The Banner Saga
The Banner Saga is a Viking-themed tactical role-playing video game.
What it feels like
A pervasive wistful sadness underlies the harsh Viking world and the losses incurred in the saga. The narrative unflinchingly portrays brutality, sacrifice, and moral compromise in a harsh setting.
What it's about
A secondary world of Norse-inspired fantasy with magic and myth, though grounded in Viking aesthetics. The human toll of conflict and survival in a civilizational crisis anchors the narrative gravity.
How it plays
Grid-based tactical turn-based combat on a positioned battlefield is the core moment-to-moment gameplay system. Combat unfolds in discrete alternating turns rather than real-time action, central to tactical decision-making. Assembling and directing a squad of distinct characters through the campaign is a core system.
How it looks and sounds
Hand-drawn 2D art and frame-by-frame animation give the game a distinctive illustrated aesthetic. A sweeping orchestral score underscores the epic scope and emotional weight of the journey. The visual style employs visible brushwork and painted textures evoking traditional media.
How it's structured
The game features a bounded, authored story arc with a definite beginning, middle, and end following a Viking saga narrative. Designed exclusively as a single-player experience with no multiplayer component. Player choices fork the story into meaningfully different paths and outcomes across the campaign.
Kindred games
Shares Grid Tactics Combat, Turn-Based Combat, Party Management, Moral Choice.
Both lean into Campaign, Single-Player, Grid Tactics Combat, Turn-Based Combat.
Shares Grid Tactics Combat, Turn-Based Combat, Party Management, High Fantasy.
Both lean into Grid Tactics Combat, Campaign, Turn-Based Combat, Party Management.
Shares Turn-Based Combat, Party Management, War & Its Cost, Character Builds.
Both lean into Campaign, Single-Player, Turn-Based Combat, Party Management.
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Closest hidden gems
A lesser-known kindred — Turn-Based Combat, Grid Tactics Combat, Party Management, High Fantasy. 88% positive across 4,251 Steam reviews.
Both lean into Turn-Based Combat, Campaign, Grid Tactics Combat, Party Management.
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Both lean into Campaign, Single-Player, Turn-Based Combat, Party Management.
A lesser-known kindred — Party Management, High Fantasy, Resource Management, Moral Choice. 88% positive across 4,301 Steam reviews.
Both lean into Campaign, Party Management, High Fantasy, Resource Management.