It’s obvious that each character shines in their own way, and that some of them work best when combined with others. In this review however, we will highlight each character’s abilities on their own, and rank them depending on how vital we believe they are to the group’s survival.
1# Bruno:
The famous chef, who even had his own cooking show: “Bruno’s Cuisine”, is now struggling to stay sane away from all the luxuries he got acclimated to. Many believe him to be a useless character seeing that he neither is an efficient scavenger nor is he resistant to moral penalties when the situation gets dire. But in our point of view, his “Good Cook” trait gives him an invaluable advantage over any other survivor.
What makes Bruno great:
- His ability to ration the amount of food used in cooking once you get the stove up and running. Having Bruno around to cook on a fully upgraded stove since the early game is a literal life saver.
- His expertise in brewing, as he uses fewer resources compared to others when crafting moonshine and pure alcohol. These items become useful in the late game and can be used to barter with traders to acquire whatever it is you deem necessary at the time.
- His selfishness, which makes him indifferent and prevents his morale from being affected by the crimes committed by his fellow survivors. He is also quite indifferent and won’t get sad about refusing to help people in many cases.
- The fact that he makes a decent guard. Your best bet with Bruno during the night is to keep him on guard duty. Seeing that he’s a coward and will get sad if he gets wounded, sick or hungry, Bruno should stay in the shelter away from harm for the whole game. His 10 inventory spots are passable but not encouraging enough to risk the character gathering supplies.
Choose Bruno if:
- You want to start strong in the early game and survive the longest possible time.
- You want to check food off your every-night scavenging list.
- You’re tired of seeing your characters whine about their hunger or die from starvation.
- You want to keep a stable inventory system and not have to sacrifice necessary resources to get food (either by bartering or by scavenging).
- You want to get filthy rich in the late game by selling pure alcohol and moonshine.
Bruno details: https://this-war-of-mine.fandom.com/wiki/Bruno
2# Marin:
A common workshop owner, whose skills became a prized commodity in wartime, Marin shines at making the most out of limited resources. Anyone who has played This War Of Mine will know how important upgrading equipment and setting up defences is in the early game. Marin boosts his fellow survivors’ odds by making all of that possible.
What makes Marin great:
- His character trait “handyman” enables him to craft much needed tools using minimum resources.
- He can also upgrade benches early in the game because he doesn’t require as much materials as the other survivors. This is a key aspect in their successful survival as upgraded benches provide better features and consume less in crafting or cooking.
- Defences will be set up as early as possible which decreases the group’s chances of getting successfully raided.
- His high mood stability makes him less prone to getting depressed.
- He’s also a decent guard so he isn’t useless in the late game after everything’s been crafted and upgraded.
Choose Marin if:
- An optimised and efficient playthrough is what you’re after.
- You don’t want to struggle accumulating enough materials to do the necessary upgrades and fortifications in the early game.
- You want to keep a reasonable inventory of materials stored till winter so you can find enough fuel to survive the cold weather.
Marin details: https://this-war-of-mine.fandom.com/wiki/Marin
3# Katia:
This delicate reporter is full of surprises. Her career on TV and her charming personality work wonders for her trading and bartering. Choosing her is one of the safest choices in the game since bartering is one the most important systems in the game. On top of that, she is a reliable scavenger but can be emotionally scarred by the horrors she might encounter or commit.
What makes Katia great:
- Her inventory space of 12 (only third to Marco and Boris) makes her qualified to go scavenging when the night comes.
- Her bargaining skills are incredibly useful especially that a trader would come knocking on your door every 2-3 days. Katia is the perfect person to greet him as she can trade jewellery and the stuff lying around the house for needed materials or other necessities.
- She can also play guitar.
Choose Katia if:
- You’re not planning on committing crimes such as stealing or killing not only because her combat skills are lower than average but also because her spirit will suffer.
- You want to get the most out of the trader’s visits without having to waste a night visiting the town square or some other location where bartering is possible.
- You want to establish some kind of economy in the late game by trading goods (alcohol/cigarettes) for resources.
Katia details: https://this-war-of-mine.fandom.com/wiki/Katia
4# Marko:
Marko is the most popular choice seeing how balanced he is as a character and how the game mechanics suit him favourably. This firefighter is now fighting for his life to survive in these dire circumstances. But luckily, his acquired skills, along with his calm temperament and lack of addiction, permit him to be the most likely survivor in a solo run. He truly is a jack of all trades.
