Fading Embers - Full Walkthrough & Achievement Guide

Fading Embers is the final DLC for This War of Mine and was the last part of the game I got the achievements for. I couldn't find a full walkthrough online for this, so I wrote this up as I played through. This guide contains a day-by-day task list which covers off all the achievements in one hit with a full guide to surviving the war.

If you're looking for the short version:

Getting Started

• Don't burn any art if you want to be sure you'll get all the achievements
  
• The traders on this game are much less useful than in the base game. They only bring a few fuel and never any wood or components. Prioritise materials when you're scavenging, then food & meds.
  
• Take 6 fuel & 1 meat with you when you visit the neigbour
  
• Only build a stove & a bed at Anja's house.
  
• Make at least 1 lot of vegetables in Anja's basement
  
• You can wait a few days before you refill the heater, but keep the temperature above 0 at night
  
• You won't be able to heal the stranger until you get proper pills (herbal isn't strong enough) but you can keep him fed, so don't let him get hungry if you can avoid it.
  
• Leave Anja's on Day 7 and move to the museum. You can wait longer if you want, but you cannot finish the game successfully without moving and the museum has way more resources.

At the Museum

• You only need to build a basic metal workshop, a stove, an upgrade for the heater & a bed at the Museum
  
• Don't build any food structures - you can scavenge more than enough to feed everyone on alternate days (i.e. feed them on day 9,11 etc)
  
• The museum's support pillars will gradually start collapsing - you need to repair all 8 for the achievement
  
• Speak to everyone who visits you and everyone you find on the maps you explore
  
• Visit the petrol station as soon as you can to get the Axe (around Day 15)
  
• Visit the car workshop to get the other part you need for the Truck. You can trick the crow to get this without giving him anything in return.
  
• Get a thermoregulator for the heater upgrade from the Supermarket or the Construction Site (this one requires a saw blade - the neighbour will give you one if you revisit him after you complete his request).

Surviving the War

• To successfully finish the game you need to fix the Truck that Milena will eventually find for you, and you either need to give a painting to the Colonel or some documents to the Fence in order to secure a path out of the city. You can choose whether or not you help the children at the Orphanage.
  
• It is possible to fail the game if you don't fix the truck in time or secure a route out of the city - I believe the max cut off is 34 days.
  
• There are 4 possible endings - you can give the painting to the Colonel, or the documents to the Taras the Fence and for each of those options you can buy passage out of the city for the orphans or not. There is an achievement for seeing all four endings.
  
• If you don't want to see all the endings, I would recommend not smuggling the orphans out and giving Taras the documents as the most satisfying ending (although none of them are perfect, and there are some costs you can't avoid).

That might be all you were looking for, but if you'd like a more detailed guide keep reading for a day-by-day explanation of how to survive the war (four times over!)

The game loads with an unnamed stranger struggling through the snow. Keep moving him to the right of the screen and eventually he will arrive at Anja's house and collapse.

With the intro complete, you take on the role of Anja and need to keep yourself and the stranger alive. This is the hardest part of this game as resources are very limited. Your main challenge is to keep the shelter temperature above 0 so the stranger doesn't freeze in the night. You'll only be at this shelter for a few days so there's no point in wasting materials on making anything other than the essentials. We're going to make a stove and a bed and nothing more. You won't have any tools to take with you at night, so there will be some parts of the maps you can't explore, but it's better to save the resources to make fuel so you don't have to destroy any of the art.

I'll refer to 'junk' throughout this guide - this is a much wider category of stuff than you'll be used to if you played the base game. We don't care about parts, or electronics at the moment as we're not going to be building anything complicated. All you need to value at this stage is wood, components, meds, food and water - everything else can be sold.

There are no raids in the first 7 days, so it's fine to leave the Stranger sleeping when Anja Scavenges

Day 1

• Search all the piles in the house & use the lockpick you find to get into the locked cupboard
  
• Grow 4 veg in the basement
  
• Build a crude stove
  
• Make 8 fuel at the workshop (5 from components, 3 from wood)
  
• Use 2 of the fuel to make 2 meals (using 1 meat & 1 veg) and feed both to the stranger
  
• Don't put any fuel in the heater, it has plenty for now

Night 1

• Go to the neighbour's house and take 6 fuel and 1 meat with you
  
• Talk to the neighbour, Tito, (upstairs) and give him the 6 fuel
  
• Talk to Tito again and give him the meat
  
• Search all the piles in the house and pick up the vinyl records. Take everything home with you.
  
• Don't steal anything - there's nothing worth taking in the locked cupboards.
  
