The best games set in the Cold War 🧊⚔️ 2024
Looking for a party game set during the Cold War 🧊⚔️? We have a list of the best 30 Cold War games.
What is the Cold War?
The Cold War was a post-World War II state of geopolitical tension between the powers of the Eastern Bloc (the Soviet Union and its satellite states) and the powers of the Western Bloc (the United States, its NATO allies, and others).
Period ca. 1947 to 1989.
Historians do not fully agree on dates, but a common time frame is the period between 1947, (the year the Truman Doctrine was announced, a U.S. foreign policy that pledged to help nations threatened by Soviet expansionism) and either 1989 (when communism fell in Eastern Europe) or 1991 (when the Soviet Union collapsed).
Proxy wars
The term "cold" is used because there was no large-scale fighting directly between the two sides, but both sides each supported large regional wars known as "proxy wars."
Interested in histrorics, politics or war games?
We have created some more lists:
list with the best cold-war-society-games 2024 🧊⚔️
Pandemic Legacy: Season 0
Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 transports you to 1962, at the height of the Cold War, where a mysterious Soviet bioweapon called "Project MEDUSA" threatens global safety. As newly recruited CIA agents and medical graduates, you and your team are tasked with a critical mission: investigate and halt the development of this deadly pathogen. This game stands alone as a thrilling prequel to the earlier seasons of Pandemic Legacy, immersing players in a tense world of espionage and covert operations.
Nominated for 5 awards.
More details for Pandemic Legacy: Season 0- 2 - 4 Players
- 45 - 60 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Video reviews for Pandemic Legacy: Season 0
Twilight Struggle
Twilight Struggle offers an immersive journey through a pivotal period in history, where the world stood on the brink of nuclear annihilation. This two-player game takes place during the forty-five year rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States. Instead of traditional warfare, players engage in a dance of intrigue, prestige, and the occasional outbreak of hostilities. As the superpowers strive to make the world safe for their ideologies, you'll navigate a complex web of politics, espionage, and strategy. The game begins in the aftermath of World War II, with both superpowers scrambling for control, and concludes in 1989, leaving only one superpower standing.
Nominated for 6 awards and won 5.
More details for Twilight Struggle- 2 Players
- 120 - 180 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Hard to learn
13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis is a tense, strategic two-player game set during the critical moments of the Cuban Missile Crisis. It captures the high-stakes Cold War atmosphere, offering a rich thematic experience in just 45 minutes. The game challenges players to navigate complex dilemmas, such as choosing between gaining prestige or risking global nuclear war, and strategically managing their hand of cards to outmaneuver their opponent.
Nominated for 4 awards.
More details for 13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962- 2 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Kompromat
- 2 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
Secrets
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Secrets- 4 - 8 Players
- 15 - 35 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Secrets
Vienna Connection
- 1 - 5 Players
- 120 - 180 Minutes
- 16+ years old
- Easy to learn
Cold War: CIA vs KGB
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB is a strategic game that immerses players into the tense and intricate world of espionage and global manipulation in the aftermath of World War II. As the head of either the CIA or the KGB, players engage in a delicate dance of influence, using spies, double agents, and any means at their disposal to sway foreign governments towards their ideology. The game captures the essence of the Cold War, where indirect actions, influence, and subterfuge define the struggle for global supremacy rather than direct military engagements.
Nominated for 2 awards.
More details for Cold War: CIA vs KGB- 2 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Iron Curtain
- 2 Players
- 20 - 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
1960: The Making of the President
1960: The Making of the President is a captivating and strategic two-player board game that immerses players in the historical and intense presidential election of 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon.
Nominated for 4 awards.
More details for 1960: The Making of the President- 2 Players
- 90 - 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Gorbachev: The Fall of Communism
- 1 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Space Explorers
- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 - 40 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Spy Connection
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Spy Connection- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 - 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
🔥 Great price!Check for best price now at*Match of the Century
- 2 Players
- 30 - 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Medium difficulty
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Confusion: Espionage and Deception in the Cold War
Nominated for 1 award and won 1.
More details for Confusion: Espionage and Deception in the Cold War- 2 Players
- 30 - 45 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
1989: Dawn of Freedom
Nominated for 3 awards.
More details for 1989: Dawn of Freedom- 2 Players
- 150 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Hearts and Minds: Vietnam 1965-1975 (Third Edition)
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Hearts and Minds: Vietnam 1965-1975 (Third Edition)- 1 - 2 Players
- 45 - 360 Minutes
- 15+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Angola
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Angola- 2 - 4 Players
- 480 Minutes
- Medium difficulty
Days of Ire: Budapest 1956
- 1 - 4 Players
- 60 - 90 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Medium difficulty
13 Minutes: The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for 13 Minutes: The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962- 2 Players
- 13 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Modern Land Battles: Target Acquired
- 2 - 6 Players
- 60 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Quartermaster General: The Cold War
- 3 - 6 Players
- 90 - 120 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Video reviews for Quartermaster General: The Cold War
Wir sind das Volk!
Nominated for 5 awards and won 2.
More details for Wir sind das Volk!- 2 Players
- 60 - 150 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Hard to learn
Fire in the Lake
Fire in the Lake marks the fourth volume in GMT Games' highly acclaimed COIN Series, offering players a profound and detailed simulation of the Vietnam War's complexities. This game stands out for its multifaceted approach to one of the most tumultuous periods of the 20th century, providing a richly immersive experience that combines military strategy, political maneuvering, and the intricacies of coalition warfare.
Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.
More details for Fire in the Lake- 1 - 4 Players
- 180 Minutes
- Hard to learn
Covert
- 2 - 4 Players
- 45 - 90 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Medium difficulty
1955: The War of Espionage
- 2 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Easy to learn
Europe Divided
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Europe Divided- 2 Players
- 60 - 75 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*1969
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for 1969- 2 - 5 Players
- 90 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
LEADERS: The Combined Strategy Game
- 2 - 6 Players
- 120 - 180 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Medium difficulty
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Nights of Fire: Battle for Budapest
- 1 - 3 Players
- 60 - 90 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Colonial Twilight: The French-Algerian War, 1954-62
Nominated for 3 awards.
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More details for Colonial Twilight: The French-Algerian War, 1954-62- 1 - 2 Players
- 90 - 300 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Hard to learn
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