10 Emotionally-Draining Video Games You Only Finished Once

7. This War Of Mine

Recently released modern-masterpiece This War Of Mine from 11 bit Studios explores a completely new angle on the depiction of war in games - the civilian side. Taking notes from Papers, Please and the idea of moral choice in games, the idea of controlling a band of three survivors is a very simple one when the situation they find themselves in is a more war-ravaged version of your own. Gameplay consists of attempting to make a bombed out house a home throughout the day, where you'll do everything from create makeshift beds and stoves for relaxation and cooking respectively, to laying down traps to catch small animals or bordering up the windows and gaps to prevent random nightly raids. It's in these nights where the whole game opens up, and over the course of many days you'll venture anywhere from hospitals to schools or gang-infested former-apartment blokes to town squares, all in search of precious medication, food, supplies or parts to craft with which to put to good use the following day. Any number of things can and will happen when you're doing these scavenges, ranging from encountering increasingly aggressive civilians and armed military to having to hide away from any unknown threats by ducking into an alcove or shadow spot. Always remember, you are not a soldier, and even though you can craft weapons such as shovels, knifes and eventually guns, it doesn't mean you can take on someone who's profession is using such a thing. There's a huge amount to be celebrated in This War Of Mine, and as everyone gears up for their thoughts on Game of the Year, this is a clear frontrunner for one of the most relentlessly intense experiences you can ever have. You might bring yourself to attempt repeated playthroughs, but whatever fate your first band of companions suffer will be what stays with you in the long run.