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Game
Game2018
Bad North: Jotunn Edition
Developer Plausible Concept, Oskar Stålberg
Bad North is a real-time strategy video game developed by Plausible Concept (a game studio in Malmö, Sweden, founded by Oskar Stålberg and Richard Meredith) and published by Raw Fury. The game was released on August 20, 2018, for the Nintendo Switch, then for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on August 28. A Microsoft Windows version was released on October 16, 2018. Versions for Android and iOS followed on October 16,… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
273 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 6, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
93
LovedLoved
213 positive · 17 negative
95% range 88–95%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 213 | 17 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 12 | 1 | 17 |
| Mastodon * | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| Lemmy * | 1 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
6,255 of 6,707 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
93% recommend · 192 yes, 15 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 207 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (13,442 of 14,415 positive).
Players praise the game's minimalist design and tense real-time tactics. [1][2][3] Some reviewers note the game lacks depth and variety, feeling repetitive. [4][5][6] Many find it a fun, simple strategy game with high replayability. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
It had so much potential, and I really wish the developers had done more with it. The art style is absolutely beautiful and was the main reason I bought the game in the first place. The sound effects are also excellent and make combat feel satisfying. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. There just isn't enough variety. Enemy types, units, upgrades, and overall gameplay are all very limited, so the game …
- [1]
This is probably one of the most thrilling tactic games I have ever played! It meshes real time quick thinking, resource management and action together extremely well. The art and sound effects complement the gameplay as well. The game rewards you for mastering the mechanics as pulling off a successful defense can feel extremely satisfying. I cannot recommend this game enough!
- [2]
A gorgeous, minimalist real-time strategy gem that masterfully hides a brutal, blood-drenched roguelite underneath. Bad North: Jotunn Edition is an absolute masterclass in minimalist game design. At first glance, it looks like a peaceful, lo-fi indie experience; you are presented with beautifully clean, procedurally generated diorama islands floating in a calm, misty sea. But the second the Viking longships emerge …
- [3]
Small maps can still create big tactical mistakes Bad North: Jotunn Edition is a minimalist real time tactics roguelite that feels clear, tense, and surprisingly smart from the start. What I liked most was how each island turns positioning into the whole game. A small hill, a narrow beach, or one bad retreat can decide the battle in seconds. The visual style is clean and memorable, and the simple controls hide …
- [7]
Surprisingly Fun & Deep This is a surprisingly fun and deep roguelite strategy game. The loop is simple: every level has an island you need to defend from invaders. Each time you succeed, you earn coins—which you can use to upgrade your troops. Occasionally you will get an additional soldier, or a special item you can assign to one of your troops. The Verdict It may not be some life-changing game, but it is a very …
Summarised from 34 of the 250 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Bad North: Jotunn Edition sits at 93% positive across 230 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Bad North received "mixed or average reviews" according to Metacritic. The game was nominated for "Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year" at the 22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 273 · most liked firstIt had so much potential, and I really wish the developers had done more with it. The art style is absolutely beautiful and was the main reason I bought the game in the first place. The sound effects are also excellent and make combat feel satisfying. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. There just isn't enough variety. Enemy types, units, upgrades, and overall gameplay are all very limited, so the game starts feeling repetitive after only a couple of hours. The core idea is great,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hi new followers! I'm Rich, an indie game dev in Sweden. I worked on Bad North, Little Nightmares and some of the LittleBigPlanet games. Just started something new that I'll be sharing on a regular basis. I also have an adorable/annoying kitty called Loppan who may also make regular appearances here
neutral · AI labelView post →This is nothing new. We got this exact take about concurrents dropping after launch for Bad North *checks calendar* just under 8 years ago. I still live comfortably off of revenues from that game. A failure it was not
neutral · AI labelView post →10 games that influenced me as a dev #GameChallenge #Games #GameDev #PromoSky --- Day 8. Bad North Art by the very fantastic @oskarstalberg.bsky.social. To me this game has the perfect scope for an indie game. If I can make a game half as good I'd be so happy!
positive · AI labelView post →This week's #TurnBasedThursday host is a game dev veteran gone indie! With previous work on games like Bad North & LittleBIGPlanet, he's now released a free prototype on @itch.io of his new studio's first game! Ready to unfold tomorrow's thread? Follow @rtm223.me & get ready to showcase your game!
