DEFCON

DEFCON

Introversion Software · September 29, 2006 · Tactical, PvP, Online Co-Op, Co-op, Singleplayer

Buy DEFCON from IndieGala Store at $1.99 — the cheapest of 8 stores we compare. The cheapest DEFCON key from a keyshop is $3.21 at Kinguin.

PC
Very Positive87% · 4,37084Metacritic5playing now
Best price 51 Good deal
$1.99-80%
$9.99lowest tracked $0.99
IndieGala Store Buy at IndieGala Store

Prices last checked

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Where to buy DEFCON — official stores

IndieGala Store
IndieGala Store
Standard Edition · Steam
-80%
$1.99
$9.99
Buy
GOG
GOG
Standard Edition · DRM-Free
-50%
$5.99
$11.99
Buy
Steam
Steam
Standard Edition · Steam
$11.99
Buy

Cheapest DEFCON keys — keyshops

Keyshops are third-party marketplaces — keys are resold and can be region-locked or a different edition. Check the listing's region & edition before buying.

Driffle INC
Standard Edition · Steam
$3.28
Buy
Kinguin
Standard Edition · Steam
$3.21
Buy
Gameseal
Standard Edition · Steam
$3.30
Buy
CJS CD Keys
CJS CD Keys
Standard Edition · Steam
$4.42
Buy
Eneba
Standard Edition · GOG
$5.12
Buy

Some store links are affiliate links — playze may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the price you pay, and the cheapest confirmed price is always shown in the Best price box above.

DEFCON price by region

DEFCON costs £1.70 in the United Kingdom, €1.95 in Europe (EUR), $1.99 in the United States, $1.99 in Georgia (USD), CA$2.78 in Canada, A$2.84 in Australia, NZ$3.52 in New Zealand, zł8.55 in Poland and R$10.87 in Brazil right now.

Cheapest DEFCON offer in each region, in local currency
RegionBest priceOfficial storeKey shopStores
United Kingdom £1.70 −80% £1.70 £2.42 6
Europe (EUR) €1.95 −80% €1.95 €2.69 7
United Statesyour region $1.99 −80% $1.99 $3.21 8
Georgia (USD) $1.99 −80% $1.99 $3.21 8
Canada CA$2.78 −80% CA$2.78 — 3
Australia A$2.84 −80% A$2.84 — 3
New Zealand NZ$3.52 −80% NZ$3.52 — 3
Poland zł8.55 −80% zł8.55 zł12.77 5
Brazil R$10.87 −80% R$10.87 R$18.00 4

Each row is a real price from that region's own stores, not a currency conversion, so the figures are not directly comparable. Switch regions in the header to shop the one you buy in.

Screenshots

About DEFCON

✦ AI summary

Command nuclear arsenals across a frozen globe in this Cold War strategy game where you must annihilate enemy populations while shielding your own in a fragile web of alliances and betrayals. Every attack exposes your vulnerabilities, making each decision a high-stakes gamble where the only winning move is losing the least.

DEFCON, inspired by the 1983 cult classic Wargames, is a Cold War-era strategy game simulating global thermonuclear war. Hidden in an underground bunker, your goal is to annihilate enemy populations while protecting your own. Fragile alliances and betrayals shape the high-stakes gameplay, as every attack exposes you to retaliation. With its minimalist interface, DEFCON tracks death tolls in real-time, blending psychological tension with strategic depth. In nuclear Armageddon, everybody loses. You just have to lose the least.Experience the chilling reality of global thermonuclear war in DEFCON. Position submarines, silos, and air defenses to engage in strategic nuclear exchanges. Every attack reveals your own vulnerabilities, making each decision a high-stakes gamble. The minimalist, military-style interface, and chilling soundscape heightens the tension.DEFCON shines in multiplayer, where alliances are forged and broken in a heartbeat. Engage in brinkmanship, balancing aggression with self-preservation, to avoid triggering total nuclear war. The ultimate goal: ensure you lose the least, as paranoia and betrayal dominate every moment.DEFCON doesn’t just simulate war — it emphasizes its devastating cost. Real-time death tolls track the human impact as cities are obliterated and the globe plunges into darkness.DEFCON was the 3rd major game from acclaimed indie developer, Introversion Software, which then went onto to develop the BAFTA winning game, Prison Architect.Introversion Software has been developing games since 2001, and stands behind acclaimed titles like Uplink, Darwinia, Multiwinia, Prison Architect, Scanner Sombre, and their latest release, The Last Starship. Introversion has garnered both critical and commercial success being recognised with multiple awards including the IGF grand prize for Darwinia and BAFTA for best persistent game (Prison Architect). They have sold more than 4M copies of their games worldwide.

DEFCON — game info

Platforms
Windows, macOS, Linux / SteamOS
Steam Deck
Playable
Player modes
Single-player, Online PvP, Online co-op, LAN, Cross-platform multiplayer
PC Game Pass
Not included

What Steam players say

Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.

✦ AI summary

DEFCON is a brilliantly designed strategy game that makes every decision feel consequential while exploring themes of mutually assured destruction, with players praising its artistic depth and engaging multiplayer gameplay. The core experience revolves around thermonuclear warfare and the psychological weight of your choices, though some note the game's grim premise means the only truly winning move is not to play. Long-time players strongly recommend it, particularly given the recent anniversary update bringing new players to the multiplayer community.

Recommended Oct 1, 2026
Mutually assured destruction is no deterrent for madmen and all the other variants of human that we've discovered as of late.
11 found this helpful
Recommended Oct 1, 2026
Big Bada Boom !
1 found this helpful
Recommended Oct 1, 2026
Used to play this an insane amount (A lot more than seven hours!) and I was surprised to see it get an update, so I'm gonna have to play it again
1 found this helpful
Recommended Oct 2, 2026
This game puts so much weight on every choice you make yet make it look so insignificant that you only realized what you've done after the guns finally falls slient, the only winning move is not to play.
Recommended Oct 1, 2026
For anyone who have not seen this game, this price is crazy get it.. I have a couple thousand hours in the game and this new update will have tons of new players online ready to play !! join in watch the thermal nuclear fun.
Recommended Oct 1, 2026
The anniversary release seems like a good excuse to review this game. Ignore what Steam lists as my playtime - it's so old it predates that tracking. I played a ton of this back in the day. And it is brilliant. A perfect example of the power of gaming as an art form. If you've never played it, you owe it to yourself to correct that.

Community reviews

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