Info about Bad North: Jotunn Edition:

Official game description:
  
Position and relocate your troops to fend off the Vikings, who each have their own counters to the threats you pose. Pick your battles and plan your evacuations carefully! Lose a commander and they’re gone forever; lose everything, and it’s game over!  
You command the broad strokes of your defenses and monitor positioning — your soldiers do the rest, navigating and engaging intuitively in response to the situation at hand.  
Each island is both stylistically charming and unique in its layout. Plan your strategies around every nook and cranny, for you only get one chance to save them from the enemy invasion.  
A stronger, smarter defense leads to greater rewards. Use these to develop your subjects from a ragtag militia into seasoned warriors.  
Your home is under attack. The king is dead at the hands of Viking invaders. Hope is a distant glimmer in the fog, fading fast with every passing moment. As you rise to take your father’s place as ruler, it will fall to you to stage your defenses. But make no mistake – this is no fight for victory, but a desperate grasp for survival.  
_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. Everything is at stake: fail, and watch the blood of your subjects stain the ground red.  
It’s charmingly brutal, with beautiful procedurally-generated islands and adorable soldiers juxtaposed against the blood-stained realities of war. You control the broad strokes of the battle, giving high level commands to your soldiers who try their best to carry them out in the heat of the moment. It’s accessibly deep, with simple player inputs masking a dynamic combat simulation that make it inviting to new players while challenging veterans.  
Keep fighting, warriors. Not for power or riches or glory, but for hope of peace to come once again in the harsh lands of the _Bad North_.

Release date: Nov 16, 2018

Categories: Real-time Tactics, Roguelite, Procedural Generation, Unit Management, Tactical Combat, Strategy, Permadeath, Grid-based Combat

Feature scans:
- Wiki: score 10; verdict: Needs Improvement; summary: The primary issues highlighted by users include significant technical problems such as deadlocks and alt-tabbing issues, which severely impact the gaming experience. Additionally, there is a notable lack of guidance for new players, making it difficult for them to find resources and learn gameplay mechanics. These issues contribute to a frustrating and less enjoyable experience overall.
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well; summary: The game generally works well on Linux/Proton with minor tweaks needed for optimal performance. It is well-suited for the Steam Deck, indicating good compatibility with Linux-based systems. Some graphical adjustments may be necessary to enhance the visual experience.
- Steam Deck: score 10; verdict: Seamless; summary: The overall user feedback for the Steam Deck experience is highly positive. Users appreciate the seamless performance and controller support, making it an ideal game for the platform. Minor adjustments, such as graphics settings, are noted but do not significantly detract from the experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows that the community generally finds the game worth purchasing when it is on sale, but not necessarily at full price. This suggests that the perceived value of the game is lower than its current base price. The repeated mentions of the game being worth it on sale indicate that the community considers a discounted price to be more appropriate for the content and replayability offered.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 10.0h
  - Story completion: 3.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: 22.0h
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides several direct references to playtime. The first quote mentions that the game can become tedious after about ten hours, suggesting a typical playtime for game completion. The second quote indicates that a player spent 13 hours completing the game on different difficulties, which supports the idea of a typical playtime for story completion and endgame content. The third quote suggests that a first playthrough takes about 3 hours, which aligns with the story completion time. The fourth quote mentions 22 hours for full completion, indicating a longer playtime for those aiming to achieve everything in the game, including endgame content.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game is fun immediately due to its easy pickup-and-play nature, with the fun solidifying after overcoming the initial learning curve.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: Overcoming the initial learning curve
  - Time to anchor: 0h 20m
  - Friction: Initial learning curve; Repetitive gameplay
  - Unlock drivers: Gradual progression; Variety in landscapes and enemies
  - Conditions: Short play sessions; Enjoyment of tactical gameplay; Appreciation for gradual progression
- Player Archetypes:
  - Chill Art Appreciator (sale)
    - Motivation: Relaxation and visual enjoyment
    - Playstyle: Casual and relaxed gameplay, focusing on the aesthetic and chill aspects.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: chill gamer; art lover
    - Reference games: Islanders
  - Strategy Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Strategic challenge and depth
    - Playstyle: Focused on strategic planning and repeated playthroughs to master the game.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: strategy veteran; RTS fan
    - Reference games: Tooth and Tail; FTL; Kingdom series
  - Content Seeker (sale)
    - Motivation: Desire for more content and depth
    - Playstyle: Enjoys the game but seeks more content and long-term progression.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: content seeker; RTS fan
    - Reference games: Kingdom series