neutral · AI labelView post →They told me the job would be easy. "Just guard this quiet little island in the middle of nowhere," they said. My brother in Christ, the grass is on fire, my archers have PTSD, and every boat on the horizon is carrying another group of Scandinavians. It has been three days and three nights, and the horizon is legally classified as 90% Vikings and 10% water.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very cool game with lots of potential, but not worth its price. Bad North feels more like a mini game than a real game, it lacks depth and is extremely limited. I would love to play this game for hours and hours if it had more replayability, more items, more classes, more spells etc. But the sad reality is, I played 4 hours, and I already discovered everything the game has to offer in terms of gameplay. This is not a rogue-like you can lose yourself in for hours and find creative ways to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →solid game, i had a lot of fun with it, but i do have some problems with it, the biggest one is a specific type of enemy you encounter in the late game (giant archers) every single other unit in the game has a great counter, an ok counter, and something they will crush easily. but the giant archers have no counter, they just crush anything that isnt infantry, and even with infantry you will take heavy losses without cover. the second and less huge problem is the almost complete lack of story,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After Little Nightmares, I went indie and made Bad North in Unity with @oskarstalberg.bsky.social. Prior to that I'd done 3 (?) game jams in Unity. Oskar had a fair bit more experience, but only at a hobby level - he'd been using Snowdrop prior. We shipped that in less than 2 years
neutral · AI labelView post →This is probably one of the most thrilling tactic games I have ever played! It meshes real time quick thinking, resource management and action together extremely well. The art and sound effects complement the gameplay as well. The game rewards you for mastering the mechanics as pulling off a successful defense can feel extremely satisfying. I cannot recommend this game enough!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a good simple tactical management game however I feel like it can be expanded on more. Features such as bigger generated maps, bigger unit deployments (Cap 6-8 instead of 4) and even more enemies (Extreme difficulty) since there'll be more vacant land for ships. This will make the game a lot more tense and enjoyable to those who have already finished the whole game and want to play it again.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Surprisingly Fun & Deep This is a surprisingly fun and deep roguelite strategy game. The loop is simple: every level has an island you need to defend from invaders. Each time you succeed, you earn coins—which you can use to upgrade your troops. Occasionally you will get an additional soldier, or a special item you can assign to one of your troops. The Verdict It may not be some life-changing game, but it is a very fun experience that you can easily jump in and out of.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An extremely great game that didn't get the content it deserved. Another game mode like a hold out game mode, a difficulty past very hard, new skills for each class, new enemies on higher difficulties, new items, more island variety, maybe even a new class all would've been stuff that I would have gladly paid for in a DLC.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A gorgeous, minimalist real-time strategy gem that masterfully hides a brutal, blood-drenched roguelite underneath. Bad North: Jotunn Edition is an absolute masterclass in minimalist game design. At first glance, it looks like a peaceful, lo-fi indie experience; you are presented with beautifully clean, procedurally generated diorama islands floating in a calm, misty sea. But the second the Viking longships emerge from the fog, the game shifts into a tense, deceptively frantic real-time…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Has a good minimalist art style and is very easy to pick up and play. The simplicity makes it fun for quick sessions. However the game lacks depth. There aren't enough meaningful upgrade options to spend coins on, and the abilities feel restrictive since they must be placed the moment enemies land. It ends up feeling more like a mobile game than a full strategy experience. More defensive preparation options and strategic flexibility would greatly improve it. Overall, it looks great and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A decent enough time sink, cute visuals that work. But it does get pretty repetitive fairly quick.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bad North is a nice little strategic/puzzle game, with a charming and very readable grapichal style, a simple yet effective gameplay loop, and a rogue like campaign that does not overstay its welcome. So much so that the game can be completed easily under 10 hours, the perfect title to be played on your Steam Deck while sitting on the sofa in the evening, watching TV. Nonetheless Bad North can also become really frantic, especially in the latest portion of the campaign, at the hardest…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A simple but excellent little strategy game. Despite looking repetitive at first, the gameplay stays surprisingly varied. 100% Completion Time : 16,2H Completion Difficulty : 4/10 Playthroughs : 2 Missables : None Notable requirements : Complete a Hard campaign while recruting and keeping all commanders alive.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bad North is a cute, unusually strategic combat game where you command different legions of troops in order to defend your islands from oncoming swarms of vikings while moving across an archipelago, constantly trying to stay ahead of the fleet on your tail. The artstyle is quite fun, with small humble houses and little silly figures. The simple design of characters has some cool smaller details too, such as small crowns on your commanders, blood splatters on terrain, and shield units moving…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Small maps can still create big tactical mistakes Bad North: Jotunn Edition is a minimalist real time tactics roguelite that feels clear, tense, and surprisingly smart from the start. What I liked most was how each island turns positioning into the whole game. A small hill, a narrow beach, or one bad retreat can decide the battle in seconds. The visual style is clean and memorable, and the simple controls hide enough tactical depth to keep each defense engaging. Its main weakness is that…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →its a wkd little game that i come back to a lot ,simple and fun.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →fun! Too bad they didn't build a better new game+. But worth the 10-20 hours
