Banished is a unique city-building simulation game that focuses entirely on resource management, with no military or scientific advancements. Players manage a small group of settlers in a medieval-style world, creating farms, gathering wood, tending to animals, and building structures to keep their people happy. The game features a season system, with harsh winter months and events such as fires and plagues. Banished’s attention to detail in its artwork makes for a beautiful and immersive experience, and its replay value is high due to its challenging mechanics. It has become a must-play for simulation game enthusiasts.

The Art of Resource Management: A Review of Banished

Introduction

Resource management games have always had a place in the gaming world. From the early days of SimCity to the more recent blockbuster Civilization series, gamers have enjoyed the challenge of building and managing their own civilizations. Banished, developed by Shining Rock Software, is a city-building simulation game that focuses on resource management. This game is different from others in the genre, though. Unlike many other resource management games, Banished does not have any military, technological or scientific advancements. Instead, it focuses entirely on creating and maintaining a self-sustaining community.

The Basics

Banished takes place in a medieval-style world where players must manage a small group of settlers. The settlers need homes, food, and warmth to survive the harsh winter months. Players must create farms, gather wood, and tend to animals in order to feed their settlers. Building structures such as schools, churches, and markets help to keep the people happy. It’s a delicate balance of allocating your resources and understanding how your settlers interact with their environment.

The Challenges

Banished is a game that constantly throws challenges at you. The game features a season system where the player must prepare for winter. The cold months can be brutal, and if you haven’t prepared enough food, the settlers will not make it through. Additionally, many events can occur such as fires and plagues which can wipe out your population. The challenge is to be prepared for these events and not let them catch you off guard.

The Art

One of the beautiful aspects of Banished is the attention to detail in the artwork. From the design of the buildings to the animations of the animals, everything is beautiful and realistic. The game’s graphics are not overly complicated, but they are definitely pleasing to the eye. The music is also beautiful and adds to the game’s immersive experience.

The Replay Value

Banished is a game with plenty of replay value. Every playthrough is different and presents a new set of challenges. The game’s mechanics are complex enough that players must carefully plan their resource allocation to succeed. Because of the challenging nature of the game, Banished has been known to attract hardcore simulation gamers who enjoy a serious challenge.

Conclusion

Banished is a beautiful, challenging game that has found a place in the hearts of gamers. With its focus on resource management and community building, it is a unique addition to the city-building simulation genre. The game’s art, replay value, and attention to detail make it a must-play for anyone who loves a challenging simulation game. If you haven’t played Banished, you’re missing out on one of the best simulation games of the past decade.