CLASSIFIED SIMULATION · COLD WAR DECISION ROOM · 1945–2003

ON THE BRINK

A Cold War decision game for learning, revision and classroom discussion, where every choice can raise tension, protect influence, or push the world closer to disaster.

GLOBAL TENSION: ACTIVE DEFCON MONITORING ONLINE REVISION REPORT READY

Teacher Settings

Use these controls to adjust the game for different classes before pupils start. This screen is locked with the teacher code.

Quick Presets

Choose a preset, then press Save Settings.

Funny consequences
Adds fictional joke outcomes for wrong/risky answers.

Show answer badges
Shows Historical, Plausible, Risky, Reckless and Nuclear badges in feedback.

Nuclear Strike option
Allows the direct nuclear option to appear.

Leaderboard
Shows and saves local leaderboard scores on this device.

Final report
Shows the detailed end-of-game learning report.

Timer enabled
Allows timed difficulty modes to run.

Teacher code protection
Requires the teacher code for Full Classroom View.

Default difficulty

SELECT PLAY MODE

How do you want to play?

Choose Single Player to begin the full released game. Group/Class Mode is available inside the game for shared classroom play. Multiplayer is reserved for a future online update.

Multiplayer is locked for normal users.

FUTURE MULTIPLAYER ACCESS

Future Multiplayer Area

Future multiplayer access has been unlocked on this browser for private development preview.

Planned Multiplayer Flow

Teacher/admin creates a lobby, pupils join with a code, choose a side, enter their name, and vote as teams.

This screen is reserved for future lobby features and is hidden from normal users until unlocked.

Rules

This game rewards historically accurate and sensible Cold War decision-making. Nuclear war should normally only happen if pupils repeatedly escalate or choose the direct nuclear option.

The funny bit is fictional. The fear was real. The Cold War was terrifying, and this game is designed to keep the learning fun while still respecting how dangerous these crises really were.

Historical choices usually follow what actually happened.
Plausible choices are sensible alternatives that could have happened.
Risky and reckless choices may lower stability, raise DEFCON, or add Crisis Strikes.
Nuclear Strike is always dangerous and can end the game.
Funny consequences are fictional. The historical correction explains the real learning.
At the end, your final learning report and local leaderboard score will be shown, unless changed in Teacher Settings.

Teacher Lesson Mode

Choose a ready-made lesson preset or manually select booklet topics. No topic is selected by default, so teachers can match the game to the exact content taught.

Booklet-Only Mode

This version only includes topics from the uploaded booklets. Feedback may add supporting own knowledge, but game questions stay within the taught booklet areas.

Briefing rule: briefings set the scene but do not reveal the correct/historical answer before pupils vote.

Quick Lesson Presets

Recommended for teacher-led Classroom View.

Current preset: None selected

0 topics selected

Mobile/iPad friendly version: use the large buttons below. Tables can be swiped sideways on smaller screens. If buttons do not work from an emailed attachment preview, save the file to your phone and open it in Safari/Chrome, or use a hosted web link.

Choose Your Party

Choose an individual side for Single Player, or use Group/Class Mode for paired, group or whole-class voting.

Selected Lesson/Topic Set: No topics selected

Single Player Leaderboards

Scores are saved on this device/browser only. Single Player results are shown first, with Group/Class Mode sessions kept separately below.

Your Name

Enter your name before the game begins. Your name may appear in fictional joke consequences. These are clearly labelled as made up and are not real history.

Choose Difficulty

Choose how much pressure you want. The timer is optional so the game can still be used for careful GCSE learning and accessibility.

Timer Rule

If time runs out, the game will choose a random non-nuclear answer for your side and automatically reveal the consequence. You still decide when to move to the next part.

Armageddon Mode: the timer is always 60 seconds and DEFCON stays locked at 2 unless your decisions trigger DEFCON 1.

DEFCON 5

Player: Player | Current View: Single Player

Communist East Influence

Capitalist West Influence

Global Reputation

World Stability

Crisis Strikes

ACTIVE CRISIS DOSSIER

Decision Timer
Learning Mode

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Tip: On phones, scroll down after reading the briefing to see your decision options. The timer stays visible during timed modes.

CLASSIFIED BRIEFING Context before decision

Historical Briefing

Key terms:

☢️ Nuclear Strike is always available, but it is not a sensible historical option. Using it will almost always end the game.

Communist East Decision

Capitalist West Decision

CLASS VOTE + PREDICTION MODE

Run a Whole-Class Vote

In Group/Class Mode, pupils do not click the normal answer buttons. Use hands up, mini whiteboards, teams, or discussion groups, then enter the vote totals here. The game will apply the winning option for each side.

Classroom flow: Discuss → vote → enter totals → choose prediction → apply vote → reveal consequence.
Note: Vote options are deliberately unlabelled so pupils must judge the answers themselves.

Communist East Vote

Capitalist West Vote

Class Prediction Before Reveal

Ask pupils what they think will happen before you reveal the consequence.

No class vote applied yet.

End of Game

On the Brink — Final Learning Report

Cold War Educational Game

FINAL DEBRIEF FILE

End of Simulation Report

Use this screen for class discussion, revision evidence, or written follow-up.

FILE: OTB-DEBRIEF

CLASSIFIED DECISION FILE

Review / Learn Mode

Go back through your decisions and use them as revision notes.