This challenge draws inspiration from 'This War of Mine,' a survival game where players must navigate the hardships of war from the perspective of civilians. I tried to create the same playstyle, where your Sims will need to survive in a war-torn setting, with a focus on resource management, survival, and the impact of their choices on their well-being.

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Objective:
Survive for a designated period (30 or 80 in-game days) under challenging conditions. Manage your Sims' needs, scavenge for resources, and navigate moral dilemmas to ensure their survival.

*For this challenge, it's recommended to use a spreadsheet or notepad to keep track on in-game days, available locations and assigned roles for your Sims.

Rules:

Create A Sim:
You can create between 1 to 5 Sims. Any age is allowed, including single parents and siblings. However, married Sims are prohibited. Keep your Sim's appearance simple and practical, reflecting the hardships of wartime. Avoid lavish clothing or accessories.
Their personality have to be randomized.
Select aspirations that focus on survival and community, such as "Family," "Popularity," or "Knowledge." Prioritize aspirations that encourage Sims to build relationships and support each other.
Write a brief backstory for your Sim that reflects their experiences and motivations in the midst of war. Consider their occupation before the conflict, and any personal tragedies or triumphs that have shaped their character.


Universal Rules:
These rules must be followed during the entire challenge.
1. No cheats are allowed, such as funds, needs, healing sickness.
2. Saving Sim from death with the plea option is prohibited.
3. The Elixir of Life is prohibited.
4. Once a Sim has reached their maximum number of visits to a specific lot, further visits to that lot are prohibited.
5. Sims who are gaining new interest will not get perk benefit.
6. You must follow the rule of maximum price limit when exchanging items for money.
7. You cannot befriend soldiers and exchange items with them.
8. You cannot have more than 5 Sims in the shelter.
9. Selling items in buy mode is prohibited.
10. Sims can scavenge only at night from 9pm until 4am. Only one sim is allowed to scavenge at the time.
11. During the day, your Sims must stay inside the shelter. And cannot scavenge there.
12. The grocery store is always available to buy food, but scavenging there is prohibited.
13. Sims who has a role will be restricted from accessing certain tasks related to the roles assigned to others, until they reach at least 5 interest points of that specific skill.
14. No school and jobs.
15: Sims are not allowed to fulfill their hunger on community lots.
16: Sims can marry in a private ceremony with at least one witness present.
17: Only guardian sims are allowed to give poison drink to the soldiers.

Season and Number of War Days:
The number of war days, representing the duration of the conflict, will determine the overall length of the challenge. The challenge can be played for 30 Sim days up to 80 days.
In this challenge, summer is short, and the winter is long. Edit the seasonal cycle similar to this; Summer, Autumn, Autumn, Winter. Or, Spring, Spring, Autumn, Autumn.
Keep track of the passing days to stay prepared for changing conditions for your gardening plans.

The Shelter:
Build a simple shelter. Similar to the cramped and confined spaces seen in "This War of Mine". You can build up to 3 floors. Having a basement is optional, but not mandatory.

Mods:
In this challenge, the following mods are essential in order to achieve the intended gameplay given by the rules. As well as important survival elements.
Story Progression to share the time in the shelter and community lots.
"Mod ‘ur Dig - Archaeologists & Scavengers Edition" by CreeSims. This mod lets your Sims scavenge for useful things. The mod lowers the chance of finding rare objects.
Sell From Inventory by MidgeTheTree. This mod is to exchange items for money.
Realistic Sickness and Frequent Disease Processing.
Apocalypse Fridge by Cyjon - The fridge will hold less food.
Sim Manipulator - Stop children and teens from going to school, under Academics.
No social worker by Simlogical.
Temperature Mods by simler90
Buyable Aspiration & Career Rewards by Sophie-David - Objects like the SimSanto Inc. Biotech Station is necessary to have either on a community lot or shelter in order to make medicine.
Interest Ages Mod by veetie - This mod makes the Sim's interests random regardless of age.
Deadly poison by Meduza - This mod is for sims with a specific role with which they can get rid of enemies (soldiers).


Neighbors and Soldiers:
You have to populate the neighborhood with neighbors. Neighbors can trade or join your shelter. Additionally, create soldiers who will instill fear and hostility in the community.

Create the soldiers with a grumpy personality and dressed in military uniforms, and make them townies.

The neighbors should reside in the neighborhood, but ensure each household has no more than 5 Sims.



