This War of Mine

 PC
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1106 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 867 out of 1106
  2. Mixed: 169 out of 1106
  3. Negative: 70 out of 1106

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  1. GamerGuysNGals
    Nov 24, 2019
    8
    Hello everyone! This is my first review but definitely not my first game. I came into this game without knowing so much as it’s genre, but what did I think? Let’s get into the review and see.

    The first thing you see when you launch This War of Mine is an appropriate quote from Hemingway “In modern war...you will die like a dog for no good reason.” This does a great job of setting the    Hello everyone! This is my first review but definitely not my first game. I came into this game without knowing so much as it’s genre, but what did I think? Let’s get into the review and see.

    The first thing you see when you launch This War of Mine is an appropriate quote from Hemingway “In modern war...you will die like a dog for no good reason.” This does a great job of setting the feel for the game you are about to experience. This War of Mine is an atmospheric game that sets its dark tone very well and makes it easy to feel the dread of a civilian caught in a conflict with little hope. The game takes place in a fictional, seemingly Eastern European country stuck in a civil war. You play as a small group of acquaintances brought together by various circumstances that now work together to scavenge for food and materials hoping to survive.

    Graphics/Sound

    This War of Mine has stylized visuals and music that help immerse you into the environment. Everything is viewed as a cross section of a building, whether it be your own home, or a building you’re looting for supplies during the night. Your home has some warm colors but during the scavenging at night most things are grey and things that fall out of your line of sight are obscured in a haze, adding to the mystery of what you might find as you continue forward. The music in the game from the beginning gives ambiance setting a very bleak tone for the game. This is especially noteworthy while scavenging at night and helps to put you on edge when you find yourself in a tough spot.

    Gameplay

    This War of Mine is essentially a resource management game and is in some ways comparable to a worker placement game for the board gaming fans. As far as actual physical gameplay goes the left click is the only input you need, so mechanical skills won’t hold you back here. Simply left click to interact with whatever you’d like to grab or interact with, or double click to run to that location. During the day you will spend your time getting your group fed and improving your home. At night you can send one person to a location to scavenge and the rest will be left behind to either sleep or guard your belongings. There is limited time management needed during the day so most real gameplay is the scavenging, which can range from just using a crowbar to get through an abandoned house to sneaking through a building full of military personnel.

    Pros/Cons
    Pros:
    -This game is immersive which makes it easy to get invested in the characters and your groups ultimate survival
    -The game mechanics are quite compelling seen through the weight of your options and planning your next move carefully to avoid unforeseen consequences
    -Given the context of the story you feel the moral weight of your actions if you kill or steal as do your characters
    -Because of the difficulty, every new piece of furniture or new meal feels earned and rewarding
    Cons:
    -The learning curve is steep and if you go in blind don’t expect to survive much more than a couple weeks your first couple tries
    - Sometimes decisions feel forced because you can become so strapped for resources
    - Because the controls are so simple, it can be very easy to misclick and put yourself in danger while scavenging

