Northgard

Northgard is a great real-time strategy game with a unique blend of city-building, resource management, and Viking lore. The gameplay is engaging, with different clans offering diverse playstyles, and the mix of exploration, survival, and conquest keeps things interesting. The art style and atmosphere fit the Norse theme perfectly.

However, the DLCs are a mixed bag. While they add new clans with unique mechanics, they often feel overpriced for what they offer. Some clans feel unbalanced or gimmicky rather than adding real depth to the game. If you enjoy the base game, some DLCs might be worth it, but overall, they don’t always justify their cost.

I wanna start off by saying that his is a great game overall. That said, the gameplay loop and atmosphere gets kinda old and the factions aren't balanced. None of the single player experience is much to talk about. It might be worth $10 or maybe $15 but not the full price. But, biggest reason why I cannot recommend this game is the achievements being locked behind faction DLCs that effectively double the price of the game. $60 is absolutely bonkers for the all factions bundle and buying them one at a time (like how they came out) is even more expensive. Greedy and manipulative sales tactics are a no from me dawg.

The perfect balance between large civ builders like Civ and more focused city builders like Banished. SO much content and different ways to play. This is my new favorite game for sure. Hoping some of that DLC goes on sale

Great RTS! What really convinced me was the gameplay—easy to learn but hard to master. I especially noticed this during my initial experience with the game. While there aren't many buildings or units, there are numerous ways to utilize them, making every decision feel important.

I enjoy the art style; it suits the Nordic theme well. The gameplay is engaging. Strategic thinking is crucial, but the game remains accessible—you can still win even if you're not the best RTS player. As you learn more, you begin to see deeper strategic possibilities.

One thing that surprised me is the number of game modes and how distinct they are from one another (story mode, mode with quick battles, classic mode, multiplayer and more). This significantly enhances replayability and keeps the experience fresh. Another standout feature is the clan system—each clan comes with unique abilities and playstyles, allowing for varied approaches to the game.

At the time of writing this review, I have only about 8 hours in the game, but I will definitely return to it. Northgard is a well-made RTS where everything comes together nicely, offering a balanced mix of accessibility and depth.

Only played solo but a lot of fun. Nice 4x feel but casual enough.

This game is worth getting despite a lot of memory and lag issues (especially the last stage of Bifrost) but outside of that, this is one of the best RTS games I've played in a long while.

- Friends tell you to get game
- Play 3v3 against bots and lose to neutrals
- Find a guide for the clan you like to play.
- Beat bots and go into multiplayer
- Realize no one plays in America
- Get completely wiped because you are terrible
- Watch more guides
- Finally start winning.
- Buy every clan even though I don't play half of them
- Be lonely
- Convince friends to buy and play game :)

Cinema

Good idea for a game terribly executed.
mechanics are clunky too.

Well... Good game, bad pricing policy.

6 Base clans , 14 DLC Clans, each a Microtransaction for 1/6 of the games whole worth. I would like to get more clans, but this is ridiculous. Any game that thinks this is fine deservers a straightup downvote.

Damn this was a fat mistake! I just finished the short story and that's it, everything else is locked behind a pay wall. Want to play the rest of the 10 or so clans? PAY
Want to play another story and see what happened after your free story? PAY
You wanna breathe? PAY!!! This game is one step away from being a scam!
NEVER BUY, even if its on sale with a 2$ tag, because if you wanna get the full game, you'll have to pay around 60-70 euros

Solid game, honestly wasnt expecting much when I bought it, but it was able to get me to 79hrs the first time and im playing again. Normally I cant get past 30hrs with some games. best 5 dollars ive ever spent

I'm generally not very good at RTS but despite that I've enjoyed this game a lot. It includes a good variety of impactful elements to keep the game fresh even after several plays through.

Reminiscent of Settlers Rise of an Empire with some restrictions that make it more of a challenge. Currently working through the story mode to get a hang of it, and it's pretty good.

