Source-checkedQuality of life & UI

ExpertExplorer

by MilkMediaProductions · for Valheim

Adds a new Exploration Skill to the game. Exploring and finding new points of interest will increase the skill. As the skill increases, so will the player's sight range (on the minimap.)

47KDownloads
17d agoLast updated
BepInExLoaders
ThunderstoreSource

About ExpertExplorer

From Thunderstore

Adds a new Exploration Skill to the game. Exploring and finding new points of interest will increase the skill. As the skill increases, so will the player's sight range (on the minimap.)

Expert Explorer

A Valheim mod that adds a new Exploration Skill to the game. Exploring and finding new points of interest will increase the skill. As the skill increases, so will the player's sight range (on the minimap.) Discovered locations can be pinned to the map with a hotkey. Default hotkey is "P", but it can be changed in the config file.

<table> <tr> <td> Discover Points of Interest </td> <td> Discover Points of Interest </td> </tr> </table>

Manual Install Instructions

BepInEx is required for this mod. Assuming BepInEx is already installed, locate the BepInEx folder in the Valheim installation directory (By default: C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Valheim\BepInEx) and navigate to the plugins folder. Unzip the contents of this package to a folder called "ExpertExplorer" within the plugins folder. This should be all that is required, assuming all mod dependencies are installed.

Features

  • New Skill: Exploration
  • Dynamic sight range based on Exploration Skill
  • Common names for locations / points of interest
  • Minimap indication of current location
  • Pin discovered locations to the map with a hotkey

Localization

Localization is implemented and English localization is provided. I would love to expand to other languages in the future.

Contact and Issue Reporting

You can report issues with the mod at the github link below.\ <https://github.com/MysteriousMilk/ExpertExplorer>

Additionally, you can reach me in the Valheim Modding Discord under the name Milk.

Changelog

v1.8 - Deep North Localization Update

  • Add localization strings for new locations found in the Deep North.
  • Add guard against empty field when loading an existing save file with PlayerExplorationData.

v1.7 - Valheim 1.0 (Deep North) Compatibility

  • Fix issues and rebuild for Valheim 1.0

v1.6 - Rebuild and Localization Updates

  • Rebuild for Valheim patch 0.221.10
  • Localization updates to support more locations within the More World Locations mod.

v1.5 - Mod Compatibility and Bug Fixes

  • Add compatibility with Smoothbrain's Sailing Mod.
  • Attempt to fix issue with More World Locations where the discovered location was causing a NullReferenceException.
  • Fix issue where trying to determine the biome index could sometimes cause a KeyNotFoundException.

v1.4.7 - Call to Arms

  • Rebuild for Call to Arms update (0.221.4)

v1.4.6 - Localization Fixes

  • Fix broken localization for location text.

v1.4.5 - Valheim Patch 0.220.3 Compatibility

  • Recompile to make compatible with Valheim patch 0.220.3.

v1.4.4 - More World Locations Compatibility

v1.4.3 - Localization Fallback

  • Add code to search root mod directory for localization files if they are not found in the typical location

v1.4.2 - Bog Witch Update

  • Fix spawn issues introduced by the Bog Witch update
  • Add Bog Witch location to list of available locations

v1.4.1 - Version and Localization Fix

  • Fix issue where version number didn't have the patch digit (again)
  • Updated to latest Jotunn framework
  • Plugin correctly reads localization string from a file now

v1.4 - Auto-Pinning

  • Update to latest valheim version (0.218.21)
  • Added several hotkeys for auto-pinning general pins to the minimap
  • Pin Home Icon (default RightCtrl + Numpad0)
  • Pin Point of Interest Icon (default RightCtrl + Numpad1)
  • Pin Ore Icon (default RightCtrl + Numpad2)
  • Pin Camp Icon (default RightCtrl + Numpad3)
  • Pin Dungeon Icon (default RightCtrl + Numpad4)
  • Pin Portal Icon (default RightCtrl + Numpad5)
  • Additional Configuration Settings to toggle off mod related UI notifications