    This War of Mine is a very well crafted setting that makes you really feel the importance of your resource management much more than many similar games. The first time I sat down and played I was immersed for the better part of a day. With that said, the game is incredibly unforgiving and the learning curve is steep. The scarcity of resources and the tough decisions add to the flavor of the game but are a bit steep from a gameplay perspective. Overall I would give it a 7.5/10. While it may be a bit daunting for the casual player, anyone who is willing to spend some time learning the game and especially those who enjoy survival and resource management will surely find this game well worth the price tag.    … Expand
  2. Alvelian
    Dec 16, 2022
    4
    Крайне проходной проект заманивающий игроков своим сеттингом. Игра буквально на пару раз, до тех пор пока не разберешся в механике и не поймешь что это полное уныние.
  3. sh4dow
    May 30, 2015
    8
    It's an excellent game regarding its mechanics and basic concept. However, I find it falls short when it comes to various social commentary. Unless the social commentary you want to make is that even in war time, people behave like spoiled little brats. Because while horrible people all around are robbing, raping and killing, the biggest problem for my survivors was "We have no coffee" orIt's an excellent game regarding its mechanics and basic concept. However, I find it falls short when it comes to various social commentary. Unless the social commentary you want to make is that even in war time, people behave like spoiled little brats. Because while horrible people all around are robbing, raping and killing, the biggest problem for my survivors was "We have no coffee" or "We have no cigarettes". It made them sad most of the time. Boohoo. I purposely never gave them anything for being such damn cry babies. And when I killed a bunch of psychopaths who had mutilated corpses lying around and were about to attack my scavenging survivor and I took their stuff (Because why not? They were awful people and they're dead...), one of my survivors got depressed, the others who weren't sad yet got sad. I find the game very lacking in these regards because it made me feel increasingly detached from the moral dilemmas it portrays. Which I found to be the best thing about this game when I first started playing. Anyway... until one full play-through is accomplished, it is at least something interesting, refreshing and challenging.… Expand
  4. drlowdon
    Sep 21, 2015
    8
    In This War of Mine you play as a group of civilians trapped inside a city torn apart by war and have to try to keep them alive as they struggle with lack of food, medicine and the constant danger of hostile soldiers and civilian scavengers. With character deaths being permanent and tough choices having to be made constantly it provides a completely different perspective on war from theIn This War of Mine you play as a group of civilians trapped inside a city torn apart by war and have to try to keep them alive as they struggle with lack of food, medicine and the constant danger of hostile soldiers and civilian scavengers. With character deaths being permanent and tough choices having to be made constantly it provides a completely different perspective on war from the usual shoot first, ask questions later gameplay of other video games and makes for a tense and enthralling experience.… Expand
  5. xxAcesHighxx
    Jan 1, 2015
    9
    This War of Mine is an utterly wonderful game with a unique take on an otherwise popular premise.

    Will definitely grab it again on iOS, but would love to see this stellar adventure come to PS4/Vita too. Given 11 bit Studios support of PS4 with Anomaly 2, I'm hoping it'll happen.
  6. Visko
    Jan 18, 2015
    7
    This is an amazing, if somewhat of a simple game. Starting with a few survivors, each with their own perks. You slowly progress through the days, trying to survive during the war. Crafting which reminded me of games like Minecraft or Terraria. Dig your way through areas, unlock doors, sneak into houses and steal. You get to choose how you want to survive, and your choices can affect theThis is an amazing, if somewhat of a simple game. Starting with a few survivors, each with their own perks. You slowly progress through the days, trying to survive during the war. Crafting which reminded me of games like Minecraft or Terraria. Dig your way through areas, unlock doors, sneak into houses and steal. You get to choose how you want to survive, and your choices can affect the survivors morale.

    Now what makes it engaging, also comes with its tradeoffs however. Not everything makes sense, actually not much makes sense. But it's difficult to create a game where everything is logical, it ends up being boring quite often. So you have to skip a few intricacies (like the crafting system) to keep the game flowing, less random, more predictable in order to appropriately strategize for the coming days.

    I have a few qualms with it however. Such is the combat system. I can't say I'm a fan of it at all, it's very basic, unforgiving and leaves no room for strategy. Stealth is great! But Combat, not so much. First time I had a gun, I figured "Sneak up on an enemy, and execute him in the head!" No... Doesn't matter how sneaky, close, or still I and my target are... I'll just shoot him in the hip, he'll turn around with his shotgun and blow my head off (as he did). With no Reload function, I'm forced to deal with it, or start over. That wasn't fun, that was stupid in my opinion and made me not want to play anymore. So it's true I only gave the game so much attention, but I just couldn't appreciate the Combat system since it didn't support MY playstyle.

    As well, playstyle, there's not much to adapt each individuals playstyle. You have to be stealthy, you have to be nice. That's the best way to succeed, anything else and you're just hurting yourself. You can't be those rag-tag survivors who make it by bullying and stealing, no you have to deal with them instead. If you're to do that, it's intended to be a last resort tactic- So in essence the game pressures you into playing it 1 way, and 1 way only, taking away from its re-playability some.