Very interesting take on a RTS game. clan variations are great. though the city limitation is the hardest thing to wrap my head around. great coop game with replayability. the fact I can have 3 other friends join me on a conquest mode is icing on the cake.

The developers haven't optimized the game since have the Bifrost mode, when you play the game for 35 minutes or more, the fps will drop.
The lag will be in all game modes and all clan. I remember that before the Owl clan, it wasn't this lag
Even though there are almost 100 population, there has never been a lag.
If you want to play this game casually for hours, there's no way because after 30 minutes, the game will lag a lot or crash game. It would be great if this game didn't lag.

a lot of bugs (game client crashes, errors, etc)

bad multiplayer:
- very bad matchmaking (3 premade vs random, gold vs wood rank, incompatible clans, etc)
- a lot of disconnects: 2 vs 3 matches. reconnect very slow or not works
- bad community (noobs, solo players, toxic, etc)
- very limited gameplay: small maps and short play time (800 - 802/803 years)

The game is crap, 14 out of 20 clans are locked behind a paywall and are DLC content. Those are the better ones.

Also the game is frustrating, even when you've understood the mechanics, at least with certain clans you get no room to breath, one mistake, one suprise attack and your whole game is overthrown, hard to recover.

Like others stated, in the late stage of the game it gets a bit laggy when the visible map increases in size. Even though its normal to not optimize games anymore, its still no excuse to release games like that.

this is fun to play, not playing the online co-op mode yet but the single player mode is nice and a bit challenging, which is good so we can enjoy the game play n chill

Always been a huge fan of RTS games and this game is great. The campaign does good job of teaching the game and never found myself getting bored. if you like rts games try this one.

I love this game. Found it on PlayStation 5, and played 120 hours in less than 3 weeks. Learning there was more available online, I finally downloaded Steam just to play more Northgard. I do wish they would continue supporting the PlayStation version though, I did find it easier to play on there.

really fun with a lot of replayability. blends strategy and resource management without much stress like a lot of other RTS games which i find make them unenjoyable for the most part. ascetics and UI make it really easy to follow whats going on and super user friendly.

I've been playing this game with my fiancee for a couple of years, and it's the kind of game you can just keep coming back to. It's a real-time strategy game, but less fast-paced than something like Age of Empires. The core loop of building up during the summer and hunkering down for the winter is so compelling. The DLCs also add a lot to the game and are reasonably priced. Overall, a great game for cooperative or competitive multiplayer!

Currently unplayable late game due to lag. System can more than handle the game, just poor programming. Looking over threads this has been an issue for years and the devs just don't care enough to fix the problem. Do not buy.

FUN game, just hard to recommend to anyone who wants to play this competitively. Clans are horribly imbalanced and RNG is very inconsistent and causes early game losses that cant be helped. Only buy clans that you intend on actually playing.

Overall, it’s a good game, but it’s repetitive. Almost all clans have the same build, the same strategy, and the same perk tree. If I’m not mistaken, there are only two clans that have a few different mechanics, but nothing that will spark enthusiasm to play.
I can’t recommend this game because it’s become a DLC farmer. The developers release a new DLC (a new clan) every eight months, but again, it’s just the same old thing. They’ve just released the roadmap for 2025, and guess what? A new clan is arriving in the summer.
If you want to buy it, wait for a promotion.

Overall this game is fun. Had an eye on it and grabbed it with the recent sale. Its a new experience for me although I've played RTS games a fair amount. none of them are like this one before. The story is great at showing you how the game works so you have a general understanding on how the different clans work and such.

Overall I like it. If you like RTS games and haven't explored this specific form of RTS, try it. It is 1000% worth the cost.

Good RTS game with different ways to win with each class. Actually difficult due to the nature of the game and the map weather and special conditions make every match annoying(but in a good way) in some way.

Overall a very fun game. Occasionally a weird in game hiccup but never something consistent. Would highly recommend

game mechanic is to different from the 1st. the new race is not fun to play with at all. the missions are small and not worth going back and playing again.

