Headquarters: Cold War

About

Headquarters: Cold War is a single player and multiplayer tactical role playing game with a historical theme. It was developed by Starni Games and was released on March 19, 2026. It received neutral reviews from players.

Headquarters: Cold War is a fast-paced turn-based strategy game set in a hypothetical conflict between NATO and the USSR in 1984. Commanders can play as either side across two plot-driven campaigns and a variety of skirmish missions. Build your force, assign heroes, level up units, and use powerful Headquarters skills to outsmart the enemy and change the course of modern history. Face a true ta…

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60%

Audience ScoreBased on 10 reviews

gameplay3 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Engaging fast-paced turn-based strategy gameplay with a good mix of units including helicopters and recon, offering tactical depth such as stealth, overwatch, and reaction time.
Well-rendered models, animations, and customization options with full voice acting that enhance immersion.
Appealing for fans of the Cold War era and turn-based tactics, with a straightforward control scheme and the ability to keep and upgrade core units as you progress through missions.

Multiple game-breaking bugs reported, particularly in the campaigns causing crashes and UI issues, rendering some parts unplayable.
Tutorial is overly verbose and not intuitive, overwhelming players with text instead of gradually teaching mechanics.
Some gameplay mechanics have frustrating issues such as inconsistent damage output, line of sight problems, and reuse of outdated WWII-era unit sounds that detract from immersion.

story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The story is tied closely to a strategic mission structure where players manage core forces that persist and evolve across missions, fostering attachment to units. While users note some interface issues in later missions, the combination of persistent and mission-specific forces enhances engagement and strategic depth.
- “Your forces comprise core units (similar to Panzer General type games) which you keep each mission, earn experience with, and can upgrade and change, as well as mission-specific forces used only for that mission.”
- “I like this style; it makes me care about my core units but also provides plenty of mission-specific non-core units that I can be a bit more aggressive with.”
- “The 4th mission and the 'end turn' and mission objective bars are gone.”
- “I'm about halfway through and have been outnumbered by NATO forces on every mission.”
- “Your forces comprise core troops (similar to Panzer General type games) that you retain each mission, earn experience with, and can upgrade and change, as well as mission-specific forces used only for that mission.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The gameplay features a well-designed tutorial that effectively teaches mechanics through implementation, ensuring players grasp the essentials. However, despite the challenge, the campaigns lack distinctiveness, as both NATO and Soviet missions are played similarly, reducing the sense of variety between factions.
- “A well made tutorial gradually introduces mechanics and makes sure that you implement the mechanic instead of just telling you about it.”
- “Gameplay is straightforward.”
- “I understand the need for challenging gameplay, but I've ended up playing both the NATO campaign and the Soviet campaign in the same manner; it doesn't feel like they are truly different armies.”
graphics
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users praise the graphics for their high quality, noting only occasional lag or stuttering when playing at the highest settings. Overall, the visuals are impressive and run smoothly under most conditions.