Push The Button: ICBM Is A Free Nuke Launch Control Sim

The Cold War! A conflict immortalised in such action-packed movies as Rambo III, Red Dawn, Red Zone Cuba, and Rocky IV. But what about the real threat of the Cold War, the thousands of intercontinental ballistic missiles pointed at the USA and USSR? ICBM [official site] is a free game which puts you - yes, you! - at the heart of the action.

Across four missions, you'll be the one sat at the desk with the big red button, waiting patiently for orders to turn the key and unleash the end of the world. And waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

You have the awfully important and dull job of sitting behind a desk for eight hours at a time (thankfully, minutes flick by in seconds) waiting for the call to come in. You have a huge bank of clicking, whirring, and crackling equipment to stare at and investigate, rapping your fingernails on your desk waiting for anything to do.

It's all wrapped up in a bombastic package, with the menus full of explosions, missiles, fire, rousing music, and provocative level titles. And you wait. And wait.

The joke, of course, is that nothing happens. Or does it? The DEFCON level slowly decreases, drawing closer to Armageddon. It can be tiresome, but if you pop your headphones on it does have a beautiful soundscape of machinery and those rapping nails. Perhaps you might enjoy it with a cup of coffee and a croissant, as I did this morning.

You can download ICBM for free from Game Jolt. It's made by Repvblic.