The Banner Saga

A grid-based tactical combat system that doesn't rely on RNG and percentages.
The strategies here are way more satisfying to master than similar games where every turn is just a glorified gamble.

I come back to this series around late fall/ early winter every year and play through all 3 games. One of my favourite stories

The story of the game is clearly inspired by game of thrones and witcher. As we progress through the story it gets darker and bleaker
There are two types of gameplay loop here. One is some kind of an adventure game, where you need to choose an action to various scenarios as you travel. You need to make a choice that you think will help your army/caravan more.
The thing is most of the choices that you need to make here are not really consequential in the overall direction of the story, but the consequential ones also exist. The thing is its hard to differentiate the major ones or not and that's the beauty of the game.
The second gameplay loop is grid based type of strategy game. This game breaks the mold of the turn based convention and remove the most RNG component (critical strikes is the only one with RNG component). Still the game is not easy, you can easily die if you make one wrong move, your skills here are limited in use, so use it wisely, positioning and proper party is name of the game. You cannot also grind and level up your party members. This game only features limited number of battles for you to engage and gain experiences.
Both gameplay loops give you one of the most unique and fun experiences in a turn based tactical game. I haven't felt the dread in every battle since XCOM 2.
The game is short and can be finished in one or two sitting. Replayability is high since there are many characters and paths to take in the game.
Highly recommended. Definitely one of the most underrated turn based strategy game out there.

Stoic’s debut is a triumph of atmosphere and gravitas, a tactical RPG that feels less like a pastime and more like an elegy sung by skalds across frozen mountains. From the opening moments, it’s clear this is not a world that will coddle you. Choices matter, losses sting and the weight of inevitability hangs over every decision like a northern winter sky.

At its core, The Banner Saga is two experiences braided together: a caravan journey and turn-based combat. The caravan is the heart of the narrative. You lead a weary procession of clans and warriors, rationing food, negotiating morale and deciding fates through branching dialogue. These moments are deceptively simple, yet every choice reshapes the story, reinforcing the sense that survival is fragile, and leadership a burden.

Combat, meanwhile, unfolds on a grid-based battlefield, echoing the discipline of chess while layering on unique mechanics. Strength doubles as both health and damage, creating a constant trade-off between aggression and endurance. It’s a system that rewards foresight and punishes complacency, making even small skirmishes tense and consequential.

Visually, the game is stunning. Inspired by 20th-century animation, the hand painted backdrops and fluid character designs imbue every scene with mythic weight. Snow-cloaked forests, towering varl and shadowy dredge feel less like assets and more like fragments of a lost epic rediscovered. The soundtrack by Austin Wintory amplifies this, blending mournful strings with soaring choral passages, creating a soundscape that lingers long after silence falls.

Yes, the difficulty can frustrate, and the caravan management may feel opaque at first. But these rough edges serve the vision rather than detract from it. The Banner Saga is a rare game: solemn, beautiful and unforgettable; a legend forged not in victory, but in endurance.

After Heroes of Might and Magic, nothing was as good in the genre of turn-based games as this game (except Divinity: Original Sin)
I really liked the characters, the plot and the gameplay. Interesting system of survival and interesting imba-person (if you find who is it). A very worthy and noteworthy representative of turn-based games. Do not pass by!

One of my favorite game.
But you still need
to play properly with the 3 sagas

When people talk about games with choices that mattered or isometric strategic combat that rocks, this is the game that I think of and compare others too. One of the best sagas and this is the best among the three.

May those who come after remember us