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Is Banished a Hard Game? A Deep Dive into Survival and City Building

Yes, Banished is considered a hard game, particularly for new players. While its core mechanics of city building and resource management may seem simple on the surface, the game throws numerous challenges at the player, demanding careful planning, adaptation, and a deep understanding of its systems. The game’s relentless survival focus, where a single misstep can lead to a cascading series of problems culminating in the demise of your entire population, is a major contributor to its difficulty. Unlike many other city-building games, Banished doesn’t offer a lot of hand-holding, requiring players to learn through trial and error, often with harsh consequences.

The game’s difficulty stems from several key areas:

Resource Management: Banished is all about balancing your resources. Food, firewood, tools, clothing, and building materials are all finite and must be carefully managed. A miscalculation can quickly lead to starvation, freezing, or a collapse of your infrastructure.
Harsh Conditions: The game doesn’t pull punches with its environments. Harsh winters can devastate your food supply and freeze your villagers. Diseases can sweep through your population, and fires can destroy entire sections of your town.
No External Support: You start with a small group of villagers and a handful of resources, completely isolated and dependent on your ability to create a thriving society from scratch. There are no reinforcements coming, no outside trade initially.
Learning Curve: Banished has a steep learning curve, with many systems and mechanics that are not immediately obvious. Players often need multiple attempts and a bit of research to fully grasp how everything works.
The “Domino Effect”: A minor problem, like a food shortage, can easily trigger a chain reaction. Hungry villagers become weaker, which leads to lower production, which can then lead to more starvation and death.

While the difficulty may initially seem overwhelming, many players find that overcoming these challenges is ultimately rewarding. The sense of accomplishment that comes from building a thriving, self-sufficient community against the odds is a significant part of the appeal of Banished. However, it is essential to be prepared for a challenging, unforgiving, and at times frustrating experience.

Frequently Asked Questions About Banished

Here are 15 frequently asked questions to provide a more detailed understanding of the game:

What kind of game is Banished?

Banished is a city-building survival game. It focuses on resource management and survival within an isolated community. Unlike many other city builders, Banished emphasizes the importance of maintaining a delicate balance and the harsh realities of survival, where the actions of the player directly impact the well-being and survival of their villagers.

Is Banished a dead game? Are the developers still working on it?

No, Banished is not a “dead game” in the sense that it’s unplayable, but it is considered a finished game by its developer, one individual known as “Shining Rock Software.” The game was completed and released years ago, and there are no plans for any further updates. It is no longer actively being developed.

How can I improve at Banished?

Improving at Banished requires a combination of knowledge and experience. Here are a few key points:

Prioritize resource management: Focus on producing a steady supply of food, firewood, and tools.
Understand the game’s mechanics: Read online guides and watch gameplay videos to learn about the hidden mechanics.
Learn from your mistakes: Be prepared to fail and try new strategies.
Experiment with different building layouts: Optimize your town for efficiency.
Start slowly and cautiously: Don’t try to expand too quickly early on.
Pay attention to your citizens: Monitor their needs and address them promptly.

What is the main goal of Banished?

The main goal of Banished is to keep your population alive and grow it into a successful, self-sustaining society. There isn’t a victory condition; the challenge is to manage resources, combat harsh conditions, and grow your population until you are satisfied with your community.

How long does it take to complete Banished?

The time it takes to “complete” Banished varies greatly. Focusing on the main objective of growing the population can take around 16 hours. However, achieving 100% completion, exploring all aspects of the game, and experiencing everything the game has to offer will take around 92.5 hours or more.

Why is everyone starving in my Banished game?

Starvation in Banished is usually due to a lack of adequate food production or a poorly managed supply chain. Poor growing seasons, early winters, and long distances between food sources and storage can lead to starvation. Ensure your supply barns are near your food production sites, and that you are diversifying your food sources.

Is Banished better than Patron, or vice-versa?

“Patron” is a city-building game that draws significant inspiration from Banished, so there are definite parallels in the early game. The initial stages of Patron are often seen as a clone of Banished, but it expands into more complex areas of gameplay. Patron is often considered to be more complex than Banished in terms of mechanics, but the overall difficulty is similar in terms of survival. They both offer deep survival city-building but with differing areas of focus in their middle to late game elements.

What is the most efficient field size for crops in Banished?

The most efficient crop field size in Banished is a 15×15 field. This allows each farmer to manage approximately 56.25 square units, providing a better yield ratio than smaller fields. A 4×4 field is the least efficient.

What is the best trade good to sell in Banished?

Firewood is a surprisingly good trade good in Banished. It’s relatively easy to produce using foresters, and you need a lot of it yourself, meaning you’ll generally have a surplus. Selling tools or leather goods might seem tempting, but you need these for your own population, whereas firewood is often easier to come by.

Was the TV show “Banished” cancelled?

Yes, the TV series called “Banished” was cancelled despite high ratings. This is unrelated to the video game and was a drama about the first penal colony in Australia.

How big is the Banished game file size?

Banished has a surprisingly small file size of approximately 250 MB. This is largely due to its simple graphics, single developer, and its lack of complex animations and textures.

When is Banished set?

The game is set in a vaguely unspecified historical era resembling early colonial times but not tied to a specific period. However, it was inspired by the historical reality of the founding of the penal colony in Australia around 1788.

Does Banished have a storyline?

While it’s more about emergent gameplay than a traditional narrative, Banished can be seen as a story of survival, loosely based on the premise of convicts banished to a harsh new land. Players are free to interpret their own narratives, based on the challenges they face and how they choose to overcome them.

Are nomads attracted to certain structures in Banished?

A Market is essential to attracting nomads. It acts as a distribution hub for your citizens, allowing them to gather food and firewood for their homes. The market’s presence makes your town more appealing for nomads looking for a place to settle.

What are the best mods for Banished?

There are numerous mods for Banished that can enhance your experience. Some of the most popular and biggest mods are:

Colonial Charter: Adds a huge array of new content, including buildings, crops, and professions.
MegaMod: A comprehensive overhaul that dramatically changes the game’s systems and mechanics.
North 7: Focuses on introducing new terrains and environments.
Realistic Ageing Makes the citizen’s life cycles a little longer and more realistic.
RK Editor’s Choice – Introduces a new editor menu in the game that is very useful.

How do I prevent my citizens from freezing to death in Banished?

Preventing freezing in Banished involves a two-pronged approach: ensuring your citizens have access to warm housing and firewood. Making sure housing is close to where citizens work, that your citizens are wearing coats, and keeping a steady supply of firewood available will prevent freezing.

Is Banished a hard game?