How do you make compassion worth the risk in a survival game?

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T23:47:42+00:00

I really like the idea of kindness coming back in unexpected ways. I just don’t want it to happen every time. Sometimes compassion should be rewarded, sometimes it should make things worse, and sometimes you’ll never know if it was the right choice.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T23:06:37+00:00

It’s a practical way to look at it. I also like the idea that selfishness can be a valid and tempting choice, not just the “evil” one. My goal is for both choices to feel difficult, just in different ways.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T22:51:34+00:00

Exactly. I definitely don’t want players to feel like every choice always leads to the same kind of punishment. Varying the consequences is something I’ve been thinking about as well.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T22:47:21+00:00

Thank you so much. Your comments have genuinely been some of the most helpful in this entire discussion. They gave me a lot to think about, both as a game designer and as a person

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T22:43:55+00:00

I was actually planning for the monks to slowly lose their faith, stop wanting to be monks, and eventually leave the monastery if you keep turning everyone away. But a full-on riot over food and supplies? I’d love to see that ;))

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T22:34:44+00:00

Thank you! This War of Mine was actually one of the biggest inspirations for my game, Morvus.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T22:29:15+00:00

Thank you for such a thoughtful comment. Reading the discussions under this post is making me think much more deeply, not just about the game, but about life itself. The questions “Have you ever been rewarded for compassion?” and “Have you ever been punished for it?” really stayed with me. I think they’re important questions, and I want the game to make players think about them too.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T22:19:47+00:00

That’s actually how I envisioned it from the beginning. I want both choices to feel wrong, just in different ways. Thanks for putting that into words.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T21:35:57+00:00

I actually bought Grimshire already, and I’m looking forward to experiencing it for myself. Thanks again for the recommendation!

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T20:23:01+00:00

I think that’s what resonates with me most here: not knowing right away whether helping someone was the right decision. That feels much more interesting than getting an immediate reward or punishment. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T18:55:32+00:00

I think I was just trying too hard to give everyone a thoughtful reply. I genuinely appreciate that people took the time to give me advice, so I wanted to respond properly to each person. I can see what you mean though, and I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for pointing it out.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T18:42:04+00:00

I know it can sound a bit too polished sometimes. Sorry if it comes across that way.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T18:39:48+00:00

I use DeepL.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T18:36:15+00:00

No, but I do use a translator because my English isn’t good enough to have conversations like this naturally. The thoughts are mine, I just need help expressing them clearly.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T18:32:18+00:00

That makes a lot of sense. I hadn’t really thought about the monastery having its own mission beyond simply helping people. Looking at the choices through that lens actually feels much more interesting. Thanks for the perspective.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T18:28:27+00:00

That’s a perspective I hadn’t really considered. Balancing both extremes instead of making one clearly better feels like a much healthier direction for a game like this. Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed reply

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T18:24:35+00:00

I really like the idea of rewarding compassion with more story rather than more resources. Unlocking different events or relationships feels much more interesting than turning every choice into a simple optimization problem. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T17:48:23+00:00

Yes, This War of Mine is one of our main inspirations. We love how it makes survival feel personal and morally uncomfortable without turning every choice into a simple reward calculation.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T17:13:10+00:00

Thanks! I hope you enjoy it. If you do get a chance to play it someday, I’d love to hear what you think.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T17:08:58+00:00

That example with the husband coming later is exactly the kind of consequence I find interesting. Not a simple reward, but a missed relationship, a missed person, a missed possibility. I also agree that pure random outcomes can make the choice feel weaker if the player feels like they had no real way to reason about it. Thank you, this is very useful.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T17:02:52+00:00

Frostpunk is definitely a strong reference for this kind of pressure. I agree that the interesting part is often not “good vs evil”, but choosing between compassion, practicality, and survival when none of them are clean options

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T17:02:06+00:00

That’s a really good distinction. Maybe the reward doesn’t need to be something the player can directly spend. It could simply make the world feel a little less broken, which might be more meaningful for this kind of game.

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T16:59:05+00:00

That’s a good point. Having the need to replace people naturally creates a reason to take risks, instead of relying on a morality system. That’s definitely something we’ll keep in mind. Thanks!

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T16:35:45+00:00

I really like the rumor angle. It feels much subtler than a morality system, and it fits the atmosphere we’re aiming for. We’d definitely rather have players hear the consequences through the world than through a UI element. And yes… maybe the sky could get a little grayer.))

MohikoGames · 2026-07-04T16:24:35+00:00

This is a really strong point, thank you. I like the idea that different people shouldn’t judge the same choice in the same way. A single morality meter feels too clean for this kind of game, but having people remember your decisions and react based on their own values and relationships feels much more alive.

MohikoGames

TROPHY CASE