Overview
This guide is the only one of its kind on steam, as of shortly after release. This is here to help you get through the game with only one survivor. The developers said it would be very hard, and there has been claims by players it can’t be done. As of the 17th of November, I have just finished the game for the first time, with one survivor getting to the end of the war and using only that lone single survivor all the way through. Yes, this is a lone wolf guide; and while the survivalist material strongly recommends against being a lone wolf in a real war or siege, in This War of Mine at least, it can be done.
Introduction
This guide is the only one of its kind on steam, as of shortly after release. This is here to help you get through the game with only one survivor. The developers said it would be very hard, and there has been claims by players it can’t be done. As of the 17th of November, I have just finished the game for the first time, with one survivor getting to the end of the war and using only that lone single survivor all the way through. Yes, this is a lone wolf guide; and while the survivalist material strongly recommends against being a lone wolf in a real war or siege, in This War of Mine at least, it can be done. Proof and the guide will follow below. Thank you, and be good to each other in these cold days.
The Stranger
The idea for this guide germinated after about six playthroughs. It began when I started with only Marko. I had begun with large groups and small, but this time I had just one skilled scavenger. To solo the game, you need to remove all other survivors. You can continue to restart until you get this, whoever they end up being, or you can start with 2 and get one killed. Be very careful that this does not break your lone survivor. If an ally dies they must not be depressed. They must be able to scavenge and avoid the raiders, or they can gain wounds that end them shortly after the game starts. You want a stranger, and you want to begin as healthy both in mind and body as possible. When you have just one survivor, you are ready. Of course this guide expanded upon below could also be used if you lose some members and only have one survivor, and you want to make the best of it. In which case, welcome and good luck stranger.
The Hidden Stash (supremely important, read this if nothing else)
If you are solo and scavenging, who will protect the safe house? No one. This is a problem, because raiders will steal what you have. If you scavenge and lose, scavenge and lose not only will it not be fun, you will struggle to survive. Raiders look for the most important items of the time (they will steal all of your firewood in winter), and these are things you just can’t afford to lose. The key then is to make sure they get nothing.
I have found a way to ensure this. In your safe house, there will be piles of rubble and starting equipment points like cupboards and dressers. Now early on, you clear these for useful items to put in your massive inventory outside of scavenging missions. Pick through and take what you like, but keep items in at least two of them and don’t completely loot the cupboards or dressers. There has been some patching with the rubble, so make sure to store whatever you need in the cupboards or dressers only. You can take the items away and you can also put items in. Wait, do they count for the items of your sanctuary? What is in your fridge, medical cabinet and the like? No, they do not. If you clear out everything and put it in a cupboard, raiders and thieves can not find it. This keeps it in your base, but not on your shelves. The raiders cannot steal it. It doesn’t matter if they raid you 10 times, they will get nothing if it is hidden in a cupboard! This changes everything.
Now you can accumulate gigantic item reserves. You are only feeding and treating one person, the safe house doesn’t need to be guarded and your character is out scavenging during the night and sleeping during the day. Get into a habit of topping up the reserves from day 1. Make sure to leave nothing, you are not going to immediately use, out of the rubble pile when you go scavenging. If you wish to guard, load your character with weapons and a bandage and put everything in the hidden stash. That way even if they hurt your survivor, there is nothing for them to take, the scoundrels!
Sleep – Scavenge, Craft – Scavenge Cycle
No one can help you solo survivor, it means you have to do everything with one character. They should sleep during the day after eating, and then scavenge. Once in a while you throw in a crafting day, but try to get a lot of this done in day 1. Avoid being very tired as much as possible, and head out to scavenge 90% of the time. To stay home with one survivor means a high chance of bandit attack and injury. You can be truly hurt if there are many of them and it is a high crime time. So rest up, and head out. This will give you all that you need, and you avoid bandit night raids no matter their frequency.
The Slaughter
For solo play, I recommend the killing of innocents (and small groups of bandits) early, and seizing what they have. This will keep you ahead of the curb, and give you a massive advantage. Now you have to be careful with your mind, because it can break a survivor. If you want to be a pure good person that helps others and never harms an innocent, this will be much harder.
