Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden landed on PS Plus and Game Pass this month, which pulled a lot of new players into Don’t Nod’s 17th-century ghost-hunting RPG. The dual-protagonist system, the moral choice at every haunting, and the New England setting made it one of the more interesting mid-budget releases of the past two years. Once you finish and want more of the same feeling, these seven Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden alternatives on PC scratch different pieces of the itch.
What we looked at
We picked games with at least two of Banishers’ three defining pillars: a haunted-partner or dual-perspective narrative, choice-driven investigation, and mid-budget action combat with a gothic or supernatural setting. All seven are on Steam and run natively on Windows; the ones marked also run on macOS or Linux through Proton.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Free | Price | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vampyr | Don’t Nod’s earlier gothic RPG | No | Around $40 | Every NPC is a choice |
| GreedFall | Colonial-era investigation and factions | No | Around $50 | Full companion party |
| Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice | Norse mythology and psychological horror | No | Around $30 | Award-winning binaural audio |
| The Medium | Dual-world investigation puzzle-horror | No | Around $50 | Two realities on screen at once |
| Life is Strange: True Colors | Empathic-power narrative choice | No | Around $40 | Choice-driven small-town mystery |
| A Plague Tale: Innocence | Two-character narrative action | No | Around $40 | Sibling duo through 14th-century France |
| Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II | The natural next step visually | No | Around $50 | Photorealistic Icelandic dark fantasy |
Why players finish Banishers wanting more
The recurring pattern in Reddit threads is that Banishers combined three things people struggle to find in one game: a couple as the protagonist pair (not just a party of hired help), moral weight on individual encounters (spare or sacrifice), and a specific historical setting (not generic fantasy). Most alternatives get one or two of those right. The list below is grouped by which piece they get closest to.
Vampyr — Best for Don’t Nod’s earlier gothic take
Vampyr is Don’t Nod’s own predecessor and the closest structural cousin. You play a doctor turned vampire in 1918 London, and every named NPC can be spared or fed upon, which changes the streets and the plot around you. The combat is jankier than Banishers’ rework, but the moral-choice loop is the same DNA.
Where it falls short: Combat is stiffer than Banishers and the level scaling can spike unfairly if you don’t feed. Some environments feel repetitive.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Paid: Around $40, often deeply discounted in Steam sales
- vs Banishers: Cheaper, smaller in scale, older but the same studio’s fingerprints
Migrating from Banishers: You already know Don’t Nod’s rhythm. Save often, weigh the “feed” prompts, expect a shorter game.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: The natural first pick if you liked the studio and want more of the same craft.
GreedFall — Best for colonial-era investigation
GreedFall puts you on a 17th-century island of settlers, natives, and rival factions with a party of companions. The setting overlaps with Banishers’ New England colony, and the diplomatic-choice system means most quests can be resolved through investigation rather than combat. It’s the closest match if what pulled you into Banishers was the era.
Where it falls short: The engine shows its budget in animation and reused assets. Combat is functional rather than exciting.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Paid: Around $50 base, plus a paid expansion
- vs Banishers: Similar scope, wider companion cast, less refined combat
Migrating from Banishers: Turn on subtitles and treat every faction request as a fork in the road.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Right pick if the colonial New England atmosphere was the hook.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice — Best for tightly-focused supernatural horror
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a shorter, more focused game that trades RPG breadth for narrative depth. Norse mythology, psychosis represented through binaural audio, and combat that never gets in the way of the story. If Banishers’ quieter moments were what you kept playing for, Hellblade is the concentrate.
Where it falls short: Around eight hours long, so it’s a weekend rather than a month. Not an RPG in any real sense.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Paid: Around $30 base, often on sale
- vs Banishers: Much shorter, no RPG systems, but the atmosphere is unmatched
Migrating from Banishers: Play with headphones on. The audio design is the whole point.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Best if the atmosphere and audio matter more than the RPG loop.
