Banished
- February 17, 2014
- Shining Rock Software LLC
- 25h median play time
New city-builder Banished is the most fun you'll have simulating famine all year.
Get on Steam"Banished" is a city-building strategy game where players manage a group of exiled travelers seeking to build a new settlement. The main objective is to maintain resources, balance population growth, and expand infrastructure for survival in a harsh, procedurally generated wilderness. With no set objectives or technology tree, players have the freedom to explore different strategies for growth and success.
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Windows
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Reviews
- gameplay4,513 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Banished" is characterized by its simple yet finely tuned mechanics that create a challenging and engaging experience. Players must carefully manage resources, population, and seasonal changes to ensure the survival of their settlement, leading to a balance of strategic planning and micromanagement. While the game offers a rewarding learning curve, it can become repetitive once players master the mechanics, and many recommend exploring mods to enhance and extend gameplay.
“Every worker feels vital to the survival of your city (the excellent AI definitely helps this) and every element of gameplay is finely tuned so you can min-max or play casually to your heart's desire.”
“The balance between managing food, housing, and resources keeps the gameplay engaging and tense, as one misstep can lead to a chain reaction of difficulties.”
“The game's mechanics are elegantly simple yet deceptively complex, requiring careful planning and foresight to ensure the survival of the settlement.”
“Banished turned 10 years old this year, and the game is starting to show its age, in terms of graphics, gameplay, and mechanics.”
“It can be frustrating at times due to fixed mechanics that must be followed, otherwise prepare for an early demise.”
“Once you figure out the mechanics, and it's quirks, it offers only a tiny bit of a challenge.”
- graphics2,986 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Banished" are generally described as simple yet charming, effectively conveying a rustic medieval aesthetic that enhances the gameplay experience. While some players appreciate the game's visuals for their atmospheric quality and detail, others note that the graphics feel dated and could benefit from updates. Overall, the graphics are considered adequate for the game's requirements, with many players enjoying the art style and the immersive environment it creates, despite some criticisms regarding the lack of variety and detail in certain aspects.
“Visually, Banished is stunning in its simplicity, with charmingly rustic graphics that capture the rugged beauty of the wilderness.”
“The game's graphics create a cozy and immersive medieval setting that is both simple and detailed.”
“The graphics are detailed and full of character, and the game's sound effects and music create an oppressive yet beautiful atmosphere.”
“Banished turned 10 years old this year, and the game is starting to show its age, in terms of graphics, gameplay, and mechanics.”
“Graphics and animations are very basic, like it's from the '90s.”
“Graphics don't hold up anymore though.”
- music1,608 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and soothing qualities, effectively complementing the gameplay and enhancing the overall atmosphere. However, many players note that the soundtrack can become repetitive over extended play sessions, leading some to prefer listening to their own music instead. Despite this, the soundtrack is often described as beautiful and immersive, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
“The game's soundtrack is subtle yet evocative, perfectly complementing the serene atmosphere of the wilderness.”
“The music is relaxing, the guides out there really help you get past the learning curve of the game, and it is exciting to see how well you can make your thrive!”
“The soundtrack, while not overly complex, complements the gameplay beautifully, enhancing the feeling of tranquility and sometimes, the urgency during critical moments.”
“The music is repetitive, and the lack of variety does get boring eventually, but that's about it for concerns.”
“I don't like the music in the game, there's a ping/weird sound that is really annoying so the first thing I had to do to even manage to play it was to just shut down all sounds in the game.”
“The only thing is, turn off the music and play your own playlist because it's just the one song and after hours and hours of it you start wishing you could listen to something different.”
- story1,080 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game "Banished" is characterized by a significant lack of structured narrative or campaign, with players primarily engaging in sandbox-style gameplay focused on survival and city-building. While some players appreciate the freedom to create their own stories through the experiences of their villagers, many express disappointment over the absence of missions, objectives, or a deeper storyline, which could enhance engagement and replayability. Overall, the game offers a unique experience but may not satisfy those seeking a traditional story-driven gameplay.
“Banished is not just a city builder; it's a story of survival, strategy, and endless possibilities.”
“It's simple, quite effective and the fact that villagers have names and can bring children to life means: you can amuse yourself to imagine their story.”
“The key is the meta-game, because each bannie has a name and if you're a big enough nerd (I am) you can track entire family trees and get grossed out when cousins marry and let it tell you a story while you grow the town.”
“The game has basically no story, but the difficulty is there.”
“It lacks a structured story or campaign mode, which may disappoint players looking for a more guided experience.”
“There is no real story, so no real attachment.”
- replayability1,006 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The replayability of "Banished" is a mixed bag, with many players noting that while the game offers a high replay value through its modding community and random map generation, it can become repetitive once players master the mechanics. The base game provides a solid experience, but its lack of endgame content and limited variety in scenarios can lead to diminished interest over time. Overall, the game's replayability is significantly enhanced by mods, making it a worthwhile investment for those who enjoy city-building simulations.
“The vibrant modding community ensures that the game's replayability remains high.”
“The game’s high replayability factor is undeniable.”
“With the amount of options and available mods, it has endless replayability.”
“It's alright but offers almost no replay value apart from a few interesting achievements (although some of them are rather grindy but not very challenging).”
“I just find it pretty shallow, with a narrow path to success, and pretty light on replayability once you figure it out.”
“The replayability is quite poor.”
- grinding714 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, especially in the late game where micromanagement becomes overwhelming. While some appreciate the challenge and depth of resource management, others feel that the lack of variety and the need for constant adjustments lead to a monotonous experience. Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable initially, but it can quickly turn into a grind, particularly for those who prefer a more dynamic gameplay experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“A bit grindy... sometimes.”
