The Banner Saga

About

Live through an epic role-playing Viking saga where your strategic choices directly affect your personal journey. Make allies as you travel with your caravan across this stunning yet harsh landscape.

Read more
8
Based on
7770 reviews
Country Compatibility:
Languages:
Developer:
Stoic
Publisher:
Versus Evil
Release date:
14 January 2014
Recent Steam reviews:
Very Positive (29)
All Steam reviews:
Very Positive (7770)

Game features

Similar offers

Description

Live through an epic role-playing Viking saga where your strategic choices directly affect your personal journey. Make allies as you travel with your caravan across this stunning yet harsh landscape. Carefully choose those who will help fight a new threat that jeopardizes an entire civilization. Every decision you make in travel, conversation and combat has a meaningful effect on the outcome as your story unfolds. Not everyone will survive, but they will be remembered.

Key Features

  • Player choice that drives your own narrative – every decision you make in travel, conversation and combat has a meaningful effect on the outcome as your story unfolds.
  • Over 25 playable characters from 2 different races, human and varl, the horned giants – embark on your epic journey with a variety of characters from 7 different classes, each with unique abilities and upgrade options to fit your play style.
  • Strategic combat with consequences - victory or defeat and even the permanent loss of a character depends on which characters you choose to take into battle and what decisions you make afterwards.
  • The journey is as important as battle – your role in building and managing your caravan as you travel the vast frozen landscape is critical to not only your own survival but the survival of an entire civilization.
  • An epic Viking saga brought to life in 2D glory – beautifully hand drawn combat sequences and animations, accompanied by an evocative score from Grammy-nominated composer Austin Wintory, will immerse you into a fantasy realm inspired by Norse mythology.
  • Multiplayer Combat Enhanced – sharpen your combat skills in the free multiplayer game “Factions”. Compete against other players with many of the character classes you see in The Banner Saga.

The Banner Saga is the first part of a planned trilogy. If you complete this game, your unique progress and storyline will carry over to the next part of the story.

Recommended system requirements

minimum*

OS *:
Windows 7 SP1
Memory:
2 GB RAM
Storage:
4 GB available space

recommended*

OS:
Windows 10
Memory:
4 GB RAM
Storage:
6 GB available space

User reviews

Here4Corgis
Not recommended | 24 May 2026
17.3h played

The most perversely designed action economy in any tactical game I've played. Killing enemies is actively bad for you. I'm not exaggerating. Turns strictly alternate between sides regardless of unit count. 10 vs 2? Each

Helpful: 14
thehamtaker
Recommended | 22 May 2026
13.3h played

cool game. the art and music are wonderful. i got a bit lot in the story- lots of names and locations thrown at you, so i found it hard to remember who was related to who, etc. but i enjoyed it. not too long, cool

Helpful: 1
David_M
Recommended | 08 Jun 2026
67.3h played

One of my all-time favorite games. It's like a Choose Your Own Adventure book set in a fantasy world inspired by Norse mythology with turn-based tactical combat reminiscent of Vandal Hearts or Final Fantasy Tactics and

Helpful: 8
DumboOctopus
Recommended | 18 Jun 2026
11.9h played

I'm not in turn-based games but the art and story really drew me in. The Banner Saga has perfected the weight of every decision you make. Be ready to lose people you've grown fond of and make decisions no one wants to.

Helpful: 3
Greyscale
Recommended | 10 Jun 2026
31.6h played

A truly a saga! Good turn-based RPG, with an engaging gameplay, memorable characters and an engaging story. Story and characters change based on your decisions - reminiscent of Fire Emblem-style games. Strong recommend

Helpful: 3
brisn
Recommended | 30 Jun 2026
134h played

This game burrowed into my brain and every year or two I need to play through all three games or I break out in hives. Experiencing the world the first time was how I felt watching Lord of the Rings as a kid, like I

Helpful: 6