The Banner Saga

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

Great game with beautiful illustrations. Only downside is the lack of spoken dialogue and motion/moving graphics during the cut scenes etc. More like a comic, some like it, some not. But overall a good tactical board RPG. Has soul.

A dive into your own and gorgeous viking saga
For me, this game felt almost like an animated comic book. The hand-drawn art is by far one of the best out there.
As the story progresses, you are met with increasingly hard decisions that impact the future of your characters.
Concerning the tactical turn-based combat, it is well designed and becomes very challenging on higher difficulties.
It is as good as it looks and ages very well. It's compelling and dramatic, with a great soundtrack.
I score this all-time classic a well deserved 9/10.

One of the most beautiful art in all of gaming. Characters are interesting, the lore is interesting, and the game has unique vibe in general.
It's well written in my opinion, and I didn't mind reading all the dialogues. But sometimes I wished more voice acting and character animations like gestures or something, but is ok.
Gameplay: 9/10
Replayability: 5/10
UI: 9/10
Performance: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Art: 10/10
Voice acting: 7/10
Faction Design: 10/10
Immersion: 10/10
Multiplayer: N/A (5/10)
Price: 10/10
Overall: 8.6/10
This studio should make more games!