The Banner Saga: A Dark Story Accessible to Blind Players

Important Information Before Reading

At the time of writing, we have access to 2 out of the 3 games in the series. I sincerely hope that the developer of the special mod will complete the work, making the entire trilogy accessible to fully blind players.

I want to express my immense gratitude to Audiogames forum member NONOCE for giving us the opportunity to experience a truly remarkable creation from a small team of developers. His work provided me with dozens of hours of captivating gameplay, emotional moments, and even some sleepless nights, as I was eager to create a quality article, which required testing all available content for full blind accessibility. Currently, we have several dozen hours of content available in just one playthrough, and at least two playthroughs are possible since, at the end of the first part, players face a difficult choice that we won’t reveal here.

Below, I’m sharing a message from the mod developer that explains the functionality currently available, along with a link to download the latest version of the mod:

Current known requirements :

– A 64 bit system

– Tested on Windows 10

– NVDA

– The Steam version of The Banner Saga 1 and 2

– A console gamepad or an emulated one

Installation : Uncompress the zip file at the root of the game folder (it should be named tbs in your Steam library) then let files be overwritten.

Usage:

Be sure to have your gamepad ready before launching the modification executable. (it might still work if you plug it later)

Launch the executable (banner saga script2.exe).

For now that executable need to be closed manually after you quit the game, there should be an autohotkey tray icon somewhere for this.

Controls:

To be explained, but basically the modification reuse the gamepad system of the game, so you control the game just the same. I added custom functions on the left and right triggers. The right trigger sends a debug list of the current bindings for the gamepad and the left one is more meant to tell the non selectable displayed informations, but it’s not very much implemented for now.

My current goal:

My first goal for this project is to find an access to all the essential informations. Only after this I will take a greater care with the usability of the interface. That said, my efforts will go toward dropping the requirement for the gamepad right now.

What’s more or less working for now:

– Standard menus

– Travel page menus

– In game dialogues

– Some very very basic functionalities in the combat mode

Latest file:

http://n0n0ce.free.fr/TBS_Access/tbs%20 … 200.07.zip

Despite the early stage of mod development, both games can be completed by fully blind players. Of course, this also depends on your experience with video games, but I didn’t find any unplayable moments in either game or sections that couldn’t be passed without the help of sighted individuals. Later in the article, I’ll explain a few areas where players might encounter some confusion. However, I’ll reiterate: both games can be completed if you carefully read the basics of the tutorial and have a bit of patience to understand the combat system and its accessibility mod implementation. Now, let’s move on to general information about the series, my impressions, and explanations on how to use the accessibility mod. Enjoy the read!

The Creation Story of the Series

In late 2011, Bioware released its MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. Artist Ernie Jorgensen, programmer John Watson, and game designer Alex Thomas decided to leave the studio to work on their own “dream game.” The trio named their company Stoic Studio. Initially, they planned to fund The Banner Saga using their savings, but launched a Kickstarter campaign for additional funding. In less than two days, the crowdfunding campaign reached its $100,000 goal, ultimately raising $729,886. This support allowed the newly-formed studio to create a more detailed and expansive game than originally planned.

The creators describe their work as a tactical RPG set in an unusual setting. It’s unclear what exactly led to the success of The Banner Saga. Maybe people missed RPGs with turn-based combat—Wasteland 2 and Divinity: Original Sin were still half a year away. Or perhaps it was the novelty factor: the game combined small text quests, tactical battles, and visual novel elements in a unique, eye-catching style. The first part of the trilogy sold over 700,000 copies on Steam alone, and later the game was also released on consoles and mobile platforms.

A Few Words About the Story

I won’t delve too deeply into the plot, as I want players to discover everything themselves and feel the full scale and epic nature of the story. I’ll simply say that there’s a reason why the developers and many fans compare the trilogy to “dark fantasy” classics like George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones and Glen Cook’s The Black Company. I’ve read both series, and I can confidently say these comparisons are justified.

The trilogy’s premise is relatively simple. A longstanding enemy of all living things, the Dredge, has returned. They are numerous, and they march forward relentlessly. Under our guidance is a caravan of refugees from a small village. Essentially, all we do is flee from the advancing threat, moving further west until, by the end of the second part, we reach Arberrang—the kingdom’s capital and the westernmost human city on the continent.

But all of this is just the tip of the iceberg, and as you progress through the story, you’ll realize that things are not as they seemed at the beginning. I won’t spoil any of the intriguing events—let it serve as additional motivation to experience this masterpiece.

Gameplay

The gameplay in The Banner Saga trilogy is divided into three main aspects:

1. Turn-based Battles: Combat with various enemies in a tactical RPG style.
2. Visual Novel Elements: You’ll make a range of decisions, from minor choices to fate-altering ones.
3. Caravan Resource Management: You play as the leader responsible for managing the caravan’s resources.

Let’s look at these aspects in more detail.

Managing the Caravan

About a third of the game involves watching your caravan move across the screen, from right to left—or sometimes from left to right! You don’t choose the route, distribute supplies, guard the wagons, or conduct reconnaissance. All you need to do is buy food so that your followers don’t start feeling down or even starving.

However, as with any leadership role, you become indispensable during crises. Children ask for help, wolves attack, or you encounter a strange altar in the forest—each event starts a small text quest, lasting only a few frames of text. Your actions will determine what happens to your followers and what rewards you receive in each case.

It’s worth noting that this world is harsh, and almost every issue you face will force a moral decision that’s rarely clear-cut. Additionally, the situations are often intriguing, and the well-written text is enjoyable to read.

