ICBM: Escalation
ICBM: Escalation
Game
Game2020
ICBM
Developer SoftWarWare, K-Project
ICBM is a real-time strategy game developed by SoftWarWare and K-Project, and published by Slitherine Software in 2020. The game allows players to weigh nuclear warfare by researching technologies, building stockpiles, and launching attacks on opponents while protecting their own population from nuclear attacks. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
225 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
87
LovedLoved
129 positive · 20 negative
95% range 80–91%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 129 | 20 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 6 | 1 | 65 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
1,230 of 1,327 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
86% recommend · 134 yes, 21 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 155 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (1,766 of 1,933 positive).
Players praise ICBM as a spiritual successor to DEFCON, with tense gameplay and a focus on nuclear strategy. [1][2][3] Some reviewers note the game requires mods for full enjoyment and recommend waiting for the sequel. [4][5] Criticism includes overly aggressive AI, a lack of polish, and a dry presentation that insulates from consequences. [6][7][8]
Liked
- Engaging and addictive gameplay with a steep but rewarding learning curve. [9][10]
- Strong modding community adds replayability and new content. [4][3][10]
- Unique mechanics like research and building from scratch set it apart. [11][12]
- Good for multiplayer with friends despite a dead matchmaking scene. [1][3]
Representative posts
- [5]
DO NOT BUY THIS Wait for ICBM escalation I believe this game is just a proof of concept and there's no longer any support for it yeah people are still making mods and they are almost required to have fun on this game but I wouldn't buy this just yet, wait until the next one which will be more polished comes out
- [14]
this game is not your ordinary rts, its similar defcon idea yet.. you feel the same, you dont win at the end, you get no screen of whoever won that round,just the statistics and players "score". You sit behind a big screen representing our planet,will you spend research effort on protecting your civilians, placing early warning systems or just make every weapon type that you can? you will try to place SAM batteries …
- [9]
"I just need enough more nukes than my enemies". "I just need to take out their counter attack capabilities". "I just need to shoot down their ICMBs". Every time I start a game I am fully convinced that THIS TIME I'll be able to win nuclear war but in the end there is no winning, everyone dies every time. 10/10 best game to develop existential dread over the possibiltiy nuclear warfare! For the more useful review: …
- [1]
I think this game is the perfect one to bring on the DEFCON legacy to blow your friends up! :D
- [2]
This is the sequel to the classic "DEFCON". In fact, I'd be surprised if nobody ported the creepy DEFCON soundtrack; I should look for it. It is a tense game, well put together, and with unique and engaging game mechanics. Definitely worth a spin, and the mods were on top of the different glitches and bugs the last time I checked.
Summarised from 34 of the 220 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 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
ICBM sits at 87% positive across 149 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Wargamer compared the game to DEFCON (2006) and wrote: "For all of ICBM's good aspects and good ideas, there's just not much depth to it all." PCMag gave the game a rating of four out of five and also compared it to DEFCON. The graphics were described as satisfactory and the user interface as simple and understandable. They would have liked the scenarios to have more variety and the tutorials to be more interesting.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 225 · most liked first🇷🇺 Russia’s playing the intimidation game again — planning a “training-combat” launch of a Yars ICBM on the night of May 19, according to Ukraine’s intel. The move is aimed at pressuring Ukraine, the EU, and NATO. The missile, with a mock warhead, will be launched from Sverdlovsk.
neutral · AI labelView post →A 1970 computer game called ICBM lives once more after spending decades trapped as source code on paper. Let that be another lesson in the importance of printouts!
neutral · AI labelView post →i think one of my favorite maneuvers by any boss from any game ever is when Jupiter King, from Metal Slug 3, grabs an implausibly large ICBM from its chest cavity and instead of doing anything clever, it just slams it nose-first into the floor
neutral · AI labelView post →Playing with shapes at the abandoned ICBM radar in North Dakota.
neutral · AI labelView post →I saw the news yesterday about somethin along the lines of ICBM being launched, I hope things won't get worse but I immediately kicked my plan into high gear! the following is an entry from my journal DAY 1: I'm now in our cabin at the mountains and already raised my poultry alarms to DEFCON 2. I went for an axe and break open a locked room, the room that my dad always say not to open. I saw a computer resembling a commodore 64, I powered it up then logged into steam and installed 2.9GB of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sentinel ICBM industry PR video claims it will have “game-changing capabilities” youtu.be/OYVWY5dzv1I?... including new propulsion system in payload section to increase warhead accuracy. Already over budget, USAF claims it will be cheaper. www.airandspaceforces.com/sentinel-icb...