All in all a nice coop game.
Medium quality, quite some jank.

No FPS limiter, so the game renders in 500fps+.
Graphics are medium poly, effects are simple.

Some nice variety with different skill trees across factions. A couple of slightly different game modes.

Logic happens in tiles. If you chase enemy units you need to spam mouse clicks so they keep attacking.

Factions seem to be rather imbalanced. Some are much stronger than others

Paired with the fact that you can buy faction for about 5$ each this leaves a bad taste.
Negative review due to excessive DLCs with a touch of pay to win.

A very successful and fun game that combines both the fun and exploration of an RTS type game with the competitive spirit against other players! (most in high level divisions abusing some clans that are far above others)

The base game is good and interesting, and the creators of the game still manage to bring interesting updates and DLC to the game, so as a buyer you can count on more content to be added and the developers to listen to the complaints of the players as much as possible. (Not entirely, but let's be realistic, hardly any company does that these days)

One of Northgard's strongest points is the variety of clans, each offering a different playstyle, strengths, and weaknesses. Whether you prefer the aggressive and fast-paced raids of the Wolf Clan, the economic powerhouse of the Stag Clan, or the defensive resilience of the Bear Clan, the game offers a lot of depth for both casual and competitive players. The seasonal mechanics and random map generation add another layer of strategy, requiring players to adapt and plan ahead. Surviving the harsh winters while expanding your influence makes every match feel dynamic and engaging.

One of my personal favorite aspects of Northgard is the Serpent Clan ( Sváfnir ). Unlike traditional clans that focus on economy, honor, or territory expansion, the Serpent Clan thrives on deception, raids, and guerrilla warfare. The ability to ignore territory control and sneak into enemy lands to disrupt their economy adds a completely different layer of strategy that I find incredibly satisfying. Their playstyle rewards constant aggression and adaptability, and for someone who enjoys fast, unpredictable tactics, this clan is just perfect. While it may not be the easiest to master, nothing feels better than striking from the shadows and dismantling an opponent’s empire before they even realize what’s happening!

Overall, Northgard is a fantastic RTS with a unique Viking twist, offering a mix of exploration, survival, and competitive strategy. Whether you're looking for a game to play casually with friends or a challenging, skill-based RTS, this game delivers. If you're a fan of deep strategy, Norse mythology, and constantly evolving gameplay, Northgard is definitely worth checking out! ( + good job shiro games keep it up and the game will remain a success for a very long time )

i read the review but personally i didnt find it enjoyable. The gameplay loop is just not satisfying, and doesn't feel rewarding.

Northgard is a fantastic blend of real-time strategy and city-building, set in a rich Viking-inspired world. The game strikes a great balance between resource management, exploration, and combat, making every match feel unique. Each clan has distinct abilities, encouraging different playstyles and strategies. The campaign is well-crafted, and the multiplayer adds plenty of replay value with its competitive and cooperative modes. With beautiful visuals, deep mechanics, and regular updates, Northgard is a must-play for strategy fans.

Such a well designed and thought out RTS. The dev's are great about adding new clans to play, which is always great to see. There are so many strategies, so many ways to go about victory, and with the amount of clans you can always learn something new. Highly recommend if you like RTS games, and are looking for something that always has a new twist to it.

The Bifrost mode is, in my opinion, the single best group play co-op strategy game experience I have seen. I truly hope the developers continue to pour effort into this mode, as it really is something special.

Fun RTS game :)
I love that all the factions/clans are quite unique and they've all be really fun to play.
The game modes that Northgard offers is soo great! As it offers single player story, co-op 2~4 players, multiplayer PvP and MORE! So, whether you have people to play with or not, you can always play the game!

Some things to note about the game:
The factions/clans costs quite a bit of money $...
I don't know how often they go on sale and how cheap they get. I don't mind the cost of each factions/clans too much, as it gives me a reason to play what I currently have until I understand it. And it also makes me save up to get a faction that I want to play as a way to reward myself.

