Game2018

Northgard: Definitive Edition

AdventureIndieSimulationStrategy

Developer Shiro Games

Northgard is a 2018 real-time strategy video game developed and published by Shiro Games for Windows, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, iOS and MacOS. Northgard received generally positive reviews upon release. Its continued success inspired a 4X board game called Northgard: Uncharted Lands (2022). From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

330 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 6, 2026 · last updated Oct 7, 2026 · How this works

Audience score

62
Fresh

151 positive · 91 negative
95% range 56–68%

Source+−=
Steam reviews151910
Bluesky *000
Mastodon *000

* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).

88 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.

Steam's own rating
Very Positive
58,648 of 68,813 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)

What people are saying

Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.

Reactions

60 of 330 · most liked first
  • Qsy @qsy.bsky.socialBluesky · Jul 3, 2025

    One day I'll make a mod for @shirogames.com 's Northgard I just need to learn everything about how to make mods Also more people need to play Northgard so that I can play multi with them #art #argousine

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  • Steam user Steam user …1551Steam reviews · Nov 13, 2025 · 390 h played

    They need to seriously fix AI cause the fact that they can have no economic stress, build an army instantly and ontop of that, GANG up on you is just insane.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2876Steam reviews · Jun 26, 2026 · 883 h played

    I have over 900 hours in Northgard, so this isn't a review from someone who just lost a few matches. I've played this game for years because I genuinely enjoyed it, but the current state of the game is incredibly disappointing. The clan balance is a complete mess. Instead of properly balancing existing clans, it feels like every new DLC clan is released overtuned just to drive sales. Then it takes forever to address the obvious issues, if they get addressed at all. On top of that, my recent…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Ramo @antoineramo.bsky.socialBluesky · Nov 12, 2024

    Hi ! I’m Ramo. I make video essays that are too long on subjects that are too niche. In the daytime, I'm designing some narratives for 2 unannounced games after working on Northgard, Wartales and Dune: Spice Wars. You’ll often see me exploring non-gamey crafts because I'm addicted to amateurism.

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  • Steam user Steam user …0385Steam reviews · Dec 7, 2025 · 995 h played

    TL;DR: NEW PLAYERS, this game and all games from this studio are bugged as hell and seldom fixed 8 years.... 8 years and they call this bugged game a "definitve edition" !? How dare you spit in the face of all your player base and calling this bugnest with such a name ? You're now saying officially that you won't fix any bug (and they are legion!!) remaining in this game.... I've been supporting your studio since the beginning of Northgard... I've played WarTales which is as bugged and in…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0966Steam reviews · Dec 5, 2025 · 242 h played

    A.I cheatings have ruined the game. Instead of making them play better and smarter at harder levels, they make them cheat better. What a shame!

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2010Steam reviews · Jan 27, 2026 · 1852 h played

    Played this game for 1852 hours and all of a suddent, it is impossible to even start the game. Made a ticket almost a month ago, had 0 answer. Dev team is facing massiv bug since last updates while the game is supposed to be in it's definitive edition now. It was never flawless, but the game was clearly stable enough to enjoy countless hours of fun, now I am left with no option to solve the problem and I find it quite upsetting. I will change my comment if my situation find a positive end.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6882Steam reviews · Jan 2, 2026 · 288 h played

    I really loved this game, but the constant bugs disappointed me. I bought all the DLCs a long time ago, then when the Definitive Edition came out, those who had the regular version got 4 paid DLCs for free, which was unfair to those who bought all the DLCs, like me, because fans got nothing for their loyalty. This was the first sign of the developers' attitude towards fans. And now the game refuses to work, meaning I spent a lot of money on a game I can't play. For example, I start a…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6836Steam reviews · Jan 1, 2026 · 285 h played

    ❌ NOT RECOMMENDED (after Definitive Edition) What happened to the game? I've played Northgard for over 200 hours and the game was excellent. But after the Definitive Edition update (December 4, 2025), it became a technical nightmare. Main issues: Freezes and stutters — the game regularly freezes for several seconds, especially during large battles or on maps with 7-8 bots. Everything used to run smoothly on max settings, now it stutters even on medium. Even worse, after these freezes units…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9889Steam reviews · May 17, 2026 · 86 h played