What makes Marko great:
- His ‘Skilled Scavenger’ trait grants him a 1 second discount bonus while scavenging, and some fraction of total time spent discounted in looting a corpse and clearing out rubble with his bare hands. This makes him the fastest scavenger in the game and the safest choice to send at night-time because sometimes, survival depends on a split-second decision made in the dark of night.
- He also has 15 inventory slots (second only to Boris) which constitutes an advantage when collecting resources.
- He has pretty solid combat and guard ranks, making him a valuable addition wherever position you want to put him.
- He is relatively average in his morality impacts. His calm temperament and his lack of addiction make him more of an asset than a liability. Meaning, he’s emotionally stable and won’t have a depressive episode as fast as most of the other characters.
Choose Marko if:
- You’re a starting player and want to get a hang of the game mechanics.
- You want to play it safe and not risk your odds by picking out a character that may turn out to be a hindrance to the group’s survival.
- You believe that scavenging is the expertise you should put the focus on.
Marko details: https://this-war-of-mine.fandom.com/wiki/Marko
5# Boris:
Boris, A.K.A the “gentle giant”, who used to work in a warehouse stocking shelves, is now looting them. His immense strength is penalised by his slow pace due to his foot injury. Boris’ story is a tragic one: His son fell ill after the war and died, and his wife was killed by a sniper while looking for meds for her son.
What makes Boris great:
- Boris’ trait “Strong but Slow” gives him the highest inventory slots in the game. A whopping 17 spots can be enough to loot the essentials of a location without the hassle of revisiting it again.
- He’s an excellent combatant that can insta-kill even with his bare hands, but would need a weapon to backstab.
- His high health makes him ideal for melee combat as he has the biggest health bar of all the characters.
- He can guard the shelter effectively
Choose Boris if:
- You’re not planning on making any stealthy plays. Boris is the loudest survivor and the slowest. Those two combined would not make him the best choice for risky and stealthy strategies.
- You don’t want to waste your time or effort revisiting locations you have already looted, as this giant can carry all the resources you need and more.
- You want to feel the security he provides, as you roam through the hallways and ruins knowing that you’re the strongest bloke around.
- You aren’t planning on committing crimes as Boris has a low mood stability and would exhibit large reactions to the events happening in the game.
Boris details: https://this-war-of-mine.fandom.com/wiki/Boris
6# Zlata:
Zlata, the musician with the peachy personality. She proves to be a nice addition later in the game when the circumstances get more dire and the group gets mentally exhausted. She can save a run without even realising it.
What makes Zlata great:
- Her “Bolsters Spirits” character trait which allows her to cheer up characters when they get depressed. This ability can save the whole crew because keeping the moral high is a crucial aspect of survival in This War Of Mine. Her ability also increases the living conditions in the shelter and reduces the moral impact received from negative events.
- She is a decent guard and would be reliable enough to stay up for the night defending the shelter.
- She has 12 slots of inventory space. That makes her an acceptable choice to send scavenging at night.
- She has no addictions, which is always a bonus.
Choose Zlata if:
- Just like Boris, Zlata can be impacted by the negative events happening during the playthrough, not to mention the crimes she or any of her group might commit. That’s why keeping her emotionally stable is of paramount importance. Look after her and she’ll look after the rest of your team.
- You don’t want to worry about the other survivors’ mood in addition to their health and hunger. She can reassure you that no survivor will be depressed for long.
- You want to avoid survivors bailing out of the shelter and stealing resources while leaving once their mood becomes too unstable.
Zlata details: https://this-war-of-mine.fandom.com/wiki/Zlata
7# Roman:
The ultimate killing machine, the only character who was trained in combat, Roman is a Militia Deserter who rarely feels remorse. He is a man of action and can be used well in the right circumstances.
What makes Roman great:
- He is the only character that can stealth kill with his bare hands. He can also use any weapon to perform a backstab to unaware enemies. This makes him the best killer the game can offer.
- His special ability “Trained in Combat” gives him an edge over his opponents as it increases his chances of dealing more damage.
- His mood doesn’t fluctuate after killing bandits or soldiers. He also doesn’t care about his partners’ crimes as well.
