This War of Mine

This War of Mine is 11 bit studios' civilian-perspective war survival game, inspired by the actual experience of besieged civilians during conflicts like the siege of Sarajevo. You don't play as a soldier; you play as a group of ordinary people sheltering in a partially destroyed building in a besieged city, trying to survive the war without any of the equipment, training or political agency that conventional war games assume the player has.

The day-night cycle structures the play. By day, snipers outside make leaving the shelter dangerous, so you focus on maintaining your hideout — crafting basic equipment, trading with the rare visitors who come by, tending to the wounded, managing food and water supplies. By night, one of your survivors ventures out to scavenge from a rotating set of locations in the city, each with its own inhabitants, dangers, and moral weight. Bringing back enough resources to survive another day is the only goal; the methods are entirely up to you.

The central feature of the design is that there are no good or bad decisions — there is only survival. Make a moral compromise to keep your group alive; refuse and watch someone starve. Help the other people you encounter, or take their supplies and leave them to whatever's coming next. The Final Cut edition bundles every previous update and expansion, including the Stories DLC episodes (The Father's Promise, The Last Broadcast, Fading Embers) and The Little Ones, which adds children to the survivor pool and significantly changes the emotional weight of every decision.