neutral · AI labelView post →You can bomb Paris. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nuclear disaster is just one fussy cat away, can you fix the faulty automatic ICBM launch system? An old school fun point and click adventure game set in a nuclear silo in Siberia during the cold war. #indiegame #adventuregame #pixelart #retro
neutral · AI labelView post →I will leave this cat here, so that everybody who passes by can pet it and give it a thumbs up and awards ／＞ フ | _ _ l ／` ミ＿xノ / | / ヽ ﾉ │ | | | ／￣| | | | | (￣ヽ＿_ヽ_)__) ＼二つ
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Did you know? That if you dropped a ICBM on Michigan stadium during a Ohio state vs Michigan football game, you would make the world a better place ?
neutral · AI labelView post →DO NOT BUY THIS Wait for ICBM escalation I believe this game is just a proof of concept and there's no longer any support for it yeah people are still making mods and they are almost required to have fun on this game but I wouldn't buy this just yet, wait until the next one which will be more polished comes out
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is August 6th 2024. Exactly 79 years ago Hiroshima was bombed by the first nuclear weapon to be used on a target and I watched this [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y79iz3ufZbg] video about the only nuclear weapons used in war. And as irony has it my friends and I started playing the game ICBM recently... You control continent sized nations and slowly build up your arsenal on nuclear weapons as you also research more and more means to help you "win" the oncomming conflict. We…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i wouldn't say the gameplay is *deep* but unfurling the capabilities of each character and chaining them together feels good. The Gacha MC (note: this game is not a gacha) is usually an instant discard but Lute being able to dropkick like an ICBM is immediately charming.
neutral · AI labelView post →just get the sequel, its kind of like the lfd1 vs lfd2 situation, good game though
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Load game Autolock Europe Obliterate France Die 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game is not your ordinary rts, its similar defcon idea yet.. you feel the same, you dont win at the end, you get no screen of whoever won that round,just the statistics and players "score". You sit behind a big screen representing our planet,will you spend research effort on protecting your civilians, placing early warning systems or just make every weapon type that you can? you will try to place SAM batteries and try to intercept the nukes but they still will slip through, you cant help…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →With more support, more features, an upgraded UI, a clan system, etc. this game could be incredible, the Dawn at Midnight mod is incredible and is, in my opinion, how the base game should have launched. it is a must have mod!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Suppose one of these former Soviet ICBM bases could house Oreshnik. Let the game begin.
neutral · AI labelView post →Maybe I'm missing something, I don't know. I played all the tutorials. but I end up getting nuked by the AI around 1hour into the game every time I play. most of the stuff in the tutorials needs research, so I really can't see any way to actually access 95% of the content in the game since you basically have to rush ICBMs so you have them in time to nuke the enemy back.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like nuking non americans
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Would absolutely recommend this game to anyone, 10/10. Might want to wait until it's on sale though, as it can be a little pricey for what you get. If you get bored of the base game, you can always install mods or even create your own. I would suggest people to play this game before ICBM: Escalation though, as it's much more beginner friendly and lends itself more heavily to the skill of the player, not the other AI. Am planning to buy Escalation too
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →actually really funny to put an item from a completely differnet genre and setting into a game. here's a high fantasy rts with an emphasis on positioning and tactics. oh and by the way here's an ICBM.
neutral · AI labelView post →i like blowing Paris up
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A vampire aerospace or nuclear engineer would probably be a game changer for maintaining legacy ICBM systems, tbh
neutral · AI labelView post →war, war never changes
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →D-D-Did you see the frightened ones D-D-Did you hear the falling bombs Goodbye Blue sky
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I think this game is the perfect one to bring on the DEFCON legacy to blow your friends up! :D
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A better version of defcon!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"I just need enough more nukes than my enemies". "I just need to take out their counter attack capabilities". "I just need to shoot down their ICMBs". Every time I start a game I am fully convinced that THIS TIME I'll be able to win nuclear war but in the end there is no winning, everyone dies every time. 10/10 best game to develop existential dread over the possibiltiy nuclear warfare! For the more useful review: The game took me maybe 30 minutes to pick up, everything is explained very…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A strange game, the only winning move is not to play.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Vladimir Putin simulator.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →ICBM, developed by SoftWarWare and published by Slitherine Ltd., is a real-time strategy game available on Steam that simulates the terrifying scenario of global thermonuclear war. Set in a Cold War-inspired environment, ICBM challenges players to manage resources, develop technologies, and strategically deploy nuclear weapons in an effort to dominate or survive in a world on the brink of annihilation. This essay will explore the core mechanics of ICBM, its strengths and weaknesses, and its…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very solid effort. Worthy of recommendation! The game is not very comparable to DEFCON in my opinion. There are two main reasons why which no one talks about much, probably because they're afraid it might scare people away who were fans of that game, or people might find ICBM isn't what some might think it is (don't worry, it's not bad): 1. You start out with NOTHING. You have to research and build everything from scratch. ONE at a TIME. You literally have to research how to build missiles,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good but once someone fires a nuke the AI goes ballistic (literally) and total world destruction occurs
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →“They were out-vibed by every team they played… You can’t hero-worship an ICBM, and there’s nothing real in pretending to wear fatigues. For all the goodwill this tournament brought the game of baseball, Team USA sure got none of it on ’em.” www.pinstripealley.com/yankees-edit...