    Regardless, worth a purchase, worth a play-through. Everything has its problems, but this was a nice refreshing take on a "War Game" for sure.    … Expand
  7. Tubey
    Dec 5, 2014
    7
    If I were reviewing the devs, 11 bit studios, this would be a 10. Everything from their promo vids explaining the rationale behind the game and the ingenious way they tackled pirates by offering 10 free keys to people as a good will measure, is excellent, and the bigger studios could learn bucketloads from this type of marketing and approach.

    So, that's out the way - the game itself...    If I were reviewing the devs, 11 bit studios, this would be a 10. Everything from their promo vids explaining the rationale behind the game and the ingenious way they tackled pirates by offering 10 free keys to people as a good will measure, is excellent, and the bigger studios could learn bucketloads from this type of marketing and approach.

    So, that's out the way - the game itself... is OK. It nails the atmosphere really well, with the art style and minimalist score helping to create the perfect mood. It's a grim game in every way and, whilst not exactly fun to play, it challenges you to re-evaluate what you expect from a "good" video game.

    It falls short in certain aspects though. The crafting system is strange, with items breaking that shouldn't break, just to meet the gaming convention of resource management. The trade system is hit and miss, following no distinct pattern (I understand this is an attempt at an economy system, but it doesn't achieve what it set out to do). And combat is lacklustre to be honest - a point and click, stealth orientated affair but it doesn't get the heart racing or add positively to the overall experience. Worst of all, it seems either pre-programmed difficulty spikes or harsh RNG dictates how long you can survive - you can do everything right, and then be killed off inside 10 minutes.

    It's a game worth trying for its' unique aesthetics and atmosphere, and the ambition of the developer, but it's not going to go down as a classic. That said, it's a great base, and I look forward to seeing what 11 bit do next.    … Expand
  8. sherbz
    Jun 23, 2017
    10
    The most refreshing thing about this game is that realistically depicts what war is really like. Unlike the glorified COD which, incidentally, is funded by the US military. Go figure! Basically, war is hell. And so is this game. Its a struggle most of the time. And you have to scrape and save and muster and manage. And it is, quite honestly, very satisfying. Cross walking dead withThe most refreshing thing about this game is that realistically depicts what war is really like. Unlike the glorified COD which, incidentally, is funded by the US military. Go figure! Basically, war is hell. And so is this game. Its a struggle most of the time. And you have to scrape and save and muster and manage. And it is, quite honestly, very satisfying. Cross walking dead with a good strategy title and you pretty much have it. Well played developers. Picked it up for £3 on steam and im hooked. And so much replayability. I am a fan! Well done!… Expand
  9. Aeryx
    Sep 10, 2017
    8
    Thoroughly enjoyed this one. This War of Mine is masterful at creating an atmosphere of sadness and desperation. This game has a very tough learning curve, and every mistake you make will progressively make the game more difficult down the road. Deaths are permanent. Everything is in short supply and no, you can't craft your way into a producing infinite amounts of resources. ThisThoroughly enjoyed this one. This War of Mine is masterful at creating an atmosphere of sadness and desperation. This game has a very tough learning curve, and every mistake you make will progressively make the game more difficult down the road. Deaths are permanent. Everything is in short supply and no, you can't craft your way into a producing infinite amounts of resources. This desperation forces you to do bad things just to survive. My scenario ended at Day 48 and it was a remarkable experience. It made me rethink of how I take trivial things for granted.… Expand
  10. iseeall
    Jan 9, 2015
    6
    This game has an interesting setting (bad picture of war), a great message (don't vote for leaders who want war) and nice graphics+music. However the gameplay is very limited (too few actions available for characters) and frustrating. In the core there is "Don't starve"/"Minecraft"-like crafting system. You run around locations and loot items from containers, to produce stuff out of thoseThis game has an interesting setting (bad picture of war), a great message (don't vote for leaders who want war) and nice graphics+music. However the gameplay is very limited (too few actions available for characters) and frustrating. In the core there is "Don't starve"/"Minecraft"-like crafting system. You run around locations and loot items from containers, to produce stuff out of those items, then use the produced items to produce some more items, of which a few you need to consume regularly. Most of the time you need to sneak, and sometimes you fight. The GUI is optimized for iPads, not PC. What spoils the experience the most is the lack of consistency: some NPCs decide to let you loot all containers, some let you grab stuff only from those without a "private" label and attack you if you take items with such a label, some follow you around with a shotgun aimed at you without attacking, some attack you on sight even before you examine any container. In such an inconsistent game a proper save feature would be a must (if you didn't expect something or encounter a game bug, you reload), but there is no save/reload. I dropped this game after 2 attempts. After a while I read a walkthru somewhere, only to find out that the game is even more inconsistent than I thought (like "this guy will attack you, that guy won't, oh wait there was a bug in an older version but now they fixed it" and so on). Sorry guys, but I just don't have the time to play the whole game thru to just learn what each of your NPCs is scripted to do. I still give the game a 6/10 for its message and good aethetics.… Expand
  11. contropiede
    Jul 6, 2015
    8
    Not boring to be played repeatedly. The number of characters with different backgrounds and levels of difficulty which is quite difficult. Initially I thought this game would be boring, but it did not. Often we made should choose in difficult situations.

