This War of Mine: The Little Ones (Xbox One)

This War of Mine: The Little Ones is a game for consoles based on the PC title This War of Mine. The majority of the game is identical. It is a war survival and base building simulation where the player controls a group of survivors trapped inside a building during a civil war. The goal of the game is to survive a certain amount of days. During the day the game is set entirely inside the single building where they seek shelter. At night they can head out to gather resources, food and items for instance to construct a stove or a workshop. There are many different parameters to take into account and the night raids involve hostile situations as well as choosing whether to rob or leave alone an elderly couple for instance.

The largest addition for this version is the introduction of children as playable characters. They are different from adults as they cannot venture outside at night. They also cannot participate in many activities such as cooking, guarding or constructing items. Children are often left alone at night and require attention and comfort when the adults return and they lead to new considerations for taking decisions. Children are able to perform small tasks such as gathering meat from traps or putting wood in a heater. They can also learn new activities from adults. Children consume less food than adults and if they are not sad they will start to play, for instance by drawing on the walls or with toys that can be constructed as a new type of item. They also have often less demands than an adult would in the same situation.

The introduction of these new characters also leads to new types of campaigns and missions including children. Right from the start there is a campaign with a father and a daughter, but others can be unlocked later on. As in the original game most of the parameters are randomized for each session. As with an update to the PC version, it is possible to create new scenarios and characters. An additional “large mansion” shelter is exclusive to the PS4 version.