Flashpoint Campaigns: Cold War
Flashpoint Campaigns: Cold War
Game
Game2014
Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm Player's Edition
Developer On Target Simulations
You are the commander of either NATO or Soviet forces locked in battle on the ground in 1980’s Central Europe. As commander, it is your task to provide the battle plan orders to your units. You need to know your mission objectives, strength and weakness of both your forces and you enemy, lay of the land, weather, and time of day in order... From the Steam store page
190 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Jul 6, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
87
LovedLoved
156 positive · 23 negative
95% range 81–91%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 156 | 23 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
166 of 189 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
87% recommend · 156 yes, 23 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 179 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (228 of 259 positive).
Players praise the game's realistic Cold War combat and unique WEGO system. [1][2][3] Many find the game approachable despite its depth, with a helpful UI. [4][5][6] Some criticize the UI as clunky and the game as difficult to learn. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
War games are my favorite genre. War games about NATO v Warsaw Pact are my favorite kind of war games. This was a disappointment simply because the UI performs too poorly. I have no patience to struggle through a terrible UI to find what might be a good game...though it really didn't seem all that good. About 90 minutes into this I was so frustrated I quit. The prices for this game is way too high. I feel robbed. …
- [1]
Modern warfare...fast and lethal. This is a wonderful wego system put together by the guys at On Target Simulations. If you enjoy 80's nato or soviet equipment and tense game play moments you can't go wrong with this game. I love the variable command cycles, get your hQ's taken out, let your troops get out of command range and you'll find your command cycle getting longer and longer. It will be that longer until you …
- [4]
You'll never, ever have more fun simulating a Cold War gone hot scenario with hex and counters than in Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm. Here's why: It's incredibly approachable. You don't need to memorize a million different details, as the info is all readily accessible. Order of battle, there's a tab for that. Line of Sight? A click of the mouse away. Need to know if a unit is in command? There are like three ways …
- [12]
Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm is a somewhat unconventional but very welcome gem of a hex&counter wargame. The twist it has going for it over so many wargames of this type is a very tight focus on what you command, limited capability to command (organization and electronic warfare interference), and most interestingly the variable turn length, which alters as the game progresses due to the influence of various …
- [2]
ENG: Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm is one of those unique games which I keep in my favorites and would play it anytime along with Combat Mission series, The Operational Art of War III, Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations and AGEod games. FC:RS is a mix of TOAW III and Combat Mission series set in 80'th Cold War era where it became(in-game) not so cold. Game features lot of interesting staff: Along with military …
Summarised from 34 of the 190 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm Player's Edition sits at 87% positive across 179 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 190 · most liked firstModern warfare...fast and lethal. This is a wonderful wego system put together by the guys at On Target Simulations. If you enjoy 80's nato or soviet equipment and tense game play moments you can't go wrong with this game. I love the variable command cycles, get your hQ's taken out, let your troops get out of command range and you'll find your command cycle getting longer and longer. It will be that longer until you can issue orders or react to changes on the battlefield, same goes for your…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →ENG: Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm is one of those unique games which I keep in my favorites and would play it anytime along with Combat Mission series, The Operational Art of War III, Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations and AGEod games. FC:RS is a mix of TOAW III and Combat Mission series set in 80'th Cold War era where it became(in-game) not so cold. Game features lot of interesting staff: Along with military units and formations, game features hybrid asynchronous WEGO system(OODA Loop),…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →War games are my favorite genre. War games about NATO v Warsaw Pact are my favorite kind of war games. This was a disappointment simply because the UI performs too poorly. I have no patience to struggle through a terrible UI to find what might be a good game...though it really didn't seem all that good. About 90 minutes into this I was so frustrated I quit. The prices for this game is way too high. I feel robbed. ------------------------------------------ Update…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game neatly fills a gap in the war gaming genre with combat set in the cold war era 1979-1989, featuring 3 main NATO countries vs Western Group Soviet forces (other forces due for release in the next expansion). The game itself is a grand tactical/operational level war game where you take control of up to NATO brigade or Soviet Division featuring fixed wing air-support, helicopters, artillery with several forms of fire missions including counter battery fire missions, electronic warfare,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wanted to give this game because I read it had a WEGO system (I tend to play lots of ageod games) and IGOUGO doesn't feel real to me. I've always felt IGOUGO wargames felt a little bit abstract (like chess), but some of them were still good enough to hook me on. First i was lost because this game was so different from the other wargames that i've played. Recently they had discount at publisher's website and I decided to get germany reforged dlc for 50% price and give the game try again.