Rogue Lords
Rogue Lords
Game
Game2021
Banners of Ruin
Developer MonteBearo
Assemble your party. Answer the call. Win the war. Build a deck and fight a series of turn-based combats with up to 6 party characters through the city of Dawn's Point. Each character can unlock a set of unique cards and abilities that can augment your deck in powerful, exciting ways. From the Steam store page
202 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
64
Fresh
116 positive · 66 negative
95% range 57–70%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 116 | 66 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| Lemmy * | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
1,398 of 1,779 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
65% recommend · 117 yes, 64 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 181 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (2,556 of 3,243 positive).
Many players praise the game's atmosphere, art, and music. [1][2][3] Some reviewers criticize the game for being unbalanced and too reliant on RNG. [4][5][6] Several players note the game has a steep learning curve and is very difficult. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [19]
They did a lot of things right: music, atmosphere, visuals, intuitive UI, and interesting mechanics. What makes the game unplayable is the terrible reward rate. There are around 60 rounds in this game. Each round offers three scenarios that lead to combat or other events, each with different rewards: skill cards, weapons, and armor. Now, imagine that among 10 rounds, only 2-3 rewards benefit my gameplay, and I end …
- [5]
I rarely post Negative Reviews, so this game really stands out for me in a bad way despite wanting to like it. There are more than a few issues with this game that really hold it back and some that simply can't be ignored. TLDR; - - There are bugs, - The UI is confusing, - It has imbalanced gameplay mechanics - Difficulty issues - Far too random to have any consistent runs - At times just not fun I found myself …
- [7]
ᓚᘏᗢ <(mroow...) A cool and clever deckbuilder/crawler with a deep and varied combat system. The combat mechanics are superior to what you'd usually find in this type of game. A more complex combat system means more strategic and less click-click gameplay. It takes a bit of a learning curve, though; and it's definitely worth it. Take your time during battles and use that big thing between your ears (no, not your …
- [4]
TLDR: this game is indeed unbalanced as ♥♥♥♥ but it goes both ways, so if you like getting your ass beat for no reason as you learn to do the ass beating then this is the game for you I'll say it straight up, all these negative reviews are right on the money. Lots of useless or downright detrimental cards, builds that the game pushes you to that just don't work, more people on your field is bad, plenty of enemies in …
- [1]
Great game. My favorite deckbuilder. Good atmosphere, its not just a digital card game, but it all works together to create an experience.
Summarised from 34 of the 201 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 9, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
65% of the 181 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Banners of Ruin. The complaint that keeps coming up: game is unbalanced and has too much RNG. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 202 · most liked firstThey did a lot of things right: music, atmosphere, visuals, intuitive UI, and interesting mechanics. What makes the game unplayable is the terrible reward rate. There are around 60 rounds in this game. Each round offers three scenarios that lead to combat or other events, each with different rewards: skill cards, weapons, and armor. Now, imagine that among 10 rounds, only 2-3 rewards benefit my gameplay, and I end up skipping the rest, which makes me underleveled against stronger enemies. I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game is painfully slow. Every card being played, every interaction, every animation, every story option, every time dialogue was displayed. Took 4 hours to get through the first playthrough. It's excruciating for a roguelike to have a gameplay loop that feels like you're slogging through knee deep mud. Went into the settings after to see if there were options to get it moving faster, but the setting for "gameplay speed" was already defaulted to as fast as it goes. Same as other reviews…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the worst roguelike /card deck builder games I've played. I love games like this, having played them for over two decades. This one is just boring and repetitive. Same enemies over and over again, same dungeon scenarios. Boring cards and spells, nothing unique or special. They took all the laziest and easiest paths in this game. They have the simplest cards and enemies; this game offers nothing new or unique to try. Boring background and silly, boring music. It's like these DEVS wanted…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Note: as of this writing Steam says my play time is 13 minutes probably because I have overwhelmingly been playing this off line. My actual play time is approaching 40 hours, so this review is not as superficial as the incorrectly listed 13 minutes would imply. In evidence of my actual play time, I have unlocked 87% of the achievements which I doubt is possible in only 13 minutes of total play.] On initial playthrough I initially mistook Banners of Ruin as basically as DLC reskin for Slay…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →rng is a wet smelly dog. the main drawback for me is you can't see units before fights (i know why you can't) and you can't run so if you pick a strong opponent your run is over. banners of ruin is meant to be failed enough times until you learn it and get enough unlocks before you have a chance of clearing it. if that sounds fun go for it but if it don't, you're best buying something else. gameplay has you start with 2 characters. the levels are 3 decks of cards that you pick 1/3 of to do and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I rarely post Negative Reviews, so this game really stands out for me in a bad way despite wanting to like it. There are more than a few issues with this game that really hold it back and some that simply can't be ignored. TLDR; - - There are bugs, - The UI is confusing, - It has imbalanced gameplay mechanics - Difficulty issues - Far too random to have any consistent runs - At times just not fun I found myself playing with roughly the same deck on each run, making for a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can't find it anywhere but my favourite placeholder art was from the game Banners of Ruin and it was just a ferret with an AK-47
