
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,062
- BGG rating
- 8.2
This War of Mine: The Board Game – Second Edition
- 1–6 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2026

Rules assistance for This War of Mine: Orphans
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
This War of Mine: Orphans is an expansion for This War of Mine: The Board Game released in 2017 for 1–6 players, 45–120 minutes per game, and ages 18 and up. It was designed by Michał Oracz and Jakub Wiśniewski and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement.
This expansion adds a game element that is often overlooked in war stories and goes beyond "civilians": children, who do not even understand the seriousness of the events that are happening. They just keep on living in their small worlds and it is your job to keep them safe and fed. This will not be an easy task - this expansion will rise the difficulty level of the original experience. You now have a family, that doesn't offer much help at scavenging or building, but needs to be protected and taken care off. This expansion will come with additional miniatures, fittings (such as a bike etc.) and special cards for children (each time when you will draw one at random it will give the kid some special characteristics). This expansion will also come with 30 additional story snippets added to the book of scripts that will be dedicated to children.
This War of Mine: Orphans supports 1–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for This War of Mine: Orphans is 45–120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists This War of Mine: Orphans for ages 18 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
This War of Mine: Orphans has a complexity rating of 2.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
This War of Mine: Orphans belongs to these categories: Mature / Adult, Video Game Theme, and Exploration. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of This War of Mine: Orphans are: Michał Oracz and Jakub Wiśniewski. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists This War of Mine: Orphans as an expansion for This War of Mine: The Board Game. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need This War of Mine: The Board Game to use it. Check that your edition of This War of Mine: The Board Game is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.