Valheim Vanilla Valheim devcommands run in the client and are blocked on a dedicated server, so most “Valheim cheats” guides you’ll find online don’t work when you run them while connected to a WinterNode server. Pick the path that matches what you want to do:
- Spawn items, fly, god mode, heal, and the rest of the cheat set on your dedicated server: install the Server_devcommands mod. Despite the name, it installs on your own game client, and you need to be on the server’s admin list.
- World-level changes (skip time, reset wind, trigger or cancel raid events, reset boss progression, change world modifiers): these are admin commands, not cheats. See World and Event Commands in the Become an Admin guide. No mods needed.
- Singleplayer or a listen server (a world hosted from your own Steam client rather than a dedicated server): use the vanilla devcommands flow, no mods needed.
The mod path and the singleplayer flow both use the in-game F5 console, so turn that on first.
Before You Start: Enable the F5 Console
The in-game console is off by default. Turn it on once with a Steam launch option:
- Open Steam and go to your Library
- Right-click Valheim and choose Properties
- Under General, find the Launch Options field
- Enter
-console(with the hyphen) - Close the Properties window and start Valheim
In-game, press F5 to open the console. If nothing happens, double-check the launch option and restart Valheim through Steam.
If you’ll use the Server_devcommands mod, you’ll set -console in your mod manager instead, covered in the mod install steps below.
Enable Full Cheats with Server_devcommands
To use the full devcommands set (item spawning, god mode, fly, heal, and the rest) while connected to a dedicated server, you need two things. Installing the mod on the server by itself is not enough, and that is the step most people miss.
1. Get on the server admin list
Add your Valheim player ID to the server’s adminlist.txt. If your server has crossplay enabled, you may need your PlayFab ID rather than your Steam ID, since Steam IDs do not always match when crossplay is on. See the Become an Admin guide to add yourself, or open a ticket and we’ll add you.
2. Install Server_devcommands on your own computer
Despite the “Server” in its name, this mod runs on your client. The cleanest way to install it is with a mod manager:
- Install a mod manager. r2modman is a free standalone app and the most common choice; Thunderstore Mod Manager works the same way. Pick either one.
- Create a profile for Valheim
- Install Server devcommands (by JereKuusela). If the manager offers to install dependencies, accept: it pulls in BepInExPack Valheim (the mod loader) automatically.
- In the profile’s launch parameters, add
-console. This is where mod manager users set it, instead of in Steam. - Launch Valheim through the mod manager, not through Steam. Launching from Steam loads the game without your modded profile, so Server_devcommands will not be active.
- Join your server, press
F5, typedevcommands, then run the commands from the Devcommands Reference below.
That is the minimum required setup: the mod on your client, plus your ID on the admin list.
Optional: install it on the server too
If you only want fly, god mode, and item spawning, you can skip this. The client install plus your admin-list entry is enough. Installing Server_devcommands (or its companion, Dedicated_server_devcommands) on the server as well adds server-side command handling and is worth it for heavy use. It needs BepInEx running on the server first. If you didn’t select BepInEx at checkout, or you’d like us to handle the server-side install, open a ticket through Discord or the Client Area and we’ll set it up.
Devcommands Reference
These are the commands you run once devcommands is active. They work on a dedicated server when Server_devcommands is installed on your client, and in singleplayer or on a listen server with no mods. In the F5 console, type devcommands first; the console replies with “Dev commands: True”.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
spawn <item> [amount] [level] | Spawn an item, creature, or prefab. Example: spawn SwordIron 1 4 |
god | Toggle invulnerability and infinite stamina |
fly | Toggle no-clip flight (move with W/A/S/D and space/ctrl) |
freefly | Detach the camera from your character for screenshots |
heal | Restore your health to full |
tame | Tame the closest creature within range |
killall | Kill all creatures within ~20 meters |
puke | Clear your food buffs |
pos | Print your current world coordinates |
goto <x> <z> | Teleport to coordinates |
location <name> | Teleport to a named location (e.g. location StartTemple) |
resetcharacter | Reset your skills and learned recipes |
raiseskill <skill> <amount> | Raise a specific skill by a number of levels |
Item names use Valheim’s internal prefab IDs, not the in-game display name. For example, iron sword is SwordIron, not “Iron Sword”. The Valheim wiki item code list has a full reference.
To turn the toggle back off without restarting, run devcommands again. The console replies with “Dev commands: False”.
Cheats in Singleplayer or on a Listen Server
If you are playing singleplayer or hosting a listen server from your own Steam client, no mod is needed. Add -console to Valheim’s Steam launch options (the F5 console steps above), press F5, and type devcommands. That enables the full command set above for the current session.
Still Not Working?
devcommands returns True, but fly (or another command) says “not valid in the current context”
This is the most common one. It means one of two things: you’re not recognized as an admin, or Server_devcommands isn’t installed on the computer you’re playing on. Check both:
- Confirm Server_devcommands is installed on your client, not just the server. Installing it on the server alone does not enable these commands for a connected player. This is the most common cause.
- Confirm your SteamID64 is in the server’s
adminlist.txt. - If your server has crossplay enabled, admin matching may need your PlayFab ID rather than your SteamID. Open a ticket and we’ll work out the right ID for your account.
If the F5 console doesn’t open, the admin commands aren’t accepted, or Server_devcommands doesn’t behave after install, contact our support team with:
- Your Server UUID
- Whether you’re trying to cheat as a client connected to a WinterNode dedicated server, or in singleplayer / a listen server
- A description of what command you ran and what happened (or didn’t)
- Whether F5 opens the console at all, or whether the command itself is what fails
Frequently Asked Questions
Not by default. Devcommands runs in the client and is blocked on a dedicated server, so spawn, god, fly, heal and the rest of the cheat set will not do anything when you run them while connected to one. To use the full cheat set, install the Server_devcommands mod on your own game client and add your player ID to the server admin list. A handful of built-in admin commands (setworldmodifier, resetwind, event, randomevent, stopevent, resetkeys, skiptime, sleep) do work on a vanilla dedicated server with no mods.
No. setworldmodifier, resetwind, event, randomevent, stopevent, resetkeys, skiptime, and sleep are server-side admin commands and run on a vanilla dedicated server as long as you are on the adminlist; they are documented in the Become an Admin guide. Item spawning, god mode, fly, heal, and the rest of devcommands require the Server_devcommands mod, which installs on your own game client.
Yes. Add -console to Valheim's Steam launch options, press F5 in-game, and run devcommands. That enables the full cheat set for the current session. This vanilla flow only works in singleplayer or on a locally-hosted (listen) server, not on a dedicated server.