12 Phenomenal Indie Games That Deserve Your Attention In 2015

3. This War Of Mine

Focussing on what it's like for the everyday civilians of war-torn areas post-conflict seems like an obvious direction for a war game to take, but so far only 11 bit Studios have pulled it off. How do they rebuild once the soldiers have come and gone? What effect does collateral damage from bomb strikes and nightly raids have on food resources, community morale, trust between neighbours and the event of violence to survive? This War of Mine addresses all of these things head-on, putting you in control of a small band of survivors that randomly changes each time. You'll essentially manage them Sims-style when at your home base, ensuring people are eating right, listening to the radio to avoid losing their minds, slowly exploring the area itself to expand, and so on. The best part comes when you're forced to leave the house and interact with the surrounding areas. A supermarket might still be open, but chances are its filled with looters. Do you try and talk your way in, sneak through, or attack them? There'll be repercussions for all. Rumours have also spread about an elderly couple with a stockpile of supplies - could they help, and what happens if they're hostile? From churches to open town squares, bombed out houses and your own location that needs people posted on to defend each night, 11 bit have created an immediately visceral experience that does eventually have a endpoint - but to get there you might have to do some unspeakable things.