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Probably one of the only digital wargames that actually represents full NBC combat. 10/10.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I feel that the OTS crew is on to something good, and that FC:RS has a lot of potential. However, I also feel that there are a few areas of this game that feel extremely 'indie' and poorly completed, that make the game fall completely short. UI Does Matrix Games have a rule for its developers that UI's need to be as bland, unhelpful, clunky, and lifeless as possible? It is the feeling I get from many of the past Matrix Games that I've played (I'm looking at you, Advanced Tactics!), and FCRS is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really liked the idea of this game, specially because i'm a warsim hard-core enthusiast, however, this game has lots of things to be reworked. Better UI, more detailed specs, better gameplay and more means to explain to the player, CLEARLY, what is happening, because everytime i pass a turn, things happen, the camera moves here and there, i see and hear explosions but to known what exactly happened on the field, i have to go and look the TOC reports and try to understand what happened.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Having played Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm for 22+ hours, I think I can't recommend this game to war game / TBS fans because the game suffers from some serious gameplay issues. My complaints about this game are all related to the gameplay mechanics and the AI. Although the graphics, the UI, and the sound effects are just mediocre, they're still acceptable to me. As a strategy fanboy, I care about gameplay and AI the most. 1) The Achilles Heel of FC:RS is that it's actually a turn-based…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A hex-based operational wargame with interesting turn gimmick. Models loads of little things you don't see in other games. Comes with an editor and contains more units than you can shake a stick at. Not for the faint of heart. Well worth the price since the devs know what they are doing.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Takes me back to SSI wargaming days. The slick system in place makes Red storm an excellent cold war hex based turn wargame. For an idea of how it works and gameplay check out xIGuNDoCIx channel on youtube as he plays a scenario on red storm, 5 mins in i knew i needed this game. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWbCeFZndTQ
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game design with simultaneous turns and simulating lots of little details that you would expect in a wargame. The UI and UX unfortunately are absolutely horrible, truly the stuff of nightmares. It takes 4 clicks and 1 key press to give a basic move order to a single unit, I kid you not. Here's hoping they make another one where it's not absolutely ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. For some UX that isn't god-♥♥♥♥♥♥♥-awful, check out Armored Brigade
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You'll never, ever have more fun simulating a Cold War gone hot scenario with hex and counters than in Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm. Here's why: It's incredibly approachable. You don't need to memorize a million different details, as the info is all readily accessible. Order of battle, there's a tab for that. Line of Sight? A click of the mouse away. Need to know if a unit is in command? There are like three ways quickly determine that. Whereas you may spend a couple hours doing the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'd forgotten how amazing this game is. Quick fire cold war mayhem. Hugely detailed and faithful recreation of units and scenarios. A must for wargamers everywhere. 9 \ 10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wow! who could have known this wonderful game would come to Steam, I bought this game some time ago from the Matrix website to a price much more than this, and I didn't regret my self, I just redeemed a Steam key now, I have played hunreds of hours wich doesn't show here on Steam, this game is an advanced war simulator during the cold war, and is absolutely awesome, some nice history and strategy to be found here, it is my absolute favorite tactical type grand strategy game. it is very well…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Without a doubt the best tactical simulator i have ever seen in or out of the army. The WEGO turn system is great and works awesome. The Ai is good at all levels but probably more realistic if cranked up. Tactically speaking, Warpac acts like..A War Pac force... Amazing!! NATO actually sticks to NATO doctrine Even more amazing and the two fight in entirely diffrent ways. The OOB is Realistic and simple to understand Chain-of-command is easy to follow and easy to customise. Infact you can…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't buy this game! Please keep in mind that the AI determines what your units target. ATGMs attack in order 1.) soft targets, trucks. 