V54.7.1 – Mission Results Flow Fix
15 June 2026Fixed the Multiplayer Mission Results flow so the podium button appears after consequences are revealed and the next-round button appears after the podium has been shown.
CLASSIFIED SIMULATION · COLD WAR DECISION ROOM · 1945–2003
ON THE BRINK
A Cold War decision game for learning, revision and classroom discussion, where every choice can raise tension, protect influence, or push the world closer to disaster.
GLOBAL TENSION: ACTIVE
DEFCON MONITORING ONLINE
REVISION REPORT READY
PROJECT UPDATE LOG · PUBLIC INFORMATION
CHANGELOG
On the Brink – Update History
A public summary of the main features, improvements and classroom-focused changes added to the game.
V54.7 – Mission Results Showcase
15 June 2026Added a host-controlled Multiplayer Mission Results showcase with animated scores, a top-three podium, individual rankings, mission points and party totals after every revealed consequence.
V54.6 – Clear Consequences and Individual Results
15 June 2026Added Multiplayer voting and consequence popups, changed Multiplayer leaderboards to individual player statistics, and ensured completed games record results at every ending including DEFCON 1.
V54.5 – Required Names Everywhere
15 June 2026Made all name fields mandatory across Single Player, Multiplayer and the Cold War Campaign. Players now need a valid name before starting, creating a lobby or joining a lobby.
V54.4 – Campaign Name Required
15 June 2026Made the Cold War Campaign name field mandatory. Players cannot choose a side or begin until they enter a valid classroom-appropriate name.
V54.3 – Full Cold War Campaign Test
15 June 2026Loaded the complete Cold War Campaign test timeline from 1945 to the post-Cold War era, with twenty connected scenarios, expanded written-response intents, campaign progress tracking and multiple final endings.
V54.2 – Simplified Campaign Options
15 June 2026Changed the Cold War Campaign suggested actions from buttons into a simple text list and reduced repeated instructions around written responses.
V54.1 – Written Campaign Decisions
15 June 2026Changed Cold War Campaign so every decision must be typed in the pupil’s own words. Suggested actions remain available as writing prompts, while custom strategies are still supported.
V54.0 – Cold War Campaign Foundation
15 June 2026Added the first Cold War Campaign chapter, custom-response intent matching, local saves and save codes. Removed fictional alternate-history consequence panels from the standard Single Player and Multiplayer modes so they remain history-focused.
V53.4 – Full Changelog Dates
14 June 2026Replaced the remaining month-only and year-only changelog dates with full dates, using the latest date represented by each grouped entry.
V53.3 – Dated Changelog
14 June 2026Added dates to the public changelog so visitors can see when each major update or development period took place.
V53.2 – Single Player Simplification
14 June 2026Removed Group/Class Mode from Single Player now that the dedicated Multiplayer mode provides live classroom and group play.
V53.1 – Public Changelog
14 June 2026Added the public changelog screen to the main menu so players, teachers and visitors can review the game’s development history.
V53.0 – Site-Wide Admin Controls
12 June 2026- Added separate controls for public and private lobby creation.
- Added active lobby management with force-reset and close/delete actions.
- Added editable server-side banned name regex patterns.
- Expanded Single Player and Multiplayer leaderboard management.
- Added CSV leaderboard exports.
- Added a site-wide announcement message.
- Added Emergency Classroom Mode to disable public lobby creation and close active public lobbies.
V52.8 – Public and Private Multiplayer Lobbies
12 June 2026- Added visible Public Lobby and Private Lobby lists.
- Added direct joining for public lobbies.
- Added code-protected joining for private lobbies.
- Added a cleaner Multiplayer entry screen with Create, Join and Back controls.
V52.7 – Multiplayer Flow and Classroom Controls
12 June 2026- Added host-controlled consequence revealing.
- Allowed the host to reveal consequences early if players are inactive.
- Kept Start Next Round hidden until consequences were revealed.
- Improved hiding of lobby guides and setup panels after gameplay starts.
- Added host Reset Lobby controls to the Multiplayer final report.
V52.4–V52.6 – Safety, Leaderboards and Multiplayer Repairs
12 June 2026- Moved name filtering to the server and added an expanded regex-based banned name list.
- Separated shared Single Player and Multiplayer leaderboards.
- Added admin deletion and reset tools for leaderboard entries.
- Randomised Multiplayer answer positions.
- Ensured Nuclear Strike forces DEFCON 1 on every difficulty.
- Strengthened Multiplayer consequence and next-round flow.
V52.0–V52.3 – Reports, PDF Export and Manual Reveal
11 June 2026- Added more International Relations content covering later Cold War and post-Cold War topics.
- Improved final reports so only relevant sections appear.
- Added themed report/PDF export.
- Added shared Single Player leaderboard support.
- Introduced manual Multiplayer consequence reveal for classroom discussion.