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Fun and engaging gameplay (weight 0.38): Players consistently describe the game as fun, engaging, and entertaining. It is praised for being enjoyable for quick sessions and offering a fun challenge.
- Beautiful and minimalistic visuals (weight 0.28): The game's visual style is frequently praised for being beautiful, minimalistic, and appealing. Players appreciate the stylish and simple art style.
- Simple yet challenging (weight 0.27): The game is noted for its simplicity in mechanics and understanding, yet it offers a challenging experience. This balance makes it accessible but also rewarding to master.
- High replay value (weight 0.13): The game offers high replayability, with addictive gameplay and roguelike elements that keep players engaged for several hours per session.
- Excellent sound design (weight 0.12): The game's sound design is highlighted as excellent, with great music, sound effects, and a good sound atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- Perfect blend of RTS and roguelike (weight 0.12): The game is praised for combining roguelike elements with real-time strategy, delivering a streamlined and engaging experience for fans of both genres.
- Interesting map design (weight 0.1): The game features interesting and diverse map designs with many details, innovative level design, and unique island designs that players enjoy.
- Unique tower defense variation (weight 0.1): The game offers a unique and enjoyable variation of tower defense, making it perfect for fans of strategy and tower defense games.
- Good for killing time (weight 0.07): Players find the game good for killing time and taking breaks, making it a suitable choice for short gaming sessions.
- Enjoyable progression (weight 0.07): The game offers an enjoyable sense of progression, with players appreciating the fun and gradual progression and sense of progress.
- Positive feedback from Chinese players (weight 0.07): Chinese players have given positive feedback, indicating that the game is enjoyable and suitable for playing with a controller.

Common complaints:
- Gameplay becomes repetitive (weight 0.26): Many players find the game repetitive quickly, with monotonous gameplay and map design. This lack of variety affects replayability and can make the game feel stale after a couple of playthroughs.
- Lack of unit variety (weight 0.24): Players note a limited variety in troop types, units, and enemies. This lack of diversity impacts strategic depth and overall enjoyment.
- Limited content and story (weight 0.16): The game is criticized for having barely any story and too little content, making it feel short and lacking in substance.
- Difficulty issues (weight 0.11): The game has difficulty spikes and a steep difficulty curve, which can be frustrating for players. Additionally, some levels are reported as impossible to complete.
- Missing features (weight 0.11): Players express a desire for additional features such as a multiplayer mode, more game modes, and gameplay updates to enhance the gaming experience.
- Game size and price (weight 0.09): Some players feel the game is overpriced for its size and content, suggesting it may not be worth the price.
- Grindy achievements (weight 0.08): Achievements in the game are considered grindy, requiring a lot of time and effort to unlock, which can be frustrating for players.
- Balance issues (weight 0.07): The game has balance issues, with some units being overpowered and others feeling weak. This can affect the overall enjoyment and strategy of the game.
- Frustration from losing progress (weight 0.07): Losing progress can be frustrating for players, especially in a game that requires a lot of time investment to unlock achievements and upgrades.
- Lack of updates and DLC (weight 0.04): Players express disappointment with the lack of updates and substantial DLC content, feeling that the game has been abandoned by developers.
- Untapped potential (weight 0.04): The game is seen as having untapped potential, with players feeling that there is room for improvement that has not been realized.

