Gaming opinion: ‘This War of Mine’ - Survival and morality
Few games explore the human cost of survival as powerfully as This War of Mine.
This War of Mine stands out as a slow, thoughtful and emotionally heavy take on what it means to endure war.
Sports News Blitz writer Ryan Preston “Prestonie” highlights the atmospheric storytelling of This War of Mine.
This War of Mine - the morality of surviving
Narrative, simulation, strategy, consequences.
This War of Mine is one of my favourite indie games I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing.
It creates an immersive, sobering setting built around the bleak reality of war.
From the main screen, you choose which scenario to begin with.
Each scenario follows different characters you’ll control, each with their own abilities and needs.
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Day and night survival
The game has two modes: daytime and nighttime.
During the day, you explore your shelter, gather limited food and materials, and craft essential equipment.
It’s important to note that you won’t survive for long on what you find in your shelter. That’s where the nighttime scavenges come in.
Each evening, you choose one character to venture out and search for supplies in locations around the city.
Every area has obstacles to overcome - rubble, locked doors, metal gates and, of course, other people.
It’s the people who make the storytelling so compelling.
One of the easiest places to find food and medicine? An elderly couple’s house. They won’t fight you but will beg you not to steal from them.
At first, there are plenty of more “deserving” targets - bandits, criminals and even soldiers.
You can try to avoid stealing altogether, but when a character is starving or dying from a wound, your principles may falter.
Your actions have consequences. Stealing or killing will make good-natured characters sad or even depressed.
When they’re sad, they may refuse to carry out tasks, raid your alcohol stash, or, in the worst cases, end their life.
Morale is vital, and learning to support your characters is just as important as feeding them.
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Difficult choices, real consequences
Throughout each scenario, events occur that can dramatically change the game.
Shortages: food, cigarettes and other goods may become scarce, driving trade prices up.
Increased conflict: as fighting intensifies, many areas of the map become closed to scavenging. With nowhere left to search, you’re in trouble.
Winter: easily the most dangerous event. Your characters can and will fall ill if the shelter isn’t properly boarded up and you don’t have enough fuel for the heater.
Crime outbreak: having someone on guard duty every night is vital. Characters can be injured, so always keep a weapon in the shelter.
Other smaller events can occur both during scavenging and throughout the day. This is why clicking “end day” isn’t always a good idea.
Every few days, a trader will visit - and you’ll be praying for him to arrive quickly. He sells crucial supplies.
My advice? Always buy his spare wood and components. You’ll need them.
You probably won’t binge every scenario at once, but you’ll come back from time to time and try again.
If you’re looking for something slower-paced and deeply rewarding, this is it.
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