This War of Mine

This War of Mine is the war game we didnâ€™t know we wanted, but that we definitely needed

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"This War of Mine: Final Cut is a single-player horror simulation game, where you survive as civilians in a war-torn city, focusing on resource management during the day and dangerous scavenging at night. Experience a unique perspective of war with an engaging story, ingenious mechanics, and sensational visuals, despite some bugs. Its high replayability provides new challenges and playthroughs in this remastered edition."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 18,721 reviews

gameplay822 positive mentions

grinding156 negative mentions

gameplay
2,480 mentions
33 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "This War of Mine" is characterized by a blend of resource management, survival mechanics, and moral decision-making, set against a backdrop of war. Players must navigate a day/night cycle, managing their survivors' needs during the day while scavenging for supplies at night, which creates a tense atmosphere filled with difficult choices. While the mechanics are generally straightforward and easy to grasp, many players find the gameplay can become repetitive over time, especially once they master the systems, leading to mixed feelings about its long-term engagement.
- “The gameplay is engaging without the need for complex mechanics, but very challenging in terms of resource management.”
- “This war of mine is a game that doesn't sacrifice game mechanics in order to make a point and it makes for a great merging of story and gameplay about the horrors of war.”
- “The gameplay is simple yet enticing with the unexpected looming behind each scavenge mission.”
- “There's no explanation for any of the mechanics or conditions other than your survivors' constant whining for food, sleep, smokes, or medicine.”
- “The game does simulate a desperate struggle, but it does this by obfuscating its mechanics and simultaneously punishing you for not knowing them.”
- “The gameplay is simple, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's bad.”
story
2,378 mentions
30 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story of "This War of Mine" is a poignant exploration of civilian life during wartime, particularly inspired by the siege of Sarajevo. Players navigate the harrowing experiences of various characters, each with unique backstories and emotional arcs, as they make difficult moral choices to survive in a war-torn city. The game emphasizes the impact of these choices on the characters' fates, creating a deeply immersive and often heartbreaking narrative that resonates with players long after their sessions end.
- “In my eyes, this game is a must play for anyone who craves the passionate storytelling that comes with the setting of being in a war-torn city.”
- “Gut-wrenching and powerful storytelling, based loosely on the Balkan conflicts of the 90s.”
- “This game really shows what war does to people, not just soldiers, and allows you to make your own stories with each survivor. The storytelling is amazing; if you have a weak heart, you will most likely cry at these stories.”
- “But for a game whose marketing materials show people hugging, crying, having feelings, etc., that aspect of storytelling is bizarrely missing from the final product.”
- “The story is cliche, progression feels bland, and the only challenge comes from managing annoyances effectively.”
- “The dlcs add a welcome twist and story, but the main game feels repetitive and lacks depth in its narrative.”
emotional
1,476 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "This War of Mine" is overwhelmingly impactful, with players frequently describing it as a heart-wrenching experience that evokes deep feelings of empathy and guilt. The game forces players to confront difficult moral choices that affect the emotional well-being of their characters, leading to moments of sadness, attachment, and reflection on the harsh realities of war. Many reviewers noted that the emotional weight of the game lingers long after playing, making it a unique and profound experience in the gaming landscape.
- “This game is an emotional and sometimes depressing ride.”
- “Heartbreaking perspective of civilians affected by war -- gives you a whole different approach, definitely worth checking out!”
- “The emotional investment everyone here is lauding wasn't really happening for me.”
- “I thought it would be a boring story that attempted a dark mood.”
graphics
1,229 mentions
54 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of "This War of Mine" are widely praised for their unique, sketch-like art style that effectively conveys the game's somber themes and atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the beautiful yet bleak visuals, which enhance the emotional weight of the narrative, creating a deeply immersive experience. While some note that the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they are considered fitting and impactful, contributing significantly to the overall storytelling and mood of the game.
- “Stacked with intricate development and pristine graphic quality, if you want to try something new, I recommend this game for you.”
- “The washed-out aesthetic combined with the hollow background sounds create an engaging atmosphere which pulls you into the desperation of a war-filled city.”
- “The graphics are surprisingly good and while the main game may not have much of a storyline, it has great replayability due to the randomness of items and locations.”
- “The graphics are dark and gritty without being boring, the music is sad and slow yet hopeful.”
