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Developed in 2014, Banished was in a class of its own with its nicely rendered visual graphics and particularly unforgiving gameplay mechanics.
Since 2014, a lot more games have been developed using recent game engines that have proved to be as good as Banished.
However, not all of these games truly fit into the city-building strategy genre. To help you out, selection-wise, we have compiled a list of the best games like Banished that you can buy and play in 2023.
Let’s get down to it!
13. Heroes of Might and Magic VII
This was a difficult one to place on this list and for good reason. Heroes of Might and Magic is a role-playing turn-based strategy game that offers players an immersive adventure experience, one of the top games like Banished but with different mechanics.
It features both a single-player and a multiplayer mode. In the game, you are thrust into making tactical decisions to fight your enemies while also building a base that others can’t beat.
Combining military, use of magic, and decision-making dynamics, there is so much to love about Heroes of Might and Heroes VII. So, if you are a fan of anything magic, you want to try this game out.
- Release Date: 29th September 2015
- Developer: Limbic Entertainment (Published by: Ubisoft)
- Platform Supported: PC (Microsoft Windows)
Get it Here: Steam
12. Gnomoria
Gnomoria is a fun strategy sandbox game with innate city-building mechanics. It is one of the best sandbox games like Banished for Mac and Windows.
The only big difference between the two games is that you are in charge of gnomes settlements in Gnomoria compared to human settlements in Banished!
One of the best things about Gnomoria is that it also adds some touch of fantasy thanks to immersive and well-detailed graphics.
From constructing and deconstructing buildings to acquiring wealth and resources while wandering the world, there is so much to do in Gnomoria.
How well you make decisions would be key in helping your gnomes avoid enemies because the wealthier your settlement becomes, the more powerful the enemies you attract.
- Release Date: 23rd February 2016
- Developer: Robotronic Games
- Platform Supported: Steam, PC (Windows and Linux)
Get it Here: Steam
11. Spacebase DF-9
If you are looking for a game like Banished but with a modern touch, Spacebase DF-9 is for you. The game took all the city-building dynamics that make Banished so loved and developed it with a sci-fi theme.
In Spacebase DF-9, you are in charge of creating a peaceful settlement that would serve as the final frontier for aliens and humans.
From mining asteroids and building space ships to monitoring the happiness of your inhabitants, there is so much to keep you glued to the game.
- Release Date: 27th October 2014
- Developer: Double Fine
- Platform Supported: PC (including Linux)
Get it Here: Steam
10. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Warcraft needs no introduction. It is one of the best real-time strategy games for PC.
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos offers just as much dynamics as its predecessors and starts with you selecting a race (between humans, orcs, night elves, and the undead) to play as.
Your aim in the game is to build a strong empire that can crush the remaining three races in the single-player mode and other players in the multiplayer mode.
- Release Date: 3rd July 2002
- Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
- Platform Supported: PC (Microsoft Windows, Mac OS)
Get it Here: Amazon
9. Planetbase
Planetbase is an immersive space strategy game like Banished set on a remote planet.
Here, your job would be to manage the survival of the last human outpost by setting up defenses against meteor showers while also deciding which structures are important to build and guarantee the colony’s survival.
In the game, you would be playing as the head architect of the colony. You would also oversee certain aspects of the colony’s wellbeing such as monitoring food level, water level, resource level, and even oxygen level in the colony.
- Release Date: 15th October 2015
- Developer: Madruga Works
- Platform Supported: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC (Microsoft Windows, macOS)
Get it Here: Steam
8. Clockwork Empires
Clockwork Empires checks all the boxes when talking about games like Banished for mac and Microsoft Windows. Challenging? Check; city building? Check! You name it!
As you play the game, you will be expected to build a colony that can accommodate different races of people all with their unique religion and desires.
The challenge comes from trying to ensure all the different communities in your colony are kept peaceful.
- Release Date: 26th October 2016
- Developer: Gaslamp Games
- Platform Supported: PC (Microsoft Windows, Mac)
NOTE: Gaslamp Games shut down support operations in 2016 but the game is still available to download, albeit not through steam or other official sources.
7. Cities: Skylines
Cities: Skylines is your classic city-building and management game. It starts with you having a plot of land which you will go on to develop into a city. The growth and economy of the city will depend greatly on the decisions you make while building.
