs.

Valheim may be a survival game, but it is rarely very stressful. Its beautiful landscapes, pleasant sailing music, and cozy crafting options for your home make it a good way to relax. While this may be the appeal of the game for some, others may want their survival games to make, well, surviving a bit more difficult. Luckily, if you've ever wanted to play a game that combines the core mechanics of Valheim with the bleak and harsh world of something like Elden Ring, there's a game you can try out on Steam right now that meets those needs.

Nested Lands is a new indie survival game set in a bleak medieval world. Much of the land has been ravaged by a plague, and you are tasked with establishing a new settlement and keeping your followers safe from it. Aside from the deadly disease, you also have to contend with bandits and environmental factors like inclement weather. Like many games in the genre, Nested Lands also offers online co-op if you'd like to play with friends.

Nested Lands village with people sitting around a fire

Perhaps the most standout feature of Nested Lands is its settlement building mechanics. Unlike other survival games where you are often crafting lodging for just yourself and whoever you're playing with, the game puts you in charge of a whole village. You are tasked with managing this village by instructing the people living their to carry out tasks while you are out collecting resources. You also have to find ways to keep them alive, both from the ongoing plague and from external attackers.

Throughout the game you will be able to find new people to recruit to help out in your village, but resource management is important. You need to make sure you can take care of all the people you're taking in. This creates a more consistent need that you'll have to fill than in games where you can go long stretches of time without collecting specific resources, as there is no ticking clock or resource management elements like that.

Cultists in Nested Lands sacrifice a villager

If you are curious about Nested Lands, I would urge you to try out the demo on Steam, as opposed to buying the game outright. Although the game has mostly positive reviews on the platform, even those who are enjoying the game have noted that it can be very buggy. It is also not a complete experience yet, as it's still in early access. It's probably worth seeing if you like the game in its current state before spending $14.99 for it.

As development continues, I'm hopeful that Nested Lands can prove to be a notable addition to the survival game genre. As much as I enjoy Valheim, there did reach a point once I'd crafted everything I could and explored every region that I lost interest in the game. By presenting a constant need to care for my settlement, Nested Lands could prove to have a bit more longevity. That said, it is also much less relaxing, so if you're looking for a cozy crafting game, this isn't it.