The Banished Vault
- July 25, 2023
- Lunar Division
- 1h median play time
The Banished Vault is an intricately designed strategy with plenty of layers, however, there's a truly satisfying gameplay loop at its core.
Get on Steam"The Banished Vault is a run-based strategy game focusing on solar system exploration, resource management, and outpost construction. Players must survive by managing their crew and resources while traveling through procedurally generated hostile solar systems. Realistic energy maps, a simplified rocket equation, and careful outpost construction are key to success in delaying the arrival of 'The Gloom'."
Reviews
- The game features a stunning aesthetic with beautiful artwork and a captivating soundscape that enhances the atmosphere.
- It offers a challenging and engaging resource management experience that requires careful planning and strategic thinking.
- The game successfully creates a unique board game feel, providing a thoughtful and immersive experience for players who enjoy logistics puzzles.
- The user interface can be cumbersome, requiring frequent reference to a lengthy manual, which detracts from the gameplay experience.
- Many players find the game overly complex and punishing, leading to frustration, especially for those unfamiliar with deep strategy games.
- The content feels limited, with some players expressing that once the game is completed, there isn't much incentive to replay it.
- graphics50 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and captivating aesthetic, featuring a blend of minimalistic black and white art styles, intricate board game motifs, and stunning illustrations that create a compelling atmosphere. While many reviewers appreciate the visual design and atmospheric soundscapes, some express disappointment that the gameplay does not fully capitalize on the rich visuals and intriguing lore, often feeling shallow or underdeveloped. Overall, the game's art and design stand out as its most commendable aspects, drawing players in with their beauty and creativity.
“The graphics are incredibly minimalistic while still communicating a lot of style and flair; the setting is interesting but makes no attempt to force you to engage with it.”
“The visuals are positively entrancing, and it has some of the most enthralling artwork I've seen in a video game.”
“Absolutely gorgeous art style with a very interesting board game motif.”
“After you've done looking at the graphics and ambient, it's all over from here.”
“It's a puzzle game with some pretty visuals but that's almost all it has going for it.”
“No story, no more graphics than the board.”
- gameplay35 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its intricate logistical mechanics and a strong emphasis on resource management, reminiscent of euro-style board games. While the game features a unique sci-fi aesthetic and clever mechanics, players often find the interface obtuse and the learning curve steep, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite its challenges, once players grasp the systems, the game offers a rewarding and engaging experience, though many feel it may not justify its full price due to limited replayability and content.
“This game is a logistical puzzle, a very smart one, and I think its atmosphere has drawn many players who expected a different gameplay.”
“The turn-to-turn gameplay has a solid balance of requiring you to plan, but with just enough hazards and hidden information to keep you from plotting in detail too much ahead.”
“Once you wrap your head around the mechanics, it's a really solid, fun, single-player board game with a ton of replay value.”
“It is difficult to recommend at full price, for the total content and the longer-term gameplay experience as it is when I write this.”
“Where is the gameplay?”
“It looks and sounds at first blush like a moody sort of turn-based roguelike, perhaps like Darkest Dungeon, but the actual gameplay is as the store page presents it: a board game style resource management game.”
- music24 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and gothic qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a melancholic and immersive soundscape. Many players find themselves drawn to the game simply to enjoy the soundtrack, which complements the dark visuals and challenging gameplay. Overall, the combination of music and art creates a unique and compelling atmosphere that resonates deeply with players, despite some concerns about the gameplay's difficulty.
“Music and art are absolutely the game's strongest point.”
“The music, the ambiance of the menu and in-game guide along with the rogue-like progression, had me hooked from the instant I planted my laborer's feet on their first planet.”
“All this, coupled with the outstandingly pleasing aesthetic and atmospheric soundtrack, makes for a very meditative game that applies just the right amount of pressure.”
“This brutal challenge is complemented by a dark and oppressive tone, with the harsh black and white character art and dreary music setting the stage for this gothic sci-fi bundle of pain.”
“Although the aesthetics suggest a vastness to be discovered, the lore doesn't extend beyond the music and visuals.”
“If I want this aesthetic, I've got over a century of science fiction to go back and re-read, and if I want music like this, I've got the Mechanicus soundtrack right here on my desk.”
- atmosphere19 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its compelling soundscape, striking line art, and moody aesthetics, creating a dark and immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the effective combination of artwork and music, which enhances the overall ambiance, making it feel both desperate and meditative. Despite some critiques regarding gameplay immersion, the atmospheric elements remain a standout feature that captivates players.
“The board game aesthetics are extremely well-executed, and the brooding score and sound design create a very compelling atmosphere.”
“A gorgeous and meticulous puzzle game with an astounding sense of atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is desperate, chilling, and lonely.”
“Too bad, the art style was interesting, so was the music and general atmosphere.”
“It's still moody, of course, and the atmosphere has a sci-fi horror short story style to it.”
- story9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized as minimalist and vague, relying heavily on player actions to create an emergent narrative rather than a structured plot. While the atmosphere is praised for its sci-fi horror elements, many reviewers feel that the lack of a substantial storyline is a missed opportunity, leaving players intrigued yet wanting more depth. Overall, the storytelling is simple and moody, serving more as a backdrop to the puzzle-solving experience.
“Great simple mysterious story and art.”
“It's still moody, of course, and the atmosphere has a sci-fi horror short story style to it.”
“No story, no more graphics than the board.”
“Storytelling is incredibly minimal, and a lot of the narrative you get will be emergent and entirely the result of your own actions.”
“One big note - while the theming is very strong, there is also very little actual plot or story to speak of, which feels a little like a lost opportunity.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its strong replayability, offering a solid and enjoyable experience that encourages exploration of its mechanics. While some players feel it may not be highly replayable at first glance, the depth and campaign length provide ample opportunities for multiple playthroughs.
“It's a great game with really good replayability.”
“Once you wrap your head around the mechanics, it's a really solid, fun, single-player board game with a ton of replay value.”
“Doesn't feel replayable, but the campaign length fits the amount of mechanics and depth to explore.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's optimization aspect, noting its engaging puzzle nature and the simplicity of its resource management mechanics, which can be effectively solved within a few hours.
“The game is not hard; in fact, I love its optimization puzzle nature.”
“It's a very simple, presumably randomized resource management game that feels like it would be solvable in just a few hours of optimization.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, which contributes to a low completion rate, with only 1.5% of players finishing even a single run.
“I think a lot of players find this sort of game tedious, hence the only 1.5% that complete even a single run.”
“...incredibly tedious?”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the emotional disconnect in the game, feeling it lacks the engaging narrative or emotional depth they seek, comparing it unfavorably to more strategic or spreadsheet-like experiences.
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often undermined by its transient mechanics, which clash with its thematic elements, despite the presence of amusing character names and modifiers.
“The game's impermanent nature actively fights against its own themes a lot of the time, even with various modifiers and qualifiers and all the funny names your characters get.”
“The humor in this game is brilliantly absurd, making even the most mundane tasks feel entertaining.”
“I love how the dialogue is filled with witty one-liners that keep me laughing throughout the gameplay.”
