Starfield is one of the most anticipated games of the year, promising a vast and immersive space exploration experience. But if you are looking for a more challenging and dark alternative to Bethesda’s space RPG, you might want to check out The Banished Vault, a turn-based resource management sim that is currently available on Steam.
What is The Banished Vault?
The Banished Vault is a game developed by indie studio Astral Codex that draws inspiration from Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun, a sci-fi novel series set in a far future Earth. The game is presented like a lavish seventeenth-century astronomical chart, with wooden pieces for ships and structures and cloth-like textures for planets.
The game’s premise is simple: you arrive in a procedurally generated solar system with a mothership, some crew, resources, and a few smaller vessels. Your goal is to gather enough additional resources to put your crew into stasis and get to the next system within 30 turns. Along the way, you need to build a special structure in four different systems to unlock the game’s ending.
However, the game is anything but easy. You will face dice-roll-based hazards, such as cosmic storms, hostile aliens, and ancient traps. You will also have to deal with the psychological effects of isolation and despair on your crew, who may succumb to madness or mutiny. The game does not hold your hand or explain much, leaving you to figure out its mechanics and secrets by trial and error.
How does The Banished Vault compare to Starfield?
The Banished Vault is a very different game from Starfield in terms of genre, tone, and scope. While Starfield is an action-adventure game that lets you explore the galaxy at your own pace, The Banished Vault is a strategy game that puts you under constant pressure and forces you to make tough decisions. While Starfield has a hopeful and optimistic vision of space exploration, The Banished Vault has a bleak and nihilistic one. While Starfield boasts high-end graphics and production values, The Banished Vault has a minimalist and retro aesthetic.
However, both games share some common elements that may appeal to fans of sci-fi and space games. Both games feature procedurally generated worlds that offer variety and replayability. Both games have rich lore and mysteries that invite curiosity and discovery. Both games have customizable ships and crew that allow you to create your own space adventure.
Why should you play The Banished Vault?
The Banished Vault is not a game for everyone. It is hard, unforgiving, and sometimes frustrating. It requires patience, planning, and perseverance. It does not cater to casual or mainstream gamers who expect clear goals, tutorials, or rewards.
However, if you are looking for a game that challenges you intellectually and emotionally, that makes you think and feel, that surprises you with its depth and complexity, then The Banished Vault might be the game for you. It is a game that rewards exploration, experimentation, and learning. It is a game that immerses you in its dark and mysterious universe. It is a game that offers a unique and unforgettable experience.
If you are interested in The Banished Vault, you can find it on Steam. You can also read more about the game’s development and influences on the developer’s blog. And if you want to learn more about Starfield, you can check out our coverage of Bethesda’s space RPG.