Limited Resources:
Simoleons plays as resources in this challenge.
The number of Simoleons you have gives you the ability to "craft" (buy) the item you need.
Your Sims start with 0 Simoleons and basic necessities.
In order to have more necessities, your Sim will have to go scavenge every night or trade something they own in exchange for some Simoleons.
You are not allowed to scavenge in the shelter.


Items you own when starting:
1. Toilet
2. Bath
3. Fridge
4. Sink
5. Counter
6. Sofa



Perks & Skills:
Each Sim gets a special perk based on their favorite interest.
These perks give each Sim a special role, and they will be responsible to learn a specific skill.
Pick one interest of theirs that has at least 8 points to assign them to that perk.

Good at cooking: Assigned to the Sim with the highest interest in Food. This Sim will be responsible for mastering the cooking skill and ensuring the proper preparation and distribution of food supplies.

Scavenger: Assigned to the Sim with the highest interest in Crime. They must master the logic skill.

Handyman: Assigned to the Sim with the highest interest in Work or Environment. This Sim will master their mechanical skills to repair and maintain everything within the shelter.

Persuasive: Assigned to the Sim with the highest interest in Culture. This Sim make great deals with others. Mastering the charisma skill to secure beneficial trades and alliances for the shelter.


Loves Children: Assigned to the Sim with the highest interest in Toys or School. This Sim will nurture and educate children and teens within the shelter, mastering the creativity skill.

Nurse: Assigned to the Sim with the highest interest in Health. This Sim will provide essential medical care to the shelter, crafting medicines and remedies such as Grandma's comfort soup and mastering the cleaning skill.

Guardian: Assigned to the Sim with the highest interest in Sports. This Sim will serve as a guardian, guarding the shelter better than others. They must master the body skill. Only guardian sims are allowed to give poison drink to the soldiers.


Rookie: Sims who doesn't have high interests points to assign to a specific role. This perk represents their fresh enthusiasm to learn. They will have to learn from others by "Share Interests" interaction or by reading a magazine. Only after getting at least 5 points in a specific interest, they will be eligible to learn their skill.


*Sims who has a role will be restricted from accessing certain specialized tasks related to the roles assigned to others. For example, they will not be able to fix broken things in the shelter like the handyman Sim, if they don't have enough interest in Work or Environment. Or like Nurse, sims will not be able to make medicines and Grandma's soup if they don't have enough interest in health.


Perk benefits:
Only 3 perks have benefits.
Persuasive: These Sims make great deals with others, their exchange for money will always be for 128§, no matter the item.
Guardian: These Sims serve as a guardian, and only they are able to kill the soldiers by giving them a poison.
Nurse: These Sims are the only ones who can make medicine and give medicine to others.

*Please make a note: Sims who are gaining new interest will not get perk benefit.


Day Planning:
During the day, your Sims must stay inside the shelter.
Every night at 9pm, you have to send one Sim to scavenge only one community lot, and they must return to the shelter before 4am.


Scavenging and Trading:
Sims can scavenge only at night from 9pm until 4am. Only one sim is allowed to scavenge at the time.
Your Sim can scavenge only on community lots and exchange with the neighbors.
Sims can exchange only once with a neighbor, every 3 days.
Selling items in buy mode is prohibited.

*In order to add a new civilian to the shelter, your Sim have to befriend them first. (Tip: Hang out interaction can help increase their bond).

Maximum Price Regulation:
Sims must adhere to a maximum price limit when exchanging items for money. The maximum price should be set at a reasonable level to prevent exploitation. Sims can exchange only once with a neighbor every 3 days.

Food Items can be sold only for 64§
Common Household Items (e.g., books, toys): 64§
Tools and Equipment (can be decorations): 64§
Clothing and Accessories (e.g., suitcase, mirror, wardrobe): 64§
Medicinal Items: 128§
Rare or Valuable Collectibles: 192§ (e.g., home necessities, hobby items)


Location Visit:
Sims have a limited number of opportunities to visit each community lot for scavenging. Once a Sim has reached their maximum number of visits to a specific lot, further visits to that lot are prohibited.

For a challenge lasting 30 in-game days, each Sim can visit one lot up to 5 times.
For a challenge lasting 80 in-game days, each Sim can visit one lot up to 20 times.

The neighborhood should have a minimum of 25 different community lots.

All household members have an equal opportunity to visit community lots. If one Sim reaches the maximum visitation limit for a lot, it will be considered for all household members.

The grocery store is always available to buy food, but scavenging there is prohibited.

*Make sure to mark unavailable lots after visitation limit.


