Your heart sinks as the menacing sound of horns pierces the thick fog. The Vikings are invading! If you can prevent the buildings on your island empire from being burned to the ground, you’ll be rewarded with riches. But to do so, your loyal troops must outlast these fearsome invaders.
With a short learning curve and deceptively cute graphics, Bad North is easy to get the hang of. But this is no cakewalk. Below the surface, it’s a real-time strategy game that combines elements of tower defence and roguelikes for a unique and challenging experience. In the world of Bad North, strategy and cunning, careful planning are key.
Your campaign map begins with your home island, but each victory unlocks new islands to defend. You won’t be able to save everyone, so prepare to make hard decisions; do you defend a resource-rich island that’s a strategic nightmare or one that’s easier to defend but only has one building?
There’s more to this than picking the right battlefield however. Some islands are home to commanders who’ll join forces with you as you fight your way to victory. Other islands host special items, like war hammers that rain down extra damage and war horns that rally reinforcements into battle.
Saved buildings earn coins you can use to train your troops and improve their skills, as well as heal them. But receiving treatment means those troops aren’t available to fend off the invaders, so manage your resources wisely.
Battle is fairly simple. Your troops will fight the Viking invaders without prompting; your job is to find the right position for them.
Infantry is on the move and always itching for a fight, so make sure they’re not going to get bottlenecked in narrow passages. Archers are best placed in high positions to launch a torrent of arrows upon your foes. Position your pike carriers on the beach as Vikings charge from their longboats or set them at choke points. Be careful not to leave your island unprotected during the onslaught or the Vikings will overrun you, burn your buildings to the ground and kill your commanders. Game over!
Because each island is only a few squares wide and long, battles are small and speedy. Each island is randomly generated, with varied terrain, shorelines and buildings to defend, making every game of Bad North a completely different experience. The strategy you used to win once might not work the next time around.
Are those horns sounding in the distance? Rally your troops to the beach!