v1.3.1 - Version Number Fix\ Fix issue where version number did not have the "patch" digit, causing issues validating against the server version

v1.3 - Dungeon Auto-Pinning Option

  • Added Auto-pinning option for dungeon locations
  • Fixed issue where mod-tracked pins would not be removed from custom player data if the player removes the pin from the map
  • Fixed issue where the key reported in the "Discovered Location" UI was static and not driven by the key code in the config

v1.2 - UI Tweaks and Location Pinning

  • Added names for Ashlands locations
  • Location text above minimap now displays the correct location when in an interior dungeon
  • Replaced in-world text with MessageHud messages when a location is discovered
  • Added ability to pin locations to the map with a hotkey
  • Server synced config variables

v1.1.2 - Player Save Fix\ Fix issue where saved biome data would duplicate everytime the player entered a biome, thus driving up the player file size.

v1.1.1 - Ashlands Update\ Mod rebuilt to support the Ashlands update.

v1.1.0 - Multiplayer Support\ Mod now works in multiplayer. Added RPC calls to communicate location data between the server and client.

v1.0.1 - Localization Fix\ Internalized localization (at least for now) because r2modman condenses the directory structure to a single subdirectory.

v1.0.0 - Initial Release\ Implemented base mod functionality.

Highlights

From source data

Loaders

Runs on BepInEx.

Footprint

Rated a light load on a server.

Dependencies

Needs 2 other projects installed alongside it.

ExpertExplorer on Nxeon

From our catalogue
One-click install
Supported on Nxeon Valheim servers, for BepInEx servers. We download it from Thunderstore, place it, and restart the server.
Server side
Optional on the server
Server type needed
BepInEx
Server load
light
Smallest plan we suggest
Valheim — 4 GB (4 GB RAM). This follows our own load rating above, not a benchmark.
Latest build
1.8.0, released 2026-10-18

Game versions by loader

LoaderGame versionsNewest
BepInEx

From 20 recorded builds of ExpertExplorer.

Recent builds

BuildReleasedGame versionsLoaders
1.8.02026-10-18n/aBepInEx
1.7.02026-09-10n/aBepInEx
1.6.02026-02-08n/aBepInEx
1.5.02025-09-26n/aBepInEx
1.4.72025-09-10n/aBepInEx
1.4.62025-08-10n/aBepInEx

Dependencies

Declared by the newest build that lists any. Required ones are installed with it on one-click installs.

Run ExpertExplorer on a Valheim server

Pick a server or deploy a new one above; it is installed in one click.

What kind of mod it is

From the catalog
Listed on Thunderstore as “Tweaks”

Quality of life & UI

Small conveniences, tweaks and interface improvements players notice straight away.

Works on a server

From source side support

Thunderstore lists server-side support for ExpertExplorer as optional: it can run on a server, but isn’t required there.

Compatibility

Game
Valheim
Loaders
BepInEx
Runs on
Serveroptional on the server
Requires
One-click install needs a BepInEx server. 2 other projects installed alongside it.

Verified at the source

  • ✓ThunderstoreOfficial listing, checked 2026-10-18Open ↗
  • ✓AuthorMilkMediaProductions, as published on Thunderstore
  • ✓LicenseNot published by the sourceFree

ExpertExplorer, answered

Generated from the mod’s own source data.

Do my players need to install ExpertExplorer?

Thunderstore lists server-side support for ExpertExplorer as optional: it can run on a server, but isn’t required there.

Which loaders does it support?

BepInEx.

Is it free?

Yes. ExpertExplorer is free to download from Thunderstore.

How do I add it to my Nxeon server?

Use “Add to a server” on this page, or open NxLabs from your dashboard. We install it, restart your server and switch it on.

NxLabs

Run ExpertExplorer on a Valheim server.

Deploy in about a minute from $9.99 a month, then add ExpertExplorer in one click.