The updated version of This War of Mine titled The Little Ones for PS4 and Xbox One involves the same set of characters as the previous version, but this time players have the choice to add children into the mix. However, you can choose only one child to be present in the game at a time.
If you choose to do so, you will have an additional task of taking care of the kid of your choice, for example, a girl named Lydia, or a boy named Sergei. Children play quite a significant role in your household, as they can keep the morale of your three grown-ups high.
Additionally, kids can be taught some useful things, like helping the neighbors, setting traps, filtering water, etc. If they have questions, it’s important to answer them. But if you ignore them, they will close down, which will create a dreadful atmosphere. They generally don’t need much: some toys to play and a bit of kindness.
Other than that, the rest of the gameplay mechanics haven’t changed and you still have to manage everyone healthy, happy and keep them out of trouble. This guide will give you all the necessary information on how to manage all 12 playable characters of the game.
Each character has their own strong and weak points. You have to take them into account before creating your own party. Be sure to satisfy their addictions, if they have some, and cheer them up by playing a guitar, if you see that the mood got sour.
All characters in This War of Mine: The Little Ones are divided into three groups: Scavengers, Supporters, and Others.
Scavengers
Boris
Boris is the strongest male character in the game. He has the highest degree of sympathy, which gives him the best chance to cheer people up.
He is always very concerned about the conditions of other people and has high level of morality. This means that he doesn’t like to see people killed or robbed, but rather is always happy to help them.
Strengths
- He can hold the largest number of items due to his inventory size (17), which makes him a perfect scavenger.
- Boris is very good in combat using his backstab ability and he can be a great guard due to his strength and high health.
Weaknesses
- His drawbacks are slow speed of movement and high level of noise. This means he is not good for stealthy approach.
- Boris is addicted to smoking and when his needs are not satisfied he can get really depressed.
Marko
Marko is the second strongest character in the game after Boris. He is considered a highly sympathetic character and a skilled combatant.
Just like Boris, Marko is very sensitive to the state of other people and has a high sense of morality. However, there are a few traits that might make him a better scavenger than Boris.
Strengths
- He is much faster and stealthier than other strong characters in the game.
- His inventory size is not the biggest, but it is sufficient (15).
- He can be a good guard and has no addictions.
Weaknesses
- Marko has almost no drawbacks except that he could get easily saddened by unfortunate events.
Pavle
In the past, Pavle was a football player, so this makes him the fastest running character of all. He can experience some strong emotions, both positive and negative.
Pavle is considered a character with high morality values and he likes to take care of people. All this makes him a good scavenger, but not as good as his other peers – Boris and Marko.
Strengths
- Due to his high speed of movement, Pavle is indispensable in combat.
- His best combat tactics is hit-and-run, which makes him super efficient even when he gets wounded.
- He has no harmful addictions and can be a good guard.
Weaknesses
- Just like Marko, Pavle is very sensitive and can get easily depressed.
- His inventory size is average (12).
Katia
Katia is a great choice if you want to have good bargain deals at the Garage or Central Square during night time. She is considered to be highly sympathetic person by other characters.
Due to her increased sensitivity, Katia can get very depressed, especially if her coffee addiction is not satisfied. Also, she is not very good in combat, unlike other scavengers.
Strengths
- Katia has excellent trading skills and can get better prices for items than any other character in the game.
- She has high moral values and is always concerned about her people.
Weaknesses
- She is not particularly good at combat or guarding, but if you give her a good weapon, she will be able to protect herself.
- Katia is emotionally more vulnerable than other Scavengers.
- Her inventory is of an average size (12).
Zlata
Zlata is an odd character. She is considered a scavenger only due to her decent inventory size (12). However, her main role is the psychological support of the group.
She has the strongest morality of all other characters, which makes thievery in her presence a big mistake, not to mention a murder.
Strengths
- Zlata can always cheer her people up, especially because she can play guitar very well.
- She has absolutely no harmful addictions and is always concerned of others.
Weaknesses
- This character is not very good at combat and is slightly worse as a guard than other scavengers.