The Medium — Best for dual-world investigation
The Medium puts two worlds on screen at once, a spirit realm and the real one, and every puzzle is solved by working in both. It’s an investigation game with light combat and a strong horror thread. The dual-perspective mechanic is a different flavour of Banishers’ Antea-and-Red pairing, and the ghost-listening beats will feel familiar.
Where it falls short: Fixed camera can frustrate. The combat is minimal by design; if you wanted more action, this isn’t it.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Paid: Around $50, older, often heavily discounted
- vs Banishers: Similar mood, different loop, weaker combat
Migrating from Banishers: Slow down and read the environment. Solutions come from looking, not fighting.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick this for the ghost-listening investigation part of Banishers.
Life is Strange: True Colors — Best for choice-driven narrative
Life is Strange: True Colors trades ghost hunting for empathic powers, but the shape of the choices is the same: you meet people, you weigh their pain, you decide who to trust. Alex Chen’s small-town Colorado is a modern-day New Eden in atmosphere. If Banishers’ verdict system was the reason you kept playing, True Colors is a pure form of the same idea.
Where it falls short: No combat at all. Some readers of Life is Strange find the character work uneven.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Paid: Around $40, often 70% off in Steam sales
- vs Banishers: Slower, more talking, no combat, comparable choice weight
Migrating from Banishers: Play with headphones for the licensed music; the choices land harder that way.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: The pick when you want the emotional choice loop without the sword fights.
A Plague Tale: Innocence — Best for two-character narrative action
A Plague Tale: Innocence puts you in charge of a brother-and-sister pair fleeing plague-ridden 14th-century France. The two-character dynamic is closer to Antea and Red than any RPG on this list: one lead, one companion, mutual dependence, real consequences. The sequel Requiem is more polished but starts with the same pair.
Where it falls short: Linear rather than open-world. Stealth-heavy combat that some players find repetitive.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Paid: Around $40 base, sequel Requiem at $50
- vs Banishers: More linear, similar duo dynamic, historical setting
Migrating from Banishers: Take your time in the calm sections. That’s where the writing lands.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: The best match for Banishers’ partnership dynamic.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II — Best natural next step visually
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is Ninja Theory’s follow-up, and it’s the game to play if you want to see how far a mid-budget dark-fantasy production can push a modern PC. Iceland instead of Norway, the same tight linear structure, the same binaural audio. Combat is more refined than the first. It’s the most visually ambitious game on this list.
Where it falls short: Even shorter than the first game. Combat is still not the point.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Paid: Around $50 on Steam
- vs Banishers: Shorter, more polished visually, less RPG depth
Migrating from Banishers: Turn HDR on if your monitor supports it. Play with the room dark.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: The most striking direct next step visually.
How to choose
Pick Vampyr if you want more Don’t Nod. Pick GreedFall if the colonial New England setting was the hook. Pick Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice or its sequel if atmosphere and audio pulled you deeper than combat. Pick The Medium for the dual-world investigation. Pick Life is Strange: True Colors when you want the moral-choice loop without swordplay. Pick A Plague Tale: Innocence to keep playing a bonded duo. Stay on Banishers for a second playthrough only if you want to see how the opposite verdicts change the ending; the choice tree branches meaningfully.
FAQ
Is Banishers on Game Pass and PS Plus?
Yes. It arrived on both services this month and remains available at the time of writing. Check the current PS Plus Extra and Game Pass Standard catalogues before buying at full price.
What game is most like Banishers?
Vampyr is the closest structural match: same studio, similar moral-choice loop, gothic setting. GreedFall matches the era more directly.
Is Banishers based on real folklore?
Its ghost cases draw on 17th-century North American colonial folklore, though the specific Banishers order and the setting of New Eden are invented for the game.
How long is Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden?
The main story runs around 25-30 hours; completing every haunting case and side story pushes it toward 45 hours.
Which Hellblade should I start with?
Start with the first game, Senua’s Sacrifice. The sequel picks up threads that only land if you know Senua from the first.
