Battle Brothers
A tactical RPG about a mercenary company in a medieval fantasy world.
Battle Brothers is a tactical role-playing game from Overhype Studios. The studio self-published the PC version in 2017, with console editions arriving in 2021 and 2022. In 2025, Hooded Horse took over publishing duties for the Windows release.
Players run a mercenary company in a fantasy setting that draws from medieval Germany. Early on, the recruits you can afford tend to be drunks, criminals, or people with missing limbs. Characters can also become physically or emotionally scarred during fights. Later in the game, major crises add extra challenges, and the difficulty—including when the first crisis hits—can be adjusted. The game has permadeath and an optional setting that prevents reloading to undo mistakes.
The Windows version left early access on March 24, 2017. A Switch port came out on March 11, 2021, followed by PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S versions on January 13, 2022. Free and paid downloadable content continued through 2022, and the game supports mods through third-party sites like Nexus Mods. On December 2, 2025, Hooded Horse announced it had acquired the PC publishing rights, with no impact on the console versions.
Reviewers were mixed on the game’s rough edges. PC Gamer’s Ian Birnbaum criticized the lack of a useful tutorial and poor inventory management, but wrote that the game “takes a formula I love and twists it to fit a wide-open medieval setting.” RPGFan’s Bob Richardson said the PC version “demands your time, but grants rewards with a thrilling and earthy experience.” PCGamesN listed it among the best turn-based strategy games for PC. Nintendo World Report’s Joel A. DeWitte noted the punishing difficulty, calling it “a world I want to dive into again and again, even if I know this incarnation will be just as taxing.” RPGamer’s Jon Jansen praised the combat but found the console user interface poorly designed. Digitally Downloaded’s Matt S. called the Switch tutorial incompetent, saying it would drive away many potential players, but added, “Once you get the hang of Battle Brothers, though, it’s very difficult to put it down.”
Quick Facts
- Title
- Battle Brothers
- Developer
- Overhype Studios
- Publisher
- Overhype Studios / Hooded Horse (Windows)
- Platforms
- Windows, Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S
- Released
- WW · March 24, 2017 (Windows) · WW · March 11, 2021 (Switch) · WW · January 13, 2022 (other consoles)
- Genre
- Tactical role-playing
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Battle Brothers places the player in command of a mercenary company in a fantasy world inspired by medieval Germany. Early game recruits are often drunks, criminals, or people with crippled limbs, as these are the best the player can afford. Characters can become physically or emotionally crippled during combat. In the late game, major crises appear as additional challenges, and the game's difficulty, including the initial crisis, is configurable. The game features permadeath and can optionally prohibit save scumming.
Reader's Guide
Battle Brothers left early access on March 24, 2017. It was released for the Switch on March 11, 2021, and for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S on January 13, 2022. Downloadable content, some free, continued to be published through 2022, and the game supports mods through third-party websites such as Nexus Mods. On December 2, 2025, Hooded Horse announced it had acquired the publishing rights for the PC version, though the deal did not affect console versions. Reception noted the game's punishing difficulty and lack of a useful tutorial, but reviewers praised its rewarding experience and combat system. PCGamesN included it in their list of best turn-based strategy games for the PC.
Did You Know?
- Console versions were released in 2021 (Switch) and 2022 (PlayStation and Xbox).
- Hooded Horse acquired the publishing rights for the Windows version on December 2, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Battle Brothers?
Battle Brothers is a tactical role-playing game in which you lead a mercenary company through a low-fantasy world inspired by medieval Germany. You take contracts, recruit and equip a squad, and fight turn-based battles on a grid-based battlefield.
Who developed and published Battle Brothers?
Overhype Studios created the game and self-published the PC version after it left early access in March 2017. Console editions arrived in 2021 and 2022, and Hooded Horse took over publishing for the Windows release in 2025.
What happens when one of my brothers dies in Battle Brothers?
Permadeath is a core mechanic: any character who falls in combat is permanently lost for the rest of that campaign. The game also lets you configure how frequently injuries and emotional trauma occur, so you can dial the brutality up or down to your taste.
What is the world setting of Battle Brothers?
The game takes place in a low-fantasy realm loosely modeled on medieval German culture, featuring a patchwork of city-states, kingdoms, and warring factions. There is no single overarching quest; you survive by managing contracts, resources, and escalating crises over time.
Does Battle Brothers have a true ending or a final boss to defeat?
No—the game is designed as an open-ended survival experience where your goal is to keep your company alive as long as possible. Difficulty ramps up through more dangerous enemies, tighter finances, and major world events, but there is no scripted finale.
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