Choose The Banner Saga
Choose The Banner Saga if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 88.3% positive across 7,743 reviews.
The Banner Saga vs The Banner Saga 3
The Banner Saga and The Banner Saga 3 both land in Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam. The Banner Saga (2014) is 4 years older than The Banner Saga 3 (2018). The Banner Saga scores higher on Steam reviews (88.3% positive) than The Banner Saga 3 (78.7% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose The Banner Saga 3
Choose The Banner Saga 3 if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2018) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 1,319 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both The Banner Saga and The Banner Saga 3 sit in Strategy, Indie, and RPG on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 The Banner Saga |  The Banner Saga 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2018 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, RPG | Strategy, Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 24.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.3% positive (7,743 reviews) | 78.7% positive (1,319 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Stoic | Stoic |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam.
- The Banner Saga (2014) is 4 years older than The Banner Saga 3 (2018).
- The Banner Saga scores higher on Steam reviews (88.3% positive) than The Banner Saga 3 (78.7% positive).
- The Banner Saga 3 is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than The Banner Saga (24.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: The Banner Saga is Deck Verified, The Banner Saga 3 is Deck Unsupported.
The Banner Saga vs The Banner Saga 3 — FAQ
- Which is better, The Banner Saga or The Banner Saga 3?
- On Steam reviews The Banner Saga scores higher (88.3% positive) than The Banner Saga 3 (78.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, The Banner Saga is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play The Banner Saga or The Banner Saga 3 first?
- If you want chronology, The Banner Saga (2014) came out before The Banner Saga 3 (2018). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are The Banner Saga and The Banner Saga 3 similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.