Desperation:
When your Sim's aspiration bar falls to a critically low level and go into despair, they may be at risk of attempting suicide.
When a Sim have a breakdown (aspiration bar reaches its minimum), that sim will commit suicide, (You have to eliminate them).


Banned items:
1. Telephone
2. TV
3. Easel
4. Drum & bass
5. Piano
6. Burglar & fire alarm
7. Computer
8. Jacuzzi
9. Poker table
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End Of Challenge Points:
The challenge ends when your sims survived all 30/80 war days, or all died as a result of something.

10 points for each sim alive.
5 points for each deceased sim.
20 points for baby born.
15 points for each sim added to the shelter.
30 points for one max skill.
40 points for two max skills.
50 points for more than three max skills.
50 points for each soldier elimination.
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I tried to make the challenge as challenging and fun as I could. Thanks in advance to everyone who helped me, and I hope you enjoy this challenge!

Many questions: live in a doll house - but won't this mean the game sees the house as NOT INSIDE. Um, maybe the "open side" can be a hallway? Going to a community lot; I have lots of mods and CC, one of these is a Community Fruit exchange. Here are trees and plants with fruit ready to pick for food or to make money...too easy? Also, how can you sell things found? Even giving a gift doesn't work unless they are friends. And selling means having a home business.

Since I'm not sure how to describe this -- the shelter is supposed to be half built, like a doll house. Which means the player sees everything that happens in the house even when the walls are up. Here is a picture of This War Of Mine shelter and how it supposed to look.
If you have better mods for food, this is great and you can use it.
About the money, the money is the wood/material resources in order to have beds, bath, chairs, etc. If you don't have a mod that allows you to craft furniture, then selling things from your inventory is a way to go.
Those who wish to try the challenge can add rules that will make the challenge more limited when it comes to resources and food.

I see the picture but it does not answer my question. If you build a room - BUT LEAVE ONE SIDE MISSING, the game sees this as not an enclosed room, but as being OUTSIDE. So snow will cover the floor, and sims will get cold (maybe you don't have Seasons?). Sounds like I would need lots of CC; I have played before with cc for gathering material & making furniture, and also selling chickens and their eggs.
And still: how do you see anything FROM INVENTORY, unless you take things out of inventory TO SELL AT YOUR HOME BUSINESS; which you can't do without calling for a business license..and then you will have crowds of people, have to learn cash register and sells. And one reason I don't like HOME businesses is because the owner/controllable sim has to spend ALL THEIR WAKING HOURS selling, making friends, etc.

Sorry I didn't understand what you meant in the first comment. I know that snow can get inside the house, for some reason on the first floor. The reason I chose a semi-open house is that the winter temperature will take effect and there will be consequences of cold and sickness. I'm going to add and make some changes, including the house plan. So players can choose whether to have a doll-like house or regular one.
About selling from inventory, when a sim have something in their inventory, you can sell it by clicking on the item and then on the bin icon. It will sell that item for some money. No need to open a business.

Okay its the wording that confused gramma. (people often do call that sell, but its not really selling its deleting) When you said sell gramma thought you meant set for sale as you do in a home business.

Also you can sell from inventory and that mod is by Midge. I know as I requested that a couple of years ago and they were nice enough to make it for me.
https://midgethetree.tumblr.com/pos...rprisingly-long

@grammapat, snow is supposed to get into the house and it's supposed to be cold. This challenge is based on a game called "This War of Mine", which is meant to show what it's like to live in a war zone. They're living in ruined houses. If I recall correctly, some of the rooms are ruined, filled with rubble, etc. when you start, though the characters can later make improvements.

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I'd probably recommend a regular house unless people want to capture the look of the game, but with some if the rooms lacking walls or a roof. Maybe as Sims scavenge, they can fix those rooms. I'd optionally add a basement as well.

Isn't there unlockable stuff later in the game where they can grow plants? Maybe Sims in this challenge could also get the option for a small plot eventually.

I'd actually suggest the "sell from inventory" mod or a mod that lets you look in other Sims' inventories so you can simulate the trade system. Things like medicine become rarer and more expensive.

Maybe you could make a "trader" sim who doesn't live in the house but whose inventory is full of useful items. Rolling a dice determines if you get a visit from the trader or not.

I'd also add lots like the hospital. I played This War of Mine a long time ago but that one had a real impact.