positive · AI labelView post →ᓚᘏᗢ <(mroow...) A cool and clever deckbuilder/crawler with a deep and varied combat system. The combat mechanics are superior to what you'd usually find in this type of game. A more complex combat system means more strategic and less click-click gameplay. It takes a bit of a learning curve, though; and it's definitely worth it. Take your time during battles and use that big thing between your ears (no, not your nose...). That cat loves Banners of Ruin! Plus, the animal theme is charming, with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A nice deckbuilder. Some unique elements that make it differ from slay the spire. Although it is very comparable. Give it a try! Edit: Ok after 33 hours. This game has very few wining strategies. It is somewhat of a disapointment that this is so. I would love to play mobility or ruin builds, but the last boss just messes with those movement builds. The idea of the game is really good, the setting is a nice backdrop. But honestly, After ~15 runs you notice that the only way to reach late game…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was enjoying this game and had a pretty decent strat. Until the game decided "♥♥♥♥ you, I'm gonna banish the first of every card you play throughout every round because of some ability one of your enemies have, there by locking you in to drawing nothing but injury cards or cards you can't use due to stamina until you die or quit." Don't bother playing this game unless you like getting angry and seeing every strat you employ go down the drain because the game never cuts you a break. It's…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Thematically the game easily beats any other roguelike deckbuilder out there. The visuals, world building, and music really hit the spot. Sadly the gameplay itself falls short of an expected standard; progression is really slow, combat while introducing interesting concepts lacks variety and depth, and overall the whole "game" part of the game feels very unfinished. It's the kind of game I really want to like and I kind of do enjoy booting up, but end up finding it really difficult to continue…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You get what you see (Literally all the screenshots are majority of the whole game). Had fun finished around 20 hours, but it does have modifiers and added events after you complete the game. Love the different classes and build potential, I am ALWAYS a fan of bleed or poison effects. The path system is also fun and interesting; much more dynamic than slay the spire. I Would highly recommend on discount and if you are a fan of Deckbuilder roguelikes.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to like this game, and I did. Lots of rage quit reviews here. Pay no attention to them. Just try it, but if you do, give it more than a few hours. It's a bit different than others so it will take a bit of time to get used to. Make sure you run through the tutorial at least once to fully understand the game mechanics. If you like roguelike deck builders you'll enjoy. For 5 bucks, this is a steal. Or, get that Mcdouble you've been wanting so bad from Mcdonalds. Your choice.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is... fine! its kinda overhated imo. As someone who never touched this genre, it was a positive experience buuut... It's REALLY, REALLY hard! I mean I have 30 hours in this game, guess how many times I beat it... ZERO.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It has great character design and art; the mechanics are accptable if uninspiring; but unfortunately the interface and presentation are really just ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ awful. Mechanics are not explained well. Fortunately, most of the gameplay is very rote for any deckbuilding card battler (not helpful if you are new to these games, I guess). During gameplay there is no confirm option, no way to undo/rewind if you misclick or mistarget, and worst of all there's no "are you sure?" confirmation box when…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Humble] Luck of Draw: Roguelike Deckbuilders - Holiday Encore ($12+). 6 games below for $12.00 - Alina of the Arena - Banners of Ruin - Collection - Dicey Dungeon - Chrono Ark - Luck be a Landlord - Tainted Grail: Conquest Plus 1 more game before for $18.00 - Fights in Tight Spaces
