The Banished Vault
Space is an unknowable void. It is uncaring, cold, and will kill you. You cannot defeat a force of nature like it. That is the conceit behind The Banished Vault, a space-faring strategy/management game unlike any other on this list. You control a massive colony ship as it jumps from system to system as it constantly flees for an encroaching plague. Each system has planets and potential resources to find that can prolong your inhabitants’ lives from the inevitability of their deaths. There isn’t a real sense of victory in The Banished Vault, just a sense of ephemeral survival that can quickly be taken from you. This helplessness in the face of space makes for a thrilling gameplay loop that somehow hooks you in, compelling you to try to survive just a bit longer each time.
