Tips for Beginners in This War of Mine

This War of Mine is not just a simple survival game; it also changes players' perspectives on the genre, despite being an indie game with low-budget graphics. Highly praised by gamers and winning prestigious awards, This War of Mine is not an easy game as many might assume. Just because it has low graphics doesn't mean the gameplay is easy. Mytour is here to offer some tips for beginners in This War of Mine.

Guide to Playing This War of Mine

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Tips for Newbies in This War of Mine

Make sure you've gathered all items at the hideout

The first place you step into is also the hideout for all members throughout the entire game until the civil war ends. You'll have to rebuild this place for members to survive the day. It's amazing how amidst the rubble of this collapsed house, you'll find many valuable items from building materials, medical supplies, and even food.

You'll have all of that for free without rushing your members into danger. These are like starter items that 11 bit studios cleverly incorporated to make the game more manageable. So, spend as much time as possible collecting all the items at the hideout.

At the start of the game, everything is very scarce, and every night you'll control a few characters to venture out into the city to find more essentials. Surely, every player would want to gather as many items as possible. Remember that you also don't have weapons to equip characters for self-defense, so the most important thing at the beginning of the game is to limit putting characters in dangerous situations if you don't want them to perish quickly.

Feeling overwhelmed by the dangers around, feeling unable to progress further, don't take risks, retreat and come back the next night; you might be luckier because the danger has significantly decreased. Don't try to stuff everything you find into the characters' backpacks because backpacks have limits. At the beginning of the game, focus on materials like wood, metal used to build heaters, beds, and essential item production workshops. Emphasize medicine and food instead of guns and ammunition; characters need those to survive rather than weapons that can make members depressed and lead to suicide.

Wait until the characters are really hungry

Food is the most limited essential item at the beginning of the game because you don't have the ability to produce it immediately; you can only rely on gathering outside the city. Save as much as possible; all members have hunger stats, they can die of thirst very quickly, but it's not easy to die of hunger. Wait until the characters are really hungry before feeding them; you'll save a large amount of food for later. Moreover, while collecting items at night, hunger stats won't affect the characters; you can fully utilize this to earn more food at this time.

Build enough beds for all members and a single heater

This War of Mine implements weather mechanisms in the game; the weather you need to pay the most attention to is when winter comes. The weather can be very cold, possibly dropping below freezing. If you let the characters sleep on the ground, they may catch a cold and even perish overnight. Try to build enough beds for all members, have a heater early on so that members can gather around to keep warm and talk to each other, which is also a priority. Harsh weather conditions usually don't last long, but they can consume quite a few resources and even the lives of members if you're careless.

Craft a radio station

Having a radio in the game is extremely important; it's the only source of news you have in this war as all communication with the outside world has been cut off. Check the radio regularly every day; you can learn important information such as the rapid decline of city essentials, the increase in bandit groups on the streets, humanitarian aid dropping supplies by plane into the city, and the possibility of the war nearing its end.

Prioritize building metal workshop, medicine, and food

No one wants to keep risking their lives to search for essentials indefinitely. If you have the ability to self-supply important items, that's still the best. Prioritize building Workbenches to craft 3 essential items: metal, medicine, and food. Metal is used for crafting various tools as well as reinforcing your shelter. Medicine is for disease prevention or first aid when necessary, and food is undoubtedly essential for several consecutive days.

Make an effort to help those in distress

During gameplay, you'll encounter many ordinary civilians facing distress, whether it's hunger, illness, or injury. They'll seek help, and whether to assist them is up to you. However, remember that the members of your shelter have also faced such situations and they overcame them through sharing love and helping each other.

To survive the war together, try to help others. Sometimes they'll respond with valuable items, but more importantly, when you help them, your characters will feel happier and reduce the risk of depression. Choosing not to help others may lead to their deaths, causing your members to feel guilt and remorse, leading to depression, a time when you can no longer control them. They'll stop eating and may even commit suicide due to guilt. The characters in the game are just ordinary civilians, shattered by war, and their hearts can be deeply wounded.

Sacrifice Bruno

Bruno is one of the 12 surviving members you may encounter throughout the gameplay. According to many players' reviews, he's the worst member among the 12. He's selfish, cowardly, and will never help others. If a conflict leads to his departure, Bruno will take some of your supplies with him. His advantage is cooking well, but in reality, it's unnecessary because anyone can cook as well as him.

Let Bruno participate in collecting items at night; let him take risks and sacrifice. Other members may feel a little sad, but they'll get over it quickly. Sorry, Bruno, but your existence only exacerbates the severe shortage of supplies, so one less person means one less mouth to feed.

Above are some tips for newbies in This War of Mine. These are just the most basic experiences to start this game, but hopefully, through this article, you'll have an easier start when playing This War of Mine and continue to gain more gaming experiences with this survival game. Also, check out This War of Mine game settings on your computer to see if your device is suitable.