Bad North

74%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,796 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
Bad North Game Cover
Mostly delightful and sometimes punishing, Bad North is a fun alternative to more complex strategy games.
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"Bad North" is a real-time strategy game where players defend their island kingdom from Viking invaders. Each island is procedurally generated, requiring players to adapt their tactics to the unique terrain and enemy forces. With permadeath for both soldiers and commanders, each decision carries weight, making for a tense and engaging experience.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Android
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

74%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,796 reviews
gameplay226 positive mentions
story20 negative mentions
  • Charming art style and sound design that enhances the gameplay experience.
  • Simple mechanics that are easy to learn but provide depth and challenge as you progress.
  • Engaging tactical gameplay with a variety of enemy types that require strategic planning.
  • Limited content and replayability, leading to potential boredom after a few playthroughs.
  • Some balancing issues, particularly with certain enemy types that can feel overpowered.
  • Lack of a comprehensive tutorial or guidance on unit abilities and mechanics.
  • gameplay537 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by its simplicity and accessibility, allowing players to quickly grasp the mechanics while still offering depth and strategic complexity. The procedural island generation provides a fresh experience with each playthrough, although many players note that the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks sufficient content for extended play. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging mechanics, beautiful art style, and the balance between casual play and tactical challenges, making it enjoyable for both newcomers and seasoned strategy fans.

    • “Such a unique gameplay; its procedural island generation makes it an extremely fun game to play over and over again, always having a new experience at every restart.”
    • “The gameplay is engaging with a tolerable bit of randomness, and the mechanics are easy to understand, allowing for a fun and strategic experience.”
    • “The gameplay loop keeps you coming back with randomly generated islands, and the mechanics are simple yet deep, providing a satisfying challenge.”
    • “The only con in my opinion is that the game is extremely small and just as one feels like he has begun to understand the mechanics of it, the game has ended.”
    • “While it excels in aesthetics and gameplay, the repetitiveness and eventual boredom make it challenging to recommend for PC play.”
    • “The gameplay is simplistic and it gets stale pretty quick, but it does feel cool to see your guys beat up the other guys.”
  • graphics480 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming, minimalist art style that effectively complements the gameplay. Reviewers appreciate the beautiful and polished visuals, which create an engaging atmosphere despite the game's simplicity. The combination of cute graphics and strategic depth enhances the overall experience, making it visually appealing and enjoyable to play.

    • “The game's visual style is striking, featuring a charming low-poly aesthetic that adds to its overall appeal.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful and give you that indie vibe.”
    • “The graphics are simple yet complex at the same time, as in some of the battles you can see it raining and it will hit water and create a ripple in the water.”
    • “The graphics are primitive; there is almost no variety in the game.”
    • “While the graphics were charming, I quickly found this game boring and repetitive.”
    • “You are paying for very sharp graphics and a clean UI, but that is it.”
  • music158 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Reviewers highlight the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, which effectively builds tension during battles and complements the game's art style. Many players appreciate the unique compositions associated with different enemy types, creating an immersive and engaging environment that keeps them invested in the game.

    • “The hauntingly beautiful soundtrack complements the on-screen action, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall gaming experience.”
    • “The soundtrack's simplicity and ambient nature perfectly complement the gameplay, immersing players in the intense battles and adding to the overall atmosphere.”
    • “The music grips you from the very intro.”
    • “The music is okay, nothing too special.”
    • “- the sound effects and music are, again, repetitive and boring; (i think a battlecry or some random wildlife interaction, like archers 'accidentally' hitting a bird or something, would have made the entire game feel and sound more alive).”
    • “Only thing I wish there was more of is the 'viking' music.”
  • replayability155 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its procedurally generated maps and unique playthroughs that offer a fresh experience each time. However, some reviewers note a lack of depth and variety in gameplay elements, leading to repetitiveness after a few hours. Overall, while there are elements that enhance replayability, such as unlockable traits and randomized challenges, many feel it falls short of providing long-term engagement.

