I've seen recommendations around before, but not having much luck with the search function. So I've played Crisis in the Kremlin and while I can't seem to win, I do like the tone/era. I'm wondering if anyone has specific recommendations for any rts or tbs games with late cold war era USSR as playable? Could be modern or old PC like the original Crisis game was or Red Alert, thanks.

  • Frank [he/him, he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    I would play a dating sim where you're the Soviet Union and you have to romance unaligned nations.

    • Vncredleader
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      OMG that is essentially what I wish Crisis in the Kremlin was

  • Tiocfaidhcaisarla [he/him, comrade/them]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Been hoping to find things like this too. Haven't played it and it's still in development, but Workers and Resources is a soviet city building sim. The developers aren't terribly sympathetic though, last update was basically a solidarity with Ukraine update.

    For Victoria II there's the Cold War Enhancement mod. Have to know Vic II to get anything out of it, and the developers are conservative or liberal, so also shit ideology. But you can win the cold war as the USSR, or play any communist country from 1946 on

    • Vncredleader
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      Yeah some of the soviet-themed rpgs I've been interested in have also done "Ukraine-updates"

      Victoria 2 is super tricky, though I did start to get a sense of it. How do mods work, steam doesnt have a workshop for vic 2

    • UncleJoe [comrade/them]
      ·
      3 years ago

      The CWE mod is fucking crazy

      I'm currently in 1979: After fighting two SIMULTANEOUS world wars to communize Europe, I ended up with three separate German communist states, and the rest of the continent is almost entire ruled or in the sphere of a giant Polish Commonwealth and a chunky Yugoslavia

      • gaycomputeruser [she/her]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Their wording was pretty explicitly a standing with ukranian people post and cast no judgement otherwise.

  • BynarsAreOk [none/use name]
    ·
    edit-2
    3 years ago

    Wargame: AirLand Battle, Wargame: Red Dragon(DPRK/China playable).

    Not RTS unfortunately Cold waters with the mod you can play on the USSR side, pretty good game too.

  • ZestyDwarf [he/him,comrade/them]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Humankind, although you progress through different civs, the Soviets are one of the final civs you can end up as

  • Ehrmantrout [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Rise of nations with it's expansion pack, Thrones and patriots had a cold war campaign where you could play as the soviets.

    • Vncredleader
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      Oh I know, got well over a thousand hours in that

        • alcoholicorn [comrade/them, doe/deer]
          ·
          edit-2
          3 years ago

          Still kinda bothered that the nation that was settled by a zebra slave revolt doesn't end up communist if you take the anti-imperialist or anarchist routes. There's 4 paths/leaders where every decision is basically "Liberalize", "Encourage class collaboration", "Abolish the state right now" or "Oppress the bourgeois" until you get that leader, but each path still ends in Harmony/liberalism.

          Other than Stalliongrad, I can't think of another country that would be more inclined to send military expeditions to help other ponies liberate themselves or have to defend themselves from harmonist monarchies and republics who feel threatened by their existence.

              • alcoholicorn [comrade/them, doe/deer]
                ·
                3 years ago

                OK, so you know Hearts of Iron, that spreadsheet game that's basically WWII fanfiction expressed in the form of painting maps?

                Imagine that, but My Little Pony.

                https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1826643372

  • Mardoniush [she/her]
    ·
    3 years ago

    The expansion to World in Conflict (and the multiplayer of the base game)

  • MalarchoBidenism [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Seconding the Rise of Nations recommendation.

    Someone in here posted Cold War 2 a while back. You can play as the USSR, China or the bad guys through multiple time periods.

    Empire Earth has a ton of fan made custom campaigns, including a Soviet campaign (mostly WW2, but also a few levels for the Russian Revolution and Cold War) and a Spanish Civil War campaign where you play as the republicans. Both have cringe liberal bits, especially the first, but they're still pretty fun.

    • Vncredleader
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      Oh god cold war 2 is so good thank you for pointing it out. So simple and fun, and in browser no less

  • Vncredleader
    hexagon
    ·
    3 years ago

    So are the other Kremlingames easier than crisis? I'd love to be able to do the international affairs stuff without my SSRs collapsing is why

    • Kirai [he/him,they/them]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Seconding the recommendation for Ostalgie. Haven't figured out Mao's legacy yet though. If needed, I could give a rough guide to the GDR to stay fully Communist and to save socialism.

      • Vncredleader
        hexagon
        ·
        3 years ago

        Got it after posting, played it all night. So much more fun than crisis. and yup GDR for my first go. Felt much more like I was actually playing the game

        • Kirai [he/him,they/them]
          ·
          3 years ago

          Glad you enjoyed it! Need to figure out nation's other than the GDR and Afghanistan, but it's pretty damn fun.

  • ultraviolet [she/her]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Command and Conquer Red Alert 1,2,3. The Mental Omega mod for RA2 is really good.

  • gaycomputeruser [she/her]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Workers and resources: soviet republic is good, but not really what you're looking for I don't think.