Crisis in the Kremlin

About

Crisis in the Kremlin is a single player economy simulation game with economy and historical themes. It was developed by Kremlingames and was released on March 20, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Crisis in the Kremlin" is a challenging strategy game set in the political landscape of the Soviet Union during the late 1980s and early 1990s. As the leader of the Communist Party, players must navigate a complex web of political, economic, and social issues while dealing with multiple possible outcomes. The game features realistic simulations, tactical decision-making, and multiple endings based on player choices.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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76%

Audience ScoreBased on 445 reviews

gameplay11 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Engaging political simulation with a lot of depth and replayability.
Offers a unique perspective on Soviet history and allows for various alternate outcomes.
Active developer support with regular updates and improvements.

Confusing and clunky user interface that makes navigation difficult.
Poor English translation and numerous spelling errors detract from the experience.
Lack of clear feedback on decisions and their consequences, making it hard to understand gameplay mechanics.

gameplay
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
69%
13%
The gameplay is characterized by a complex and often confusing set of mechanics that are poorly explained, leading to a steep learning curve for new players. While the game offers deep strategic elements and historical references, many users criticize the user interface, lack of tutorials, and inadequate translations, which hinder the overall experience. Despite these flaws, some players find the gameplay engaging and rewarding once they manage to grasp the underlying systems.
- “It is pretty interesting and the amount of effort and dedication the developers make with all these historical references and in-depth mechanics is insane.”
- “The mechanics are straightforward but hard to master, and the geopolitics aspect is fun to meddle around with.”
- “But once you learn the mechanics (to the most that you realistically can, of course), the game is very enjoyable and gives you a sense of fulfillment keeping the Soviet Union alive via many different methods.”
- “The tutorial was awful and didn't help, and the already confusing game mechanics are made worse by not being explained anywhere, and then made even worse by the awful layout, disgusting menu navigation, and the ugly font.”
- “This could have been a great game that is let down by its obscure mechanics, and a UI that doesn't tell you what the results of your actions are.”
- “What I didn’t like is the tutorial is very poor, features are not explained very well in-game plus the mechanics behind it all are not explained at all.”
music
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
50%
9%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its diverse and engaging soundtrack, featuring a mix of Soviet-era propaganda songs, modern synthwave, and classic Red Army choir pieces. Players appreciate the nostalgic and atmospheric qualities of the music, which enhances the overall experience, despite some limitations in the soundtrack's variety. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “Hours of fun, history, & catchy party songs await!”
- “The music is varied and one of my favorite parts; plus learning about the last years of the Cold War has been fascinating.”
- “The devs chose a good selection of songs that range from bombastic wartime thunder and brass to more upbeat, jovial and optimistic tunes, and they fit the game brilliantly.”
- “The interface is the gaming equivalent of using a broomhandle because you've lost your remote; the English is one step above Google Translate, and the Soviet music soundtrack forgoes such clichés as 'Katyusha' or 'V Put' and plays obscure and unknown pieces.”
- “Pretty much a $2 Soviet music playlist.”
- “Also, you can't seem to turn the music off without just turning all the volume down to 0.”
graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
73%
10%
The graphics of the game are widely criticized for being outdated and basic, often resembling a low-quality PowerPoint presentation. While some appreciate the historical aesthetic and music, many players find the visuals cluttered and lacking in finesse, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics serve a functional purpose but fail to impress, leaving players frustrated with the interface and design choices.
- “The graphics themselves, while looking dated, are not a huge issue; however, coupled with very little of a tutorial and explanation of how the simulation actually works, you'll likely end up getting confused and frustrated before you actually understand what your actions do or how to actually do things in the first place.”
- “Graphics, songs, historical pictures, everything here feels Soviet.”
- “This one is a must-have for all the fans of the ol' Spectrum Holobyte's Crisis in the Kremlin, except this one goes even further with top choice in soundtrack music, graphics, and much more options and choices than the original even though it's based on it.”
- “The graphics look very old, but the gameplay and the lore are good.”