- Improved alternate-history consequences so they respond to the choices selected.
V51 – Visual and Mobile Improvements
11 June 2026- Improved consequence layouts, final reports and visual hierarchy.
- Renamed fictional joke outcomes to Alternate History.
- Improved mobile touch behaviour to reduce accidental button presses while scrolling.
- Improved small-screen layouts, navigation spacing and control placement.
V50 – Integrated Multiplayer Major Update
11 June 2026- Integrated Multiplayer into the main game experience.
- Added shared crisis selection, party voting, timers and persistent Multiplayer leaderboards.
- Added Quick Guide pages for Single Player and Multiplayer.
- Added final Multiplayer reports and host controls.
Earlier Development
10 June 2026- Built the original Single Player Cold War decision game.
- Added Communist East and Capitalist West perspectives.
- Added DEFCON, stability, crisis strikes, difficulty modes and Nuclear Strike outcomes.
- Added historical, plausible, risky, reckless and alternate-history choices.
- Added source questions, review activities, debriefs, reports and teacher settings.
- Expanded the historical content using classroom booklets and revision resources.
Teacher Settings
Use these controls to adjust the game for different classes before pupils start. This screen is locked with the teacher code.
Quick Presets
Choose a preset, then press Save Settings.
Default difficulty
SELECT PLAY MODE
How do you want to play?
Choose Single Player for an individual run, or Multiplayer to create or join a live classroom lobby.
ADMIN SETTINGS · SITE CONTROLS
Admin Settings
Protected controls for site-wide multiplayer features.
Admin Login
Enter the admin password to manage shared multiplayer settings.
V53 Site-Wide Admin Controls
Site Message / Announcement
Shown on the main play mode screen and multiplayer entry screen.
Active Lobby Management
View active public/private lobbies, force reset stuck lobbies or close/delete them.
Unlock admin settings to load active lobbies.
Server-Side Name Filter
Edit banned name regex patterns. One pattern per line. Use carefully.
Manage Leaderboard Entries
Delete specific entries, reset boards, or export scores.
Multiplayer Leaderboard Entries
Unlock admin settings to load multiplayer entries.
Single Player Leaderboard Entries
Unlock admin settings to load single player entries.
INTEGRATED MULTIPLAYER
Multiplayer Lobby
Create or join a shared lobby. This multiplayer build adds shared server-controlled countdown timers, automatic non-nuclear choices when time runs out, and timer status across all connected devices.
Connecting to multiplayer server...
Create Lobby
Choose a private code-locked lobby or a public lobby that appears in the public list.
Join Lobby
Enter the lobby code given by the person who created the lobby.
Public Lobbies
Public lobbies can be joined directly without entering a code.
Loading public lobbies...
Private Lobbies
Private lobbies are visible, but pupils must enter the host's lobby code before joining.
Loading private lobbies...
Lobby Code
----
Choose Your Party
Communist East
Capitalist West
Spectators / No Party Chosen Yet
Host Controls
Choose the booklet topics for this lobby. Each selected topic will create shared voting rounds using its mission parts.
The host chooses the difficulty for the whole lobby. Timers will be added later, but DEFCON behaviour starts now.
0 topics selected
DEFCON 5
Shared lobby tension level
5
LIVE MULTIPLAYER ROUND
Shared Cold War Decision
SHARED BRIEFING
All players see the same mission
SHARED TIMER
No timer
Learning Mode has no timer. Other modes use the shared server timer.
Communist East Vote
Capitalist West Vote
Waiting for votes.
SINGLE PLAYER
Choose a Single Player Mode
Use the Historical Decision Game for focused revision, or Cold War Campaign for a longer story driven by your decisions.
COLD WAR CAMPAIGN · STRATEGY FILE
LONG-FORM SINGLE PLAYER
Cold War Campaign
Take command of either the Communist East or Capitalist West and play through the complete Cold War timeline, from the breakdown of the wartime alliance to the collapse of the Soviet Union and its aftermath.
History-led
Real events, leaders, chronology and historical explanations remain at the centre of the campaign.
Your strategy
Review the possible approaches, then explain your decision in your own words.
Continuing consequences
Trust, influence, stability, DEFCON and previous choices affect later reactions.
Automatic saving
Your campaign saves locally after every confirmed decision and can also be copied as a save code.
CAMPAIGN SETUP
Choose Your Command
LOAD CAMPAIGN
Load Save Code
Party
Year: 1945
DEFCON: 5
Trust: 50
Influence: 50
Stability: 70
Progress: 1 / 20
Write Your Decision
Explain what your government should do. The game will confirm how it has interpreted your response before continuing.
SINGLE PLAYER QUICK GUIDE
Single Player Quick Guide
Play through Cold War decisions as one side. Your choices affect DEFCON, stability and your final revision report.
