Bad North

 PC
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. New Game Network
    Nov 1, 2019
    84
    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.
  2. Strategy Gamer
    Oct 16, 2018
    80
    Bad North strips away just the right amount of complexity and headache that real-time strategy games tend to have, resulting in a core experience that is challenging, rewarding, and very replayable.
  3. Merlin'in Kazanı (Turkey)
    Dec 25, 2018
    78
    Bad North is a good strategy game which combines tower defense and roguelike elements. The game has decent soldier upgrades, a big map and enemy variety, but lacks repeatability.
  5. PC Gamer
    Oct 25, 2018
    78
    Mostly delightful and sometimes punishing, Bad North is a fun alternative to more complex strategy games.
  6. GameStar
    Feb 3, 2019
    72
    Minimalistic and consistent real-time strategy game, which lacks some variety in the long term.
  7. Windows Central
    Dec 30, 2019
    70
    For what it lacks in scope, Bad North makes it up with an addictive, rewarding roguelike strategy gameplay layer.
  8. Eurogamer Italy
    Jan 9, 2019
    70
    Bad North is a simple, but addictive real time strategy, perfect both with mouse and keyboard and gamepad.
  9. The Digital Fix
    Oct 23, 2018
    70
    A lack of variety doesn’t mar an otherwise captivating game - it's a compelling strategy and tower defence game.
  10. CD-Action
    Feb 6, 2019
    65
    A minimalistic, good-looking RTS built around a heavily emphasised risk/reward system. It might not be remarkable, but it was still able to make me lose track of time. [01/2019, p.78]
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  1. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Nov 20, 2018
    Each battle is small and short and self-contained, so Bad North has all the ingredients to be a moreish barnstormer. The problem is that they combine with mixed results, much like the members of my extended family and homemade sloe gin.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 67 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 67
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 67
  3. Negative: 6 out of 67
  1. Terrier
    Dec 1, 2018
    5
    This game is fine, but it has a fatal flaw. It has no variety, and the replay value is really low. It is a big flaw considering that thisThis game is fine, but it has a fatal flaw. It has no variety, and the replay value is really low. It is a big flaw considering that this game is aimed to play it again and again. Sorry, but it is not happening.
    This game is based in a minimalist strategy game, where you play over and over until you die, and you must start from scratch. And, since the game is quite repetitive (i counted around five types of enemies), then it's hard to try to play it again.
    The game, as a strategy game, is fine, and the graphics are acceptable (for a minimalist game), but it lacks story, variety and any achievement. Even the "loots" are meh.
    I died for the third time and I think I get it enough.
    I give a 5/10 only because it's an indie game.    … Full Review »
  2. Moodo
    Jun 12, 2022
    6
    Is it worth buying? Only if you can get it for cheap on sale, because for 15$ its way too overpriced.

    Game-play: It has solid game-play but    Is it worth buying? Only if you can get it for cheap on sale, because for 15$ its way too overpriced.

    Game-play: It has solid game-play but it is just so lacking in content, there are only 3 classes in your army and you will keep using them through the entire game, which gets very repetitive.
    And the enemies work very well with those classes but also suffer from the same problem, lack of variety. It took me 6 hours to do every single island on the map, but it was just doing the same thing over and over again. this game shoulvde been a phone game for 2$ rather than a pc game for 15$.

    Story:No story, but that isnt a problem for this game genre.

    Graphics: One of the best parts of this game, simple yet good, you can tell what every class and item does just by looking at it. Very good 2d art too.

    Sound: I dont remember hearing any music in the game, but the sound effects were nice and fitting.

    Fun: Yes fun indeed, but really suffers from lack of variety.    … Full Review »
  3. Symilan
    Jan 31, 2022
    9
    Honestly there is very little reproach you can do to this game, it is just genuinely good ! True, there is no narration, true it is a veryHonestly there is very little reproach you can do to this game, it is just genuinely good ! True, there is no narration, true it is a very simple game, true all units are not equal... Then what ? This is not a problem, this is a developer choice ! This game encourages you to make your own strategy to beat what seems to be an extreme challenge for gamers, but can be tweaked into a die and retry for beginners.
    A truly amazing game, didn't give it 10 just because I would have loved pikemen to be slightly stronger, but no big deal    … Full Review »
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