The combat is tile based.
The tile based combat can make combat a bit tricky. Attacking with ranged units might be a bit difficult since all units needs to be inside the tile before being able to attack, so ranged units are great for defending, but not sure about attacking.

Some of the win conditions might be a bit sleeper.
The trade win condition has been a bit boring to win with as there's not much contesting a player can do and there's no big red warning that tells you when a person is about to win the game with things like trade, so sometimes, it might feel like the game just randomly ended. Good thing is that, if you're playing multiplayer with friends, you can disable whichever win condition you want during game setup.

Came back to this game after a few months away and updated to the "Trade & Prestige" patch.

Since updating to this new patch performance in the single player custom game is utterly unplayable in the later stages in terms of jerkiness, screen lag and pauses. The game starts off fine, but towards the end when I've got a fair few regions under my belt it always starts to slow down. I have even tried a medium map with just one player on easy - same issue. Have tried reducing the graphic settings in the game, no difference. Devs, please fix this, it didn't happen to me on the previous version. Wish I had never updated :( The game is unplayable now because it is so hard to enjoy the later stages of a game. I've seen a lot of other people have raised performance issues so this is perhaps not new.

Used to be a great game, I'm cranky that I spent money on this game and it is now literally unplayable because I can't finish a game it runs so slow towards the end.

its polished and well made rts, needs more interesting single player content

A truly excellent and well-designed RTS game. The base game is great on its own, with the DLC adding new and interesting ways to play. My one complaint is the Southern Kingdoms and their playstyle aren't nearly as well developed or supported as the viking tribes.

Game had potential but has taken the paradox model for the purpose of GREED. DO NOT BUY.

I enjoy city builders and civilization-like games, and north guard is a very nice addition to my collection. First I will talk about the positives of the game. Combat, making an army is very fun, and hiring different leaders is just plain cool. Another positive is the replayblity, especialy early on in a game, different factions feel very diffrent and fresh. Now the bad, While the game is very replayable I find the late game to very repetitive and mindless, ushualy just running around with massive armies, or mindlessly doing other things to reach the winning goals. On the winning terms, some ways to win are just objectivly easier that others, and I often have to turn them off just to make the game fun. Another issue I have is that, while the different factions are fun and keep the game fresh, most of the intresting ones are locked behind paywalls, I would apreciate some way to unlock a faction for free.

TL:DR- Good game, combat and early game is fun with different factions keeping the game fresh, however, late game can feel repetive and boring, and some of the win conditions are to easy to get.

This real-time strategy game depicts Viking-themed battles strung together with some well written mythology. It introduced game concepts over time and kept switching up parameters to keep things fresh. I played it for 28 hours and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Visually and mechanically a decent game, yet AI is a worst peice of shit I ever seen in RTS. If you ever played StarCraft or Warcraft series please dont touch this cheating brainless hot mess.
DLCs are a freaking joke, no way a different race for same game should cost as standart game.

The game feels incredibly unbalanced in single-player. While you struggle to keep a balance of all your resources, rival clans often invade you with numbers you could only dream of, This game is beautiful and has great game-play loop, it unfortunately is just so unforgiving that it is not capable of leaving you with a feeling of positive progression.

In conclusion: Lots of potential for fun game-play but in its current state to unforgiving leaving you with a sour taste in your mouth.

After 1,300+ hours, I finally completed all the achievements in this game! 🎉
I’d like to share my experience with you:

Story Mode:
Rig’s Saga – A fantastic introduction to the game. A must-play for beginners.
Cross of Vidar – A challenging story mode. Not recommended for inexperienced players.
Overall – Both storylines have solid lore and satisfying endings.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Conquest Mode (a.k.a. The Grind Zone):
This is where 90% of the grind happens—50 wins with each clan! Here’s my take on them:

Favorite Clan: Horse 🐎
Why? Two heroes that cost no iron, can be upgraded multiple times, and even craft their own gear.
Bonus: No need to waste villagers on blacksmithing.
Result: Max upgrades within 3 years + Altar of Kings.