The caravan journey isn’t just a visual part of the game; it’s intricately designed in terms of sound. You’ll hear the creak of wagons, the sounds of nature, and even feel the change in scenery, thanks to the finely crafted audio design.

The soundtrack, which earned numerous awards, also adds depth to the experience. All these elements make the journey of your people captivating and immerse you deeply in the game world.

The primary and only expendable resource is Glory. You use it for almost everything—buying provisions for the caravan, purchasing items that grant bonuses to heroes, and leveling up your warriors. It’s essential to plan wisely where to spend Glory, as there’s never enough to satisfy all your needs.

Glory is earned by defeating enemies and, in some cases, as a reward for choices made during the journey.

Combat Mechanics

A significant portion of the gameplay is spent in turn-based battles. You can control up to six fighters, while the number of enemies varies depending on the situation. Characters take turns in an alternating order: “your unit — enemy unit — another one of your units,” and so forth. There’s no initiative system or round-based division in combat. The battlefield is divided into square cells, and unlike similar games, only certain characters can attack diagonally.

One noteworthy feature is the hitpoint system. Instead of traditional HP, characters have a “Strength” stat, which acts as both health points and the main attribute for attack power. Consequently, the less health a character has, the less damage they deal.

There’s also an Armor stat. If the defender’s armor points exceed the attacker’s strength points, the chance of even hitting the target drops significantly. Before each attack, players can choose to either target the enemy’s armor or try to reduce their health. Interestingly, armor attacks don’t depend on the attacker’s strength. To be effective, characters need to level up their “Armor Break” stat, making each unit unique—some specialize in strength attacks, while others focus on armor attacks. Each situation requires its own strategy; sometimes it’s best to quickly reduce all hitpoints, other times to damage the armor first and then land a single decisive blow. Occasionally, it’s even advantageous to leave a shield-bearer with a single hitpoint to occupy a turn without dealing serious damage.

For added control, units have Willpower points. These can be spent to move farther than usual or to strengthen attacks. The maximum amount of Willpower points usable per action is determined by the character’s “Exertion” stat. For most fighters, Willpower slightly boosts effectiveness in combat, but mastering its use can unlock some fascinating combinations.

Even with the current accessibility features implemented in the combat gameplay, fully blind players can complete all battles. A screen reader reads out the positions of allies and enemy units, allowing players to plan attacks more effectively. Players can position units to support each other; for example, shield-bearers can protect weaker allies, granting them armor bonuses.

Special abilities are also usable. The only problematic skills are area-of-effect ones, but you can simply use other heroes or abilities in battles where these aren’t convenient. In my experience with the first two games, there were no situations where abilities were entirely useless from a blind player’s perspective.

Another challenge blind players might face is control mechanics during combat, as most actions are performed with the gamepad’s analog stick rather than the D-Pad. Positioning units and selecting actions require different directional inputs on the stick. For example, after selecting a warrior, you’ll indicate their movement direction with the stick, then choose an action. To open the skill menu, push the stick diagonally left-down; for resting, push right, and so on. But again, the screen reader reads all actions, and with a bit of practice, this shouldn’t be too difficult. Additionally, each game starts with a detailed tutorial that covers every action in combat, helping players memorize the stick positions over time.

For those finding it hard to navigate the battlefield, I recommend filling your squad with archers. Although they have low armor, they deal high damage and have interesting abilities. Ensure some balance by having protectors for the archers, and with six slots, you can easily create a versatile and effective team.

Most battles involve eliminating all enemies, but in the second game, there’s an obscure fight where you must destroy ice shards to end the battle. Otherwise, it could go on indefinitely—though perhaps the enemies would eventually run out. I took this as an opportunity to rack up Glory points, but it’s essential to stop before losing too many units.

Boss battles are a unique and interesting aspect; sometimes, it takes multiple tries to figure out the best strategy and key moves. But the satisfaction of victory is well worth the effort.

The sound design in battles is excellent, with each strike feeling impactful, armor shattering in all directions, and defeated enemies falling. Each ability has its own sound effect. The epic music we discussed earlier also shines in combat, shifting with the events to capture the gravity of each situation.

Conclusion
So, we’ve covered the most important aspects of The Banner Saga trilogy, discussed the challenges blind players may face, talked about the sound design, and now it’s time to answer the question: is this series worth trying? The answer is YES! Absolutely worth it. Despite the current limitations of the accessibility mod, two out of three games are fully playable, and following the tips provided in this article should set you up for success—I believe in you, dear readers!

I’ll add that I even attempted playing the series before the accessibility mod was released, using only OCR capabilities, and it was possible, though challenging. The accessibility mod has undoubtedly added greater convenience, making interaction with the games much easier.

Honestly, if the developer is unable to support the third part of the trilogy for an extended period due to other commitments, I’ll probably go back to using OCR and start the final game, as I’m very eager to find out what happens next.

I’ve never come across such an interesting blend of my favorite genres—storytelling, turn-based combat, and character progression—it’s a unique gameplay formula. In fact, I’m now searching for similar games with this kind of experience.

The sound, music, and story in this series are all outstanding. Some say that the plot occasionally lags or feels weak in parts, but I didn’t feel this at all. It’s no wonder I sometimes stayed up late into the night—or rather, went to bed at dawn. I never regretted a minute of the time spent.

If you encounter any issues with the accessibility project in its current state, feel free to join our Discord. I’ll be happy to answer questions, offer guidance, or provide tactical advice.

That’s all for now. We’ll meet again soon in the vast expanse of our Invisible Ocean. Wishing you all great games, good health, and positive vibes!