    A friend and I got this many years ago to play as a non-standard kind of RTS. In some ways the game was great fun and in others very frustrating. As the game picked up years and new DLC were released, issues with connectivity were not fixed, balance issues around new clans were constant, and the core mechanic around the game stayed the same, i.e. you need to econ or you will fail. You could call this game an RTS, but that would be mistaking how slow this game can be and how clans can go…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …3123Steam reviews · Dec 20, 2025 · 1051 h played

    Goodbye Northgard. It was good while it lasted. But these developers clearly don't understand what made you so much fun in the first place. What made this game so much fun in the past: While I struggled a lot at first, once I learned how to manage the AoE like economy of this game, things truly kicked off from there. I started buying some dlcs to mix things up a little, some better than others ofc - looking at Eagle clan mostly... One game would always take just about one hour to finish,…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Ian Boudreau @ianboudreau.comBluesky · Jul 13, 2026

    Full disclosure that this is a game I'm helping out on PR for, but Northgard Battlegrounds has a beta running through Wednesday and it's super fun store.steampowered.com/app/4487060/...

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  • Steam user Steam user …6223Steam reviews · Apr 8, 2026 · 297 h played

    Only played the Singleplayer/Coop-Gamemodes and they have become so ridiculous that it just doesnt make sense or fun. For example, the AI cant use their troops, which leads to them just having 14 villagers standing around in their base. New Clans (which you pay money for) have Conquest Maps tailored against them in such a way that they are unplayable. Many more issues and bugs, some so obvious that i dont think they playtest their content.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • The Spaceshipper 🚀 @thespaceshipper.comBluesky · Feb 4, 2025

    [Upcoming space game] SpaceCraft (2025) An online space exploration experience by @shirogames.com (Northgard, Dune: Spice Wars). "Design and engineer your own spacecraft, extract and exploit resources, automate bases and interplanetary logistics. Together, with friends."

    unlabelledView post →
  • Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phdBluesky · Jul 16, 2025

    today in Northgard achievements very weird clan, but I had fun with them once I figured out how to keep everyone fed

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  • Steam user Steam user …0402Steam reviews · Apr 25, 2026 · 36 h played

    After 35 hours, I can't really recommend this game. Not as an RTS. The Pros: Nice Visuals Distinct Factions The Cons INCREDIBLY Slow Paced Poor Resource Management System Lacking Tutorials Firstly, the promotional videos will lead you to believe this game is action packed. It's not. The pacing is incredibly slow. You'll spend most of your time just waiting on things. There's a LOT of downtime just waiting on resources, which sucks, because 90% of the game is resource management, and the…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0284Steam reviews · Feb 25, 2026 · 437 h played

    Impossible to play the last mission on Bifrost even on a good PC, FPS drops to around 15, and ranged units often refuse to attack. It’s disappointing that a game which has been out for years is still in this state, with so many bugs and technical issues. Do not buy this game until these problems are properly fixed.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2163Steam reviews · May 16, 2026 · 28 h played

    The definitive edition has introduced bugs that crash and destroy the game! Unbelievable!

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …8800Steam reviews · Dec 3, 2025 · 476 h played

    One of my most favorited games. Very fun game. Everyone starts on different areas of the map and you claim lands to expand your territories and build up and army and smash the enemy. Some of the clans you can play as are harder than the others. The AI is goofy sometimes but its still fun. With friends is better

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6049Steam reviews · Oct 9, 2025 · 12 h played

    This is a very interesting and visually striking strategy game, but unfortunately, it’s severely hampered by functional bugs and questionable design choices. On paper, the concept is great you manage which buildings to place in each region you control, expand your territory, and defend your lands from invaders. Sounds promising, right? Unfortunately, in practice, it falls short. Even a simple threat, like a lone wolf, can wipe out multiple villagers because the defensive systems are poorly…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …3549Steam reviews · Jan 25, 2026 · 713 h played