Gameplay feedback:
- Island defense central to gameplay (weight 0.23): The game heavily focuses on defending islands from various enemies, particularly Vikings. Players need to employ different strategies and adapt to varying terrains to successfully defend their islands.
- Real-time tactical gameplay (weight 0.21): The game features real-time tactical combat where players maneuver different unit types like infantry, pike, and archers. This element is combined with strategic decision-making for a dynamic gameplay experience.
- Unit management and deployment (weight 0.16): Players must manage and deploy units strategically, making tactical decisions on unit positioning and upgrades. The game features grid-based unit deployment and larger unit deployments as players advance.
- Roguelike elements (weight 0.14): The game incorporates roguelike elements such as permadeath mechanics and random level generation. These features add a layer of unpredictability and replayability to the strategy gameplay.
- High difficulty curve (weight 0.12): The game is noted for its challenging difficulty, which includes various settings and a steep difficulty curve. Players find the game increasingly challenging as they progress.
- Simple and minimalistic mechanics (weight 0.12): The game is designed with simple and easy-to-learn mechanics, making it accessible to new players while still offering depth in strategy and tactics.
- Unit balance and positioning (weight 0.12): The game emphasizes the importance of unit positioning and environmental interactions. Players must balance their units and place them strategically to succeed.
- Unit upgrades and customization (weight 0.11): Players can upgrade their units and customize their troops, which is straightforward and adds a layer of progression and strategy to the gameplay.
- Class and item system (weight 0.08): The game features a class and item system where players can collect items and utilize different characteristics and effects to enhance their units and strategies.
- Procedurally generated islands (weight 0.07): Islands in the game are procedurally generated, providing varied and unpredictable terrains that challenge players to adapt their defensive strategies.
- Enemy variety and counters (weight 0.07): The game offers a variety of enemy types, each requiring specific unit counters. Players must strategize and position their units effectively to counter different enemy types.
- Terrain-based combat mechanics (weight 0.05): Combat in the game involves terrain interactions and physics, adding a layer of complexity and realism to the tactical gameplay.
- Recommended team configurations (weight 0.05): The game suggests specific team configurations, such as using two shields and two bows, to effectively combat enemies across different islands.

Performance notes:
- Smooth performance on devices (weight 0.08): The game runs smoothly and performs well across multiple devices, including Steam Deck.
- Low system requirements (weight 0.06): The game has low system requirements, making it accessible to users with basic hardware and even 'potato' PCs.
- Game launch issues (weight 0.02): Some players have experienced issues with launching the game.
- Uses lossless scaling for FSR (weight 0.02): The game employs lossless scaling for FSR to address and fix graphics.
- Occasional load time issues (weight 0.02): There are occasional load time issues, particularly during map generation.
- Installation process feedback (weight 0.02): Feedback on the installation process, mentioning the need to install Steam, Rosetta, and the game itself.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended by players (weight 0.17): Many players strongly recommend the game, often without any conditions or caveats.
- Recommended on sale (weight 0.15): A significant portion of players suggest buying the game during a sale or discount period.
- Recommended for strategy fans (weight 0.1): The game is particularly recommended for fans of strategy, RTS, or puzzle games.
- Worth trying or experiencing (weight 0.09): Players indicate that the game is worth trying, especially if it aligns with the player's interests.
- Recommended for specific player preferences (weight 0.08): The game is recommended for players who enjoy challenges, completing games 100%, or specific genres like roguelite/roguelike.
- Suitable for short or long sessions (weight 0.08): The game is considered suitable for both short breaks and full gaming sessions, making it versatile for different play styles.
- Good value for price (weight 0.07): Players feel the game offers good value for its price, especially when purchased at a discount.
- Positive feedback on gameplay experience (weight 0.07): Players describe the game as satisfying, engaging, and rewarding, highlighting its unique gameplay style.
- Desire for more content and updates (weight 0.07): Players express a desire for more content, including additional campaign content, updates, and potential sequels.
- Suggestions for multiplayer mode (weight 0.06): Several players have suggested the addition of a multiplayer mode to enhance the game's replayability and enjoyment.
- Suggestions for new game modes (weight 0.06): Various suggestions for new game modes, such as an endless mode, attacker mode, or large-scale battles.
- Recommendations with caveats (weight 0.05): Some players recommend the game but with certain caveats, such as limited longevity or specific conditions.
- Recommendations for specific gameplay settings (weight 0.04): Some players recommend specific settings or modes, such as playing on Hard difficulty or with certain options enabled.
- Recommendations for specific player types (weight 0.04): The game is recommended for fans of specific series or those who enjoy particular types of gameplay experiences.
- Mixed recommendations on DLC (weight 0.04): Opinions vary on the necessity of DLC, with some recommending it and others finding it unnecessary for normal gameplay.
- Suggestions for workshop and modding (weight 0.04): Players suggest expanding the workshop or adding modding capabilities to enhance the game's content and replayability.

