Banished is a city-building game where the player must build and maintain a village to prevent their villagers from starving, freezing to death, or suffering in other ways due to a lack of resources. While challenging, the game allows players to feel like a god overseeing their village. It also creates a sense of care and responsibility for villagers as they are born, live, and can die based on the player's management. The game emphasizes efficiency in gathering resources to expand the village.