The goal of the game is to construct a safe haven in the wake of the Calamity, a cataclysmic event that shattered the world into a series of floating islands. As players journey into the wild unknown in search of survivors and supplies, they will confront strange beasts, forge an array of customizable weapons, and gain new powers from specially-brewed spirits. The entire play experience of Bastion is dynamically narrated, gradually revealing a rich backstory as the narrator reacts to the player’s actions in real time.​

Bastion's story will be dynamically generated as the narrator react's to the player character's actions in real time. The narrator responds to all of the main characters actions such as when he attacks, counters or finds any item. The narrator will also comment on things happening around the main character such as enemies that appear or important landmarks such as petrified characters that are within the main character's line of sight. It seems he will also change his comments based on how you handle certain situations, such as if the character stops to examine a scene or how he deals with an enemy.​