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →N-oooo but for a very specific reason. This is a really nice, simple tactics game that fits the niche when you want strategy but you don't have it in you to survey a whole battlefield. However, its sole game mode is a campaign of increasing difficulty. And near the end(?) they have included swarms of a specific enemy unit that have no counter. It's essentially a ballista that oneshots swathes of your units. There is no counter, it outranges you (and quite literally the entire map). Some of the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☑ Beautiful ☐ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☑ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☑ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check if you can run paint ☑ Potato ☐ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer ---{…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☑ Beautiful ☐ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☐ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☐ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☑ Potato ☐ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →fun little 10 hour game, very good replayability and easy to get the hang of but a pretty high skill ceiling as my first hard run i bombed out 30% in or so 9/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A semi-chill tower defense game with some surprising hidden depth—especially once you get to the later difficulties. I had a very good time 100%ing for the price. Would love a sequel with expanded ideas and mechanics!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hard at mid-late game, somewhat creepy, really fun. Allies AI is stupid sometimes, but never ruined me a game. Definitely recommended.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like how it looks like the classic rock-paper-scissor mechanics at first, but then you realized that the paper could kill the scissor if there are too many paper and said paper bum-rush them. Great game. The Hard Difficulty is challenging but manageable, as long as the player is not too greedy and have good risk assessment.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I keep coming back to it after a while. It's the perfect blend of simple mechanics and varied challenges.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Around a year after Bad North launched, someone posted on twitter that it was obviously a failure because the concurrent player numbers didn't reach an arbitrary threshold. Like, why do I care? It's a single player game
neutral · AI labelView post →Enjoyable, but ultimately a nothing burger of a game. Like the whole thing is a demo for a fully fleshed out game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Charming and Brutal I had this game on my wishlist for a long time and I noticed it goes on a good sale every now and then. Yet I felt reluctant to actually buy and play it. At some unknown point in the past I did, and I played a bit here and there. Only recently did I start to actually invest time in the attempt to beat a single run. My words are based on that run and that run alone. For one, the game nails its aesthetic. It looks quite charming. I really love the animation of my troops and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Too simplistic to be interesting. after two upgrades the units have nothing new to offer. Then just copy-paste your tactics on every island
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, I am still in search of another game that's similar to this in the genres of RTS and roguelike, I just kind of wish the DLC of this game came with new content while on top of that there was a version of this game with multiplayer mode. If this game had a multiplayer mode where my friends gets to be the viking faction invading my islands that would go a long way for me without a doubt. Who knows maybe a game like that will exist in the future. TL:DR I have some minor gripes with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Defending an archipelago against a viking horde (Bad North) “'Video games cause violence.’ Based on the last game you played, what are you getting arrested for?"
neutral · AI labelView post →Excellent little team defense game. Few options to customize your team. Simple but satisfying. I beat this a couple years ago and still think about it. Not too hard to 100% it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →best sumed up as beautiful but shallow. great value for the half a day worth of gameplay but thats kinda it unfortunately. the map never randomizes and the islands never change enemies or layout. its just stayed the same from launch.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun, spears are my fav!!!!!! i hate the big bows guys they are mean and kill all my dudes
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A great concept that combines different genres, with appealing graphics and sound. It's definitely worth the money for at least 15 hours of gaming fun.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the deluxe animated video version of our new podcast is out! in Episode 1 of One More Run, @big-flat-cabbage.bsky.social, @cheeseoncheese.bsky.social, @deathbulge.bsky.social and myself re-play Bad North (from Plausible Concept and @rawfury.bsky.social). ⚔️🛶 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktof...
