Banished

RTS/Tower Defense Hybrid (Work In Progress)

Overview

Banished is an original game project inspired by the dark humour and strategy of Bullfrog Games’ Dungeon Keeper, reimagined for modern systems and audiences. It blends RTS, Tower Defense, Simulation, and FPS control schemes into a cohesive, systems-driven experience where players take on the role of a defeated Dark Lord, rebuilding their keeps and armies in an effort to conquer the land once more.

Gameplay

At its heart, Banished is about careful management of resources, creatures, and defenses — with the added twist of direct first-person control:

  • Rebuild Your Domain – Gather resources to construct keeps, lairs, workshops, and factories.

  • Attract & Manage Creatures – Structures attract new creatures to your cause, each with their own needs and personalities. Keep them fed, sheltered, and equipped to ensure peak performance.

  • Evolve Armies – Use factory structures to forge weapons and armor, transforming basic creatures into specialized combat variants.

  • Dynamic AI Behavior – When not in battle, creatures engage in everyday activities like patrolling, researching, worshipping, training, and leisure activities.

  • Day/Night Cycles – Time of day influences behavior, affecting both your followers and invading forces.

  • RTS / FPS Hybrid Control – Command your armies from above in classic RTS fashion, or step into the battlefield directly as the Dark Lord with an FPS-style controller. Transition between views at pre-placed and player-built Scrying Pools, offering a powerful layer of tactical flexibility.

  • Defend & Survive – Enemies relentlessly push toward your character on the map, fighting through your minions to slay you. Every wave is telegraphed in advance, allowing you to prepare defenses, traps, and counter-unit strategies before unleashing your own armies to strike back at the opponent’s keep.

Technical Highlights

Banished is built from the ground up in Unity, with a focus on performance, clean code architecture, and designer-friendly tools:

  • GOAP-style AI Planner optimized with the Unity Burst Compiler for scalable decision-making.

  • Grid-aware world building systems for intuitive placement, pathing, and spatial logic. Additive and subtractive variants implemented

  • RTS & FPS integration through modular control schemes and scrying-pool-based transitions.

  • Robust selection & placement tooling tailored for rapid prototyping and designer iteration.

  • Production-minded engineering patterns emphasizing predictable performance and clean APIs.

  • Codebase structured for maintainability, extensibility, and designer workflows.

Inspirations

  • Narrative & Tone – Drawing from Lord of the Rings, the game casts players as a fallen Dark Lord clawing their way back to dominance.

  • Gameplay DNA – Inspired by Dungeon Keeper, but expanded with Tower Defense structure, modern RTS sensibilities, and immersive FPS player control.

Credits

  • Pathfinding: Aaron Greenberg’s A* Pathfinding Project

  • Visual Assets: Synty Studios