Written by : JM Henning

Video games have long been accused of glorifying the atrocities of war, but in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, gaming’s relationship with combat has once again been brought into the spotlight. But for once, a game may be giving players real perspective into the realities of war.

Ukrainian officials have asked Sony, Xbox and the rest of the industry to sanction Russian by blocking their massive gaming community from accessing sites and services. Whilst we have seen some decisive action being taken by big studios, like EA banning Russians from FIFA 22 and CD Project Red barring Russians from buying their games, one initiative from the relatively unknown Polish publisher, 11 Bit Studios, has caught my eye.

The studio announced that they’ll be donating all proceeds from the sale of their anti-war indie This War Of Mine. What makes this game different from most games about conflict? Whilst gamers are accustomed to dropping into war zones, heavily armed and ready to eliminate the enemy, This War Of Mine casts the player in the role of those most affected by combat – the people.

In this 2014 gem, focusing on the civilian experience of war rather than front-line combat, players control a group of refugees trying to survive in a city under siege. The challenges they must overcome include a lack of food and medicine and constant danger from snipers and shelling. The game provides an experience of conflict seen from an entirely new angle.

This game truly encapsulates the true human cost of conflict and offers some crucial perspective that the general public and perhaps gamers in particular really need right now. This War Of Mine is available on Steam, PS4, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.