    Hello, I've had this game from pretty much the very beginning. Big fan of Shiro overall (especially Wartales). The game used to work great before they rolled out the ''Definitive Edition''. To add, I was a bit displeased that they gave out several dlc's for free while we, the og's, paid but oh well - gotta sweeten the pot to sell the product what can I say, which is understandable to some degree. Now, constant freezes/crashes and missions not loading in conquest mode was very annoying, but at…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phdBluesky · Jul 19, 2025

    staying on that Northgard achievement grind 💪

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  • Qsy @qsy.bsky.socialBluesky · Nov 22, 2024

    Had a very normal game of Northgard in my conquest playthrough to start off the afternoon. Those bonuses do stack up uh.

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  • Steam user Steam user …6422Steam reviews · Jun 7, 2026 · 2886 h played

    I've played this game for 2,900 hours. I've been playing for several years and used to love it. But the update that changed the ranked game system is a real nightmare. You used to choose the lobby you wanted to play in, you chose your team, and players usually managed to balance the ranked clans themselves. The new system is terrible. If you didn't like the clans or players, you'd simply leave the lobby. Now, after choosing your clan, you can't leave the lobby, which causes people to quit the…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Master Coden @mastercoden.bsky.socialBluesky · Jan 3, 2026

    before i forgot. here is my games finished in 2025 final list. GAMES FINISHED IN 2025 1. Yakuza Kiwami 2. Monster Hunter Wilds 3. A game about digging a hole 4. Slay the Spire 5. Brigandine: Legend of Runersia 6. Northgard 7. Slain: back from hell 8. Valfaris 9. Titan Souls 10. Ale & Tale Tavern

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  • Steam user Steam user …4992Steam reviews · Dec 5, 2025 · 16 h played

    This is not CoC. AOE, Warcraft, Dune or anything like pure RTS. Tile mechanics (limits to building count and types, discovery, no trespassing for workers) and certain life simulation aspects will otherwise annoy you to no end. There are also eyebrow raising things like AI getting 0->20 workers, 0->6 warriors in a minute just after I wiped them all by raids (in a campaign though), guaranteed lag during long games after certain time or quite a few clans being locked behind paid content (not…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phdBluesky · Jul 1, 2025

    ok team it's been a while, but we're back on our Northgard achievement grind 💪

    unlabelledView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9329Steam reviews · Nov 28, 2025 · 111 h played

    Like: +Nordic theme +Challenging resource management +High replay value, thanks to multiple game modes and a lot of clan (most are available via DLC) +Unique abilities and bonus for each clan Dislike: –Too many clan DLC

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9926Steam reviews · Jul 8, 2026 · 563 h played

    The Bifrost game mode doesn't give rewards. This is a known bug that has been present and prominent for more than a year, and the devs have not fixed it yet. Superb game, but it feels abandoned.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4887Steam reviews · Dec 13, 2025 · 316 h played

    As much as I wanna recommend this game, I just can't. The company keeps updating the game and nerfing the gameplay years after release. It's not for the better either. It's not simple graphic overhauls. They're game-changing overhauls. I bought Northgard years ago and the game is nothing like what it once was. It isn't right to change the game I paid for like that with no way of going back. Their practice sucks for the consumer. Also the AI is terrible, as other commenters have said. PvP is…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phdBluesky · Aug 1, 2025

    scoring some RARE Northgard achievements, baby! 'Power to the People' might be the least common one I've earned so far

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  • Steam user Steam user …5520Steam reviews · Nov 22, 2025 · 1034 h played

    I've played this game for quite a few hours, and despite the amount of enjoyment it's given me, I can say quite clearly that I hate it. Why? Because the incompetent, greedy developers don't know how to fix anything, only how to ruin it. Clan Kraken was corrupted to the point of being completely unplayable several years ago, and despite numerous requests, nothing was fixed or returned, so people simply stopped playing the clan. That damned announcement about achieving combat experience…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phdBluesky · Sep 7, 2024

    today's Northgard achievement is a fitting tribute to maintaining a proper #grindset #gaming