    I have finished the game three times and finally tried the story itself. hohoho. Buy this game there are funds allocated for victims    Not boring to be played repeatedly. The number of characters with different backgrounds and levels of difficulty which is quite difficult. Initially I thought this game would be boring, but it did not. Often we made should choose in difficult situations.

    I have finished the game three times and finally tried the story itself. hohoho. Buy this game there are funds allocated for victims of war, so you can play while charity.    … Expand
  12. gracjanski
    Mar 10, 2016
    7
    I agree with the most people here, this game is overrated and not realistic. The gameplay is simple: It is like Sims with a bit strategy and stealth missions. Nice and funny, but nothing special. Many wrote it has a great atmosphere, the problem is, I cant immerse in this world, because it is more ridiculous than realistic. The charactes get depressive, when they are too criminal. WTF? II agree with the most people here, this game is overrated and not realistic. The gameplay is simple: It is like Sims with a bit strategy and stealth missions. Nice and funny, but nothing special. Many wrote it has a great atmosphere, the problem is, I cant immerse in this world, because it is more ridiculous than realistic. The charactes get depressive, when they are too criminal. WTF? I want to survive, I dont care if I stole something from others. In addition the most important ressource to survive is water, not sleeping. But it is a short game, so you can play it, you wont lose too much time to get to know this game.… Expand
  13. iddqd4
    Mar 19, 2018
    8
    Отличный выжывач, время от времени ставящий тебе интересные моральные дилеммы.
  14. Helmenkalastaja
    Sep 22, 2018
    6
    Game looks great and dark mooded style is just brilliant. What i hoped that there would have been more diversity and depth in the stuff you can do. Now everything is build from same few materials and everyone can do everything. How a journalist have 'know how' to build working radio? Only few types of food, almost all you need can be producted by workshops. Game mechanic is awesome, butGame looks great and dark mooded style is just brilliant. What i hoped that there would have been more diversity and depth in the stuff you can do. Now everything is build from same few materials and everyone can do everything. How a journalist have 'know how' to build working radio? Only few types of food, almost all you need can be producted by workshops. Game mechanic is awesome, but that can't carry away that fact that there is available far better survival games with much deeper complexity and difficulty. There is too many curves cut straight to make the game simple, too simple to my taste.… Expand
  15. demondred79
    Aug 9, 2015
    8
    After hitting an initial wall in the first three hours, I initially wanted to write a scathing "F@#$ You" type negative review but I stuck with it....and i'm glad. It's an incredibly well balanced game and rewarding, but you have to push the brutality to the side and just roll with it. Don't let it get personal or it's going to get you down because it took me a third restart to finallyAfter hitting an initial wall in the first three hours, I initially wanted to write a scathing "F@#$ You" type negative review but I stuck with it....and i'm glad. It's an incredibly well balanced game and rewarding, but you have to push the brutality to the side and just roll with it. Don't let it get personal or it's going to get you down because it took me a third restart to finally nail it.

