This War of Mine, Day 1.

And now for something completely different.

I've been a big fan of Jason Jones' blog and I especially love his "So I'm Playing" and "So I Just Saw" features. Also, video games have been getting very good lately. So, I thought I'd take a crack at writing up my experience playing something. Given the excellent nature of independent games these days, I picked up This War of Mine on sale from Steam.



The premise of TWoM is that you control a group of civilians trapped in a besieged city. It stands in stark contrast to the Call of Duty, Battlefield, Far Cry, etc. games which put the player in the role of the soldier. Although I wouldn't describe the game as a breath of fresh air (it's pretty much a suffering simulator), I think that it adds much needed commentary on our war obsessed gaming culture. After all, there are real wars going on throughout the world and real traumatic events plaguing the lives of millions of civilians. Even war with the noblest intentions (if that's every really true of any wars) cause untold suffering: something which AAA gaming tends to ignore.

Alright, on with the game. TWoM openes with a lovely Hemingway quote:

Well, that certainly sets the tone. 

We begin with a party of three people, each with certain skills and a backstory. I don't know yet if the party members change with each play through. I started with Pavle the former football (soccer) star who has the fast running trait; Bruno, the former chef who can cook well; and Katia, the former journalist who has bargaining skills. Also, Katia is sick. Also, again, Katia once interviewed Pavle before the war.

All that stuff I just told you, here it is again. 

The day begins at 6:10am with the party in a home somewhere in the war-torn city. There are a variety of cabinets, rubble blocking certain rooms, and a workbench for crafting. Also, a thermometer in the top left informs me it's 17 degrees Celsius (~62 Fahrenheit). Since I haven't played before, I figure I'll stay in the house and learn how to move my party, gather supplies, and craft some useful stuff.

A few lessons:

• The clock moves quickly. A day lasts maybe 10 minutes and I don't think there's a way to slow the clock. 
• Some doors are locked and require a lockpick. Lockpicks are rare.
• Rubble takes a long time to clear without a shovel. 
• Shovels require materials which you may or may not have. And if your party is bad a crafting, the shovel breaks. 

So far, it's not too exciting. I have my party rummaging around the house and I'm trying to gather all the resources I can. The plan is to take inventory and build a fire for cooking and warmth. Then, I'd spend the next day crafting and preparing to lave the house. 

Little did I know that the game has a second mode at night. 

Nighttime adventures await.

I'm suddenly thrust into a position where I have to pick a member of my party to leave the safety of the home and go scavenge in a nearby location. I hadn't planned on doing much out of the house until I learned more. Now I have to pick someone to potentially die. Katia is out because she's sick. Bruno can cook and that's about it. Pavle, on the other hand, can run. I can send Pavle to an abandoned cottage, a villa, or a quiet house. I Pick the villa because the description tells me it has more medicine. Katia is sick and healing her would be a good early move. 

I prep Pavle with some crafting materials, food, and water. I have no idea how long the night will last or if he will need anything along the way. Ominously, the options for the remaining party members are sleep and guard. I suppose that means the home may be raided while I'm gone. 

As Pavle approaches the villa, I see that there are several red circles showing the location of its residents. An eye icon lets me peep through a door to check the other side. 

Stealth mission!

So, here's the thing, I don't know who these people are. They might be survivors like myself. They might be soldiers. They might be rebels. I have no clue and I'm really not in the mood to try confronting them head on. I mean, I just started playing. Based on the night mode planning description, I know that this villa has lots of meds and food. Plenty for me to take some without dooming the residents to starvation and disease. At least that's the hope.

I do a fairly good job of guiding Pavle through the basement and bottom floor. I find some food and crafting materials. Unfortunately, I have little room to carry anything because Pavle is loaded down with supplies which he doesn't need. I leave behind some wood and a few herbs so I can take more food. Then, while creeping in the far side of the basement, I spy a medicine cabinet in the room above. I guide Pavle back through the house, checking each door before passing through. All the residents are in the top floor. Carefully, I send Pavle towards the back room. Stupidly, I don't have him close any doors and just as I go to open the cabinet, one of the residents catches me from behind.

Pavle is caught red handed and three men begin to sprint at him. One calls Pavle a thief and they all begin to take swings. Pavle, being a good runner, is able to outrun them with only a few glancing blows landing. I run him toward the exit and the night is over. I'm shown a quick summary of what I was able to steal from the villa. Some raw food, a can, herbs, cloth, and some things I can't identify.

The epic haul.

It was a bit of a close call. I wouldn't mind knowing what would have changed if I had sent Katia to bargain. The strangers attacked me but I was caught rummaging through their stuff. If I had just talked to them, maybe it would have turned out differently. Either way, I'm not much better off at the start of day 2 than I was at day 1. I have a little more food (not that any party members have eaten) but now there's a home of nearby strangers that I've upset. I don't know if my party will be able to defend itself.

Next up Day 2.