The Banished Vault

The Banished Vault is a run-based strategy game about guiding a crew of exiles across space in the Auriga Vault, an interstellar gothic monastery. You explore hostile solar systems, build outposts and craft materials to keep the crew alive. During long periods of hibernation between suns, you develop the exiles’ knowledge and abilities while trying to delay the arrival of The Gloom.

Explore solar systems

Each run takes place across procedurally generated solar systems shown as energy maps, where different celestial bodies pose different challenges. You plan the Vault’s movements using engines and fuel governed by a simplified but demanding rocket equation. Exploration involves dice challenges that test the exiles’ faith as they face hazards, along with unforeseen outcomes.

Build and supply outposts

You construct outposts in orbit and on planetary surfaces, accounting for available space, hazards and accessibility. Resources are not shared globally: starships must harvest them from different locations and transport them to where they are needed. Finding artifacts and bringing them back to the Vault unlocks abilities for the exiles and new buildings.

Keep the crew alive

Your decisions are permanent, so careful planning and risk management matter. Exiles may die or be left behind, but the journey fails if only one remains: no one can survive alone. To complete a run, survive long enough to write the story of your Vault and transmit it home.

Art and guidance

The game uses hand-drawn art and a board game-style aesthetic. Its original setting draws inspiration from Alien and The Book of the New Sun. An extensive manual combines a tutorial, an explanation of the game and a reference guide.