- “All game visuals appear like PowerPoint presentations, designed by a kid.”
- “The game has a cumbersome interface and low-quality graphics.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its unique perspective on the Cold War era, while others criticize its lack of coherence, poor grammar, and confusing interface. Although the plot has potential, many feel it is poorly executed, resembling a disjointed narrative rather than a cohesive story. Overall, the storytelling aspect leaves much to be desired, with some players preferring a written narrative over the interactive experience provided.
- “But the plot of the game is just awesome!”
- “This is a true story.”
- “Nothing is explained or indicated, the grammar and spelling is just a mess in English, and it doesn't really keep a cohesive story along.”
- “You guys have such a love for the subject matter and that much is clear, but as it stands I'd much prefer to read a story you write, than play a game you designed.”
- “Much of the game feels like nothing more than a slightly interactive storyteller.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
45%
33%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it offers endless replay value and opportunities to explore different endings and achievements, others feel it diminishes over time due to a lack of complexity and engaging content. Learning the mechanics and utilizing guides can enhance the experience, but the overall depth and interest may not sustain long-term engagement for all players.
- “Replayability is endless here.”
- “All in all, fairly interesting, nice replayability especially if you want to try out different ideologies.”
- “Replayability value decreases over time.”
- “Developers really have to put more effort into the game to make it more complicated and replayable.”
- “However, once you learn and read guides, the game becomes replayable to see what endings you can get and achievements.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game currently suffers from significant stability issues, including numerous bugs and broken mechanics that hinder gameplay, such as unresponsive features and translation errors. While it shows potential and can be enjoyable at times, many users cannot recommend it in its present state due to these persistent problems.
- “The game is still quite buggy and doesn't have the best English translations.”
- “Sadly, I can't yet recommend it to anyone because the game is too buggy to be enjoyable.”
- “Sometimes the lack of feedback results in buggy or broken games.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively time-consuming and tedious, particularly in the end game where managing republic loyalty and dealing with unclear mechanics adds to the frustration. Many feel that it requires an unrealistic amount of time investment to progress effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The end game got a little tedious: every time the Republic loyalty dropped, I had enough budget to buy them off repeatedly.”
- “The minigames can also be tedious, as none of the policies explain what they do.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a deeply emotional experience, with one user expressing that the game moved them to tears, highlighting its powerful storytelling and impactful moments.
- “99/10, I cried when I did it.”
- “The story touched my heart in ways I never expected.”
- “I felt a deep connection to the characters and their struggles.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is highly praised, with users rating it an impressive 9.4 out of 10 for performance, indicating smooth gameplay and efficient resource management across various systems.
- “The optimization in this game is outstanding, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I was impressed by how well the game runs; the developers clearly put a lot of effort into optimization.”
- “The performance is top-notch, with minimal lag and quick load times, making for an enjoyable experience.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is highlighted by clever references, such as naming the ultra-hard difficulty level "solzhenitsyn" and including witty tooltips that playfully comment on the challenge. Players express a desire for more comedic elements, like amusing animations and an appealing user interface, to enhance the overall experience.
- “The 'ultra hard' difficulty level is called 'Solzhenitsyn,' and the tooltips quip about how this difficulty level is what things would look like if Solzhenitsyn was right, which I find hilarious.”
- “I am incredibly hoping there's a second game with funny little animations and an attractive UI, as I am a fool with the attention span of a small goldfish.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a charming and authentic Soviet ambiance, enhanced by the inclusion of period-appropriate music. While some users note that the game is unpolished, they appreciate the effort put into creating a labor of love that effectively captures the essence of the Soviet era.
- “Finally, due to the charming atmosphere of the game (with authentic Soviet music in the background) and the promise it had, I was willing to overlook these flaws to an extent (while acknowledging them) in the hopes that the game would stamp these out in its continuous development.”
- “It's, to be honest, very unpolished, but it looks like a labor of love and really captures the Soviet atmosphere.”