Banished review

Banished is the cheapest game on the list at $19.99 and still one of the best reviewed, with 90% of 25,851 English Steam reviews positive. Shining Rock Software built it around people as the main resource: a group of exiles arrives with a cart of supplies, and the town only grows if residents stay healthy, fed and have families of their own. There is no money and no skill tree. Any building is available as soon as you have the materials, and trade happens by barter when merchant ships arrive, which can also bring disease. Twenty occupations cover farming, hunting, blacksmithing, mining, teaching and healing, and every map has a different mix of resources. Its minimum spec of 512 MB of RAM means it runs on almost any Windows PC. The trade-off is scope: it is a small, single-town survival game from 2014, with English as the only listed language.

Who it is for

Budget buyers and players with older PCs who want a focused survival town builder.

Price

$19.99 one-time purchase on Steam (US store).

The townspeople of Banished are your primary resource. $19.99 Buy on Steam
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Townspeople are born, age, work, have children and die
• No skill trees: any structure can be built once resources are gathered
• No money, with trade by barter when merchant ships arrive
• Twenty occupations from farming and hunting to teaching and healing
• Maps where resources vary, so no single strategy wins every time

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Cheapest pick at $19.99
• Strength: 90% of 25,851 English Steam reviews are positive
• Strength: Minimum spec is 512 MB of RAM and 250 MB of storage
• Weakness: Released in 2014 and the store page lists English only
• Weakness: Smaller scope than modern city builders
• Weakness: Windows only, with no DLC or Workshop support listed

Key facts

• Developer: Shining Rock Software
• Publisher: Shining Rock Software
• Released on Steam: February 18, 2014
• Minimum RAM: 512 MB
• English Steam reviews: 90% positive of 25,851

Where it ranks

Banished is No. 5 in our Best City Builder Games verdict.