    • “There's also a lot of replayability to this game, as each playthrough will be completely different with the game's procedurally generated stages.”
    • “The game's brevity is offset by its replayability, as players can experiment with different strategies and commanders, ensuring that each playthrough feels unique.”
    • “Randomly generated islands and campaigns give this a high replayability value.”
    • “However, its major downside is the lack of replayability, which diminishes interest after just a few hours.”
    • “It's simply too barren in its class, upgrade, and skill system to warrant replayability.”
    • “The game doesn't have much in the way of replayability besides collecting starting traits and items.”
  • story93 mentions

    The reviews indicate a significant divide regarding the game's story aspect. Many players express disappointment over the lack of a cohesive narrative, describing the game as having little to no story, which detracts from their overall experience. However, some appreciate the gameplay mechanics and replayability, suggesting that while a deeper story would enhance the game, it remains enjoyable in its current form.

    • “It's a story as old as time itself: Thorfinn and his posse have decided that you, the Englishman, have too many nice things and they'd like some for themselves.”
    • “From the gameplay point of view, this game is flawless, the perfect balance of challenge, graphics, story, options, and immersion.”
    • “I like that the story is mostly built via the atmosphere, but a little bit of flavor text would go a long way.”
    • “The game does not have a storyline to go with the action.”
    • “I would buy again when on sale, but full price is too much for a story-less game.”
    • “There is no story at the moment; I have no clue if the dev will add one later.”
  • atmosphere45 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Bad North" is widely praised for its immersive and oppressive qualities, enhanced by a haunting soundtrack and minimalist visuals that create a sense of dread and tension during gameplay. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke emotions through its art style, sound design, and the procedural elements of the islands, which contribute to a unique and engaging experience. Overall, the combination of atmospheric music, engaging visuals, and a sense of mystery makes it a standout feature of the game.

    • “The way the islands get slowly covered in blood, the nervous faces of your commanders in the UI, the way the music changes with the enemies that are on screen, giving the stronger enemies a blood-curdling aura, the endless onslaught of featureless warriors that will do anything they can to ruin you, all of that combined with the fog that is slowly chasing you off of the map creates a truly unique kind of oppressive atmosphere.”
    • “The hauntingly beautiful soundtrack complements the on-screen action, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall gaming experience.”
    • “The minimalist soundtrack and visuals create a deceptively relaxing atmosphere that I really enjoyed.”
    • “The battles are hectic and tense, and the whole atmosphere of Bad North makes you feel an immense dread of what's to come.”
    • “The procedural weather of each island, such as a rainy dusk falling combined with the sounds of horns and Nordic droning, really creates an atmosphere of ramping tension.”
    • “In this game, there are no special circumstances, only different weather patterns, which do serve to change the atmosphere, but don't change the gameplay.”
  • humor32 mentions

    The game's humor is widely praised for its simplicity, quirky mechanics, and charming graphics, with many players finding the antics of the characters, particularly the "funny little vikings," to be hilariously entertaining. The slapstick elements and amusing animations contribute to a lighthearted experience that keeps players engaged, although some note that the humor may wane with extended play. Overall, it is described as a cute and funny strategy game that successfully blends humor with gameplay.

    • “The game has funny mechanics to play and well polished.”
    • “Hilariously fun with island safety action and amazing sound effects!”
    • “The characters are very funny and original.”
  • grinding26 mentions

    Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be excessively tedious and repetitive, particularly after multiple playthroughs, with players often feeling the need for a "second life" to endure the grind. While some appreciate the strategic elements, many find the early stages and repetitive level replays to be a significant drawback, leading to boredom and frustration. Overall, the grinding aspect detracts from the enjoyment, especially after the initial hours of gameplay.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding!”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “I wish the developer had made this 10k, just to remove some grinding hours to complete the game.”
    • “After beating the campaign on each difficulty, grinding out level after level to get 'bathed in blood' was so extraordinarily boring.”
    • “Good game but it's held down by being extremely tedious after the 3rd or 4th playthrough.”
  • optimization13 mentions

    Overall, the game is well-optimized, running smoothly even on low-spec PCs and older machines, with no significant bugs reported. However, some users experienced slow loading times and stuttering, particularly on Mac systems, and noted performance issues after extended play. The lack of feedback on performance can lead to unnecessary restarts, impacting the overall experience.

