assistant: • Explore the world and gather resources as you go. Almost everything you see can be harvested and used for crafting or building.

• Focus on upgrading your tools and weapons early on. Better tools will let you gather resources more efficiently. Better weapons will help you survive combat encounters.

• Build a shelter as soon as possible. Having a place to sleep will save your spawn point and let you avoid weather effects and enemies. Even a basic shelter is helpful.

• Learn how to parry and dodge in combat. Blocking and dodging attacks is key to surviving difficult encounters. Practice the timing and don't get overwhelmed by groups of enemies.

• Travel by sea when possible. Sailing is often faster than walking or running, and you can carry more in your ship's cargo hold. But watch out for storms and sea monsters!

• Prepare well for boss fights and crypts. These areas have significant challenges and dangers. Go in with the best food, gear, and weapons you can obtain and don't take them lightly.

• Play with others when you can. Valheim is multiplayer and co-op play can be very rewarding. You can work together to build, explore, fight enemies, and take on challenging areas as a group.

• Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the journey! Don't get too caught up in min-maxing or rushing through the game. Take your time to experience all Valheim has to offer.

prompter: Great info, thanks! I'm playing with some friends that are survival game veterans and they want to make the game a little harder.
Is there any rule we can make for ourselves that would make the game more difficult in a fun way?

assistant: Sure! 
1. Assuming you've not gotten very far, you're going to want to scout a nice place for a house. Try to think about how you could use the terrain to your advantage when building, Valheim has a variety of naturally occurring cliff faces and waterways which could save you time and materials if utilized properly. It's not necessary, but Valheim is a game with a huge open world, so you'll want to have your house near the sea as well, or at least have a path leading towards the nearest sea.
2. Game will make a very specific sound which is also directional, if you're having trouble finding game, try listening for where they might be making noise
3. Resource gathering is vastly important in Valheim, especially if playing with friends. It would be wise to create lumber yards that you stockpile common resources like wood that you'll need throughout the entirety of your stay.
4. Creatures will not spawn within the radius of a workbench, if your struggling with creatures surrounding your base of operations, try building a few decorative structures that incorporate the workbench to keep them from spawning.
5. Most resources in Valheim have a use that may not be immediately obvious, it's usually a good idea to stockpile resources early on in your run.
6. Valheim is a fun but challenging game, just remember that most challenges are rewarded in some way, if an enemy is too powerful for you, don't give up! Get a little stronger then give it another try, your likely to get resources that help you power up your gear.
7. Most of all, Valheim is meant to be played with friends, being able to split the responsibilities among members of your group while taking on huge projects together is where most of the fun in Valheim comes from.
I hope that these are suitable tips for your playthrough, best of luck!

prompter: Where can I get the game? A bunch of my friends want to play and I don't own it.