This War of Mine Review (xxadonisxx)
Most war games put you on the front lines with a rifle in your hands and adrenaline in your veins. This War of Mine does the opposite — it drops you behind the lines, in the rubble of a city under siege, where survival isn't about glory, but about desperation, morality, and hard choices.
This is war through the eyes of the civilians.
Inspired by the Siege of Sarajevo, This War of Mine tasks you with managing a group of ordinary people trying to survive in a war-torn city. These are not soldiers — they're teachers, chefs, musicians, and mechanics. They're cold, hungry, injured, and scared. And it’s your job to help them make it through another day.
The gameplay mixes resource management, crafting, stealth, and emotional storytelling. By day, you fortify your shelter, cook food, care for the wounded, and try to stave off depression. By night, you send someone out to scavenge for supplies — often facing brutal moral dilemmas in the process.
Do you steal from an elderly couple to feed your starving group? Do you risk injury to save a stranger calling for help? Do you ignore a knock at the door because you're low on meds? Every decision has a cost, and survival often means sacrificing your humanity.
The game’s art style is hand-drawn, bleak, and hauntingly beautiful. The grayscale palette is punctuated by muted colors, adding to the sense of despair. The ambient soundtrack is minimal and melancholic — never overpowering, always appropriate.
And yet, the most powerful element is silence. The game gives you space to feel. To stare at your characters as they sit in sorrow. To reflect after a gut-wrenching choice. It doesn’t yell at you. It lets the weight of war speak for itself.
While the mechanics are relatively simple — crafting, managing hunger, sleep, and morale — the emotional complexity runs deep. Each playthrough is procedurally generated, offering different characters, stories, and events. No two runs feel the same, especially with the growing burden of your decisions over time.
The game isn’t without its rough edges. The AI during scavenging can be a bit rigid, and the pacing in late-game scenarios can feel slow once your base is fortified. But those are minor blemishes on an otherwise unforgettable experience.
This War of Mine isn’t just a game — it’s a statement. It has been used in classrooms, praised by humanitarian organizations, and even added to the Polish educational curriculum. It forces players to think not just tactically, but ethically. It reminds us that war is not just fought with bullets, but with hunger, trauma, and loss.
The developers further supported this message with the “Stories” DLCs and the Final Cut, which refined visuals and added new content while maintaining the game’s somber tone.
This War of Mine is a raw, emotional, and humanizing portrayal of war that lingers long after the screen goes dark. It’s not “fun” in the traditional sense — and that’s exactly the point. It’s a powerful piece of interactive storytelling that deserves a place among the most important games of its generation.
If you’re looking for a game that challenges not just your skills but your conscience, This War of Mine will leave a lasting impression — and maybe a heavy heart.
Rating: 8/10