- “The graphics aren't amazing, but the art direction is.”
- “The graphics, sound design, crafting systems, combat mechanics are all optimized and are an extension of each other in every direction you could possibly connect the nodes.”
atmosphere
1,199 mentions
61 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "This War of Mine" is widely praised for its intense, immersive, and often bleak portrayal of civilian life during wartime. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke strong emotions through its art style, sound design, and storytelling, creating a sense of desperation and moral complexity that resonates deeply with players. While some find the atmosphere overwhelming or repetitive over time, many agree that it is the game's standout feature, making it a compelling experience for those interested in the emotional weight of survival in a war-torn environment.
- “The atmosphere of this game really drives home the message they are trying to send. 10/10”
- “The washed-out aesthetic combined with the hollow background sounds create an engaging atmosphere that pulls you into the desperation of a war-filled city.”
- “The atmosphere is a masterpiece.”
- “The stark, oppressive, and at times depressing atmosphere is just that: an unending stark, oppressive and depressing backdrop with no relief in sight.”
- “The atmosphere is very gloomy and depressing.”
- “The atmosphere is always gloomy and sustained that way.”
music
847 mentions
47 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in "This War of Mine" is widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the game's somber themes of survival in a war-torn environment. Many players appreciate the emotional depth the soundtrack adds, although some note that the limited variety can lead to repetitiveness over extended play. Overall, the combination of the melancholic score and the game's unique art style creates a deeply immersive experience that resonates with players.
- “The soundtrack sets the tone, and I haven't forgotten it since my first playthrough.”
- “The music and artistic style are great, and I appreciated the perspective it presented.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing; I paid extra to download it from Steam as MP3 and now have it on my permanently 'quiet tracks playlist.' Incredible work there.”
- “The music is repetitive and very depressing.”
- “The soundtrack is a weak point; it easily becomes monotone and tiring.”
- “The music, the scenery, and the storyline are well put together, but the soundtrack can get quite boring quickly.”
replayability
775 mentions
42 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game exhibits a wide range of replayability, largely due to its randomization of characters, locations, and events, which ensures that each playthrough feels distinct. However, some players note that once familiar with the mechanics and strategies, the game can become predictable and repetitive, leading to diminished replay value over time. Overall, while many find the game engaging enough for multiple runs, others express a desire for more varied content to sustain long-term interest.
- “With tons of scenarios, over a dozen different survivor groups, 25+ locations with two random states for those locations, two starting houses, many random encounters, and an additional story mode, this game has massive replayability.”
- “The randomness of the locations available also adds to the replayability of the game.”
- “Replayability is another huge aspect of the game as you can start new games with a different set of survivors every time and utilize their unique skills to survive the longest.”
- “Instead, every single location is heavily scripted, which makes them lose any replay value pretty fast.”
- “The game has a lot of replay value, but once you've figured out how to handle the various situations, the game loses its tension.”
- “Overall, I really recommend it, but there are some bad sides: it is supposed to be replayable, but it is not, because it gets repetitive.”
grinding
164 mentions
2 % positive mentions
3 % neutral mentions
95 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and repetitive, with many players feeling that resource gathering and management tasks become monotonous over time. While some find enjoyment in the mechanics and atmosphere, the overall sentiment leans towards frustration with the slow pace and lack of engaging content after initial exploration. Players often express a desire for quality-of-life improvements, such as faster task execution and better inventory management, to alleviate the grind.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Once you know the mechanism, it becomes boring if not tedious.”
- “It's not tedious, it's enthralling all the way through, not your usual hunt-and-gather mechanics but taken to the next level as something too real to not be labeled as horrifying.”
- “The gameplay is often tedious and repetitive.”
- “I get their intention was for the game to be grim and unforgiving, but hours of tedious resource grinding to just get killed the first time you run into enemies because the game has no tutorial is more frustrating than emotionally impactful.”
- “The whole experience was mostly tedious, bland, and unfulfilling.”
stability
144 mentions
8 % positive mentions
2 % neutral mentions
90 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various bugs that significantly detract from the overall experience. While some users have noted improvements in recent updates, many still encounter persistent issues, including graphical glitches and unresponsive controls. Overall, the game is perceived as unstable and frustrating, with a considerable number of players expressing disappointment over its performance despite its engaging gameplay and story.
