What are the pros of Banished?

Highly addictive and immersive survival city-building gameplay that defines the genre.. Enchanting music and a visual style that has aged remarkably well since release.. Offers a rewarding and relaxing experience once the core survival mechanics are mastered.. Challenging and punishing difficulty that rewards careful attention and planning..

What are the cons of Banished?

Severe performance issues and lag when population exceeds 500-800 residents due to engine limitations.. Frustrating villager AI logic, such as workers prioritizing distant tasks over critical harvests.. Lack of late-game depth or objectives once the initial survival hurdle is cleared.. Technical bottlenecks caused by the game engine only utilizing a single CPU core.. Opaque mechanics that fail to explain critical survival data like fishery harvest limits..

Banished

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.

90%

Very Positive

DeveloperShining Rock Software LLC

PublisherShining Rock Software LLC

Release DateFeb 18, 2014

$19.99

Peak Players24.6K

Metacritic73

PlatformsWindows

Indie

Simulation

Strategy

AI Review Summary

Banished is a genre-defining survival city-builder celebrated for its immersive atmosphere and a gameplay loop so addictive it is frequently described as digital crack. However, the experience is often marred by significant late-game performance lag and inefficient villager AI that can lead to frustrating settlement collapses.

Pros

Highly addictive and immersive survival city-building gameplay that defines the genre.90%
Enchanting music and a visual style that has aged remarkably well since release.80%
Offers a rewarding and relaxing experience once the core survival mechanics are mastered.70%
Challenging and punishing difficulty that rewards careful attention and planning.70%

Cons

Severe performance issues and lag when population exceeds 500-800 residents due to engine limitations.90%
Frustrating villager AI logic, such as workers prioritizing distant tasks over critical harvests.80%
Lack of late-game depth or objectives once the initial survival hurdle is cleared.70%
Technical bottlenecks caused by the game engine only utilizing a single CPU core.60%
Opaque mechanics that fail to explain critical survival data like fishery harvest limits.50%

Notable Mentions

The game is considered a classic that many players still return to years after release despite the lack of updates.
Reviewers note a lack of official story or narrative, focusing purely on the sandbox survival experience.

Confidence: 61%

Based on the 85 most relevant reviewsGenerated on Aug 14, 2026

Game Vitals

Live snapshot

Player Activity

Current peak

439

Peak · last 90 days

755

All-time peak

24.6K

Price

Current price

$19.99

Lowest tracked

$6.79since Apr 21, 2026

Review Sentiment

Launch week

—

Last 30 days

93%

All-time positive

90%

Review Statistics

Total Reviews43.3K

Positive: 39.2K (90%)Negative: 4.1K (10%)

Reviews from Steam Deck

Dev Response Rate

144h

Avg Playtime at Review

80%

Credible Reviews