Other player notes:
- Mod and workshop suggestions (weight 0.04): There are suggestions for adding mods and a workshop to enhance gameplay and community engagement.
- Nostalgic appeal (weight 0.02): Players appreciate the game for its nostalgic value, reminiscing about past experiences.
- Future game development (weight 0.02): Players are looking forward to future developments and updates in the game.
- Minimal language barrier (weight 0.02): The game requires minimal English knowledge, making it accessible to a wider audience.
- Ukrainian language support (weight 0.02): There is a request for adding Ukrainian language support to cater to a broader player base.
- Monitor cleanliness realization (weight 0.02): Some players humorously noted that the game made them realize how dirty their monitors were.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.36): Players enjoy the game's strategic and challenging gameplay, along with its beautiful visuals and engaging soundtrack. The combination of tactical depth, minimalist design, and satisfying mechanics creates an addictive and fun experience.
- Frustration (weight 0.13): Players experience frustration due to the game's difficulty spikes, lack of save points, and repetitive gameplay. Issues with unit balance, unclear mechanics, and progress resets also contribute to this emotion.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Players feel disappointed by the game's short length, lack of content, and limited replayability. The absence of updates, additional content, and perceived lack of depth in later stages also contribute to this sentiment.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): Players are excited by the game's engaging and unique mechanics, rich content, and high strategy level. The tense and challenging gameplay, along with the desire for more content and features, adds to this excitement.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.07): Players feel satisfied with the game's balanced difficulty, strategic depth, and engaging gameplay. The sense of accomplishment from completing challenging tasks and the game's overall quality contribute to this satisfaction.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.05): Players are enthusiastic about the game's unique blend of RTS and puzzle-solving, along with its detailed art design and music. The complexity and tactics of the game, as well as its engaging RTS experience, fuel this enthusiasm.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Players experience joy from the game's beautiful visuals, tranquil music, and overall positive gameplay experience. The enjoyment of the game's design, strategy, and mechanics contributes to this feeling of joy.
- Positive (weight 0.03): Players have a positive experience with the game's strategy, replayability, and tactical depth. The enjoyment of the game mechanics and the enhancement through mods add to this positivity.
- Disappointed (weight 0.02): Players feel disappointed due to the game's lack of variety and depth in gameplay, as well as the limited number of troop types. The perceived lack of content and value for the price contributes to this disappointment.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Players admire the game's complexity, soundtrack, and elegant design. The unique style, interesting gameplay, and immersive atmosphere also contribute to this admiration.
- Frustrated (weight 0.02): Players feel frustrated due to bugs preventing troop movement and the lack of detailed information in the game. Stress from slow ally reinforcement and limited troop combinations also add to this frustration.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): Players feel nostalgic due to personal memories and enjoyment from the game, reminiscing about childhood memories. The game's ability to keep players engaged during long trips and the enjoyment of using spears evoke this nostalgia.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Players appreciate the game's nice art style, well-done essential graphics, and inspired art. The simple and clear soldier designs, along with crisp sound effects, contribute to this appreciation.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Players experience boredom due to the high similarity of levels and lack of new content. The game becomes repetitive quickly, leading to this feeling of boredom.
- Excited (weight 0.01): Players are excited about the game's extraordinary quality and strategic elements. The enjoyment of the game and its value contribute to this excitement.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Players feel hopeful about future updates and the addition of a multiplayer mode. The anticipation for updates and language support fuels this hope.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Players are engaged by the game's strategic depth and challenging gameplay. The quick island captures and engaging mechanics contribute to this engagement.
- Negative (weight 0.01): Players have a negative experience due to frustration with losing units and specific enemy types. The game's challenging and punishing nature, along with repetitive gameplay, add to this negativity.
- Relaxation (weight 0.01): Players find the game relaxing and suitable for short sessions. The pleasant and relaxing gameplay contributes to this feeling of relaxation.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players love the game's design and gameplay, as well as specific elements like the spikemen. The instant connection and enjoyment of the game type contribute to this love.}