Arica
Arica is arguably a scavenger, as her inventory size is quite small (10). But due to her high combat skills, on par with Boris, she can be very useful.
This character has a very unstable emotional condition and can easily fall into depression. She is also a less sympathetic and more selfish character than others, probably because she was abused as a child.
Strengths
- Arica can be a perfect thief due to her almost noiseless movements.
- She is very strong in combat and can serve as a great guard to your shelter.
Weaknesses
- Due to her mood swings, Arica can get into fights with her party members.
- She is addicted to smoking and has low moral values.
Supporters
Roman
Roman is the most skilled fighter in the game. It’s good to have him in the party, if you want to clear the area before sending your scavengers to do the rest of the job.
Roman’s personality is the least sympathetic to other characters. He can get very angry; he frequently argues with his mates and almost never shows concern for others.
Strengths
- Roman can be an excellent guard and his fighting skills allow him to stealth kill a target with his bare hands.
- Due to his low morality values, he can kill as many bandits and soldiers as needed.
Weaknesses
- Roman has a low inventory size (10), so he can’t be an effective scavenger, but he can assist others well.
- His very selfish and cold-hearted personality often puts others down.
- Roman is addicted to smoking.
Marin
Marin is an exceptionally skilled handyman. He can craft and upgrade items using the least amount of resources.
Marin can be either very useful or a completely useless character, if you don’t find a way to handle him properly. It’s important to constantly keep him at work or he will get easily depressed and it’s not going to be easy to cheer him up.
Strengths
- Although his personality doesn’t allow him to be very useful in any other area of the game, his fixing and crafting skills can be vital.
Weaknesses
- Marin doesn’t have an ability to cheer others up and has a coffee addiction.
- His inventory size is quite small (10).
- He is bad at combat and not a good guard.
Bruno
Bruno is the game’s chef. Prior to war he had his own restaurant and his cooking skills can be well utilized in your shelter.
Unfortunately, he is a bad mannered, weak and selfish character. He will never show concern for others, but will instantly fall into depression, if he gets wounded or hurt.
Strengths
- Besides cooking, Bruno can craft alcohol, which can be used for some valuable trading.
Weaknesses
- He is not good for combat or guarding purposes.
- Bruno has low sympathy among his peers and he is addicted to smoking.
Others
Anton
Anton and other two characters can be neither scavengers nor supporters. Anton is a mathematician and he can’t protect himself or others too well.
He is old and weak. His personality traits are almost useless and he is not good at cheering people up. Anton can be selfish and insensitive to other party members.
Strengths
- Anton’s only strength is that he can catch rats faster than others, no kidding.
Weaknesses
- He can perform moderately in combat, but you should not put him as a guard for your shelter.
- Anton has the lowest inventory size in the game (8).
Emilia
Emilia was a lawyer, so she is not very useful in terms of survival. But you can send her commit various crimes, as her level of morality is very low, so she won’t get affected afterward.
Her personality is quite resistant to any kinds of unfortunate events. However, she can get depressed if her coffee addiction is not satisfied.
Strengths
- Emilia is passable in combat and can withstand psychological pressure well.
Weaknesses
- Her inventory size is very small (10), so she will be of no use for scavenging.
- You don’t want to see her as a guard either, as she can be easily wounded.
Cveta
Cveta is the character that fits The Little Ones expansion the most. She loves children very much and would be a perfect companion to the kids in the game.
She has a great personality and can cheer up even the most depressed party members. She has high morality values and has no addictions.
Strengths
- Cveta can be very good at aiding and supporting other characters during hard times.
Weaknesses
- She is not good for combat or guarding purposes at all.
- Just like Anton, Cveta has the smallest inventory size in the game (8).
This War of Mine gives you a number of stories you can choose from.
Start playing and try out different conditions including those with children; or create your own custom scenario in the “Write Your Own Story” menu.
In the beginning, you may choose only one group by default: Katia, Bruno, and Pavle, which is a decent start. Later you will be able to unlock other features and characters as well.
Come back soon for more This War of Mine: The Little Ones guides at GameSkinny!
