Battle Brothers

 PC
Battle Brothers Image
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 114 Ratings

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  • Summary: Battle Brothers is a turn based strategy RPG mix which has you leading a mercenary company in a gritty, low-power, medieval fantasy world.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Ragequit.gr
    Apr 12, 2017
    92
    Battle Brothers immersed me more than what you would expect from “just” a turn-based tactical RPG. I love its artistic approach, its mechanics to every last bit, and of course its unforgiving difficulty curve. I would not have it any other way. In this reviewer's humble opinion, this is easily the leading candidate for indie game of 2017.
  2. GameOver.gr
    May 26, 2017
    85
    Αn unforgiving and difficult to master Turn-based strategy RPG set in a low fantasy universe, that rewards the persistent and patient player. A perpetual battle for survival and the constant need for adapting new gameplay tactics is only held back by the total randomness in many aspects of the game. This randomness is at the same time charming and repulsive.
  3. Game Debate
    Jun 12, 2017
    85
    Combat can often devolve into a straight-line slugfest at times, and at other times terrain can make avenues of approach somewhat unclear and adjacencies a little hard to pinpoint. But for the vast majority of the time, the feeling of leading a desperate crew of die-hard sellswords is captured better in Battle Brothers than in pretty much any other game I've played. A surprise hit.
  4. RPG Fan
    Apr 17, 2017
    82
    Battle Brothers knows what it is and doesn't try to be more than it should be, and that makes it so much better than other titles that strive for an epic or storied feel. What's accomplished here is a solid, honest package of thrills and strategic depth, though not oppressively so. In truth, the world can get monotonous and drags at times, but I also found myself losing track of time on several occasions as I told myself, "Just one more job." I dabbled in Veteran a bit before writing this review and couldn't get back into it — I just couldn't find the heart to jump right back in after I had developed such an incredible group of fighters who I got to know by name. One day I will likely pick the banner back up and I may just fall on the battlefield twenty hours in. And that's okay.
  5. Games.cz
    Aug 25, 2017
    80
    An addictive turn-based strategy lets you manage a group of mercenaries. Occasionally it is hard and demanding, but it is a nice and unusual game for the fans of the genre.
  6. Hooked Gamers
    Apr 17, 2017
    80
    Battle Brothers may not be a game that I think about months from now, but in the moment I'm thoroughly enjoying myself. It's a break from the fast paced games constantly bombarding me. If that sounds like something that would be up your alley, then don’t hesitate and start building up a mercenary band for an adventure to call your own.
  7. 4Players.de
    Apr 10, 2017
    65
    While the visuals are sub-par at best, Battle Brothers is an interesting turn based tactics beast with a multi-faceted battle system but also serious balancing issues.

See all 11 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 30
  3. Negative: 6 out of 30
  1. malusferox
    Jun 20, 2020
    10
    Absolutely fantastic game on all levels - gameplay, graphics and music. Very enjoyable the more you play and get to know the world and its rules.
  2. Microloutre
    Jun 10, 2017
    10
    Absolutely fantastic, addictive game, I think of it as a mix of Xcom and Mount & Blade, very unforgiving at first (start in lowest difficultyAbsolutely fantastic, addictive game, I think of it as a mix of Xcom and Mount & Blade, very unforgiving at first (start in lowest difficulty even if you're good at those games or you'll probably get slaughtered and/or starved out of resources), but once you learn how it works it's tons of fun. The wiki explains some less obvious mechanics if needed.… Expand
  4. macharius39
    Apr 2, 2017
    10
    One of the best indie titles released in recent years. Considering it was made by a very tiny studio the game is really quite good. It wasOne of the best indie titles released in recent years. Considering it was made by a very tiny studio the game is really quite good. It was heavily influenced by Mount & Blade, X-COM and the Jagged Alliance series. It has a randomly generated open world, great music, and a very charming 2D art style with an incredible amount of detail on the models.