neutral · AI labelView post →Very good roguelike deckbuilder. I prefer this one over Slay the Spire: better art, better soundtrack, better atmosphere. 10/10.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Upsettingly little content in such a pretty game. I'm in love with the idea of a roguelite card builder with a more in depth movement/troop placement system, but it's virtually impossible to take advantage of this mechanic. This is true for a lot of mechanics in game- nodding to the ruin system here specifically. A ton of cards are Not Very Good and only bloat the deck. It's impossible to recruit people because they bloat the deck. A lot of systems seem to just be there to bloat the deck. It's…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game. My favorite deckbuilder. Good atmosphere, its not just a digital card game, but it all works together to create an experience.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not bad as such, but the very poor game balance and unclear UI really overshadow the otherwise quite interesting deckbuilding mechanics.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bad, very very bad. Not at all a deck builder. You just have to cope with the deck you are given. Actual choices in this game are very few and far between and mostly turn out bad because it is all based on RNG. You can't even select what gear your party starts with, and if play long long enough to unlock a special racial ability you might go a dozen runs before the RNG allows you to use it. Buyer Beware!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bought the game for a discount from Eneba. The game is kinda hard to be honest. After 8 hours of dying and restarting the game, i gave up.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There's a lot to like about BoR. The streets/encounters (i.e. Acts/Nodes in StS) are immersive in their story-telling and in setting the stage. The art is unique and crisp. The ability to party-build from six characters who each have their own equipment and talents and unique skills combined with the usual deck-builder stuff is a nice concept. For a time, these positive aspects are enough, together with the 2x3 tactical play, to make the game enjoyable. However, once you start to get a handle…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly not much to say, this is one of the worst games in this genre. Play Slay the Spire instead. The game is grindy, it's intentionally unfair and designed against the player at every turn. I've played a lot of it, and I've yet to find any enjoyment. It's simply not fun.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is great. It has me back more and more to just try out different strategies and face the different opponents. Just look at my record: 177.1 hrs. I've played Slay the Spire. It doesn't have the lore like this one does. This feels like you are in a medieval battle between two sides, and you get stuck into some interesting situations. Definitely worth $20.00. Thank you Monte Bearo!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An alright roguelike deckbuilder game. This game offers: Stamina and will: Most cards use stamina, while a few cards use will. Your character has its ability which cost will. No card upgrade in terms of the basic status of the card (if a card is called "rush", there is no upgrade that changes it to "rush+" and improve its stats). However, there are token upgrades that you can pick up that can augment a card, such as +3 bleed when you play the augmented card. These tokens are very limited…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm having a hard time figuring out why I don't like this game. I guess the mechanics are kind of shallow? But I dig Night of the Full Moon, and it's mechanics are even more shallow? Is it the bleak tone? But I dig The Banner Saga and that's even bleaker. The art's pretty good, no complaints there... I guess is that it does everything just a little less compared to other games in the same genre, the whole is less than the sum of its parts.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The experience of the Later boss fights is just incredibly poor. Getting one shot again and again with counterplay being nearly not existent (unless you draw MIRROR) makes the fun game that precedes battle disappear entirely into a joyless dice roll, souring the experience in such a severe way that it makes future attempts radically unfun. If some boss rebalancing took place, i think it would be a fine game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can't recommend it. The game is very repetitive and offers very little variety, to the point where i was already getting bored after only a few hours. I had to force myself to finish the 100%. 100% steam achievements Time : 8.6H Completion Difficulty : 2/10 Playthroughs : Multiple run Missables : None Notable requirements : Several deck-building challenges requiring specific synergies.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Banners of Ruin is engaging, pretty, gritty, tactical and tactile. There is a lot of RNG, but that allows for replayability. There is some skill, there are many fun builds. Each animal is very cool. The vibe is strong. I like this game immensely.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Holy crap this game is so so fantastic. The turn based combat is fantastic and really engaging. The level up system is great and even though I fail a playthrough I always feel like I've progressed and/or learned something. When you do progress it feels very rewarding and you unlock more cards and weapons which changes the playthrough. After beating the main game (which took me 10 hours) you unlock different scenarios with unique twists to the campaign as well as options to customise your…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →to many card games to play... Yugioh and Mtg, obviously SolForge Fusion Pokemon Elestrals Duel Masters Megaman NT Warrior i still play Maganic Wars sometimes My 'Slay the Spire'-like comfort game is Banners of Ruin StS2 will be out eventually... I still should socialize with people sometimes aaaaah
positive · AI labelView post →Excellent roguelike deckbuilder, one of the two best I've played (the other being StS). It has a rich story, immersive BO and nice graphics. The challenge is real, while the basic game remains very accessible. 5 stars
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TLDR: this game is indeed unbalanced as ♥♥♥♥ but it goes both ways, so if you like getting your ass beat for no reason as you learn to do the ass beating then this is the game for you I'll say it straight up, all these negative reviews are right on the money. Lots of useless or downright detrimental cards, builds that the game pushes you to that just don't work, more people on your field is bad, plenty of enemies in the early game that'll just nuke your ass even on a good run (Spitter you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Doing a stream of a game Banners of Ruin at in an hour. Special Guest: Rugu (Macro - @rugu.bsky.social) See you there! Will be making a schedule one day! Haha. www.youtube.com/@BigMouseVic