1. Choose your side
Pick either the Communist East or the Capitalist West. You will make decisions from that side’s perspective.
2. Read the briefing carefully
Each round gives you historical context. Use it to think before choosing, just as leaders had to weigh risk, pressure and uncertainty.
3. Watch DEFCON and stability
Risky choices can move the world closer to nuclear crisis. Restrained or historically sensible choices can help keep the crisis under control.
4. Use the final report
At the end, review your strongest decisions, most dangerous moments, achievements and revision questions.
Remember
Use the briefing, evidence and historical correction to guide your decisions.
The standard decision game now focuses on real Cold War history, historical consequences and revision.
MULTIPLAYER QUICK GUIDE
Multiplayer Quick Guide
Create or join a live classroom lobby where players vote as the Communist East or Capitalist West.
1. Create or join a lobby
The host creates a lobby code. Other players join using that code, enter their name, and choose a side.
2. Vote with your side
Each side votes on its response. Vote totals are hidden until the result is revealed, so pupils must think carefully rather than follow the crowd.
3. Watch the shared timer
Standard, Pressure and Armageddon modes use a shared timer. If time runs out, missing votes are filled automatically with non-nuclear choices where possible.
4. Review the final report
At the end, the multiplayer report summarises the lobby, decisions, DEFCON, stability, score and teacher debrief points.
Classroom reminder
Discuss your options, but remember that Cold War leaders often had incomplete information and very little time.
Use the revealed consequence to compare each side’s decision with the real historical outcome.
Teacher Lesson Mode
Choose a ready-made lesson preset or manually select booklet topics. No topic is selected by default, so teachers can match the game to the exact content taught.
Booklet-Only Mode
This version only includes topics from the uploaded booklets. Feedback may add supporting own knowledge, but game questions stay within the taught booklet areas.
Briefing rule: briefings set the scene but do not reveal the correct/historical answer before pupils vote.
Quick Lesson Presets
Recommended for teacher-led Classroom View.
Current preset: None selected
0 topics selected
Mobile/iPad friendly version: use the large buttons below. Tables can be swiped sideways on smaller screens. If buttons do not work from an emailed attachment preview, save the file to your phone and open it in Safari/Chrome, or use a hosted web link.
Choose Your Party
Choose the Cold War party you want to control in Single Player.
Selected Lesson/Topic Set: No topics selected
SERVER LEADERBOARD
Multiplayer Leaderboards
Scores are saved on the server and shared across all devices.
Loading leaderboard...
Single Player Leaderboards
Single Player scores are saved on this device/browser only. Multiplayer scores are shown separately under Multiplayer Leaderboards.
Your Name
Enter your name before the game begins. Your name will appear in your score and final revision report.
Choose Difficulty
Choose how much pressure you want. The timer is optional so the game can still be used for careful GCSE learning and accessibility.
Timer Rule
If time runs out, the game will choose a random non-nuclear answer for your side and automatically reveal the consequence. You still decide when to move to the next part.
Armageddon Mode: the timer is always 60 seconds and DEFCON stays locked at 2 unless your decisions trigger DEFCON 1.
DEFCON 5
Communist East Influence
5
Capitalist West Influence
5
Global Reputation
5
World Stability
5
Crisis Strikes
0
ACTIVE CRISIS DOSSIER
Decision Timer
Learning Mode
Learning Mode
--:--
Tip: On phones, scroll down after reading the briefing to see your decision options. The timer stays visible during timed modes.
CLASSIFIED BRIEFING
Context before decision
Historical Briefing
Key terms:
☢️ Nuclear Strike is always available, but it is not a sensible historical option. Using it will almost always end the game.
Communist East Decision
Capitalist West Decision
CLASS VOTE + PREDICTION MODE
Run a Whole-Class Vote
In Single Player, pupils do not click the normal answer buttons. Use hands up, mini whiteboards, teams, or discussion groups, then enter the vote totals here. The game will apply the winning option for each side.
Classroom flow: Discuss → vote → enter totals → choose prediction → apply vote → reveal consequence.
Note: Vote options are deliberately unlabelled so pupils must judge the answers themselves.
Note: Vote options are deliberately unlabelled so pupils must judge the answers themselves.
Communist East Vote
Capitalist West Vote
Class Prediction Before Reveal
Ask pupils what they think will happen before you reveal the consequence.
No class vote applied yet.
End of Game
On the Brink — Final Learning Report
Cold War Educational Game
FINAL DEBRIEF FILE
End of Simulation Report
Use this screen for class discussion, revision evidence, or written follow-up.
FILE: OTB-DEBRIEF
CLASSIFIED DECISION FILE
Review / Learn Mode
Go back through your decisions and use them as revision notes.
MULTIPLAYER UPDATE
Voting Complete
The next stage is ready.
MISSION RESULTS
Mission Leaderboard
Communist East0
Capitalist West0