Landnama – A Survival Video Game Set In Viking Age Iceland

Landnama is a survival-based video game developed by Sonderland Games set in Viking Age Iceland, revolving around the Norse settlement of the island. The title of the video game references the medieval manuscript Landnámabók (i.e. the Book of the Settlements in Old Icelandic or Old Norse) which recounts the Norse colonisation of Iceland during the Early Middle Ages (more specifically during the 9th and 10th centuries). This medieval manuscript includes the names of approximately 400 Norse brave colonists who ventured to settle in Iceland between the years 874 and 930. These settlers (otherwise commonly known as Vikings, a term which denotes a profession or an occupation rather than an ethnic label) were predominantly of Norwegian origins, being Norwegian Vikings from the south-western and central-northern parts of Norway. A considerable amount of these settlers along with their families went to Iceland in order to escape the harsh rule of King Harald Fairhair or Finehair (Harald Hårfagre in Norwegian) who, according to legend, was the unifier king of Norway during the late 9th century (namely in circa 872 AD after the Battle of Hafrsjord which took place during the same year). For these settlers, Harald Fairhair was considered an oppressive monarch who imposed drastic taxes. These Norse settlers were nobles and farmers alike. At the same time, it must be mentioned that the settlement of Iceland did not only include Norse, but also Gaels from the Hebrides, the Isle of Man, Scotland, and Ireland, both Gaelic nobility and thralls (i.e. slaves). The British Isles were also home to the hybrid culture of the Norse-Gaels. Landnámabók offers a wealth of valuable information in understanding the renowned Icelandic sagas as well. If you’re interested in the Icelandic sagas, please also see this article on 10 Icelandic sagas which you should read.

The video game Landnama allows players to simulate the Norse colonisation of Iceland region by region by choosing from multiple Viking clans (some having more survival advantages for a particular region than others). The goal of the game is to survive the winter (more specifically the winter death toll) and thrive even in the most harshest living conditions on the island. Some regions offer more resources than others. Resources are represented by hearts and are collected by a series of buildings which can be built on various terrains. The more hearts a player gathers before wintertime, the stronger the chances of survival for a Norse colony. When the entire island is settled, a saga is completed. Players also get various achievements based on their in-game performances. The game can be played on iPad, Windows, or MacOS. If you decide to play it via Steam then you’ll have to purchase it. Otherwise, the AppStore version is free to download but it offers in-app purchases.

Below you can watch a playthrough of mine of Landnama embedded via YouTube. I truly hope you will like watching it and find it interesting. Thank you very much for your time, attention, and readership. It means a lot ot me! All the best and have fun playing Landnama!

P.S. Below are my achievements as well (which you can obtain too if you decide to play this great game).

Documentation sources, external links, and further reading:

• The page of the video game on www.steamcommunity.com (Steam)
• The page of the video game on www.apps.apple.com (AppStore)
• The page of the video game on www.play.google.com (Google Play)
• The page of the video game on www.sonderland.games/landnama
• Landnámabók (i.e. the Book of the Settlements) on www.wikipedia.org (in English)
• Landnámabók (i.e. the Book of the Settlements) on www.britannica.com (the online version of Encyclopædia Britannica)
• Achievements on www.landnama.fandom.com
• If you are interested in other games or types of entertainment during the Viking Age, then please also see this article which I published on these topics back in 2016 (one of these games is Hnefatafl, meaning king’s board, which you can also play digitally)