2.) Tie between Medium armormed units, BMPS, and Heavy armored units, T80's. You will see the creators say that it may be related to readiness or what they have the highest probablility to kill. I tested this in the campaign with US units that had not been fired on and could see a varity of all 3 types of enemy units. Each time ATGMS attacked in order…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →NOT Recommended. Not for a sale, not for free, not even if they pay you to play it. Your time is more valuable than anything they could afford to pay you. This game claims to be a game of modern warfare (“modern”, at least, in 1989). It is not. It is fantasy. Obs are not correct. Soviet response times, the orders cycle, and capabilities are grossly incorrect. Database values are wrong in many places (the range of the 8” is set to 16 km rather than 28 km, smoke that isn't IR smoke…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I sat on the fence for a long time with this game. 100% because of pricing. i waited for a sale, and picked it up right away. i must say, this is a GREAT hex based wargame. its got a great amount of depth, everything under the hood is working smoothly, and i have yet to encounter any bugs. however, it takes A LONG TIME, to get get at this game. ive got like 75 hours as of this writing, and i still suck. it does a great job of realisitcally recreating units, tactics, docterine, and other aspects…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm is a somewhat unconventional but very welcome gem of a hex&counter wargame. The twist it has going for it over so many wargames of this type is a very tight focus on what you command, limited capability to command (organization and electronic warfare interference), and most interestingly the variable turn length, which alters as the game progresses due to the influence of various factors, lose a few commander units and watch it rocket right up. Commands are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game models my experiences serving in Germany in the 80’s better than any other war game I have played. It captures the flavour of the cold war gone hot and just as important the command issues. For example as in real life, after giving your orders, your subordinate units do not always do or go where you want them to depending on many factors for example communications or lack of, morale and readiness to name a few. There is a lot under the hood. The AI will punish mistakes’ in the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Col. John Boyd's famous theory of the OODA Loop did much to explain the psychology of why armies win or lose battles. And "Flashpoint Campaigns: Cold War" is the best simulation I've seen of OODA in action. My look at this game for Military Times. www.militarytimes.com/news/your-mi...
neutral · AI labelView post →As a member of the "great unwashed beer and pretzels crowd" I thought this game would be a pain in the ass to play. It's not. Be sure to work through the tutorial several times and just play it. You can easily edit open source scenarios and add anything you want including tac nukes (my favorite).
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Multiplayer and scenario editor (at least) are bugged as hell. It seems that it wasn't properly tested. After some time you can find walkarounds. AI is sometimes very clever, sometimes very easy to beat. You cannot influence some of the important behaviour of your units. Like where will artillery move after a barage. Sometimes they go opposite way that you intended, which could be pretty annoying and cost you a game. I still enjoy it and I recommend it. Potential is great and you can create…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very realistic, and the stuff that goes on behind the scenes to make it all work is incredible. A must-buy for anyone interested in strategy or tactics, or even just the 80s cold war period.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm Player's Edition is an older game from 2013. It's a venerable 12 years old at the time of this review. This is a turn based tactical wargame from Temu Paragon (yes, Slitherine, selling stupidly overpriced C grade wargames yet again). Now I get there's a strong and deep niche for wargamers and I think they're underserviced, especially by businesses like Slitherine that set out to gouge as much as they can, and I think Flashpoint Campaigns is a classical example…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pros: + One of the best hex-based, WEGO, operational-level wargames + Realistic combat between accurately rendered Cold War era units + The 'Player's Edition' reworked maps and counters look great + The UI is intuitive and well organized; any info / command is no more than 1-2 clicks away + Immersive battlefield soundscape Cons: - Linear campaigns. Unlike WWII / Vietnam, the hypothetical NATO vs Warsaw Pact conflict could have benefited from a dynamic campaign (as implemented in Armored…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Side Quests is back and this episode's host is podcaster, writer and Cold War force commander, @jcdent.bsky.social! The game he is talking about today is Flashpoint Campaigns: Cold War by On Target Simulations and Matrix Games! funandgames.libsyn.com/side-quests-...
