Games like DEFCON

DEFCON (Introversion Software, 29 September 2006) is a strategy game about strategic nuclear warfare that its Steam page says was inspired by the film WarGames. This page sets it beside three other war and Cold War strategy games, using each game's own store description, and says where Doomsday: M.A.D., a nuclear strategy game you can try in a browser, fits.

The four games at a glance

What each one says about itself

These are the official short descriptions from each game's Steam store page, quoted as published. They are four different games: the common thread is strategy and war between nations.

DEFCON

On its Steam page: “Inspired by the 1983 cult classic film, Wargames, DEFCON superbly evokes the tension, paranoia and suspicion of the Cold War era, playing on the fascinating aspects of psychological gameplay that occur during strategic nuclear warfare.”

Hearts of Iron IV

On its Steam page: “Victory is at your fingertips! Your ability to lead your nation is your supreme weapon, the strategy game Hearts of Iron IV lets you take command of any nation in World War II; the most engaging conflict in world history.”

Command: Modern Operations

On its Steam page: “The ultimate tactical and operational military simulator. Command joint air, naval, subsurface, ground, space, and cyber forces from post-WWII to the near-future. Master real-world EW, C4ISR, and multi-domain warfare on a global map powered by the engine trusted by defense professionals.”

Twilight Struggle

On its Steam page: “Twilight Struggle is a two-player game where players play as either the US or USSR during the Cold War. Using actual events from history, players must plan out their strategies in order to obtain world dominance. Play Twilight Struggle and change the course of history.”

Where Doomsday: M.A.D. fits

Doomsday: M.A.D. shares DEFCON's subject, nuclear war between nations, and not its form. What it offers, from the game itself:

• It runs in a browser. Open https://doomsdaystudio.app/play/ and play the demo, nothing to install. It is also on iPhone and iPad (App Store).
• Fully destructible terrain. Blasts knock buildings over, leave craters and scorch the ground.
• Three ways to play. A 1v1 missile duel, a war that escalates from DEFCON 5 to DEFCON 1, and a living world of two to eight nations that build, trade and fight on their own. Also a sandbox and AI against AI.
• 16 weapons in three tabs, from rocket salvos to a black hole (the Armory).

Going by those descriptions: for a two-player Cold War game built on historical events, Twilight Struggle; to lead a nation through World War II, Hearts of Iron IV; for a military simulator, Command: Modern Operations. If you want to launch missiles on a destructible map without installing anything, try the demo.

FAQ

What is DEFCON?

DEFCON is a strategy game by Introversion Software, released on 29 September 2006. Its Steam page says it is inspired by the 1983 film WarGames and evokes the tension, paranoia and suspicion of the Cold War era.

Is there a DEFCON-like game that runs in a browser?

Doomsday: M.A.D. is a nuclear strategy game that runs in a browser tab, with a demo at doomsdaystudio.app/play, nothing to install. It is a different game from DEFCON, with its own systems.

Is Doomsday: M.A.D. a DEFCON clone?

No. It is a separate game with its own systems: fully destructible terrain, a living world of nations that act on their own and 16 weapons in three tabs. Its War mode paces escalation with the DEFCON 5 to 1 alert levels, the readiness scale of the US armed forces: each level clears more weapons, and DEFCON 1 clears everything.

Sources

Steam store pages and their listed developer, release date, platforms and genres, read on 20 October 2026:

• DEFCON
• Hearts of Iron IV
• Command: Modern Operations
• Twilight Struggle

About Doomsday: M.A.D.: the game, the FAQ and the press kit.