neutral · AI labelView post →great game! very minimalist but deep. it is a very punishing rougelike if you get greedy. im very greedy. i want to take every island and that means splitting your forces which is extremely punishing if done wrong and can set you up for failure. it’s a low reward to high risk often times. does that mean i don’t push it? god no! we gotta take all the islands and kill every viking invader and collect all the gold and treasure and item! 9/10 just could use a speed up button.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A neat little rogue-like with gritty mechanics that are very fun and rewarding if used correctly. 100% had a good time!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really good game, i hope they can produce the sequel of this game. Really had a strong gameplay and tower defense design. And also dont forget to add a long level gameplay with a long upgrade, even adding multiplayer or local co-op with endless wave will make the sequel much fun and enjoyable.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game and cheap! Awesome music, fun challenge, and once you beat it on hard, you have unlocked "very hard," which is, very, very hard.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love this game, I love the simplicity of it too. The simple systems allow the game to pave a complex combat system that I love. The only thing that I wish is that they built on this game's idea more, with more DLC or even a sequel. Its a shame that this game's systems will remain in this game and not grow further...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Scrolled through the #PlayStation+ game catalog and picked Bad North at random. It actually ended up being a pretty solid dynamic-RTS rouge-like. Approachable mechanics with plenty of depth to explore. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of it before! #VideoGames 🎮
positive · AI labelView post →31. Bad North - I’m not a strategy game kinda guy (they always feel like work to me) but Bad North’s minimalism pulled me in. A fabulous game, also available on mobile.
positive · AI labelView post →It's not quite traditional tower defense, but Bad North is great, and scratches the tower defense itch for me. It shows the map and enemies you will be up against each level, and if you lose it's always clear why. (sometimes it's because you got greedy or were stretched thin and didn't send enough units, or because you didn't choose to send the right ones, and often it's because you made a tactical error while fighting. But it never feels like the game is being randomly unfair)
positive · AI labelView post →Very cool simple game to relax after work. And as an illustrator myself, I must say graphics and sound effects are well made, with taste!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nice and Cute Minimalist Stratergy Tactics Game!! Must for those who like to complete the game 100%, its difficult but entertaining
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great little game. Lovely graphics and solid gameplay.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →great strategy, nice art, fun gameplay
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’ve not experienced a more cozy, atmospheric game in which you violently defend against the ruthless and bloodthirsty Viking hordes… It’s absolute art and I adore it. CORE CHARACTERISTICS • STYLE: Cozy Defender • AVG. SESSION: 10 minutes - 2 hours • CHALLENGE: Easy to Challenging • MOOD: Squad-Based Counterplay on Randomized Islands 🟢 THE POSITIVES ➕ The ART. The ambiance, the characters, the feeling of defending an island isolated by an obscuring fog from which dangerous and terrifying…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love this game and i love everything about tyhis game, please remember me i mighty be gone
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Charging $15 for a game this shallow is borderline criminal. Three classes, one of which is garbage, and one three tiered single path skill tree each means you've experienced the entirety of the content this game has to offer in 15 minutes. I bought it for 80% off and I still feel robbed. If this were a free mobile game it would still fail to live up to its competition.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →very fun and replayable
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very fun little strategy game, good if you have some time to kill. Very cheap even when not on sale. Quite addictive and very replayable.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A small concept rougelike where you defend procedurally generated islands from viking invaders. The gameplay is simple troop placement on a grid with rock/paper/scissors style balancing. Audio and visual design is really cute despite the gruesome concept. It's a simple game, but has enough depth the be enjoyable. I like it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bad North: Jotunn Edition Accessible and very Straightforward Strategy Game Really worth trying! Bad North is a minimalist RTS game set in a world covered with procedurally generated islands that we must defend from viking invaders. The game stands out for its low-poly visual style and its simple strategy ‘rock-paper-scissors’ gameplay, which can be exploited in a variety of cool ways. However, I noticed that the Steam version of the game is much more expensive than the mobile one, despite…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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