- “The game runs great, 60 fps locked by the engine.”
- “No lag, no glitches or bugs so far in over 35 hours of play!!”
- “It's not buggy, smooth playing, and requires you to be calculative, patient, and deliberate with your actions.”
- “However, since recent updates, quite a few bugs and glitches were introduced that really ruin the experience.”
- “Once long ago I would have said yes, buy this game; it is amazing. Now it's a buggy mess. The game constantly crashes any time you finish a resource hunt, which is every night, and you end up repeating the previous day.”
- “This game is a buggy, unoptimized mess that can hardly run at a quarter of the framerate of most other games and crashes over you sneezing in the other room.”
humor
66 mentions
95 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The game's humor is described as a mix of dark and situational comedy, resonating particularly with players who appreciate a more macabre sense of humor. While some find moments of levity amidst the game's serious themes, others note that the overall tone can be quite heavy, making it less of a traditional "funny" game. Players often experience a blend of emotions, laughing at absurd situations while grappling with the game's darker narrative elements.
- “The game also features some dark humor, which I, as a Scandinavian, like and appreciate.”
- “While you are playing, the emotions of the characters affect you as well, and you are scared, crying, and laughing together with the character.”
- “It's very funny.”
- “It's not funny; it's not known for its fighting mechanics, but it sends a message that can be summed up in three words: 'war is bad.' But of course, we already know that, right?”
- “This is a really hard game to sell to someone until they experience it; this is such an overlooked game, it's not funny.”
- “Lost a friend: not funny!”
optimization
47 mentions
45 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players report smooth performance and minimal bugs, others experience significant issues such as low framerates, crashes, and poor optimization on various systems. Updates have addressed many performance problems, but inconsistencies remain, particularly for new players navigating crafting and survival mechanics.
- “Pretty much all bugs or performance issues have been fixed in updates, although I experienced some translation issues in the DLC part of the game.”
- “The graphics, sound design, crafting systems, and combat mechanics are all optimized and are an extension of each other in every direction you could possibly connect the nodes.”
- “This game runs smoothly, and I have yet to notice any bugs.”
- “But very poorly optimized, and ran very poorly causing the refund.”
- “This game is a buggy, unoptimized mess that can hardly run at a quarter of the framerate of most other games and crashes over you sneezing in the other room, but the premise and execution of its story and gameplay are so good that I can't help but want to play more.”
- “Game is almost unplayable, the stuttering at 60fps is ridiculous.”
character development
34 mentions
32 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its emotional depth and the way choices impact character relationships, while others criticize the slow pacing and lack of individual growth. Many appreciate the integration of character backstories and the psychological aspects that enhance player attachment, but some feel that the overall development is insufficient and could benefit from more depth and options. Overall, the game succeeds in creating a compelling atmosphere and engaging narratives, though opinions vary on the effectiveness of character progression.
- “The developers have truly created not only an atmosphere (which is noteworthy, detailed and lit with artistic sensibility), but you get character development and story beats that are absorbing and emotionally affecting.”
- “Character development is great; the more days pass, the more you find yourself attached to them, and soon enough you find it pleasing to ensure they are managing to stay healthy and survive.”
- “There was a lot of character development, because any harsh decisions you make involving other survivors grow and affect your survivors accordingly.”
- “The game simply does not provide an atmosphere that is conducive for the player to form emotional attachments to the characters - we see very little character development aside from a handful of short text blurbs.”
- “While the actual characters you play have different personalities and actually have very interesting backgrounds and stories to tell, the game fails to accomplish character development.”
- “I wish it was more in-depth, had more layers to it - more options for character development - but I get that it's like a graphic novel with a survival aspect to it.”
monetization
6 mentions
17 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
83 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is generally viewed positively, with players appreciating the immersive experience without feeling exploited by cash grabs. However, there are complaints about intrusive ads for unrelated games and the option to pay to remove daily ads, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “No cash grabbery, just an immersive experience delivered well.”
- “I don't like seeing ads for Frostpunk 2 while playing a totally different game.”
- “Then pay to get rid of the daily ads.”
- “In its advertisement, this game was described as having a 'randomized world and characters every time you start the game.'”