    It has a deep tactical level of play and you need to be able to react quickly to the changing tides of battle. Like with Darkest Dungeon, not every fight can be won and RNG is RNG. Sometimes you need to run away to save yourself. I guess some people can't handle that aspect of the game, just like some people can't handle Darkest Dungeon or the X-COM series.

    The game has over a 92% positive review score on Steam. Don't allow some people who are sour that they can't spam "X" to win at the game and upset that they actually have to do some tactical thinking keep you from giving a great indie game a try.    … Expand
  5. cottandy
    Sep 1, 2018
    9
    One of the most addictive games ever and one of the best turn-based strategies. Unforgiving and hard.

    Low fantasy medieval world setting,    One of the most addictive games ever and one of the best turn-based strategies. Unforgiving and hard.

    Low fantasy medieval world setting, which feels more real than most of completely non-fantasy worlds. F.e. comparable with "Game of Thrones" world setting. This is also an RPG with resource-management aspect. You really need to think about the future of your every character and their role in the company in hole - in which way to develop each of them, what perks, specialization to give and in the end whether to keep them or to replace with better and more promising ones. But sometimes or quite often if you are not careful and patient enough they will just die in battle. You should be ready for this anyway no matter how good you think you are in TBS.

    It's hard to master, but when you learn how to survive, it will be pure pleasure.    … Expand
  6. MNCCritic
    Nov 13, 2017
    8
    This game is good, an A- to and A, but it does get old a little too fast.

    There are a lot of very interesting decisions made in the design    This game is good, an A- to and A, but it does get old a little too fast.

    There are a lot of very interesting decisions made in the design of this game. Not all of them work, but the designers are obviously experienced gamers.

    The biggest strike I would call attention to is that it plays a bit like a card or board game. These are casual experiences, designed to be completed in a couple of hours, so high risk game play works well. Not so well for computer games. In Battle Brothers, the risk to your crew is always very high and the time investment to develop your crew members is also very high (many, many hours of play). I think these two elements are not compatible. Being forced to recruit inexperienced cripples is a design idea that really does not work.

    Beyond the German setting, the structure of the game is reminiscent of an old classic called Darklands. Other people have noticed this as well. My opinion is that they should study this older game to help influence the evolution of this title a) because they are closely related in concept, b) because this game needs much more depth to reach its (lofty!) potential, and c) because Darklands was fantastic for its time and needs to be revisited.

    I really wish Overhype Studios well on this fine foundation. Triple A could be in their future.

    As a final note: Although the writer is talented, and I don't wish to insult him, his sense of humor needs to be weaned out the game. Monty Python-esque humor is very hard to do well. It is PhD level comedy ... not for the amateurs. I feel that the weak humor detracts from the play experience. The writer also ventures into inappropriate and obscene humor. This is not as widely acceptable as the current media would have you think. I feel this should be avoided.    … Expand
  7. ShooP
    Apr 3, 2017
    6
    A good game but gets boring extremely fast. The game revolves around the turn-based combat, which is fun but very repetitive. The map seemsA good game but gets boring extremely fast. The game revolves around the turn-based combat, which is fun but very repetitive. The map seems not exploited to its full potential and the game is lacking some end-game goals. Hope it will be improved with patches because the base game is solid.… Expand
  8. riley794
    Jun 21, 2017
    0
    So much promise so little gameplay. Played almost 100 hrs and hoping for that breakthrough moment but I was met with only disappointment.So much promise so little gameplay. Played almost 100 hrs and hoping for that breakthrough moment but I was met with only disappointment. Trust me your better off not playing this game. This is one of those games that fills you with hope and excitement for the first 5 to 10 hours before slamming the door in your face. It's almost like each campaign hits a paywall except you've already paid full price so WTH. In other words the difficulty curve in the second half is unbalanced. Mods may be able to fix this game with fun to play scenarios but until then it is a total waste of time and money!… Expand

See all 30 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

75
#75 Best PC Game of 2017
72
#72 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017

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