This War of Mine
Jan 26, 2016 11 years ago
In This War Of Mine you do not play as an elite soldier, rather a group of civilians trying to survive in a besieged city; struggling with lack of food, medicine and constant danger from snipers and hostile scavengers. The game provides an experience of war seen from an entirely new angle. The pace of This War of Mine is imposed by the day and night cycle. During the day snipers outside stop you from leaving your refuge, so you need to focus on maintaining your hideout: crafting, trading and taking care of your survivors. At night, take one of your civilians on a mission to scavenge through a set of unique locations for items that will help you stay alive. Make life-and-death decisions driven by your conscience. Try to protect everybody from your shelter or sacrifice some of them for longer-term survival. During war, there are no good or bad decisions; there is only survival. The sooner you realize that, the better.
What it’s like
This War of Mine inverts the typical war genre by casting you as civilians trapped in a besieged city, focusing on the grim reality of survival rather than combat glory. The experience is defined by a rigid day-night cycle: days are spent managing resources, crafting items, and maintaining morale within your shelter, while nights require stealthy scavenging missions fraught with danger. The narrative emerges organically through the lives of your survivors, each with unique traits and psychological states that react to starvation, injury, and moral dilemmas. Themes of desperation, ethical ambiguity, and human resilience are central, creating a somber and emotionally heavy tone. The craft lies in its systemic depth; every decision carries weight, forcing players to balance immediate survival against long-term stability. It is a poignant study of how ordinary people endure extraordinary hardship, delivering a powerful, unrelenting commentary on the cost of conflict through meticulous simulation and atmospheric storytelling.
Strong in Atmosphere / MoodAudio / MusicDifficulty / ChallengeSimulation / ManagementWriting / DialogueCharactersGameplay / MechanicsPacingPolish / PerformanceSocial / RelationshipsStory / NarrativeSystems Depth / Build VarietyVisuals / Art
Keep in mind The game is intentionally bleak and emotionally draining, lacking traditional satisfaction or power fantasy. · High difficulty and frequent permadeath can feel punitive rather than challenging for players seeking relaxation.
AI-generated from catalog data, informed by reviews from pcgamer.com, jkgeekly.com, ign.com, metacritic.com, opencritic.com.
Screenshots
Releases
| Platform | Region | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Worldwide | Full release | Nov 14, 201412 years ago |
| Mac | Worldwide | Full release | Nov 14, 201412 years ago |
| PC (Microsoft Windows) | Worldwide | Full release | Nov 14, 201412 years ago |
| Android | Worldwide | Full release | Jul 14, 201511 years ago |
| iOS | Worldwide | Full release | Jul 15, 201511 years ago |
| PlayStation 4 | Worldwide | Full release | Jan 26, 201611 years ago |
| Xbox One | Worldwide | Full release | Jan 26, 201611 years ago |