• ACHIEVEMENT: Diary: Good Neighbour

Day 2

• Visitor: Milena, the museum curator, will visit - talk to her.
  
• Don't put any fuel in the heater, it still has enough. You can end the day early after speaking to Milena

Night 2

• Go to the Samuel Institute. Don't take anything with you.
  
• Search all the piles and consolidate them, but ignore the 2 exhibits - we'll come back for them later.
  
• Bring home wood, components, water, canned food, vegetables, medicine & 2 diamonds.

Day 3

• The Stranger, Ruben, wakes up. Talk to him and feed him the canned food. There's not enough for Anja to eat at the moment, she'll be fine until Day 5.
  
• Build a bed
  
• Make everything that's left into fuel and put 3 in the heater

Night 3

• Stay home & sleep - there is heavy bombing and you can't leave. The bombing will damage your shed and you can't avoid this.

Day 4

• Visitor: Trader. Buy 2/3 fuel, 1 med & 1 meat, 1 veg, 3/4 water, and the lockpick by trading the 2 diamonds plus any junk.
  
• Talk with Ruben and secure his bag in the collection
  
• Dig out the first pile in the shed (by hand)
  
• Collect the veg from the basement
  
• Put 3 fuel in the heater
  
• Start digging out the second pile in the shed

Night 4

• Go to the construction site, take nothing with you
  
• Go up the left hand side and down the right. You should find 2 meat, 2 veg, 1 med/bandage and as much wood & components as you can carry. Take wood over components as 1 stack makes 2 fuel (whereas 1 stack of components only makes 1 fuel)

Day 5

• Visitor: Milena returns and gives you 2 meds + 1 can
  
• Make fuel up to 4
  
• Make 4 meals (2 meat + 2 veg)
  
• Feed Ruben 1 meal & Anja 2 meals
  
• Give Ruben meds & speak with him
  
• Make enough fuel to fill the heater
  
• Go to sleep no later than 2pm

Night 5

• Go back to neighbour with lockpick. He's feeling much better and will point you to a stash in his cabinet which has a sawblade and some components. Pick the door downstairs and load up on wood and components

Day 6

• Give Ruben Meds, talk to him & feed him the left over meal from yesterday
  
• Secure the collection from the shed
  
• Make enough fuel to top up the heater
  
• Go to sleep no later than 2pm

Night 6

• Go to the Abandoned House
  
• Sneak in and grab whatever you can safely. Don't leave any doors open or the bandits will realise your'e there! The ground two floors are patrolled by a single guard who walks in a loop so you can follow him around pretty safely. Run away if you get caught, you have no weapons to fight with and can't afford to get hurt.

Day 7

• Visitor: Trader. Buy any food, veg, fuel, water and meds as you can afford. Offload as much junk as possible as you can only keep 16 slots worth when you move. Junk includes parts and electricals.
  
• Make 2 meals and give Anja & Reuben one each.
  
• Put Anja to bed.
  
• Ruben is awake now so can work in the shelter and answer the door.
  
• Dont refill the heater today - we're leaving tonight

Night 7

• Go to Pogoren Museum ("Change shelter") and move to the museum
  
• Take as much as you can from the shelter with you. Prioritise food, meds, the saw and materials
  
• ACHIEVEMENT: Diary: My Dear Reuben

Today you arrive at the Pogoren Museum, where Milena will give you the tour. Follow her around until it completes. Things get a bit easier here so you can take better care of your people:

• Aim to keep everyone rested (one sleeps at night, one sleeps in the morning and one sleeps in the afternoon)
  
• Feed everyone on every 'odd' day (so day 9, 11 etc).
  
• If anyone gets ill give them the appropriate meds as soon as you can and make sure they are not hungry. They should recover overnight.
  
• Top the heater up at the end of each day with as much fuel as you can afford
  
• Always send Anja out to scavenge as she has the largest inventory

We're still not going to build anything non-essential here, so all we'll be making is a metal workshop, a stove, an upgraded heater and a second bed. You'll need 5 parts for the heater upgrade, but you can find them in the museum. All other parts and electronics can be sold. There's no need to make any water filters, rat traps or vegetable gardens as the maps here are generous and you can scavenge plenty of meat, vegetables and water in the evenings.

Day 8

• Search all the piles
  
• Build a metal workshop (10 components, 5 wood)
  
• Build a crowbar (10 components)
  
• Fix the support pillar in the top right corner of the museum (5 components, 3 wood)
  
• Make a crude stove (10 components, 5 wood)
  
• Set someone to work clearing the rubble on the top floor
  
• If you have spare time set people to work securing museum exhibits - there's one pile in the top right, one by the front door and several in the basement.