neutral · AI labelView post →I would say this game is an enjoyable experience for anyone with any interest in cold war era military equipment and tactics. To me it has been refreshing to get to command troops on platoon level involving actual battlefield tactics instead of the usual take on division level strategy. It also seems fairly realistic in many respects as far as I can tell. Maybe the command execution delays seem a bit lengthy in some cases, but I'm under the impression that the developers are actively not only…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought this game and really wanted to like it, but the interface is absolute crap, the controls are clunky, nothing about the game is intuitive, movement of a single unit is a painstaking series of clicking and plotting, there are no hotkeys, everything is accessed only via a hidden right-click menu option. This game sucks, it is a total miscarriage and abortion.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very strange beast of a game, aiming to tackle myriad of unique aspects that are rarely represented in games of similar nature. Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm is not only a treat for fans of turn based strategy games, but also a must have for 'Cold War-turned hot' scenario fans, meaning those who liked Tom Clancy's most famous book about same topic will feel ultimately at home with this game. FC:RS gives us a plethora of operations and separate missions, which we can play against the AI,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm is surprisingly approachable "hardcore" strategy. By hardcore I mean it aims for realism, it's still no War in the East in amount of detail and that's just fine. Flashpoint Campaigns that kind of games in sheer playability hands down. Pros: + Relatively easy to play. I might not be the best guy to judge the UI since I have played quite a lot of strategy games which usually have quite bad UI's and thus have build up a tolerance, but I guess Flashpoint Campaigns…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Despite the downright annoying user interface; FC:RS doesn't disappoint as far as the core game mechanics are concerned. After spending some time getting my bearings (i.e. RTFM-ing) the initial frustration subsided and I was left with one hell of a difficult, yet rewarding, division level combat simulation. Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. This game requires a lot of patience and tinkering, so if you're the kind of person that rage-quits the moment things don't go your way -- you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Challenging wargame, atypical in that you are limited in your command and control cycle and very dependent on reconaissance for locating the enemy. Artillery is definitely King. Protect your reconaissance assets and HQ units while wrecking your opponents. Very different in a great way. I've played the game many more hours outside of Steam.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As with so many of my games, books and interests in life, my interest in this title was one of confused attraction, or in other words an attraction of dislike. I was looking at what was, to my mind a very bland and Excel-like 'game' with all the UI and information pages a silver tin-like appearance and bland map. The more I looked at the screenshots, then slowly building into videos I just could not imagine how anyone in their right mind could pay such a high price for, and spend any hours at…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is an excellent game that combines playability with a design philosophy that rewards authentic gameplay. You give your subordinates broad directives and waypoints, which they will carry out to the best of their abilities. The game abstracts the busywork and assumes that your subordinates are handling their own responsibilities. Fire support can be automated in case plotting artillery targets becomes tedious. Battle command becomes the player’s main concern over micromanagement. It’s very…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very well executed concept. Detailed and realistic. Devs quickly answer for questions on the forum.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is not for the faint-hearted, or those devoid of some sort of wargame experience. Provided you know what APC, MBT, OOB stand for, then you're in for hours upon hours of gripping tactical fights. Never before in my experience have I waited so anxiously for a little box (representing a stack of ennemy MBTs) to flash yellow (meaning they suffer losses)... you find yourself playing "just another turn" to the early hours in the morning, just to see if the call you made hours of in-game…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bought and played a lot of war games but have been satisfied with very few. Can't say much that has not already been said by others here so I won't waste your time reading the same comments, but if you've been searching for a strategic wargame and nothing seems to scratch that itch, give this one a try. It has the right mix of depth, graphics, and gameplay that really make it stand out from other games. I do hope they continue to support this and even build upon it with other games using…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great Game. Very Good.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →NATO or Soviet forces in battle on the ground in 1980’s Central Europe, what more can you want, the time frame is perfect for the what if type battles, great UI and engine, stable and works well, well supported and a great design and by great programmers from a great series so far, which can only get better now with the latest released.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Buy the sequel on matrix games.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This simply is the best and most gripping simulation of the Cold War gone hot that I can imagine. Reading Harold Coyle's Team Yankee, I just had to play this game again. Now, I am biased - the first scenario I played took place in July 1989 - exactly the time I was in the Bundeswehr, quite close by and I had actually been at one of the unit's barracks described in the mission briefing. So for me there is a whole lot of reminiscing in the game. But apart from that you a great "what if". There…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →GUI is terrible.