This War of Mine GAKTWOM01 Board Game
This War of Mine
In This War Of Mine you do not play as an elite soldier but rather a group of civilians trying to survive in a besieged city; struggling with lack of food, Medicine and constant danger from snipers and hostile scavengers.
This War Of Mine provides an experience of war seen from an entirely new angle. For the very first time you do not play as an elite soldier, rather a group of civilians trying to survive in a besieged city. During the day snipers outside stop you from leaving your refuge, so you need to focus on maintaining your hideout.
Dimensions: | 7 x 30 x 30 cm; 2.31 Kilograms |
Model: | EN_TWM01 |
Pack Quantity: | 1 |
Batteries Required: | No |
Batteries Included: | No |
Age: | 18 – 99 years |
Assembly: | No |
Quantity: | 1 |
First time playing I’d give it a 9+. An amazing experience. On subsequence plays playing it with Euro efficiency to win going just by the mechanics and not caring about the theme I’d have to rank it a 7.
If you think a board game should be easy, light and fun, this isn’t the right game for you. If you think winning is important, this also isn’t the game for you.
However, if you like a game that fully absorbs you, something with incredibly strong thematics and something that makes you think, you may well want to read more. It’s also one of few boardgames that plays best solo.
This is a quite unique and brilliant game, much in the same way as Requiem for a Dream is a stunning film. This isn’t a game that will lift your spirits but it will make you think and the overall theme is to highlight the futility and desperation of living through war. Something that most of us are very fortunate to not have much if any real understanding of.
For such a large and complex game, TWOM is quite unique in that you start playing before needing to understand the rules of phases of the game. Everything gets gradually explained or expanded via the Book of Scripts. Many other similarly complex games tend to have somewhat of a blocker moment before you’re confident enough to get started but this one you really can just setup the cards, players and get started.
As a solo game, this really is superb. It’s 100% engaging and you certainly don’t have any head space for your mind to wander. Everything is focussing on keeping your players alive which in itself is no small feat.
For anyone contemplating buying the game, there’s some great review videos on youtube and boardgamegeek. This is an excellent game for the right player but it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea.
Ok, so as other reviews rightly say, this is a very grim, very desolate game. Nobody lives long and everyone will die. I’ve played 5 times now and the furthest we’ve got is chapter 2. The objective is for one character to survive, impossible imo! There are moments of joy when you magically roll the 10 you need for the sawblade (for example), but this is a good as it gets. It’s definitely not a fulfilling game, you can’t make any lasting accomplishments and the best case scenario is nothing happening after picking a card (which feels like heaven) – this review probably doesn’t make any sense unless you’ve actually played it, but I still weirdly really like this game. It’s bleak, it’s genuinely hopeless, some of the scripts are very macabre and serve nothing but to add to the emotional emptyness and loss of the environment. It’s wonderfully done, my favourite bit is the Spotify playlist for the game to play whilst you struggle through to inevitable death. There MUST be a way to complete the objective, right? It genuinely feels impossible, almost like the creators of the game are dangling a carrot and chuckling away at us. Yet still I really want to play it again, I wonder if the creators have experienced war (Def feels like it) and the absolute futility it presents to your safety, your health and your mind. Very interesting and humbling game 10/10 from me, just would not recommend for any adult that likes to feel a sense of accomplishment after playing a board game.
Great game with some great components. A thoughtful game that rarely has a happy ending. You play this game for the harrowing journey, fun is subjective and not guaranteed but the adventure is worth taking. Not overly complicated to learn either… Survival is possible but improbable… The first order of the game did come with 2 identical characters and one missing but the return process was easy and seller got another copy to me the next day.
Dark, helpless, grim, despair, sorrow…all par for the course during a runthrough of this “game”. Using that word evokes ideas of fun and lightheartedness which you will not find in this box. Every day is a struggle to just live through the day. But I can’t stop playing it hoping one day my characters will make it to the end.
I am currently on a rotation of this, U-Boot The Board Game, and By Stealth and Sea for solo play and I realize execution of THEME is the best part of all of these. This War of Mine nails it.
If you are thinking you may enjoy the challenge of survival, do…not…hesitate.
Also, get the free play along app (no more flipping through the scripts book) and put on a somber playlist to set the mood. There is a looong “This War of Mine” music track available on Youtube.
This review is for a board game. It arrived in great condition. The game itself has a heavy, rich narrative. It has tons of replayablity as well.
Severe learning curve and unrelentingly bleak. Great fun but not for the faint hearted
Super game got at discount notified by a kind user of BGG forum
This does an excellent job of transferring the feel of the ps4 classic into a boardgame. Great attention to detail, best played with others. Addictive stuff
Very interesting game. The only flaw is the way the rules are written. We had a lot of headache to understand them, due to the confusion the creators choose to add to the manual. Anyway it shouldn’t prevent you from trying this game.
This is a choose your own story style game that can play as many players as you like, however, it is better with less. Since all the characters are controlled by whoever is reading (reader rotates each turn) it makes the game enjoyment deteriorate with every extra player. The stories in the game are excellent although depressing. Based off of a computer game, the board game is easier than the computer game and actually makes the computer game easier to play as it gives you ideas for strategies.
Fantastic game. Not for kids as very adult theme and content. The game is straight forward to play, manual is well written and easy to follow. Lots of variation and replay ability. Very hard though. If you like storytelling games get this…
Much ado is made of the dark theme. Its a survival game set in a war torn city so its appropriate. From a game perspective this leads to some quite immersive and tough choices in keeping your survivors alive…. and who to let go. Even the characters you meet in the game and your interactions will make you think. Just remember, the game does not have you committing atrotcities yourself. You are trying to survive.
As a story telling game its arguably second to none. You just need to like the story and want to be involved. Clearly the theme may not be everyones liking but this is true of everything…. there is not a lot that is universally popular.
The components are good quality. The story interesting, the challenge to win is up there with hardest.
I go 5 stars.
The caveat though. I would not want to play this with more than three. Although the game has a mechanic to put one player in the decision making seat this transfers around the table rapidly. You dont have your own character so players decide actions for the whole group then whoever is temporarily in charge actions those choices. In my mind too many people could lead the game to slow progess, with everything being decided by commitee. Your group is critical to have people who will listen to others then make a choice and not get too dogged down with analysis and being over polite.
Overall then. A wonderful solo story telling survival game and one that would work nicely at the lower player count, subject to your group.
I did have a missing card,
That said I had my email replayed very quickly and a replacement is on the way!
This game is very different, very adult and intresting!
I have played it several times now in solo mode it is challenging!
Exalent game, very welcome in my collection!
Really enjoyed playing this, both solo and with others. Long set up but a good, atmospheric game with lots of surprises.