Night 8

• Visit the Supermarket with the crowbar.
  
• Talk to the kid and find out about the orphanage.
  
• Make sure you open both locked doors in the basement
  
• There is often a thermoregulator in the basement - grab it if it's there
  
• Bring back food and materials (and your crowbar, and the thermoregulator)

Day 9

• Upgrade the heater if you found the thermoregulator (20 components, 5 Parts)
  
• Finish clearing the rubble on the top floor
  
• Make enough fuel to cook 4 meals (2veg, 2meat) and feed everyone
  
• Continue securing the museum artifacts

Night 9

• Visit the Orphanage with the crowbar
  
• Dig out the rubble on the top floor to save the kid (by hand, you have time)
  
• Fill your inventory with components and wood (and the crowbar!)

Day 10

• Visitor: lady brings books
  
• Finish securing the collection

Night 10

• RAID: leave 1 person on guard. That's enough to keep you safe
  
• Visit the Supermarket, don't take any tools.
  
• Finish clearing the piles, trade the junk with the people on the right for food/fuel/water

Day 11

• Finish securing the collection

Night 11

• Stay home due to heavy bombing, everyone sleeps

Day 12

• Speak with Milena
  
• Reinforce the pillars (x4)
  
• Secure the collection

Night 12

• Return to the Samuel Institute with the crowbar and clear out. Make sure to bring back the 2 exhibits

Day 13

• Visitor: trader - food, water, fuel, med (trade junk incl bandages)
  
• Finish repairing any pillars you missed and secure the rest of the collection
  
• If you have enough mats make a knife to boost shelter defence

Night 13

• RAID: leave both people at the shelter on guard
  
• Go back to the Orphanage with the crowbar. Clear the rubble to the building on the right and explore it

Day 14

• Repair the pillar on the second floor down, left hand side (if you have enough wood)
  
• Secure the collection

Night 14

• Construction site with saw - clean out basement. Get the thermoregulator if you didn't find one at supermarket

Day 15

• Milena returns with a truck
  
• Finish repairing pillars / securing collection
  
• Upgrade the heater if you haven't already done so

Night 15

• Visit the Petrol Station with crowbar
  
• Get the Axe (from one of the piles on the right) and the fuel and fill up on components and wood

Day 16

• Visitor: The Colonel - requests painting
  
• Chop up all the spare furniture in the Museum for a tonne of wood & fuel
  
• Make the Truck fuel

Night 16

• Visit the orphanage and chop up all the spare furniture
  
• Give Adam 10 wood for the Orphans and complete the request
  
• The hatchet will probably break, but that's fine - it's done its job

Day 17

• Make a second bed to make life easier
  
• Make a second knife for extra shelter defence

Night 17

• RAID: Leave 2 people on guard
  
• Go back to the Orphanage and clean it out. Talk to everyone there. A child may ask for a book, but don't give it to her. It's not necessary and will upset the lady who left them with you for safekeeping.

Day 18

• Visitor: Trader
  
• Repair the Pillar
  
• Secure the Collection

Night 18

• Visit the Car Workshop.
  
• Talk to the Crow who makes some demands.
  
• Ignore his request and walk to the left into his workshop.
  
• Talk to him again, wait for him to leave and then steal the part from his car.
  
• Talk to him one final time and he will run back to check on his car - use the opportunity to steal the parts you need from his stash
  
• ACHIEVEMENT: Fool the Crow

Day 19

• Make the Truck Engine Part
  
• Repair the Pillar
  
• Secure the Collection
  
• ACHIEVEMENT: Note: Fortify
  
• ACHIEVEMENT: Note: The Truck is Ready
  
• ACHIEVEMENT: Diary: The Custodian

Night 19

• Visit the Railway Station.
  
• Go to the left, then down into the buried carriages, and left again to find the tunnelling diggers.
  
• Speak to them about their tunnels and discover the cost of evacuating the Orphans.
  
• You won't have time to search the whole site, but you should be able to fill your inventory from the buried trains then leave through the exit by the diggers.

From Day 20 onwards there are 4 different endings you can achieve, and there is an achievement for seeing all four of them. You are welcome to play the entire game through 4 times, but it's much quicker to take a copy of the save files from Day 20 and just replay the endings!

The steam save files are held in: <Steam Installation Directory>\userdata\<steamId>\282070\remote. Go there, and copy the files storiessavedgames and storiessavedgames.alt and save them somewhere easy to find (like the Desktop). Only copy those two files, none of the others.

Day 20

• Visitor: Colonel - invites you to the outpost to hand over the painting

Night 20

• Visit the Railway station. On the screen where to prepare to Scavenge you will have a new option to steal the documents they have asked for. Do so.
  