    Problems: The fact that you can't cleanly save/exit when doing a night scavenge is frustrating. The fact you can't cleanly save/exit while back in your shelter is pure BS as well. And to make it worse, every time you load up the game it randomly generates a new condition in your shelter (raided, wounded, loss of bullets, theft, etc). This, oddly enough, is both a flaw and an exploit since you can exit/reload repeatedly until you get a favorable outcome.

    Secondly, there were times when i was hiding from bandits and they got stuck in a twitchy pathing issue and wouldn't move. This is likely to cost you a character and needs to be fixed since every scrap counts BIGTIME. These issues (and there are a few more that i'm not going to harp on) need to be fixed, and is why it got some points removed.

    Protip: Use a tablet or pen/paper to keep track of your nightly scavenging runs!! Upgrade and board up your shelter as a top priority. If it's too hard, choose to "write my own story" and you can setup a MUCH easier game for yourself.    … Expand
  16. Greywolf2001ca
    Dec 24, 2015
    9
    This game is of moderate size, but is replayable.

    This is the kind of game that you are going to reinstall on your computer once per year and go through it all again. It is that pleasant. The unique graphics are quite good and the grim look of the game reflects how difficult and horrible wars are, especially today. If you are looking for a game you will play each year, this is    This game is of moderate size, but is replayable.

    This is the kind of game that you are going to reinstall on your computer once per year and go through it all again. It is that pleasant.

    The unique graphics are quite good and the grim look of the game reflects how difficult and horrible wars are, especially today.

    If you are looking for a game you will play each year, this is your game. It is simple and not too difficult like some other survival game. Remember that this game is to show how horrible wars are in the modern world (in general too).

    You can also donate to a charity that takes care of children caught in wars on steam, which is a nice gesture and good idea on the part of the designers.    … Expand
  17. Saklad5
    Apr 13, 2015
    10
    This game is VERY hard, but extremely thought-provoking.

    It is perfectly balanced so that, if you are lucky and clever enough, you will have JUST enough to get by the day. There are risks worth taking, but fail and you will fall HARD. It really captures the hardships of civilians trapped in war zones, and it makes you look at current events like Syria and other hotspots in a whole new    This game is VERY hard, but extremely thought-provoking.

    It is perfectly balanced so that, if you are lucky and clever enough, you will have JUST enough to get by the day. There are risks worth taking, but fail and you will fall HARD. It really captures the hardships of civilians trapped in war zones, and it makes you look at current events like Syria and other hotspots in a whole new light.

    At the same time, it is very rewarding gameplay and will have you coming back over and over to try new approaches and strategies. There are lots of hours you can get out of this, if you can take it. In addition, the visuals and soundtrack are excellent.

    For those who believe that video games aren’t an art form, or believe that games can’t be enjoyable and thought-provoking at the same time, I implore them to look at This War of Mine.    … Expand
  18. RMDsilva
    Nov 30, 2015
    8
    Great ambience!
    Game mechanics are addictive enough, with tough decisions all around in what location to explore, what loot to bring back, what to trade, etc.
    Characters have some life, it is fairly important to know how to use the team you have. Their stories are not that impressive, but you fill in the blanks fairly well from their comments and interactions (namely when they fight    Great ambience!
    Game mechanics are addictive enough, with tough decisions all around in what location to explore, what loot to bring back, what to trade, etc.

    Characters have some life, it is fairly important to know how to use the team you have. Their stories are not that impressive, but you fill in the blanks fairly well from their comments and interactions (namely when they fight each other)

    It gets old quick once you figure out what everything does.
    It's my problem with survival games, either there's a wiki or there's absolutely no information. The internet becomes an annoying compromise that gives neither ambience nor clear answers.

