Bad North

 PC
Bad North Image
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 60 Ratings

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  • Summary: Bad North is a charming but brutal real-time tactics roguelite. Defend your idyllic island kingdom against a horde of Viking invaders, as you lead the desperate exodus of your people. Command your loyal subjects to take full tactical advantage of the unique shape of each island.

    Everything    Bad North is a charming but brutal real-time tactics roguelite. Defend your idyllic island kingdom against a horde of Viking invaders, as you lead the desperate exodus of your people. Command your loyal subjects to take full tactical advantage of the unique shape of each island.

    Everything is at stake: fail, and watch the blood of your subjects stain the ground red.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. New Game Network
    Nov 1, 2019
    84
    All in all, Bad North's gameplay is very engaging and keeps you on your feet. Despite some weakness in the narrative department, most design choices pay off. It is a polished experience that has kept me entertained for a good amount of time.
  2. Strategy Gamer
    Oct 16, 2018
    80
    Bad North strips away just the right amount of complexity and headache that real-time strategy games tend to have, resulting in a core experience that is challenging, rewarding, and very replayable.
  3. Merlin'in Kazanı (Turkey)
    Dec 25, 2018
    78
    Bad North is a good strategy game which combines tower defense and roguelike elements. The game has decent soldier upgrades, a big map and enemy variety, but lacks repeatability.
  4. GameStar
    Feb 3, 2019
    72
    Minimalistic and consistent real-time strategy game, which lacks some variety in the long term.
  5. Windows Central
    Dec 30, 2019
    70
    For what it lacks in scope, Bad North makes it up with an addictive, rewarding roguelike strategy gameplay layer.
  6. Eurogamer Italy
    Jan 9, 2019
    70
    Bad North is a simple, but addictive real time strategy, perfect both with mouse and keyboard and gamepad.
  7. CD-Action
    Feb 6, 2019
    65
    A minimalistic, good-looking RTS built around a heavily emphasised risk/reward system. It might not be remarkable, but it was still able to make me lose track of time. [01/2019, p.78]
    All this publication's reviews

See all 10 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 15
  3. Negative: 2 out of 15
  1. TunaLion
    Aug 9, 2021
    10
    Very hard at first as the game doesn't do any hand holding. Exactly as described by the creators and a fun little game, specially after theVery hard at first as the game doesn't do any hand holding. Exactly as described by the creators and a fun little game, specially after the first 4 hours once you have some starting traits and items.

    I loved the game and the reason for me giving 10 is that I really don't know what more I could ask for or expect from this game. I love the battle tactics, specially when taking some risks on hard difficulty.    … Expand
  2. player_101
    Apr 9, 2021
    10
    Great graphics and sound. Very simple mechanics but fun.
    I would liked it even more if it were longer and with a bit of story.
  4. Symilan
    Jan 31, 2022
    9
    Honestly there is very little reproach you can do to this game, it is just genuinely good ! True, there is no narration, true it is a veryHonestly there is very little reproach you can do to this game, it is just genuinely good ! True, there is no narration, true it is a very simple game, true all units are not equal... Then what ? This is not a problem, this is a developer choice ! This game encourages you to make your own strategy to beat what seems to be an extreme challenge for gamers, but can be tweaked into a die and retry for beginners.
    A truly amazing game, didn't give it 10 just because I would have loved pikemen to be slightly stronger, but no big deal    … Expand
  5. roychen
    Jun 13, 2020
    7
    Definitely worth playing. Lack of narrative? True. Lack of achievement? Maybe. But the gameplay is actually unique, and the tactic you couldDefinitely worth playing. Lack of narrative? True. Lack of achievement? Maybe. But the gameplay is actually unique, and the tactic you could use is richer than most people initially thought. When do you throw the archer/infantry into the battlefield makes a big difference, and which party do you put on the front line makes a difference as well, which further depends on the topography of the island.

    This game is worth at least 7 out of 10.    … Expand
  6. nw2010
    Oct 19, 2020
    7
    Enjoyable game. Although designed for playing again I felt satisfied with playing through it once (~7 hours) and won't feel the need to playEnjoyable game. Although designed for playing again I felt satisfied with playing through it once (~7 hours) and won't feel the need to play it again (by the end of a campaign it does become a little samey).

    Graphics and sound are simple but nice.    … Expand
  7. Ugliest_boy
    Jun 22, 2020
    7
    This game is good but let's just say after 20 hour of doing the same thing... It becomes boring.
  8. otaru1921
    Nov 23, 2019
    1
    For a game that claims to be a roguelike it has the depth of a one inch hole.

    This game feels like a mini-RTS game that was made for    For a game that claims to be a roguelike it has the depth of a one inch hole.

    This game feels like a mini-RTS game that was made for Smartphones.

    The campaign is not interesting, the items and traits are not interesting, the troops are not interesting, the most interesting things are enemies and even those are shallow.

    Why the hell they give a cliff jumping attack to the unit that usually is frontline tanker.

    By the end of the game you will be using a party of 2 archers and 2 shield warriors because Pikemen can't deal with the damage dealt by the Brute Bow users and they die fast.

    I don't recommend this game to anyone, the gameplay is boring, the replay value is nada and even though it has random elements, it lacks the things that make a roguelike interesting, there is no learning or complexity in it. It's like it's not even a proper game.    … Expand

See all 15 User Reviews

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