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  • Steam user Steam user …8748Steam reviews · Jan 13, 2026 · 104 h played

    UPDATE: Patch downloaded on Jan 22, 2026 fixed this problem so far. I've put another 12 hours on the game and haven't had this problem. Thank you for the fix. Original Post: I've begun playing Conquests and have run to a problem of the Application Crashing at the point of a final Win or Lose, of a conquest. I checked my event logs and am getting the error below. I've tried all the steps to get around it, i.e. , run as administrator, uninstall/reinstall, force running in both OpenGL…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …8778Steam reviews · Nov 8, 2025 · 118 h played

    Pros Zone based strategy game. Lots of variety and bonuses or challenges in maps and clans. Very pretty fantasy aesthetic. Slow paced, good for casuals and older players. Cons Poorly optimised, can lag in mid to late game. Isn't clear when a clan is strong early, mid or late game, requires a lot of trial and error.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phdBluesky · Sep 1, 2024

    gamers I have a dark confession to share- my unholy thirst for Northgard achievements led me grab their 4th anniversary bundle sale in the name of mining the clans I didn't already own 😭

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  • Steam user Steam user …8699Steam reviews · Sep 20, 2026 · 8 h played

    Gameplay is meh, it brings nothing unique over the many other RTS games. the game is overpriced and the devs have begun to spam it with DLC just to play other factions. the enemy AI is terrible. Score: 3/10

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5904Steam reviews · Aug 29, 2026 · 287 h played

    08.29.26 Review: Current meta is absolute garbage. Variety of units? Variety of strats? Forget it! Spam ranged units + abuse tiles to clear early. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ online gameplay

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5635Steam reviews · Mar 3, 2026 · 1560 h played

    I loved this game, but shiro still has not fixed online bug for over 2 weeks, and no response regarding it. look at my hours, and now it is clear, another company who does not care about its player base.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Master Coden @mastercoden.bsky.socialBluesky · Sep 22, 2025

    Her is my list of games so far. 2025 GAMES FINISHED 1. Yakuza Kiwami 2. Monster Hunter Wilds 3. A game about digging a hole 4. Slay the Spire 5. Brigandine: Legend of Runersia 6. Northgard 7. Slain: back from hell 8. Valfaris 9. Titan Souls 10. Ale & Tale Tavern 11. Final Fantasy 7 Remake 12. Raft

    unlabelledView post →
  • Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phdBluesky · Nov 2, 2024

    been quiet on the Northgard Achievements front lately but we're back, baby! #gaming

    unlabelledView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0622Steam reviews · Aug 21, 2026 · 130 h played

    This game is actually awesome. I read that it was a cross between Civ and RTS games and I went.... huh? what does that even mean? Then I bought the game for like $5. I have around 140 hours in it (a couple of days I was in offline mode) and have found that the solo player stuff alone is definitely worth it. I dont play online games so I have no idea about that department but if you are looking for a good RTS game I recommend this one. The factions are almost all entirely unique and play…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4117Steam reviews · Oct 30, 2025 · 446 h played

    This game is decent. Not great, not bad. Just decent. I do get some enjoyment out of it but thats mostly due to boredom tbh. The reason for the negative review is the insaine amount of DLC and what little you get back for it. This is a cashgrab, and they do not even care about balacing or anything after they release a new clan DLC. Meaing some missions are broken and it has been like this for ages now.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phdBluesky · Jul 28, 2025

    another day another Northgard achievement this clan is very weird to play if you're used to the traditional style, but I pulled it off

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  • Steam user Steam user …7092Steam reviews · May 26, 2026 · 146 h played

    I have over 100 hours, because I have been with this game for a long time. I always treated it as early access, that one day they will get it figured out. It's clear they completely stopped development years ago, and instead just release DLC. Not even a Save and Quit option to continue a play through later. It's insanely poorly featured and buggy. Sad misguided studio.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phdBluesky · Jul 27, 2025

