Banned from Equestria Guide
Everything a new player needs: the controls, the three pony forms and what each unlocks, the day-night clock, the three-day limit, and a first-run walkthrough.
Banned from Equestria controls
- Point and click with the mouse. Click the edges of the screen to walk between locations and click characters or objects to interact.
- Some mini-games need fast left-click spamming - Applejack's tree-bucking, Rainbow Dash's race and Luna's shield battle all reward speed.
- It plays best on desktop with a mouse, but Ruffle also works with touch on mobile.
The three forms in Banned from Equestria
Talk to Trixie during the day to switch form. Each one opens different paths:
Earth Pony
Earns bits by bucking trees - click until the force meter passes about 40 for ~40 bits. Bits buy the train ticket (50), a muffin (3) and spa scenes (100/300).
Unicorn
Casts spells: Magic Attack A (break Applejack's rock), Magic Attack B (Rarity's fabric and window) and Shield Breaker A (Trixie and the Luna fight). Be a unicorn at night for Trixie.
Pegasus
Flight. Fly up in the daytime to reach Rainbow Dash's cloud and Canterlot for Celestia, and use it for Twilight's window and the Luna endgame. Beating Luna grants the Alicorn form.
Day, night and time in Banned from Equestria
- Each day has a daytime and a nighttime phase. Some characters only appear at one of them - the in-game cast list marks day and night characters separately.
- Your run lasts three in-game days and nights, and story actions burn time. A few events are locked to night 3, including Luna and the Lyra / Bon Bon / Berry Punch group scene, so plan your route.
- In 1.4 returning Trixie's book to Twilight granted three extra days; that reward was removed in 1.5.
A Banned from Equestria walkthrough for new players
- Talk to Trixie to learn you have three days - she is also how you switch forms during the day.
- Become a unicorn and read the floor book in Twilight's library to learn Magic Attack A and Shield Breaker A.
- Become an earth pony and buck trees until you have about 80 bits.
- Easy first scene: as a unicorn break the rock to reach Applejack, then work for her as an earth pony.
- Night 1: as a unicorn at night, break Trixie's shield and grab her book so you can start Twilight's Experiment later.
- Become a pegasus and fly up during the day to reach Rainbow Dash and Celestia.
- Save the hard ones for last: Luna needs night 3 as a pegasus plus several earlier scenes - arrive at her platform on the final night and win the shield battle for the alicorn form.
The Banned from Equestria bits economy
Bits are the game's currency. You earn them as an earth pony by bucking trees, and spend them to open routes. Here is the whole economy at a glance:
Earn: buck trees as an earth pony - each session past the ~40 force meter pays out roughly 40 bits.
| Cost | Bits | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Train ticket | 50 | Given to Spike, this opens Twilight's route. |
| Muffin | 3 | From Mrs. Cake - eat it for an alternate way past Trixie's shield. |
| Spa (short) | 100 | The first spa scene. |
| Spa (full) | 300 | The extended spa scene. |
How Banned from Equestria ends
There is no single fail state - your run is graded by how much you complete in three days, and there is a hidden true finish. Mild spoilers below.
Endings are ranked by how many scenes you finish, from a run where you unlock nothing, up through the middle tiers, to the top "Mane Six" ending for unlocking all six of the Mane 6 in one playthrough.
The true finish runs through Luna. Reach night 3 as a pegasus with the earlier scenes done, fly to Canterlot and win her duel to transform into an alicorn, which grants Magic Attack C and Shield Breaker C. Clear that duel without taking a hit for her full true-ending reward.
Banned from Equestria not working? Troubleshooting
- Black screen or stuck loading: the game runs on Ruffle, the Flash emulator. Give the 22 MB file a moment on first load, then refresh once - a hard reload usually clears a stalled Ruffle start.
- Nothing happens when you click play: check that your browser is up to date and that no ad blocker or script blocker is stopping the Ruffle script. Try a different browser if one refuses.
- Slow to start: the whole game downloads the first time you press play. After that your browser caches it, so the next visit opens fast.
- Playing on a phone: Ruffle works on mobile, but scenes with heavy clicking (Applejack's bucking, Rainbow Dash's race, Luna's duel) are much easier with a mouse on a desktop.
Banned from Equestria guide FAQ
How long is Banned from Equestria?
One run is three in-game days and nights. A first, blind playthrough usually takes an hour or two, but a rushed route can be far shorter - some events, like Luna, are locked to the third night, so you cannot finish everything faster than that.
How do I get more days in Banned from Equestria?
In version 1.4, returning Trixie's book to Twilight granted three extra days. That reward was removed in the final 1.5, so in 1.5 you plan around the standard three-day clock instead.
How do I make bits fast in Banned from Equestria?
Switch to the earth pony form with Trixie and buck trees. Each session that pushes the force meter past about 40 pays roughly 40 bits, so two sessions cover the 50-bit train ticket that opens Twilight's route.
Why won't a character interact with me?
You are almost always in the wrong form or the wrong part of the day. Many routes need a specific pony form (earth, unicorn or pegasus) and only work in daytime or at night. Switch form at Trixie during the day and come back at the right time.
What is the alicorn form in Banned from Equestria?
It is the reward for beating Princess Luna's duel on night 3. Becoming an alicorn unlocks the strongest spells, Magic Attack C and Shield Breaker C, and is the closest thing the game has to a true ending.