Supergiant Games’ debut effort isn’t just good – it’s a must-play.” 9.25 / 10 Game Informer

Bastion isn’t just one of the year’s best titles. It’s also one of the best stories you’ll see in an indie game.” 5 / 5 – GamePro

It’s frightening to think how much the human voice has done to distance Bastion from the crowd.” 9 / 10 – Edge Magazine

Bastion is a role-playing action game set in the world Caelondia after it has been destroyed by an event known as the Calamity.

The game revolves around a silent protagonist who is referred to as the Kid. The focus of the game's story is the Kid's quest to create a safe haven, known as the Bastion. The rest of the world has become a series of floating islands after the Calamity, a doomsday of sorts.

Bastion is an action-RPG with a level structure that emphasizes fast paced and frantic gameplay. The Kid moves through fantasy-themed environments that form up underneath his feet as he moves thorough each level. In order to progress, the Kid must defeat enemies using a variety of melee and ranged weaponry while collecting items and leveling up his attributes with experience points along the way. There is a currency in Bastion known as fragments, or pieces of the Old World. They are found laying about in the different environments and are dropped by enemies upon defeat. Between levels, the Kid visits the Bastion, where he can use the fragments he has acquired to purchase weapon upgrades and spirits. These spirits alter and enhance the Kid's abilities in a number of different ways. Depending on the level of the character, players can "equip" more spirits and therefore give themselves a greater advantage in battle.

The game incorporates a unique feature called 'dynamic narration'. Rucks, the strange old man (voiced by Logan Cunningham), serves as the game's narrator. As well as delivering story exposition, Rucks' narration will change based on the player's actions and style of play - for example, he might remark upon the player's affinity for a certain weapon if said weapon is used frequently during battle, or he might comment on an enemy that the player is about to fight.

Aside from the main locations that the player visits throughout the progression of the main story, there are also optional challenge levels for each weapon. Referred to as Proving Grounds, these areas test the player's ability to use each weapon efficiently. The player is also able to participate in three different arenas that provide additional lore for the game's characters while adding a competitive nature to the game through online leaderboards.

The Kid has access to buildings in the Bastion that can drastically alter the way game is played such as: weapon/spirit load out, weapon upgrades, and enemy difficulty.