    Northgard achievement grind update

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  • Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phdBluesky · Nov 7, 2024

    pretty sure this is my rarest Northgard achievement thus far 💅

    unlabelledView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9058Steam reviews · May 6, 2026 · 95 h played

    This is the defining version of the game? Single player I had no issue, but once you get into Bifrost with multiple friends, just hope you are ready to waste an entire hour just to get to the end of one mission to have a bug completely freeze the game and make it unplayable, so you lost all of your progress and have to restart. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. Uninstalling and removing from my account. This has happened far to many times for me to handle. G G

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …1418Steam reviews · Dec 4, 2025 · 173 h played

    Northgard started as a "simple but funny" game and I think I've started to play it on early, never touched it too much. But now that it reached the milestone of the "Definitive Edition" exactly while I was grinding some achievements, I still see it as a "simple but funny" game, and I'm glad it got so far. Well done, Northgard! (Just noticed I've never written a review for this game and I thought it was a good time to do so!)

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phdBluesky · Aug 27, 2024

    failed in my efforts to get 4 hunting lodges in one game, but I did grab this achievement so W anyway #gaming #northgard

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  • Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phdBluesky · Aug 24, 2024

    containing to build Northgard achievements

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  • Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phdBluesky · Sep 6, 2025

    it's been quiet on the Northgard achievement front, but u know I am staying on that #grind

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  • Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phdBluesky · Jul 20, 2025

    two more Northgard achievements for the mantlepiece

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  • Rae @rachelseeley.bsky.socialBluesky · Nov 9, 2024

    My internet died in the middle of a game of Northgard with my friends. My beautiful bear guardian is gone. 😭

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  • Steam user Steam user …6969Steam reviews · Dec 5, 2025 · 1694 h played

    Well, have been playing this game with friends for many years now. We really enjoy the Bifrõst mode, have been playing it on Extreme difficulty and now tried to play with the difficulty multipliers since the latest update. We are playing the mode with a party of 3 people, the Bifrost mode itself has been here for several years now and yet they still havent optimized the game.. It runs on 15-25 FPS, is literally unplayable, all your army freezes and just gets deleted when the enemy raid comes at…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Author Mike "ElectricDC" Current @authormikedc.bsky.socialBluesky · Sep 18, 2023

    Tabletop game night, my first time playing Northgard: Uncharted Lands! Anyone else played this, or the AoE-like console version?

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  • Steam user Steam user …8314Steam reviews · Sep 8, 2026 · 3 h played

    I really wanted to like this game, especially because I really liked the Viking theme, but unfortunately the gameplay doesn't work for me. The pace is far too slow. Everything takes a long time, and there are too many times where I'm simply waiting for resources, population, or territory. I rarely feel like there is any real momentum. The visual readability is also poor. Many of the buildings look almost identical, and some units are difficult to distinguish from each other. I often have to…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …8067Steam reviews · Sep 5, 2026

    - "1.0" game with regular updates, almost as though it's still early access - Definitive edition, but not definitive enough to come with all those paid DLCs - Handful of tips for new players are outweighed heavily by notifications of things that haven't been explained - Single player experience still set up like a multiplayer sweatfest with constant reminders that other players are doing better than you - Seasons/daily challenges carrot-on-stick routine - Music is pleasant

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6577Steam reviews · Jun 25, 2026 · 126 h played

    Northgard is an interesting concept on an RTS game consisting of nothing but vikings. You would imagine it would have a stronger focus on combat but that doesn't really seem to be the case alot of the time. Making sure you have a strong economy, keeping track of the seasons, and watching your opponents and what their goals are. These are the things that come into play when you play this game, and it really nails down just how unforgiving things can be if you aren't on top of your people's…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5068Steam reviews · Apr 2, 2026 · 33 h played

    This is very easy to learn, has a compelling story line and many different single player modes as well as multiplayer. I don't really consider myself a gamer but I was quickly able to learn the mechanics of the game and find it a great way to spend my free time. Most chapters in story mode can be won in an hour or two. Each clan has different abilities and building that add variety and make you learn new skills to progress, so you don't feel like you just keep playing the same game over an…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →

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