Emilia takes out the initially non-hostile bandits in the supermarket early, and can be now well equipped with weapons.
Pics from other playthroughs
The Trade Master
With your abundance of items and only one mouth to feed, you will have an advantage when dealing with Franco. Now he drives a hard bargain, but ensure you always have food, wood/fuel, a good weapon and a shovel or axe, preferably both. If he is being too stingy or isn’t taking what you are bringing to the table, send him on his way, you will get a lot of what he likes (like electronic parts) eventually. You can play the long game with him.
Calculated Risks
You have got through the first week, perhaps you have harmed the innocents, perhaps you have just been careful and rationed it all out. Now once you slip into a cycle of raiding you will be fine; the problem is that some levels have dangerous bandits on them. I recommend killing them early, taking 1-2 days and spending 2-3 days clearing out everything if weather permits. Better to have a lot safely than die rushing for something you didn’t need, agreed?
Here Marko returns after a dangerous mission.
Avoiding Bullets and Death
If you are killing anyone, and always pursue the kill unless they flee to help, use stealth attacks, get your ducks all lined up in a row, and watch your ammunition. You don’t want to die charging into bullets, and you don’t want a fair fight—ever! Killing bandits doesn’t psychologically break you, but they will happily try to break you in more conventional ways. Stairways can be good for ambush, being near a window to flee can be an excellent idea, attacking from cover for the stealth kill is ideal. If you think they are coming, get back into the shadows rather than try and loot. If you are spotted while looting, run for your life, or at least run to a shadowy part on another level to lie in wait for your attackers. If you are blasted while searching a dead body, it might be the end of you.
If you are 20+ days in, and a place looks too risky to take (like the brothel), then don’t. There is a lot to be taken just scrounging around, don’t die in a suicide mission. There is no one to carry on, after all, and if you stay alive and are benevolent, you can help others.
Don’t Get Desperate
As the weeks go on, be careful of being desperate. Yes you are just one survivor, but don’t die needlessly. Stockpile and trade, don’t die in a hail of bullets on the last week of the war. If your food is low, build more rat traps, wait to haggle your expensive materials. If you are about to fight a whole group of gunmen, consider the following:
1) Do you actually need to do this?
2) Can you easily die here?
The answers are probably no, then yes. So think on that.
If you follow the steps above, and get a bit lucky, you can be confident in out-lasting the war with just one man or woman. If you last, you can also be rewarded for good deeds, or just by being lucky.
Sitting Out The War
With a great deal of food and equipment, you may want to sit out days. Sleeping during the day, guarding at night. While I don’t recommend this, once you are into a routine you can also be left with a lot of time in between sleeping and scavenging. Building a guitar is good, getting a nice comfy armchair and taking some books out of your hidden stash is pleasant for days like those. Put them back in once the day is nearly done, so raiders don’t get them.
Checking the radio can also provide comfort, but not all claims of the war ending are true.
On sitting out the war, my first victory ended with me making a cup of tea, while Marko was strumming his guitar.
Not a bad way to pass a war I say.
Challenges
In my guides I like to pose challenges. Here are six for This War of Mine:
1) Unstoppable Russian: solo the game with only Boris. Any other allies must be gone by day 3.
2) Perfect for this: solo the game with Marko or Pavle. Any other allies must be gone by day 3.
3) Frail, but determined: solo the game with a survivor that has only 8 carrying capacity, e.g. Anton, Cveta.
4) Zombie: while pursuing a solo playthrough, become severely injured but kill all attackers and recover to full health before the end of the war.
5) I like the quiet: finish the game with a solo survivor that isn’t sad, depressed or broken.
6) I keep to myself, and I don’t hurt anybody: finish the game with a solo survivor that hasn’t harmed or killed an innocent at all.
Conclusion
With the stash secret exposed I have helped how I can, and I hope we can all get through this as we go our separate ways.
Good luck with your solo playthroughs, may the winters not be too cold, your timing be perfect, and your tactical retreats swift and safe.