• Go back through the railway station and give the documents to the people you talked to before
  
• ACHIEVEMENT: Diary: Innocent Children

Day 21

• Take another Backup of the save files, and keep them somewhere separate (be careful not to overwrite the D20 backup)
  
• Reuben Leaves

Night 21

• Visit the Army Base and follow the soldiers instructions until you reach The Colonel. Give him the painting.
  
• ACHIEVEMENT: Note: The Colonel

Day 22

• Visitor: Maria visits and tells us Milena has been captured

Night 22

• RAID: Leave 2 people on guard
  
• Visit the Warehouse and sneak upstairs to the Kitchen.
  
• Speak to Maria to find out Milena has escaped.
  
• Go out on the balcony and up a level to find some clues, peek through the door
  
• Exit up and over the roof to the left.

Day 23

• Visitor: Trader

Night 23

• Free choice- stay home and sleep or go scavenge if you like

Day 24

• Visitor: Maria returns and says Milena can't be found
  
• Evacuate everyone on the Truck and see Ending 1
  
• ACHIEVEMENT: Diary: The Janitor

Reload the Day 21 Save
To do this, close the game then copy the files from the place you stored them back into the Steam directory where they came from. Reopen the game and Continue the story. Day 21

• Reuben Leaves

Night 21

• Visit anywhere except the Army Base, or stay home

Day 22

• Visitor: Maria visits and tells us Milena has been captured

Night 22

• RAID: Leave 2 people on guard
  
• Visit the Warehouse and sneak upstairs to the Kitchen.
  
• Speak to Maria to find out Milena has escaped.
  
• Go out on the balcony and up a level to find some clues, peek through the door
  
• Exit up and over the roof to the left.

Day 23

• Visitor: Trader

Night 23

• Visit the Construction Site. As before, you will have an option to steal the documents Taras has asked for. Do so.
  
• Give Taras the documents in exchange for safe passage for the art.

Day 24

• Visitor: Maria returns and says Milena can't be found
  
• Evacuate everyone on the Truck and see Ending 2
  
• ACHIEVEMENT: Note: The Fence

Reload the Day 20 Save Day 20

• Visitor: Colonel - invites you to the outpost to hand over the painting

Night 20

• Visit the Army Base and follow the soldiers instructions until you reach The Colonel. Give him the painting.

Day 21

• Nothing happens

Night 21

• Visit anywhere (or stay home)

Day 22

• Visitor: Maria visits and tells us Milena has been captured

Night 22

• RAID: Leave 2 people on guard
  
• Visit the Warehouse and sneak upstairs to the Kitchen.
  
• Speak to Maria to find out Milena has escaped.
  
• Go out on the balcony and up a level to find some clues, peek through the door
  
• Exit up and over the roof to the left.

Day 23-26

• Because you haven't saved the Orphans the game won't give you the option to leave until you run down the clock. Just wait out these days.
  
• The Trader will visit on Day 23 & 25

Night 23-26

• Scavenge anywhere (or stay home)

Day 27

• Visitor: Maria returns and says Milena can't be found
  
• Evacuate everyone on the Truck and see Ending 3

Reload the Day 20 Save Day 20

• Visitor: Colonel - invites you to the outpost to hand over the painting

Night 20

• Visit anywhere except the Army Base

Day 21

• Nothing happens

Night 21

• Visit anywhere (or stay home)

Day 22

• Visitor: Maria visits and tells us Milena has been captured

Night 22

• RAID: Leave 2 people on guard
  
• Visit the Warehouse and sneak upstairs to the Kitchen.
  
• Speak to Maria to find out Milena has escaped.
  
• Go out on the balcony and up a level to find some clues, peek through the door
  
• Exit up and over the roof to the left.

Day 23

• Visitor: Trader

Night 23

• Visit the Construction Site. As before, you will have an option to steal the documents Taras has asked for. Do so.
  
• Give Taras the documents in exchange for safe passage for the art.

Day 24-26

• Because you haven't saved the Orphans the game won't give you the option to leave until you run down the clock. Just wait out these days.
  
• The Trader will visit on Day 25

Night 24-26

• Scavenge anywhere (or stay home)

Day 27

• Visitor: Maria returns and says Milena can't be found
  
• Evacuate everyone on the Truck and see Ending 4
  
• ACHIEVEMENT: All the Way

Reload the Day 20 Save

• Burn 30 art items from the truck
  
• ACHIEVEMENT: Burn'em all

That's all folks - you should now have all the achievements for Burning Embers. Enjoy!

Any feedback would be appreciated.