Thanks everyone! So the basement will be warm (as it's covered by the floor above), but the upper floors will be missing sections of a wall (it only take sONE) and the roof. Also digging for treasure usually only gives a rock (worth I think $10) or by chance you could get something expensive. I have CC fruit trees that give a very few fruit (which can be eaten or saved) - that seems appropriate. And breeding big dogs sounds good too; you can sell the puppies, but of course dogs don't get jobs! And I still like the idea of having pigs and chickens - them seem to exist even in very poor/primitive plaes. societies

I've always thought it strange that sleeping in a bed THAT'S OUTSIDE seems to keep a sim warm. But otherwise they turn blue..but that doesn't kill them. Maybe one of the mods you mention make them die? or at least get sick?..which I didn't think cold actually did.
Still...I have so many mad-Max/end of days CC it would be fun to use it.
PS bonfires and such..do they actually make a sim warmer?

@joandsarah77 @noprobllama @grammapat
I appreciate the advice and opinions you shared, as they have helped me reconsider and write extensive new rules. Currently, I'm working on editing the post, and I'll be incorporating these changes soon.
At this point, I can say that specific mods are necessary for the challenge to play properly and maintain the intended level of difficulty.
I'll be sharing all the details in the next edit.
Thanks to everyone who plans to return and take on the challenge once it's been updated. I appreciate everyone's interest.

No but the barrel fireplace does, they can 'warm self' on it. Also tomato juice and making out will warm them up.

Does this mean Sims of the neighborhood (if so, do I count soldiers, or just the neighbors)? Or does it mean just the shelter Sims, which is as I understand the only playable lot (i.e. I don't manage any other household in the neighborhood)?

Also, how many soldiers do you think I should create?

You manage only one shelter, and all points mentioned apply to the Sims within it.
The number of soldiers can be at least 15, but you can always add new soldiers if needed.
Same goes for neighbors.

I'm starting out the challenge slowly. So far I've set up a small store and created 2 Sims to live in the shelter. Luckily, they happen to fit the guardian and nurse roles. I've yet to create any neighbors - but the neighborhood did come with a bunch of precreated townies, so I started to test the grounds. Much to my surprise, the townies apparently have §0, because this one walkby kept rejecting a sell from inventory interaction despite the high relationship level with the seller...

Which brings me to my question about the neighbors' resources. I'll sit down and convert all the townies into up-to-5-Sims households. When creating those households, how much money am I supposed to give them? Should I exclude them from finding a job through the story progression?

Also, am I supposed to exchange only one item every 3 days, or is that one sale interaction every 3 days, with the items priced at §64/128/192?

(I have to say, Story progression feels slightly cheatey because I had my Sim A leave to go buy some groceries, and when they were back, Sim B had their motives at nearly all green, despite being left before Sim A's departure in all red. Perhaps community lot time mod may be a better option?)

And lastly, what's the purpose of poisoning the soldiers? Especially because I can always add new ones...

It's better to create the neighbors and add them to any lot you wish, even to an empty one, since they won't be visited during the challenge. Their starting 20k simoleons can remain untouched, as far as I know, they will not reject the exchanging.
Personally, I leave them the option of finding a job, so it gives them money and skills. If I want to add them to the shelter, they become more useful to the group.

The exchange is only allowed once every 3 days.

About the needs and soldiers: I think that if by chance the sim is sick and they magically appears healthy, when sim B goes to a community lot, I would say that it could be like cheating. It's your choice to change what feels less fun to you, but in my opinion it's perfectly fine.

The soldiers were meant to be bullies and enemies. If there is a soldier who steals the newspaper, kicks the trash can or beats your sim at every opportunity - the poison can be the solution to the problem.

Of all the possible answers, I forgot about the simplest one - the poison is there for us to have fun

Have you considered awarding points for soldiers killed? After all, it's a matter of chance if one will actually get a guardian in their household (and you can only add so many Sims before all 5 are to share the one couch). And since the poisons cost §150 in buy mode, it's not that it's that easy to obtain them.

I'm still having problems understanding this. I still find it ambiguous. For example, I have 5 food items and one mirror that my Sim dug up. On Monday, can I exchange 4 food items for §256 and then wait until Thursday to trade the mirror for §128? Or can I trade only the mirror on Monday for §128 and then on Thursday one food item for §64? Sorry for the nag!

In other news... I've never seen my Sims juggle bottles from the fridge so much in my life

The poison is indeed for fun =)
I like the concept of earning points for each soldier eliminated, I can add that!

We can not exchange more than one item a day. Therefore, we must plan what to sell and what to keep.
So yes, on Monday you can sell the mirror and one food item on Thursday.