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.
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.
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 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
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.
Learning Mode
Historical Briefing
Communist East Decision
Capitalist West Decision
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.
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.
End of Game
On the Brink — Final Learning Report
Cold War Educational Game
End of Simulation Report
Use this screen for class discussion, revision evidence, or written follow-up.
Review / Learn Mode
Go back through your decisions and use them as revision notes.