Banners of Ruin

I can't recommend it. The game is very repetitive and offers very little variety, to the point where i was already getting bored after only a few hours. I had to force myself to finish the 100%. 100% steam achievements Time : 8.6H Completion Difficulty : 2/10 Playthroughs : Multiple run Missables : None Notable requirements : Several deck-building challenges requiring specific synergies.

Not bad as such, but the very poor game balance and unclear UI really overshadow the otherwise quite interesting deckbuilding mechanics.

Boring deckbuilding, very unintuitive controls (didn't realise I had to select my other teammate to use their energy despite cards being shared), terrible balance (thrown into an unwinnable elite fight on the 4th room). It's an oversaturated market for deckbuilding roguelikes at the moment, and this doesn't make the cut at all.

Low-key one of the best games in the roguelike deckbuilder genre. The art direction & illustrations - Redwall meets Game Of Thrones by way of Watership Down - are just *chef's kiss*. It's also a great example of combining a very specific atmosphere & tone - gritty, minimalist, fatalistic - with matching mechanics. Each run you really do feel like you're a small band of comrades who have lost everything and have one last night for a (likely doomed) quest for revenge. I think one of the reasons this game never quite caught on is precisely because it's got an understated slow-burn vibe. Unfortunately it does take some run attempts to unlock the mechanics/cards that really open up character combos and gameplay. I wonder how many new players bounced early, who might have stuck with it had the devs made more cards/skills/characters available at the start. Would love to see a sequel, or even a different genre game set in this world!

Great game in my eyes. Music is awesome and gives an immersive atmosphere. Characters + the deck builder give you so many options and combos you can do. After many runs I can still try out new stuff and for me it never gets boring. I get some of the criticism and with 2 hours you're not even close on what this game can offer so while having them in mind, I'd say you're better off watching some YT videos to get a better idea and understanding what awaits you. Also to not have the pressure to figure out within these 2 hours if you want to keep the game or refund it. Pls devs work on that: What must be changed is that I get no info text on the passivs my characters already have. I only get the info text on the last chosen passiv.

I really wanted to like Banners of Ruin. It has a great visual style and is a deckbuilding, turn-based roguelike, exactly my cup of tea, but it ultimately turned out to be a letdown. The biggest problem is the inconsistent balance. Some encounters are easy, while others suddenly become overwhelming, with enemies and bosses that can feel nearly impossible to defeat with the tools available. Unlike Slay the Spire or Darkest Dungeon, where difficult encounters generally feel more manageable and understandable, Banners of Ruin can make some fights feel disproportionately difficult. The deckbuilding and progression also lack depth. Leveling characters and upgrading cards often provide little meaningful improvement, while unlocking new content can take a long time without significantly expanding your options. The UI makes combat more frustrating than it needs to be, with unclear damage calculations, confusing targeting, unexplained status effects, tiny icons, and limited information about enemy actions. Overall, Banners of Ruin has great art and plenty of potential, but its inconsistent difficulty, shallow progression, frustrating UI, and lack of polish make it more tedious than it s…