    It also, thankfully, doesn't try to get overly complicated. Which means that relationships between characters and the outside world are limited, as is interaction with objects. Makes it a simple good game. Not an excellent one.    … Expand
  19. Hack
    Aug 18, 2016
    7
    A very unique experience that I highly recommend everyone tries, even if you don't like the survival genre as I myself don't and I still enjoyed This War of Mine quite a lot.

    I don't feel like the game has much replayability in the sense that you don't want to keep playing it because it can get quite tedious due to the lack of any sort of fast forwarding, and once you've found the best    A very unique experience that I highly recommend everyone tries, even if you don't like the survival genre as I myself don't and I still enjoyed This War of Mine quite a lot.

    I don't feel like the game has much replayability in the sense that you don't want to keep playing it because it can get quite tedious due to the lack of any sort of fast forwarding, and once you've found the best "build" you are basically replaying the same campaign over and over just making slight tweaks depending on your spawning circumstances which does get boring. Once I had successfully survived until the end of the war once and explored all the buildings I feel like I had seen everything the game had to offer and I was done. In the end I got 14 hours of enjoyment out of the game for £3.74 and it genuinely moved me at times, which is very rare for a game to do.    … Expand
  20. runner
    Jul 20, 2016
    9
    This War of Mine manages to be simple and yet full of content and replayability value.
    I personally don't love this type of games that much, and was actually rather disappointed at first, because when I bought this game I expected something a bit more story driven with more precise objectives and purposes.
    Not that what I found out instead wasn't good. This War of Mine is more of a    This War of Mine manages to be simple and yet full of content and replayability value.
    I personally don't love this type of games that much, and was actually rather disappointed at first, because when I bought this game I expected something a bit more story driven with more precise objectives and purposes.

    Not that what I found out instead wasn't good.
    This War of Mine is more of a resources management game, and your only purpose is to survive. How to do that? That's all up to you. The game will bring you to various situations and both moral and fatal decisions which you'll have to face.

    The game doesn't explain much about WHAT to do, there's not really any sort of tutorial. You start right away. At first I was a bit pissed off by that, but soon enough I discovered that the gameplay grows on you and you can easily grasp it, and also, just like in real life, you sometimes can't be sure what you're actions will bring and what the consequences are going to be. So I've also had a few surprises.

    This War of Mine would indeed make sure that you feel every consequence of every action you're going to do, and you can't escape that. For example, you have a possibility to steal from an old couple which cannot defend itself. This is an easy way of gathering food, and trying to find food at any other place would be very risky, and you can easily die. You won't get away with stealing because characters would start to be depressed and question their own actions. And, of course, you absolutely can't live without food to eat...

    The game also manages to somehow create a strong emotional connection to the characters, albeit it provides very little back story and does everything in a very simplistic way. But that's probably a part of the magic, the minimal and poor environment, the melancholic tunes and feelings the game evokes in you.

    I found myself feeling terrible after I made my characters die because of my choices, and on that moment I realized the game actually WORKS. And pretty well. So, even though it's not my cup of tea, I'm going to find out the rest of the content the game has to offer and would probably give it another few goes.    … Expand
  21. Grufton
    Jan 7, 2015
    9
    I am a big fan of this game and will do my best to provide a spoil free review of this game:

    Graphics: This is one of the weaker areas of the game for me. Saying that though I will also say that the art direction is good. It serves the purposes of the game well and works well with the game play of the game. I will say that overall it works very well. 7/10 Gameplay: The Gameplay is    I am a big fan of this game and will do my best to provide a spoil free review of this game:

    Graphics: This is one of the weaker areas of the game for me. Saying that though I will also say that the art direction is good. It serves the purposes of the game well and works well with the game play of the game. I will say that overall it works very well. 7/10

    Gameplay: The Gameplay is really strong. It is a real time based strat game. I like it a lot. But I am usually pulled to these types of games. The fact that the choices you make in the game tie in strongly to the story work very well. And I enjoy it that the gameplay does tie in to the story. 8/10

    Story: This is the strongest point of the game to me. It does a wonderful job of portraying the story, and the ideas of the game. When you make choices it effects a lot in the game. And the choices are made within the moment of game play. Which I really enjoy. So sometimes you end up making choice even though you may not mean to, but I think that truly adds to the atmosphere. 10/10