Easiest Clan: Stag 🦌
Why? Starts with extra resources, and Skalds generate both Happiness and Gold.
Verdict: Easily the most beginner-friendly clan.

Hardest Clan: Hounds 🐺
Why? I just couldn’t figure them out. Even with upgraded brawlers and a mixed army, I kept getting wrecked.
Verdict: If someone has tips, I’m all ears!

Weakest Clan: Goat 🐐
Why? I think we all know why…

Most Boring Clan: Rat 🐀
Why? Mid-game becomes a chore. Managing shamans on every tile for healing, then scrambling to reposition them during enemy attacks—over and over again.
Bonus Frustration: AI armies magically respawn like they have infinite gold, leading to 3-4 full-strength invasions per year.
Result: I often saved and quit out of pure exhaustion.

Most Overpowered Clan: Turtle 🐢
Why? Caravans gather resources without buildings.
Double harvesting from farms, fishing, and hunting.
Villagers can be bought with food, making population growth effortless.
Gold production is a higher —100+ food production within 5 years is easy.
Verdict: I wouldn’t be surprised if they get nerfed soon.

Most Unique/Weird Clan: Owl 🦉
Why? No wood, buildings are constructed with Lore, completely unique tech tree, and a “boss” unit.
Verdict: Very different playstyle, takes some getting used to.

The Other Clans:
Pretty well-balanced overall, each with its pros and cons.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Bifrost Mode:
First attempts? Brutal. Even on the easiest difficulty, it felt nearly impossible.
After multiple tries? You start understanding the mechanics and making better choices.
Verdict: Tough learning curve, but once mastered, it’s extremely satisfying to win.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Multiplayer Experience:
Why I didn’t play MP much: 90% of games are just Snake Clan rushing in 801.
Biggest issue: Finding matches where people actually develop their clans instead of speed-running aggression is rare.
Verdict: I’d rather play other RTS games for a more strategic multiplayer experience.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Final Thoughts:

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! 😊
Hope you enjoy this game as much as I did! =D

Bought the game to defeat my friends. Lost to a noob with less than 1h of gameplay. Game is rigged...

0/10, would not recommend

This has to be one of the more annoying games i have played.
Even on easy setting rivals clans seem to progress much faster than i do. I would have thought on easy setting the progression of rival clans would be tied into the development of the player clan , to allow people to learn the game rather than be given a hiding by an AI that knows what it is doing.
When you start building a new building sometimes a builder is automatically assigned and sometimes a builder is not assigned and you have to do it manually. Why ?
Sometimes when you select a villager to do another job it picks a villager who was doing nothing (i.e. sensible) and sometimes it picks a villager who was already busy, very annoying.
When you do select a villager to go to a building ,the game tells you they were already assigned to do that job. NO they were not i have only just assigned the guy , he was not already doing that.
It costs to train a Military guy say a shield bearer, but the game happily lets you convert a shield bearer into a woodcutter , without warning you (see previous comment on random selection of villagers) and you lose your trained guy and would then need to spend resources to convert him back.
When you get into losing situations there is no reset , the game just keeps on hammering you with more mercenary ship raids and more attacks by local clans, but never quite enough to kill you off completely, its like a slow lingering death.

Really enjoyed bothering others as a raven clan :D slower paced strategy, but so much fun!

Really interesting, and a lot of fun. I used to love Warcraft III, Age of Empires 2 and other RTS games. Now that I'm a bit older, I no longer enjoy fast paced clickathons. This game gives a good mix of relaxed basebuilding, exploration and fights at a more casual pace.
Don't get me wrong, you can still play this Starcraft 2 style and micromanage your units. But you don't have to. Game modes are varied and interesting. The devs are still at it with new updates, so definitely worth it.

Super fun multi player game, with enough challenge to keep you invested in the game. I am really enjoying this game. Good solo too!!!