Banished
" Challenging indie city-builder with rewarding resource management but limited building variety "
Banished Review
Banished is a developed by a solo creator, praised for its challenging resource management and deep gameplay mechanics. Players must carefully balance food, tools, firewood, and housing to sustain and grow their settlement. The game offers a pure and rewarding experience, focusing on organic city growth without gated content, making every decision impactful. Despite its simplicity, it can be quite challenging, especially for newcomers who face steep learning curves and potential population collapse if mismanaged. Mods significantly extend replayability and variety, addressing some of the game's limitations and adding fresh content. While the base game can feel repetitive after mastering its systems, it remains a beloved classic among city-building fans, with a dedicated player base returning even after many years. However, the game lacks major updates and has some bugs, but its core gameplay still holds strong appeal for those who enjoy slow-paced, strategic city management.
Highlights
Players consistently praise Banished for its , which require careful planning and balancing. The game's simplicity is seen as a strength, offering a pure city-building experience without complex technology trees. Its performance remains smooth even with large populations, and the availability of mods greatly enhances gameplay variety and longevity. The relaxing and immersive atmosphere, combined with the organic growth of settlements, makes it a favorite for fans of the genre. Many highlight the game's unique approach to population dynamics and survival challenges as key strengths.
Criticisms
Common criticisms include the , which can make the game feel repetitive after extended play. The population growth mechanics can be frustrating, leading to death spirals if not carefully managed. Some players find the game too slow or boring, especially compared to other city builders. The lack of major updates and official support results in lingering bugs and unaddressed issues. Additionally, the absence of a strong narrative or clear end goals leaves some players wanting more depth and long-term objectives.
Pros
- • Challenging and rewarding resource management mechanics keep players engaged.
- • Smooth performance even with large, complex settlements.
- • Pure and simple city-building experience without technology gating.
- • Mods add extensive variety and increase replayability significantly.
- • Organic population growth and survival mechanics add depth.
- • Relaxing and immersive atmosphere for stress relief.
- • Allows creative city planning with pause-and-build feature.
Cons
- • Limited building variety leads to repetitive gameplay over time.
- • Population growth system can cause frustrating death spirals.
- • Slow pacing may feel boring to players seeking faster gameplay.
- • Lack of official updates leaves bugs and issues unresolved.
- • No narrative or strong end goals reduce long-term motivation.
- • Some UI elements like font size are not adjustable.
- • Early game can be punishing due to harsh survival mechanics.
Rating Criteria
In this city-building strategy game, you control a group of exiled travelers who decide to restart their lives in a new land. They have only the clothes on their backs and a cart filled with supplies from their homeland. The townspeople of Banished are your primary resource.
User Reviews
Online Reviews
