Storytelling in video games, whether environmental, character-based, narrative arc, or otherwise, has always been a strength of the industry, and This War of Mine is no different, containing a historical narrative focusing on the civilian experience of war. It is for this reason that Polish High Schools have decided to include This War of Mine in the academic curriculum for older students as material to be studied for educational purposes rather than just entertainment.
The characters in This War of Mine face a myriad of everyday dangers as they live their seemingly mundane lives in a war-torn country, forcing them to adapt to change, sacrifice comforts and personal needs, and use every skill and ability in their toolkit in order to survive. Players are charged with the task of making favorable and advantageous decisions in order to play to these characters' strengths and allow them to gain the most ground to put themselves in the position to survive and succeed in volatile conditions.
"I’m proud to say 11 bit studios’ work can add to the development of education and culture in our country," says CEO Grzegorz Miechowski. "This can be a breakthrough moment for all artists creating games all around the world." Developer 11 Bit Studios is proud to say that the game is being placed into the curriculum for students to study ethics, philosophy, history, and other subjects. This War of Mine will not be taught in classrooms unless all students are at least 18 years old as the game does feature some dark themes centered around a country at war and its citizens fighting to survive.
The fact that Polish High Schools have decided to use this game in an educational context proves two things: first, that awareness for the value of video games as storytelling media and legitimate ways to learn source material is increasing at a rapid pace. Second, video games are more than just pieces of entertainment that occupy the minds of children. If anything, it proves that This War of Mine's gameplay and storytelling are valuable enough to present to the young people of a country as legitimate, academic material to be studied and analyzed.
Of course, many will have reservations with This War of Mine's weapons and other violent themes and assets. However, Polish High Schools, along with Developer 11 Bit Studios, hope that students will focus on the history and storytelling aspects of the game. Although it isn't clear exactly how the game is going to be implemented in the curriculum, This War of Mine definitely paves the way for other brilliant games to enter schools and academics as legitimate pieces of art and literature.
This War of Mine is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and Mobile.
Source: PC Gamer