How to Use Debug Mode (Creative Mode) in Valheim

Valheim's closest thing to a "creative mode" is a console command called debugmode. Once it's on, you get free-cost building, freecam-style flight on a hotkey, and a one-shot kill key for whatever creature you're aiming at. This guide covers whatdebugmode unlocks, the keys it binds, and the discrete commands (nocost, freefly, fly) you can use instead when you want finer control.

Like every cheat in this category, it requires cheats enabled first. devcommands has to run before debugmode will do anything.

Turning debug mode on

Open the console with F5, then:

That's the whole toggle. Run it again to turn it off. There's no argument; the command flips a single boolean in the session. When it's on, three new keys do things:

B — toggles free-build (no resource cost, no crafting skill requirement, no station required).
Z — toggles flight. Same effect as the fly command, just bound to a key.
K — instantly kills the creature your crosshair is on. Works on bosses too, which makes farming trophies a one-key operation.

What free-build (B) actually does

With debug mode on and B pressed, the build hammer behaves like this:

Every recipe is unlocked. You can place Artisan Table pieces from your first day in the Meadows.
No materials are consumed. Place as many stonecutter walls as you want; your inventory doesn't move.
No workbench coverage required. Build anywhere — middle of the ocean, top of a mountain, inside a dungeon.
No structural integrity checks. Pieces don't collapse when their support chain is broken.

Press B again to return to normal build rules. Pieces placed during free-build are real — they stay after you toggle off, and other players see them.

What flight (Z) does

The Z key in debug mode is the same toggle as the fly console command. Up with spacebar, down with left Ctrl, normal movement keys for horizontal. The full breakdown — gotchas about falling when the toggle wears off, what flight doesn't pass through — is in the fly, god, and ghost guide.

What the instant-kill key (K) does

Aim at any creature and press K. They die, drop loot normally, and their global key is set (so killing Bonemass with K still unlocks iron progression). Useful for clearing a pesky troll without committing to the fight, or for farming materials from creatures you can already beat.

K does not work on players in PvP — it only targets creatures. And it doesn't have a range cap, so you can kill things off screen if your crosshair line intersects them.

The discrete commands — when to use them instead

debugmode is the shortcut. If you only want one of its behaviors, use the underlying console command directly:

Free-build only

nocost toggles no-cost mode without binding the B key or enabling the flight/instant-kill keys. Good when you want a creative build session without accidentally pressing Z and floating off your roof.

Flight only

Same toggle as the Z key, no extra hotkeys attached.

Free camera (for screenshots)

freefly detaches the camera from your character — you can fly the camera anywhere while your character stands still. Used mostly for cinematic screenshots, not gameplay.

Common creative-mode workflows

Build a sky base

devcommands
debugmode
Press Z to fly up to your altitude.
Press B to start placing free-cost pieces.
Use the hammer normally — every piece is free.

Clear a problem creature

Fastest way to remove a single annoying troll or two-star wolf without nuking the whole area like killenemies does:

debugmode
Look at the creature.
Press K.

Photo mode

freefly — detach camera.
Mouse and WASD now move the camera, not the character.
freefly again — reattach when done.

What debug mode does not do

It doesn't make you invulnerable. Use god for that. Free-build mode in the middle of a swamp is a great way to get killed by a 2-star draugr archer.
It doesn't unlock the tech tree. Recipes are placeable, but you still need to learn them through normal discovery for them to appear in the crafting UI when nocost is off again.
It's not a true sandbox/no-clip. Collision still applies to your character and to the freecam.