    • “Good for bad PCs and runs smoothly.”
    • “Bad North is a fun game that is well made, well optimized, and has a fun art style with quality art.”
    • “I have encountered no bugs, no performance issues on a high-end machine (even low-spec computers can play this, maybe even tablets), and the presentation has been consistent.”
    • “Incredibly slow loading times and stuttering.”
    • “Fun game, but poor optimization on Mac.”
    • “Performance hit and freezes after day 30 when units are selected.”
  • stability10 mentions

    The game's stability is generally praised, with most players reporting a well-produced experience free of significant bugs or glitches, and smooth performance across various systems. However, some users noted issues such as pathing problems, battle script bugs, and game-breaking glitches that occur after a certain point, particularly affecting save functionality and overall enjoyment in longer play sessions.

    • “The game is built well and has close to no glitches.”
    • “It is well made for what it is, with no glitches and fairly streamlined gameplay.”
    • “Runs great on almost anything, with very smooth scaling and camera panning, despite the procedural physics of the game world being quite complex.”
    • “Pathing needs work, battle script can be buggy, still fun.”
    • “Game-breaking glitches.”
    • “It's a fun game for the first few runs, but it gets boring quickly and is buggy beyond reason. Save files don't even work, so if you want to win, you better sit down for the long haul because you aren't going to be able to come back to a save.”
  • emotional8 mentions

    Players report a profound emotional experience throughout the game, marked by strong attachments to characters and the impact of permadeath. The combination of strategic gameplay and heartfelt writing creates a rollercoaster of emotions, from triumph to loss, ultimately leading to a deep sense of satisfaction and connection to the game's world.

    • “Between the character upgrades, unlockable items, and permadeath, it really takes you on an emotional journey throughout the course of the campaign.”
    • “I got emotionally attached to my commanders, felt strongly whenever I won or lost, and completed the game with a deep sense of satisfaction.”
    • “Through what can only be described as genius, heartwarming writing, I believe that this game not only succeeds as a video game, but as an art form.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is generally viewed positively due to the absence of ads, which enhances the experience for players who prefer a seamless gameplay environment. However, some users feel that the game's simplicity does not justify its price, suggesting it resembles a mobile game that would typically include ads, leading to mixed feelings about its value.

    • “I liked how it felt like a mobile game but also a PC or console game at the same time with no ads.”
    • “I haven't played the mobile game yet; it might flesh out mechanics and have neat ideas, but the ads really annoy me, so I won't play it.”
    • “Not sure why the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. This game looks really nice and has a cool idea, but it's way too simple and feels more like a game I would expect to play on my phone with ads. It's not worth $5 on sale.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game features a large interface reminiscent of RPGs, but ultimately offers limited depth, as players are primarily choosing between similar rock-paper-scissors mechanics for each unit. Despite this, the character designs are praised for their charm, particularly the adorable portrayal of Viking characters.

    • “The character development system is incredibly deep, allowing for a wide range of abilities and customization options that truly make each character feel unique.”
    • “The character arcs are well-written and engaging, making you genuinely care about their growth and the choices they make throughout the game.”
    • “The game features a rich character development experience that not only enhances gameplay but also adds emotional depth to the story.”
    • “While there is indeed a big development screen in the game, like you would encounter in an RPG with dozens of abilities, this game's entire character development GUI is literally just so you can choose between the same rock-paper-scissors for every unit, and that's it.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

67% average critic score

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Play time

10hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
4-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 34 analyzed playthroughs

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