Cities: Skyline is a lot like Banished except the buildings you will be setting up are more modern. You will even have to decide how big or small your fire and police stations are!
- Release Date: 10th March 2015
- Developer: Karoliina Korppoo
- Platform Supported: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC (Mac, Linux, Microsoft Windows)
Get it Here: Steam
6. Dawn of Discovery
Offering a perfect blend of real-time city management and all of Banished’s city-building dynamics, there is so much to love about Dawn of Discovery.
You start the game on a small ship on which you will travel to a small settlement where you will begin and build your civilization.
You will be tasked with monitoring everything from construction, combat, economy building, diplomacy with other settlements, and general world exploration. Basically, everything you loved doing in Banished!
Interacting with other people and their settlements and forming alliances will decide how big and successful your city gets.
- Release Date: 23rd June 2009
- Developer: Ubisoft Related Designs, Ubisoft Blue Byte
- Platform Supported: PC (Microsoft Windows)
Get it Here: Amazon
5. Anno 1800
Anno 1800 is a real-time colony-building strategy game that tests your decision-making skills against other players.
It is a history-themed game that lets you experience what it was like back in the period when Empires were a thing.
Players are expected to secure their colonies and build them using resources they mined and collected around them or through resources won from raiding and fighting other player’s colonies.
The bigger your colony, the harder it is for other colonies to take over and the easier it is to trade resources with other players.
- Release Date: 16th April 2019
- Developer: Ubisoft Blue Byte
- Platform Supported: PC (Microsoft Windows)
Get it Here: Amazon
4. Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV
As you can probably already guess from the title, this is the fourteenth (14th) game in the series.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV lets you play as one of the most influential individuals during the old Chinese wars. You will be tasked with building cities as well as research and strategies intelligence that would help you win battles.
While the combat system is very different from what you would expect in a game of its genre, its world-building dynamics land it a spot on the list of the best games similar to Banished.
- Release Date: 16th January 2020 (Japan); 28th February 2020 (Global)
- Developer: Koei Tecmo
- Platform Supported: Playstation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch
Get it Here: Amazon
3. Northgard
If you love Norse Mythology or anything that has to do with the Norse-era, Northgard is the game for you! It is one of the most unique games on this list and is highly recommended if you want your city-building strategy mixed with adventure and mystery.
In Northgard, you will have to grow your settlement from scratch by establishing trades with other settlements as well as warring and conquering smaller settlements.
Given the Norse theme, you can expect to battle powerful giants, massive dire wolves, and even dragons at one point or the other while growing your settlement.
- Release Date: 27th February 2017
- Developer: Shiro Games
- Platform Supported: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC (including Linux)
Get it Here: Amazon
2. Judgment: Apocalypse Survival
Talking about games that arguably offer a little bit more than Banished, Judgment: Apocalypse Survival offers so much action and city-building alongside a great storyline that has you hooked from start to finish.
The plot of the game is simple: You must battle dread demons from hell in the hopes of stopping them from killing all humanity.
To act as the last line of human defense, build a base, craft weapons, and try your possible best to ensure your base survives round after round of demon attacks.
Although many might be quick to say the game sounds a lot more like an action game, the world-building dynamics of the game make it one of the best casual strategy games like Banished on PC.
- Release Date: 11th April 2016
- Developer: Suncrash
- Platform Supported: PC (Microsoft Windows)
Get it Here: Steam
1. Life is Feudal: Forest Village
Saving the best for last we have the Life is Feudal Series.
Life is Feudal: Forest Village is one of the best free games like Banished. It is a simulation strategy game where you build a township keeping tabs on every aspect to make it run well.
As simple as it sounds, the game has a surprisingly high difficulty levels and will require you to be at your best.
The game starts with you as the town leader of a small refugee group that is trying to find a new life on a remote island. You will then be tasked with shaping how the town is built and what types of buildings are built.
NOTE: There is also an MMORPG version of the game released in 2018 on Steam that features a massive online multiplayer campaign versus other players in real-time.
- Release Date: 26th August 2016
- Developer: Mindillusion
- Platform Supported: PC (Microsoft Windows)
- Get it Here: Steam
Conclusion
So there you have it; the top 13 best games like Banished that you can play in 2023. Of course, there are a lot more similar games that didn’t make the list. So, if you think there is a particularly interesting one we kept out of the list, do drop a suggestion, and we will see about adding them later!