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Outstanding simulation of Cold war gone Hot with very well designed C & C system , beautiful maps and counters ,excellent UI , very friendly community and active developers.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Rating: A+ This is a serious wargame. None of that fake crap that people like to call wargames but are really wussy arcade RTS chump simulators. Flashpoint Campaigns has hexes and counters and orders and turns. All of the classic components of something designed by and for true grognards. It is my first PC "hardcore" wargame, and after nearly a dozen hours, it's a pretty neat game. Most wargames and PC strategy games still focus around manouvre and ordering each of your units with razor-like…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the system may be fine and interesting, but the turn resolution is not. its just a drag (and makes my head dizzy) watching every counter to move hex by hex, fire counter by counter, watching the enemies counter moving slowly hex by hex. no issue going into the kitchen, making a coffee, coming back and its not over yet.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game ive had now for well over a year but lately ive started to play this game properly ,and recently ive finally been able to "modify"the sub-unit inspector and change the lazy looking black and white sillohuettes for much better artwork is even better...Ive seen much better ones out there so i know it can be done better but im happy. back to the game,it's really easy to get into,you have to plan each stage in advance hit "Start"and sit back and watch.In this mode you literally cant do…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An excellent brigade level wargame.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good wargame game, feels like it models the chaos and CnC limitation of a modern grand tactical game very well.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty deep and rewarding hex- turn based strategy game. Great replayability, lots of units from the year 1989, authentic and well-thought-out battlesystem makes it as realistic as it gets. Awesome game, with a decent AI, which only simulates it's actions based on what it sees and the intel it gets, and is not cheating!! --> plus one reason to love this game. Hot Seat, PlayByEMail++, lots of scenarios 4 grand campaign (atm), player created content.. Recommended for any wargame/coldwar fans !
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game is very inaccurate. Russian troops do not drop their gear and do not flee the battlefield. Strangely they don't loot houses in search of food. Something is off here - complete lack of realism.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I held back from buying because I was worried it might be too complex and felt tedious but it's very simple to play and not tedious at all. I hate realistic RTS because you're bogged down micromanaging your units. Come on, a battlefield commander doesn't need to tell his men where to shoot at.....THIS GAME IS PERFECT! Realistic, immersive (the sounds both music and effects are awesome), and allows you to focus on tactical decisions and command instead of baby sitting your units.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is one of the best wargames around. It may not look flashy at first glance, but once the action starts it is surprisingly gripping. I think the reason for it is that at first glance it looks like a hexgrid counter-based wargame, but unlike most other similar games (thinking of unity of command here), action plays out minute-by-minute and losses are tracked down to individual vehicles and teams of men. The result is that things like the charge of a soviet tank regiment or that desperately…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →How to rate this game? The interface is not very intuitive, but once you understand how to move your forces around, it's quite easy to use. Certain mechanics feel completely unrealistic and illogical, like egaged helicopters just remain in place engaged indstead of flying out of harms way. The plan first, watch for 20 minutes later mechanics might feel boring for some people... However! This is the most realistic hex-based tactical game out there and I think the only one that deals with a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unpolished game, bad UI, fatal errors all along the first Soviet campaign mission (script). I can't recomend even if the dev team start to look seriously into the bugs. It's not ready, just it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For anyone interested in a serious wargame set in this period you would be hard pressed to find one better than this. The depth and detail available here is more than enough to forgive the clunky interface and primitive visual presentation.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →All I can say about this game is that it is not a game... It is an excellent simulation period... It has tons of depth and detail ... The game is a blast to play and a lot of fun to play... Especially when you figure out all, or at least most of the nuances of the game system.... This game is a labor of love and it shows.... Huzzzaaaa Designers!!! Get this game / simulation and you will get a great impression of the mechanics of modern tactical warfare... Just do it you will not regreat…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The assymetric and variable length of the orders phases for each side, along with the varying limit to how many orders may be issued in a phase, makes FCRS stand out from the crowd. These innovations help this turn-based simulation to model the C3I stresses of airland battle--along with the steady crush of initiative--in a realistic way. Weather, doctrine, personnel quality, morale and the ECM environment are also well done (as are organic and theater force multipliers). It's also nice that…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great tactical game, easy to learn but complex to master. There is room for improvement of the user interface though.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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