When I first heard about This War of Mine and the ambition of the development team at 11 bit Studios to replicate the experiences that real-world survivors have in cities which are cut off or under siege, I was sure that the team would have to either create unwieldy mechanics or significantly water down the impact of the theme.

I have been playing the game for more than two weeks now, and I am happy to admit that I was entirely wrong and that the developers have managed to deliver both an engaging set of activities for players and a setting and story that made me think about the effects war has on humans and the impossible choices it forces upon those involved.

This War of Mine is bleak and unhappiness permeates most of the world that gamers can explore.

Characters are hungry most of the time, often tired, sometimes injured, unable to save the people they love, incapable of helping others, depressed because they lack access to books, coffee or cigarettes.

There are rare moments when belies are full, a bit of alcohol is available and maybe some diamonds are available for trading, but the realization that the war is still going on and the good times will pass will certainly be present in the minds of gamers.

No happy endings in This War of Mine

I never managed to get out of the besieged city in the game from 11 bit Studios, although I have read and heard about other players who have managed to get a full group of five people together and managed to survive and even thrive.

That might be due to luck to some extent, and I also suspect that I need to be much more selfish in my approach, but I do not feel bad at all for my apparent failure.

Losing campaigns and starting over allows me to become more engaged with This Was of Mine and reveals more of the content the title has to offer.
Despite the continuous unhappiness that it showcases I like spending time with the characters, seeing how they react to situations and how they deal with the lack of resources.

This War of Mine is a game about what can happen to any one of us if we were living in the wrong place at the wrong time and being unhappy while playing it is as good way of realizing how lucky we are.