- His cold-hearted personality renders him prone to the negative effects that would impact his morale after stealing from civilians. This makes him the perfect character to achieve a little mischief.
- He’s a fantastic guard.
Choose Roman if:
- You’re not afraid of confrontation and want to test yourself against the game’s AI.
- You want to experience the “high-risk, high-reward” system embedded in the game.
- You want to get rich off other civilians and innocents, which may lead to the bad ending of the game. What goes around, comes around.
- You want to use him to clear out sites before sending in another character to loot the location safely.
Roman details: https://this-war-of-mine.fandom.com/wiki/Roman
8# Pavle:
Pavle, who used to be a football star after the war, is considered the fastest character in the game. His speed comes in handy in many situations. He lost track of his wife and son during the war and has been trying to survive one day at a time.
What makes Pavle great:
- His character trait “Fast Runner” gives him an advantage over all the other survivors as he can run across a location in no time. This makes him the best scavenger after Boris and Marko.
- His 12 slots inventory space is decent enough to appoint him the primary scavenger in the group. He can collect the essential resources of a location and scam without wasting any time.
- His high speed also has better chances of outrunning hostiles and finding a dark spot for an easy backstab. This can make him the group’s main attacker, especially if provided with a rifle or a shotgun.
- He’s also a decent guard and would do a good job guarding the shelter while the others sleep.
- He doesn’t mind killing soldiers or bandits as long as it is done in a single spree.
Choose Pavle if:
- You want to loot locations as fast as possible and don’t want to wait for the characters to slowly reach the designated spot.
- You get bored easily and want to skip the tedious routine of looting at night-time. Pavle’s speed accelerates the process as he usually finishes his run in under 5 minutes.
- You’re not planning on going on a killing spree or committing any crimes that might impact his mood stability (such as stealing or killing civilians).
Pavle details: https://this-war-of-mine.fandom.com/wiki/Pavle
9# Emilia:
At first glance, this character seems quite average. What sets her apart from the other characters is her background as a lawyer. Her character trait “Talented Lawyer” may not sound amazing, but when the going gets tough, it can be a game saver. The trauma caused by the war left her emotionally numb, with a strong appeal to logic instead of feelings.
What makes Emilia great:
- Her special ability shines when things get harder and the group is met with difficult moral choices or dilemmas. When the rest of the survivors are in the dumps and feeling sorry for themselves, Emilia is resistant to getting depressed. This means she’ll get on with things and keep working through the sadness.
- It takes much longer for her mood to worsen after killing an NPC or committing theft.
- She doesn’t care when another survivor commits atrocities. She even expresses that it does not concern her what happens when you scavenge, as long as you bring home supplies.
- She has average combat skills, and can kill unaware enemies with a backstab if provided with a weapon.
Choose Emilia if:
- You’re sick of worrying about the repercussions of your actions and want to ensure the survival of your group by any means necessary.
- You’re a pragmatic person and believe that reason prevails over emotion.
- You want to steal whatever it is you can get your hands on for the good of the group.
- You want to kill NPCs without the risk of suffering the huge impact of mood stability such action might introduce to the shelter.
Emilia details: https://this-war-of-mine.fandom.com/wiki/Emilia
10# Arica:
Arica, who was abused by her alcoholic father, turned out as a cat burglar on the streets at the age of 14. Being the youngest starting character in the game, she has survived on her lonesome due to her stealth.
What makes Arica great:
- Her character trait “Sneaks Quietly” is self-explanatory, when she is out at night, she makes a lot less sound than other people. This allows her to get into dangerous places without getting caught, and out again, with all the goodies they had locked away.
- She’s also a pretty strong fighter if she does get caught, as she can perform an instant kill backstab from behind targets by using most weapons except the crowbar.
- She’s a good guard.
- She has relatively unique morality stat block, given that she doesn’t mind murder or theft. She still gets the “content” bonus from helping others. This coupled with low mood swings, means that she can get out of depression quite easily.
- She can play the guitar well.
Choose Arica if:
- You’re planning on robbing and killing your way out of the war. Arica is the perfect character because, unlike the other characters, her running or walking does not attract the enemy’s attention. She can even unlock lockers with picklocks silently and make little noise when using a crowbar.
- You don’t care much about scavenging materials as her small inventory of 10 doesn’t make her the best choice for scavenging.
Arica details: https://this-war-of-mine.fandom.com/wiki/Arica
