Bad North Reviews

Bad North is ranked in the 48th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9 / 10
Aug 22, 2018

A slice of Viking strategic combat right out of the heart of Scandinavia's indie development scene, Bad North joins the likes of Element at the vanguard of a new wave of smart yet intrinsically accessible real-time strategy titles. With enough enemy variance to convince you you're playing an interactive episode of the Vikings TV show, this endlessly entertaining sea of bitesize battles will teach you to fear - and love - the sound of the oncoming horde.

Read full review

Aug 21, 2018

It's a rare example of where the randomisation of the roguelike structure doesn't feel like a lazy excuse to ignore level design. Rather, it provides a canvas to allow some of the cleanest and engaging tactical action that we've seen in quite some time play out.

Read full review

85 / 100
May 2, 2019

Bad North is an RTS that will surprise us by how simple and addictive it is, ideal for fast games, but that involves a difficulty with its roguelike elements and its permanent death. If you like RTS, it is mandatory to try it, and if you want to approach the genre in a simple and simple but effective way, Bad North will also give you the opportunity.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

New Game Network
Drew Calise
Top Critic
84 / 100
Oct 31, 2019

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.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Sep 3, 2018

On the surface, Bad North is a simple puzzle game, that gets increasingly challenging and emotional with each island you defend, resuting in an addictive strategy roguelite.

Read full review

Jun 9, 2019

Not to be confused with a phrase Kanye West might use when addressing his eldest daughter, Bad North is a real-time tactical roguelike game designed and developed by Plausible Concept. Now, while Kanye references may be less and less appropriate as I divulge my experiences with this title, some excellent links can be made in the opening.

Read full review

8 / 10
Sep 9, 2018

Small flaws like the lack of customisation and differing styles in enemies can be overlooked if you treat the game as it comes. Bad North is a game that manages to balance the fine line between puzzle game and simulation delivering a tactical roguelike which constantly feels refreshing.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Dec 17, 2018

A "gateway game" to the strategy genre, Bad North's formula of simplicity yields a deceptively satisfying challenge.

Read full review

oprainfall
Jakeums
Oct 9, 2019

Throughout my 10 or so hours of gameplay, I can definitely say that Bad North has a lot to offer, especially for its price point, though I feel like $10 would be the sweet spot as opposed to the $15 it asks for. With endless amounts of different islands to play with, a simplistically pleasant art style and easy to learn controls, even a RTS stranger like me can find things about Bad North to enjoy. Plus they have an extra edition of the game out right now (The Jotunn edition) that has more stuff added, so if you’re looking for an easy to pick up, hard to master RTS with a medieval flair to it, this would be a good option to consider. Turns out, Bad North isn’t that bad.

Read full review

PC Gamer
Top Critic
78 / 100
Oct 25, 2018

Mostly delightful and sometimes punishing, Bad North is a fun alternative to more complex strategy games.

Read full review

78 / 100
Dec 24, 2018

Bad North is a good strategy game which combines tower defence and roguelike elements. The game has decent soldier upgrades, a big map and enemy varianty, but lacks repeatability.

Review in Turkish | Read full review

7.3 / 10.0
Sep 6, 2018

Bad North feels a lot like a mobile title in terms of its limited scope, tight focus, and simple controls, and that makes it a fantastic fit for the Switch in portable mode.

Read full review

72 / 100
Dec 30, 2018

Minimalistic and consistent real-time strategy game, which lacks some variation in the long run.

Review in German | Read full review

Dec 27, 2019

For what it lacks in scope, Bad North makes it up with an addictive, rewarding roguelike strategy gameplay layer.

Read full review

7 / 10
Aug 28, 2018

Bad North succeeds in making real time strategy accessible to everyone with easy to grasp controls and a straightforward set of tactical choices. However, some may be put off by the difficulty of the latter half, and with just one mode of play at launch, it's a pretty light package. Aside from the occasional bug, the game runs very well, and the miniature battles make for a compelling experience. If you're looking for a streamlined strategy title you can play in your downtime, Bad North is an imperfect but solid solution.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Oct 22, 2018

A lack of variety doesn't mar an otherwise captivating game - it's a compelling strategy and tower defence game.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Aug 23, 2018

Bad North is, broadly speaking, a hard game to recommend even if I came out the other side enjoying it. The style and thoughtful minimalist reworking of the real-time strategy game is exemplary, but the unrelenting back half of the roguelike adventure can sour a good time. I can wholeheartedly recommend Bad North if you fall into either of these camps: someone who's into a novel RTS twist on the good old-fashioned hard-as-hell roguelike or someone who can chill out to a brutal yet serene RTS that has some rough edges.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Sep 13, 2018

Bad North is a fun game with light RTS and tower defense mechanics. The levels are short enough to be played in small bursts, which do lend themselves well to the handheld mode. However, the lack of meaningful tactics and strategies left me wanting more.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Sep 25, 2018

A neat little package of RTS goodness.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Oct 23, 2019

It’s a shame because the game is fantastic, mechanically speaking, and is very enjoyable to play. It leaves you hungry for more and it nearly feels unfinished with its lack of archetypes or skill variety. This makes it a little difficult to recommend for the full price despite how excellent Bad North plays.

Read full review