neutral · AI labelView post →honestly I really liked this game. But there's a steep learning curve and unlike slay the spire, once you beat it you just...beat it and restart your campaign. No seeing how far you go. Even for the price, I put 11hrs into this and while I enjoyed it, I can't justify the time spent. I don't feel the urge to keep playing after I win the campaign and they stopped my run. This game could have been great. It just needs more content. could have been an early access 10/10
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →don't get this game unless you're a very bored deckbuilder cardbattler rogue-like player like me, in which case maybe get it for $5 to kill some time for a different experience this game has some cool ideas, but clearly lacks enough play testing from the devs themselves cool ideas: - weapon armor system - lane positioning serious quality of life issues which show the lack of play testing deckbuilder cardbattlers are a game of information, when drafting a card, or making certain decisions,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've played the game many times with different team set ups and i doenst become boring. Ive played about 200 hours and i really enjoy to return to the game time by time. The basegame and the DLCs are all worth playing it. The dlcs bring interesting new mechanics with the heroes to the game and every hero plays has an unique style of playing. The six races frome the game are unique too. Through the leveling system every run is different than the one before for a long time because with every…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Given the quality of the art and vibes the actual game play is quite a disappointment. At first I appreciated the tweaks the devs made on the Slay The Spire model, but through the course of the game these came to feel sluggish and repetitive. As someone with a job I play games for novelty and interesting fun. I found the combat and progression to be drab enough that I felt like I was wasting my time.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is a cool game with a unique Style of deck building. There is pretty artwork. My main issue are the fights. The camera angle just does not fit the position based combat. This makes is hard to see and click / hover over the characters. When doing a run the non-combat path options can take very long. They all have a "story" attached to them, wich gets old pretty quick. I could only recommend this game for true die hard fans of Deck Building Games.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought the DLC and it has ruined the game. Pun intended...if you dont get mist with bleed added your screwed. i finally just deleted this half way decent game. Too bad
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i can honestly say this is worth the buy, if you are on the fence of buying it just do yourself a favor and get it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’m going to cut to the chase with this one. Despite its potential and initial fun, you end up at the end of the game feeling just like that girl from college—one with way more experience than you—who looked at you and asked, “Is that it?” And much like her, you don’t want to hurt the devs’ feelings, because, hey, there’s a lot to like. The combat is solid, the setting has a charming “RedWall” vibe. But, unfortunately, you're left feeling unsatisfied. It’s like you invested your time and money…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall I would very much recommend Banners of Ruin. Lots of solid card and world mechanics, interesting interactions between the different character/weapon/skill archetypes, and just generally I dig the 'Redwall but just more violent' vibes. The progression ramp is also very good, allowing you to uncover the progression-hidden content in what feels like a very natural way. I would also recommend the DLC characters, as they add quite a few fun ways to play through runs. Without giving too…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like the concept, but I would not be able to recommend it. Some cards have their mechanics being bugged, well I found 2 that turned my battles to the worse because they did not work as intended (based on description on card. Yes, either the card mechanic is bugged or the text is wrong, I will classify both as a bug based on how important correct card play is). Finding those 2 bugged cards was enough for me to put down the game, instead of searching for more bugged cards.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Where's that sideways thumb when you need it? While I principally enjoy complex games, 'Banners of Ruin' has a little too much of everything. Less would have been more in this case. E.g. there's well over 30 different status effects which makes it both hard to tell them apart and (worse) difficult to put a focus on anything when building your deck. Apart from the deck building, positioning is quite important: units on both sides are placed in a 2x3 grid: a front and a back rank with three…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →cool premise, but the combat blows
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Monotonously boring and too random
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yeah, StS really ruined me for other deckbuilders, and I'm still chasing that high. Some pretty good ones have been Power Chord and Banners of Ruin. They're both team-based games where cards are tied to certain characters, and I think that particular mechanic adds enough that it took me a while to crack the code on them.
