Choose The Banner Saga 3
Choose The Banner Saga 3 if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. 1,319 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Banner Saga 3 vs Bastard Bonds
The Banner Saga 3 and Bastard Bonds 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. Bastard Bonds (2016) is 2 years older than The Banner Saga 3 (2018). Bastard Bonds scores higher on Steam reviews (88.7% 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 Bastard Bonds
Choose Bastard Bonds if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 88.7% positive across 639 reviews.
Both The Banner Saga 3 and Bastard Bonds 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 3 |  Bastard Bonds | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2016 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, RPG | Strategy, Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 10.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 78.7% positive (1,319 reviews) | 88.7% positive (639 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Stoic | Bigfingers |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Bastard Bonds (2016) is 2 years older than The Banner Saga 3 (2018).
- Bastard Bonds scores higher on Steam reviews (88.7% positive) than The Banner Saga 3 (78.7% positive).
- Bastard Bonds is currently ~56% cheaper on Steam than The Banner Saga 3 (10.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: The Banner Saga 3 is Deck Unsupported, Bastard Bonds is Deck Playable.
The Banner Saga 3 vs Bastard Bonds — FAQ
- Which is better, The Banner Saga 3 or Bastard Bonds?
- On Steam reviews Bastard Bonds scores higher (88.7% positive) than The Banner Saga 3 (78.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Bastard Bonds 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 3 or Bastard Bonds first?
- If you want chronology, Bastard Bonds (2016) 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 3 and Bastard Bonds 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.