The Banished Vault PC

The Banished Vault is an independent turn-based science-fiction strategy game with horror elements. The game lets us explore different solar systems aboard a city-ship resembling a Gothic monastery. Space travel, however, is made more difficult by a cataclysm constantly engulfing further planets.

The game was developed by Lunar Division, a division of Bithell Games responsible for experimental projects. The creators were inspired by media such as the Alien movies and The Book of the New Sun novels by Gene Wolfe.

Plot

The Auriga Vault is an intergalactic monastery capable of traveling between solar systems, as well as a home to the survivors of a great disaster. The crew is on the run from The Gloom, which consumes everything in its path. The survivors thus visit subsequent planets, seeking salvation.

Mechanics

The Banished Vault has the player traverse a procedurally generated universe aboard their unusual spaceship, trying to delay the impending doom. Each visited system is an opportunity to discover new planets, create outposts and gather resources. Gameplay is turn-based, with each action bringing us closer to the system's destruction.

Before that happens, we must gather as much as possible while managing our fuel and storage space. All resources and buildings we don't place on the ship before setting out are lost. We can assign special abilities to our characters, which can give us more starting resources, upgrade our engines or allow for rerolls (as randomness plays a big part in The Banished Vault). We can unlock more abilities by collecting artifacts.

Before leaving the system, we must prepare the crew for hibernation, in which they'll spend the journey to the next one. We must have enough stasis to do so - a resource that keeps the life support system running. If we don't have enough, we'll need to choose who to leave behind to die. Losing the passengers of Auriga Vault limits our options and leads to an instant game over if we get down to just one person.

During hibernation we have some time to develop the crew and expand the monastery. All upgrades gained at this stage stay with us for the rest of the game.

Technical aspects

The gameplay is shown from an isometric view, with movement around solar systems resembling board games. The story of The Banished Vault is made more atmospheric by dark, monochrome framing.

Last updated on 25 July 2023