“One long, tedious grind.”
“Tedious and badly balanced.”
“Its tedious at best, and downright boring at worst.”
“The game is fun initially but it is quite barebones and becomes tedious the longer you play.”
- stability438 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches that can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences, such as towns freezing or starving due to AI issues and resource management failures. While some users note that the game runs well on lower-end systems and has few major issues, others express disappointment over frequent crashes and unresponsive mechanics, particularly in late-game scenarios. Overall, the game is described as having a solid concept but suffering from stability problems that detract from the overall enjoyment.
“Though developed by a single person, the game is solid and essentially bug free.”
“This is an astonishing feat considering this is a polished, bug free and thoroughly addictive game that puts many AAA releases to shame.”
“Not to mention that, apart from an AI bug I actually prefer to keep (animals walk underwater when they travel!), the game appears to be completely bug free.”
“Inconsistent and often buggy mechanics that make gameplay at its core extremely frustrating.”
“The game itself is good, but it's so buggy that it crashes all the time.”
“This is probably one of the most buggy and least enjoyable city building simulation games I have ever played and I deeply regret my purchase.”
- atmosphere390 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and calming qualities, enhanced by beautiful graphics and a subtle, evocative soundtrack. Players appreciate the unique blend of serenity and challenge, which fosters a deep connection to the game's townspeople and environment. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as both relaxing and engaging, making it a standout experience in the city-building genre.
“The game's soundtrack is subtle yet evocative, perfectly complementing the serene atmosphere of the wilderness.”
“With its captivating atmosphere, incredible depth, and engaging gameplay, Banished will captivate any player for hours on end.”
“There is no story of any kind to build atmosphere and it felt very off-putting from the moment I started the game.”
“The weather effect washes the colors out of the game, and you spend your playthrough in this bleak atmosphere void of any optimism, even when successful.”
“The atmosphere is both relaxing and haunting, and the gameplay is spiteful and yet satisfying.”
- optimization256 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag, with many players reporting significant performance drops as population increases, particularly beyond 500-1000 inhabitants. While it runs smoothly on lower-end systems and has a charming aesthetic, issues such as stuttering, lag at higher speeds, and poor multi-core processor support hinder the experience, especially in late-game scenarios. Overall, while some players find it enjoyable and manageable, others express frustration with its optimization shortcomings, particularly in larger settlements.
“It's fairly straightforward, and runs smoothly once you take a little bit of time to experiment.”
“The greatest thing one can aim for in Banished is a self-sustained settlement which runs smoothly without much player interference.”
“This is a really solid game engine with nice 3D graphics and a resource management system that's quick to learn but detailed enough to let yourself get lost in optimization.”
“There's a performance drop in the late game (+500 population, low frame rates).”
“The single biggest flaw of this game though is its performance at 1k+ populations.”
“The lack of optimization has stopped me from being able to play this game!”
- humor220 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its dark comedic elements, such as the absurdity of villagers dying from starvation or engaging in ridiculous activities, like a 10-year-old brewing ale. Players find amusement in the auto-generated names and the often comical misfortunes that befall their settlements, creating a blend of frustration and laughter. Overall, while the game may not have intentional humor, the unpredictable nature of gameplay leads to many funny moments that players cherish.
“In conclusion, Banished is like a dark comedy set in the middle ages – it's frustrating, it's hilarious, and it's strangely addictive.”
“I just spent a good 15 minutes completely zoomed in, watching some herdsmen beating a bunch of chickens to death with their bare hands while chuckling uncontrollably.”
“The random humor makes playing worthwhile~”
“Not funny, when everyone dies, again and again...”
- emotional106 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is a significant draw for many players, who report feeling deeply attached to their villagers and invested in their well-being. While the game offers a wholesome and immersive experience, it also presents heart-wrenching challenges, such as natural disasters and resource shortages, that can lead to devastating losses and emotional turmoil. Overall, players describe the experience as an emotional rollercoaster, balancing moments of joy and frustration as they navigate the complexities of village life.
“If you want to feel emotionally attached to the citizens of your village and personally invested in their well-being, get this game.”
“It is heartbreaking for your town to be destroyed by a calamity.”
“This game made me feel like I'm the president of a little village, and because of the many realistic elements it has, such as deaths, marriage, diseases, etc., I feel very connected to this little world and want it to thrive.”
“It can be physically and emotionally painful.”
“It can be physically and emotionally painful.”
- monetization36 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many users expressing disappointment over its perceived shift towards a cash grab model, particularly after the developer abandoned significant updates. While the game does not feature real money in-game purchases, players feel that the lack of content and reliance on modding has detracted from the overall experience, leading to frustration and a sense of missed potential. Overall, the game is recommended for those who dislike in-game purchases, but concerns about its long-term viability and developer support remain prevalent.
“If you hate in-game purchases, this is the game for you.”
“This game does not rely on real money for in-game purchases.”
“Unlike many modern games, this one avoids the pitfalls of social media and microtransactions.”
“Such a shame, the game could have been a shining star for Shining Rock, instead it ended up a mechanical cash grab.”
“(The advertisements for the game actually mention several features that don't exist.) It feels like the core of a good game, but the game part is missing.”
“(So the creators abandoned this game... I can't recommend purchasing this game anymore... they could have made the game so much better but they went the cash grab route.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate a significant lack of character development, with multiple users noting that the absence of a storyline contributes to this deficiency.
“No storyline, no character development.”
“No storyline, no character development.”
“No storyline, no character development.”
