It doesn’t matter which one you will choose to be your hideout, as all of them have basically the same functions and the difference is purely cosmetic. Your shelter needs to be taken care of and it must be protected by setting up guards.
At the start of the game you will be given the right to choose the type of the shelter with the default conditions: simple workshop, fridge, medicine cabinet and certain types of furniture. From this point on you will be able to manage your place as you wish, but this shelter guide will help you do it in the most efficient way.
Start by clearing your shelter
In the very beginning, your hideout in This War of Mine will be a mess with piles of rubble and other waste lying around. Some of it will be blocking doors to the rooms, so you have to clear this out as well as you can.
It is highly advisable to use the metal workshop for crafting a crowbar and a shovel at the very start of the game. It will significantly help you deal with all the waste quickly.
During the clearing, you will encounter several lootable crates that may or may not be locked. Don’t waste your lock picks on them just yet, as you will need them for your further scavenging – use your crowbar instead.
You will also gain enough resources for the beginning of the game just by getting rid of all the unnecessary debris. They will include food, medicine, tools and even weapons. You can also use axe to chop up wood for heating purposes.
Continue to refine your shelter
Your characters will get tired and hungry after a long day of work, so it’s important to create the best possible conditions for them with the available resources. In order to get the best out of your people and tools, assign various tasks during daytime to different characters.
You can make one of the characters to start crafting some useful items, while another character can start cooking food, and if you see that somebody got tired - make them take a rest.
The best way to understand the current condition of your shelter in This War of Mine is to regularly check “Some Thoughts” note on the inventory screen. This is where your characters will leave notes about their condition and the state of the shelter. Use it often and follow any hints given.
For example, if your characters need to be cheered up, they may ask for some books to read. Another alternative is a radio or some comfortable furniture that will help them rest more efficiently. So, you need to get these things inside and keep your people happy.
Time from time a travelling trader or a new survivor may come to your home. You will also have neighbors who will ask for help, and they may give you some resources as well. Use all these opportunities to refine your hideout and keep your group in good shape.
Protect your shelter
Your shelter will be constantly raided by looters. For this reason, it’s important to set everything up prior to the attacks.
In the beginning, the raids will happen occasionally, but they can become as frequent as every night. During these raids your people can be wounded and depressed, if they are not able to effectively protect themselves and their resources.
You have no control over the raids that will happen at night, and you will learn about the consequences only the next morning. So, in order to prevent the raiders from injuring your people and scavenging your items follow these instructions:
Set up guards
You can assign certain characters from your party to guard your shelter. If you wonder which characters fit this role the best, then be sure to check out our character guide on This War of Mine. In short, you want to look at characters such as Boris, Roman, and Arica.
You should always leave some weapons and tools in your inventory. In this way, the guards will be able to use them and protect the shelter with a much higher chance of success.
Reduce the amount of losses by:
Using the advanced workshop to board up holes and windows in your shelter.
Then as the game progresses be sure to craft a reinforced door and set up a simple alarm system.
Leave at least one melee weapon for each guard in your inventory. Better have a few good fire weapons as well.
Never assign just one character to guard at nighttime - use as many as you can.
Search for additional armor and helmets for your guards - these will protect them well.
With this simple advice, you will prevent any raiders’ attempts at scavenging your home. In the case your people get injured, always keep some healing items in the inventory and never forget to cheer them up afterwards with a guitar.
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