    Sound: The sound design is really strong as well. It bleeds into the enviornment. It is one of the few games in which I do not turn the music off in order to watch netflix on my second monitor. And this is saying a lot. 9/10

    Overall: 8.5/10 One of the top 10 games I've played in the last year. Which is saying a lot. If you like games that portray a strong moral objective, or are more 2d strat based, I highly recommend!    … Expand
  22. menkaur
    Dec 23, 2014
    9
    For a game which is essentially 2d and designed to be playable on smartphones, this one is really fun.

    The survivor characters are quite distinctive and interesting. And the game-play and controls are well thought about. Your decisions seem to matter. As for disadvantages, the game has a tendency to crash. You only can have up to 4 characters per play (it would be fun to have more    For a game which is essentially 2d and designed to be playable on smartphones, this one is really fun.

    The survivor characters are quite distinctive and interesting. And the game-play and controls are well thought about. Your decisions seem to matter.

    As for disadvantages, the game has a tendency to crash. You only can have up to 4 characters per play (it would be fun to have more people in the house), and the gameplay is only 45 "days" long. Real wars don't end that soon and can last for years. I was quite disappointed when it turned out that you can win by surviving 45 days, instead of conditions getting worse and worse day by day for a long time.

    Overall, this game has been much more fun than some hipped up recent releases    … Expand
  23. LostSandwich
    Dec 4, 2014
    7
    I knew nothing about this game going into it. But based on the title and knowing it was about war i figured it would be how they portray war in a game like Call of Duty, or Battlefield, but rather than portraying war as a fun playground they portray it realistically, well expect for the whole make a stove with some nails and wood, but a game does not need to be fully realistic. Gritty,I knew nothing about this game going into it. But based on the title and knowing it was about war i figured it would be how they portray war in a game like Call of Duty, or Battlefield, but rather than portraying war as a fun playground they portray it realistically, well expect for the whole make a stove with some nails and wood, but a game does not need to be fully realistic. Gritty, depressing, scary, generally hell on Earth. This game needs no "Press F to feel", the art style combined with the atmosphere, the sounds, the depressing notes left behind by others, the comments from your survivors, makes this game an emotional and thought provoking trip, about what being in a war zone really looks and feels like.
    The game play itself is decent but does have flaws. This War of Mine punishes you for each hit you take, but then combat is just mashing the Left Mouse Button on the character you are attacking and is generally very clunky. If taking hits during combat will have such large consequences you need to make sure your combat is very precise. Overall it's a good game worth the asking price, i dropped at least 20 hours onto it but it definitely could have been better.    … Expand
  24. StarCitizenZues
    Dec 14, 2014
    9
    This game is certainly one of my favorite games in the past decade and has a HUGE replay-ability factor. Dont let the 2d fool you ... Excellent graphics, music, sound, etc. etc. Its not an easy game, and expect to die and restart a lot, but I promise you, you'll love the challenge and the list of characters and scenarios.
    My hat is off to the devs on this one: They really tapped into a    This game is certainly one of my favorite games in the past decade and has a HUGE replay-ability factor. Dont let the 2d fool you ... Excellent graphics, music, sound, etc. etc. Its not an easy game, and expect to die and restart a lot, but I promise you, you'll love the challenge and the list of characters and scenarios.
    My hat is off to the devs on this one: They really tapped into a creative vein on this one and created one hell of a game.    … Expand
  25. Bboygamer
    Dec 28, 2014
    8
    Intense and random, this game is rewards and punishes you with great magnitude. The atmosphere and immersion was fantastic. Not my kind of game so a 8
  26. That1Guy
    Jan 5, 2015
    9
    My personal game of the year, despite a few minor flaws; The game places in control of a group of war-time civilians who have taken up residence in a dilapidated house--your objective is to survive the conflict as best as you are able, while making moral choices along the way.

