if you're having issues like that in single player it isn't the games fault it's your own.

take responsibility for your actions and stop blaming the game for being "too hard" when you weren't even ready to enter the areas where you died.

The only problem is you're not playing it with me 8)

The game is perfectly playable in single-player, and needs no simplifying.

If you die often, stick to the Meadows until your skills, both in-game and personal, get higher.
Upgrade your gear as you unlock upgrades, and make sure to not go out with half-broken items.
Never, ever underestimate the importance of being rested, eating properly, or managing stamina properly.
Never, ever overestimate your skill as a player.

Basically, play smart, and you'll have a perfectly manageable time. Foolhardy, reckless, or over-confident players are guaranteed to have a difficult time -- and it is their own fault, not the game's.

(Source: 1100+ hours played in single-player, and, by now, I can go without dying for as long as I don't make a stupid mistake.)

The game is easier with more people, some things alone are dare I say more grindy.

You have to play smarter. sorry it sounds cruel, but facts are facts.

When you get ganked, dont attempt to get your marker until you eat and rest up to full health.

All you should be using for retrieval is a bow some arrows, and potions. Thats it.

If they are camping your marker, pull them off with bow shots and run them away until you can peel off, circle around then get your things. Or hop on a boulder and whittle them down until you can deal with them. the AI in this game, so far, has problems jumping. Use that.

Critters in this game can be exceptionally mean, but they can also be exceptionally stupid.

It is fine. I am overpreping. Max gear, max weapon, max food, sleep at night, sail close to shore. Use teleports. Have max food for retrive run. After 100h and i am in mistlands. It is grindy, but it is not hard. Do not rush the game.

Nothing wrong with the game. Just a lack of preparation and knowledge on how the mechanics work.
When you move to a new location make a small forward operating base, much like the armed forces would do. This is your new respawn point. Before moving away from it look to make a portal, crafting benches and chests to stock up on food and potions. Also may want to keep some backup gear in the FOB.

If your base is near the Swamps make sure you have poison resist potions.
Mountains make sure you have frost resist clothing spare or potions.
So on and so on.

If you try to rush the game will punish you hard for your lack of preparing.

The game is fine and needs no “rework”, it’s just that it’s geared toward a slightly higher than average QUALITY of player.

In addition to what OctoberSky said, you could also consider not playing in a single-player game. Play with some friends, or go to the "Looking for Group" subforum here.

Lost my gear once in mistlands when I already had protection staff out, waiting in a dvergr tower, quick afk, came back, selected staff (so I put it away), left clicked and instead of bubble I punched the 1 star mage in front of me. Did not end well and grave was inside the tower. After an attempt with resist potions, bonemass and iron armour (also not good result, and another grave inside after picking up half my other gear) I ended up back in Lvl 1 troll armour shooting Gjalls and seeker soldiers with a fine wood bow and kiting them back past the tower until enough had died I could get in to get my gear. Always, always have a couple of spare wisplights... Just a matter of changing tactics to get your gear back unless you are boss fighting, but even then, you can draw them away, run the long way round and grab your gear and hide behind a thing and put it back on.

body recovery has at least 3 or 4 tried and true methods and they work just fine single player...
1) is the most basic. you put on your best food and spare gear, and go kill everything and get it. This assumes you were not somehow in a zone you can't handle, which can happen, but hopefully you have learned your lesson about this early.
2) nekkid sneak. Just sneak up to your corpse and get it. This assumes you have learned to sneak, which you can practice in the meadows on deer. When you can kill deer naked with a club reliably, you can do this, with a bit of caution.
3) bowcheese. Just take a bow and a bunch of arrows, a spare hoe, and 10-20 wood. Find a place near your body but not in danger and raise a small terrain platform. Alert and shoot the enemy to death. Recover body before more spawn. Keep enough stamina to run back up top your nest if you alert anything.
4) if your body is near major water, you can raft or other boat if you have one close and use 1-3 above to get close, swim in, grab or fight and grab or even bow from the raft and grab.

and that is just the legit methods. Simple deleting your character file and replacing it with the backup puts you at your respawn point but with all your pre-death stuff. Its cheating, but unlike other methods, its very safe. As a side effect you get spare gear copy so next time you can use #1.

game works totally fine in singleplayer fulltime. speaking from personal experience. you can ALWAYS get your loot back. it never disappears unless another player picks it up.

there is nothing that needs to be reworked here. the game rewards avoiding death and beeing careful and prepared. it punishes rushing and careless play harshly. working as intended. wont change.

Have food at your base. Eat up, then sprint to your body. Loot it. You take 75% reduced damage and heal 10hp/s for 50 seconds, giving you plenty of time to equip your stuff and get an easy revenge.

SP is fine. devcommands and ghost mode is fine too. You paid for the game and can experience it any way you wish. If you feel that console is going to reduce that experience then go with your gut. Every single player in this forum can sympathize with your experience and please forgive those who will tell you to 'git gud'. They are actually right but everyone has their own pace for that. Slow down. Valheim is a multi-course feast to savor. Not fast food.

You might consider looking into the mod Valheim Plus. It lets you configure stuff to make the game easier on you. Or harder. Whichever you prefer.