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Banished

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2014

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Quick resume

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.

Global score

90/100

Genres

Indie, Simulator, Strategy, Real Time Strategy (RTS)

Pros

  • Challenging and deep resource management
  • Immersive and relaxing atmosphere
  • Random map generation
  • Active modding community
  • Long play sessions and replayability

Cons

  • Limited building variety
  • No multiplayer or social features
  • Lack of narrative or campaign
  • Performance issues at large population
  • Some repetitiveness after extended play

Motivations

  • Autonomy
    4

    "Players have full control over settlement development, resource management, and labor assignments, with freedom to build and expand in any order."

  • Competence
    4

    "The game is challenging with complex resource balancing and survival mechanics requiring skillful management and strategic planning."

  • Competition
    -4

    "Focuses on individual city building and survival without player-vs-player or ranked competition."

  • Continuation
    3

    "Many players report long sessions and habitual play, though some find the game repetitive after extended play."

  • Cooperation
    -5

    "Entirely single-player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative gameplay."

  • Creativity
    3

    "Players design and customize their settlement layout and resource strategies, though building types are limited."

  • Domination
    -5

    "No player dominance or power over others; interactions are with environment and resource management only."

  • Escapism
    4

    "Players use the game as a relaxing escape with immersive atmosphere and slow-paced survival gameplay."

  • Expectation
    -4

    "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and enjoyment, not due to obligation or external pressure."

  • Experimenting
    3

    "Players experiment with different strategies, resource allocations, and modded content to optimize settlements."

  • Exploration
    2

    "Random map generation offers some exploration and discovery of new terrain each playthrough."

  • Expression
    2

    "Limited avatar or character customization, but players express themselves through settlement design and layout."

  • Fantasy
    -3

    "Set in a realistic medieval-like survival scenario without fantasy or mythical elements."

  • Fellowship
    -5

    "No social or community features; strictly single-player experience."

  • Growth
    4

    "Players learn and improve resource management and survival skills over repeated playthroughs."

  • Health
    -5

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related mechanics."

  • Idle
    -4

    "Requires constant attention to resource and population management; not suitable for idle play."

  • Intimacy
    -5

    "No social interaction or relationship building beyond managing villagers as resources."

  • Leadership
    3

    "Players lead and manage their settlement and assign roles to villagers, guiding development."

  • Progression
    3

    "Players progress by growing population, expanding settlement, and acquiring resources and buildings."

  • Relaxation
    3

    "Many players find the game relaxing and immersive despite its difficulty and challenge."

  • Sensation
    2

    "Pleasant visuals and audio create a soothing atmosphere but sensory stimulation is moderate."

  • Status
    -5

    "No social recognition or status systems; achievements are personal and offline."

  • Story
    -4

    "No narrative or campaign; sandbox gameplay focused on survival and city building."

  • Strategy
    5

    "Heavy emphasis on strategic resource management, planning, and problem solving."

  • Thrill
    2

    "Some suspense from disasters and survival challenges, but overall a controlled environment."

  • Value
    4

    "Players report high value for money due to long playtime and mod support."

  • Violence
    -5

    "No combat or destruction; focus on constructive building and survival."

  • Survival
    5

    "Core gameplay revolves around managing threats like starvation, cold, disease, and disasters."

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    Last update: 06/03/2026