    The game has a very distinct art style, using a sort of "greyscale motif" to drive the art and animation,    My personal game of the year, despite a few minor flaws; The game places in control of a group of war-time civilians who have taken up residence in a dilapidated house--your objective is to survive the conflict as best as you are able, while making moral choices along the way.

    The game has a very distinct art style, using a sort of "greyscale motif" to drive the art and animation, reinforcing the game's bleak narrative. Characters and objects in the game are drawn with detail, but backgrounds and areas of the game map that are out of sights are "sketched over" with a fog of war. The result gives the game a haunting look, while remaining firmly entrenched in realism.

    The game revolves mainly around resource management: Scavenge and trade resources to upgrade your safe house, purchase food and weapons, and basically give yourself the best possible fighting chance to survive the war. Survivors each have their own strengths and weaknesses to add to your strategy--do you send Boris into the ruined villa to have him deal with the thugs guarding the supply cache, or do you send stealthy Arica in to sneak around and pilfer their stuff, leaving them unmolested. A trickier approach, for sure, but one that might let you sleep a little more soundly...

    It is the moral choices in the game that set this apart from other resource management games, and unfortunately, it's also where the game stumbles a bit. I very quickly discovered that while the game wants to put me in the moral hot seat, it's a very simple thing to use the game's engine to my benefit. Trader has a whole bunch of stuff that I can't afford? Send Katja, the trader to talk to him...she'll very easily rob him blind through unfair trading. Want me to think twice about killing people? Killing is one of the most lucrative parts of the game (which, to be fair, might say more about me as a person than it says about the game, but I wanted to mention it.)

    This War of Mine is a great game with a strong sense of identity that will provide you with hours of enjoyment, provided you can keep into the spirit of the game's narrative, without meta-gaming too much.    … Expand
  27. tsakiym
    May 11, 2015
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. nice game.I do not have to say anything more. But i need to write one hundred and fifty characters. i think my score can describe it...................… Expand
  28. MikeGold
    Jun 20, 2020
    1
    I was expecting heavily themed war game. Some story driven platforming, but I got the game that plays out on one screen, everything is behind a wall of text and was generally boring. It was a wasted money.
  29. AltaZecchs
    Mar 22, 2015
    8
    Extremely challenging game (as there is no difficulty setting), but rewarding. Good gameplay mechanics, very few bugs, rich & immersive story plot. Lots of replayability potential.
  30. Sanastusa
    Oct 7, 2015
    8
    Tuna. Moonshine. Shooting and stabbing defenseless old people to steal the supplies you desperately need, only to return home and find the person you just killed for has died or left. That is the war of surviving that takes place in this beautiful game. Each play through is different allowing multiply types of experiences as you play, the story is just surviving and learning about yourTuna. Moonshine. Shooting and stabbing defenseless old people to steal the supplies you desperately need, only to return home and find the person you just killed for has died or left. That is the war of surviving that takes place in this beautiful game. Each play through is different allowing multiply types of experiences as you play, the story is just surviving and learning about your characters as you go and try to fend off raiders, disease, and hungry. Enjoyably difficult and makes you hate your self when you have to gun down or shank some old man because you need his meds for Marvin. Great audio through the game with making it sound like a war is going on, like there is supposed to be. Several times I though I was going to get blow up from hearing motor fire. Good game and feels oh so good when you survive to the ceasefire.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

31
#31 Best PC Game of 2014
30
#30 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
19
#19 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 63 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 58 out of 63
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 63
  3. Negative: 0 out of 63
  1. Impulsegamer
    Dec 11, 2019
    100
    For the price it is… I wouldn’t even say wait for a sale, I’d just say buy this game… it will challenge you, it will pull at your heart strings… but I think, especially in this day and age, we need games like this to remind us to care for one another and to point out what is really important.
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  2. Dealspwn
    Mar 22, 2015
    90
    A deeply atmospheric, emotionally compelling game that manages to treat war as a serious topic and examines the hard choices made by those caught in the middle of conflict.
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  3. Hyper Magazine
    Feb 9, 2015
    80
    Not many games can claim to be "edifying." I think this one can. [Issue#257, p.75]
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