We Love It's Guide to…
Lead small squads across a besieged island chain, positioning three troop types to repel Viking landings and protect villages.
Released 16 Nov 2018
Defend Tiny Island Villages
Exploit Cliffs And Chokepoints
Match Troops To Vikings
Bad North is a charming but brutal real-time tactics roguelite. Defend your idyllic island kingdom against a horde of Viking invaders, as you lead the desperate exodus of your people. Command your loyal subjects to take full tactical advantage of the unique shape of each island.
Developed by Plausible Concept, Oskar Stålberg · Published by Raw Fury









After Viking invaders kill the king, you lead the defense of an island kingdom and guide its people through a desperate campaign. Choose which islands to defend as the threat advances across the archipelago.
On each island, position and relocate up to four squads to protect villages from waves of Viking landings. Direct their placement rather than individual attacks, using cliffs, high ground, narrow passages, and cover to shape the fight. Swordsmen, spearmen, and archers each have different strengths against enemy troops.
Successful defenses earn gold to upgrade squads, while commanders can gain abilities and equipment along the way. Decide where to commit your forces and when to move on: commanders lost in battle are gone, and the advancing sea removes earlier islands from reach.
Players often enjoy turning each island's terrain and troop matchups into a tactical defense puzzle, with simple controls that still allow for demanding decisions. Reviews also frequently praise the minimalist visuals and atmospheric sound, and some find the challenge especially satisfying. Others feel the limited unit and upgrade variety makes later battles repetitive, and several criticize sharp difficulty spikes.



| Platforms | Windows, macOS |
|---|---|
| Achievements | 11 |
| Age ratings |
|
| Controller support | Xbox |
| Controller required | No |
| Demo | Bad North Demo |
| DLC / extras | 1 listed on Steam |
| Content notices |
|
| Website | Official website |