neutral · AI labelView post →This is the sequel to the classic "DEFCON". In fact, I'd be surprised if nobody ported the creepy DEFCON soundtrack; I should look for it. It is a tense game, well put together, and with unique and engaging game mechanics. Definitely worth a spin, and the mods were on top of the different glitches and bugs the last time I checked.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →legalise nuclear bombs
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game. Spiritual Successor to DEFCON. Lots of good strategies to do. Multiplayer is dead at this point, but large modding community means there's tons of new ways to play the game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →like a better version of defcon. i would like if there was a way to conquer a country say after you annihilate all its forces and nuke/ bomb every city but i think its still great with what it does
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →We'll meet again don't now when, don't know when but I know we'll meet again, some sunny day
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →1) Space is hard. It's about the hardest thing humans have done. The first attempts to reach space we're a by-product of the creation of the ICBM. It was a game that only superpower governments could play. The physics has not changed since then. It's still hard.
neutral · AI labelView post →Somehow @robchaney1.bsky.social squeezes in Carol Bellin, Mark Anderlik, Conrad’s drag strip, Meyer Chessin + bike🫡, nuked🥛and climate ⚠️. And: “Children in Lewistown have a playground with a decommissioned Minuteman ICBM next to the swing set.” (1/2) #MTNews #MTPol thepulp.org/montana-nucl...
neutral · AI labelView post →Our War Game and the whole plot about having to stop an ICBM from crashing into your home made me understand what was like for my parents to grow up during the Cold War.
neutral · AI labelView post →Nuked france 10/10 game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →came from DEFCON and this is very similiar but feels a lot more polished
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is more than just about ICBM's it also allows you to construct naval, air and static defences as well, it is quite enjoyable, doing your research, building up your forces. But beware nuclear attacks are hard to stop, so look to your defences and do your research. Don't forget to include a strong offence as well, just to retaliate when attacked. This is a total war type game, if you are not allied with a block, then you are at war with them, there is no neutrality.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I started as North America, got as many Mirvs, 10 megaton and 1 megaton ICBMs, then launched all of them at france. Peak Game 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →step 1.Download the game step 2.play tutorial step 3. play as Europe and immediately nuke Russia step 4. get nuked step 5. London hit 1m+ dead.....
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →get to bomb the middle east ;)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game is so fun and addicting 1000000% but it is hard to under stand at first but it only takes like 3-4 games to become decent at the game!!! recommend!! i would recommend getting two mods though one called omnnicide and one called extended peace time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Has an interesting start as you're fighting over coastal areas and trying to chase tech, but the complexity it adds vs. a game like Defcon is hamstrung by brain-damaged overly-simplistic AI and a lackluster UX.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i never knew genocide could be so fun from my extra super duper secure bunker. but this is just a game, haha!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →ICBM is a real-time strategy game developed by SoftWarWare and K-Project and published by Slitherine Ltd. It takes the familiar foundations of strategy games and shifts the focus away from commanding massive armies on conventional battlefields, instead placing players in charge of an entire nuclear superpower. Every decision revolves around technological superiority, military preparedness, and the ever-present threat of mutually assured destruction. The result is a tense and highly strategic…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game lets you nuke Turkey.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very basic, but enjoyable if you just want to see how modern strategic deployments work.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very deep and strategic game, a true spiritual successor to DEFCON. The research tree is varied and there are many different paths to victory, no two matches feel the same.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →-Finishing the Great Master Challenge in Astro Bot -Heismay's Archetype reveal in Metaphor ReFantazio -Clickolding...just...the whole game -Setting off an ICBM in Helldivers 2 for the first time -The entire final battle sequence in FF7 Rebirth
neutral · AI labelView post →I can see why Kim Jong-Un is so fixated with nukes man this is fun! Gameplay is excellent, hard to master yet very fun. Setting up strike plans, anxiously waiting their execution and seeing the result is fantastic. Conventional warfare is also well done, only thing missing is ground warfare, but some mods do add armies and occupation mechanics! Globe View is cool as ♥♥♥♥, especially when satellites and ICBMs start flying The AI is surprisingly competent Vanilla units and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →its so fun to nuke people u dont like, its basically racism in disguise:)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You could totally do a Metal Gear prequel game about The Boss fighting nazis. Go full Wolfenstein about it to keep the crazy weapons and boss fights. The target is the first ICBM, guarded by a hellish transforming tank that can roll, swim and fly, a proto-Metal Gear.
neutral · AI labelView post →
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