The Banner Saga seems to have been both a critical and, crucially, a commercial success. Developer Stoic announced to followers on Facebook last night that work on a second instalment in the planned trilogy will commence.

Phwoar.

"The three of us at Stoic want to give a heart-felt thank you to all the fans who have supported us by playing The Banner Saga," it began. "We've gotten so many messages about personal experiences with the game that we've been quite honestly blown away. We didn't set out to make a game for everybody, but the people who like it have been incredibly, overwhelmingly supportive, far beyond what we had expected.

"Aside from the relief that comes with knowing that we'll be able to keep working at Stoic for a long time to come, what has been really rewarding is the individuals who write to us saying things like 'No game has ever been more worthy of the title 'Saga','" Stoic added, digging in the ribs of the King 'Saga' trademark palaver.

"The feedback we've gotten from players and reviewers has really been taken to heart. We've already put out the first patch fixing issues reported by players about bugs and balance and after a short hiatus we'll be coming back to work on the next game in the trilogy. If there's one complaint we've heard over and over, it's that the story isn't done.

"In short," the post concluded, "we couldn't ask for more, thanks to you."

The Banner Saga, released in January, is a beautiful Viking adventure that crosses strategical turn-based battles with a kind of Choose Your Own Adventure story. It unfolds at a stately pace and there are difficult decisions - and battles - to overcome along the way.

In our Banner Saga review, Stace Harman wrote: "The Banner Saga offers a refreshing take on the tactical RPG with a story every bit as engaging as its combat. It is a beautiful game filled with ugly choices and tough consequences.

"I don't envy the hundreds that have suffered under my ineffectual command, but it would be a shame not to see the saga through to its end."