positive · AI labelView post →[Game Bundle] Luck of the Draw: Roguelike Deckbuilders Encore. $12: * Alina of the Arena * Tainted Grail: Conquest * Banners of Ruin - Collection * Chrono Ark * Luck be a Landlord * Dicey Dungeons * [COUPON] 25% Off Humble Choice (Only eligible to new subscribers.) $18: All above, plus: * Fights in Tight Spaces
neutral · AI labelView post →The game uses incorrect pronouns, making it impossible to read and understand properly. For example, "they" is plural. However, it is used to refer to a single character instead of a group. As far as I understand, games from these companies should not be purchased while they are promoting gaynglish
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is really fun Roguelike Deckbuilder, but I had to kill the poor doggo in the end :(
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →worst card battler I've ever played. It's slow, clunky and not balanced at all.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall if you like card games like Slay the spire this might be for you also, though this one is more confusing and frustrating, hardcore… There’s some obnoxious mechanics that you just have to deal with and sometimes you just can’t win because of them. For example, random bleed that deals straight to the vitality... And you can't really heal your characters and most of the time you can only heal one of them only... For me at the end it wasn’t that fun, so I wouldn’t suggest it as your first…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Banners of Ruin is a turn-based deckbuilding roguelike developed by MonteBearo and published by Goblinz Publishing alongside Maple Whispering Limited, carving out its own identity in a genre crowded with single-hero card battlers. Set in the grim, rain-soaked city of Dawn’s Point, the game places players in control of a band of anthropomorphic warriors seeking to overthrow a tyrannical regime. Its blend of party-based combat, shared deck construction, and light RPG progression gives it a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game looks cool and the concept is indeed cool BUT... Like others have said the game is just entirely an RNG fest. You can unlock traits and passives but you can't select any of them so you never have real agency in each run. The game is also slow, taking hours per run and it becomes quite apparent if you're going to be able to finish or not. There are characters and DLC heroes that change the gameplay a little bit but the best strategy is outlined in the guides ( Draw cards and get…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're a fan of roguelike games such as darkest dungeon and slay the spire, I highly recommend this game for you. The game features a great art style and captivating soundtrack, all while containing enough unique gameplay elements of its own to distance itself from being a carbon copy of other deckbuilders.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really good game, but pretty difficult. This is a roguelike card game and it doesn't really pull any pushes. Hardcore autosave only with perma death, meaning the character you just put 3 hours into building can die to some ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ right before the final boss. Great game, meaningful choices in character building and playing/ordering cards. The game asks a lot of you to built the true final boss and even someone pretty experienced with card games struggled with it, but beating it felt really…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Banners of Ruin! I love that game a lot. The art is great, the mechanics are engaging, and it's all furries :3 It's basically slay the spire but instead of a single person you make a party over time.
positive · AI labelView post →I really enjoyed this game. Particularly the armor system I thought was fresh and interesting. Better than Slay the Spire IMHO.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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