Crisis in the Kremlin

Originally released in 1991 by Barbu Corporation and published by Spectrum HoloByte, Crisis in the Kremlin invites players to take charge of the Soviet Union in its final years, navigating the challenges of a superpower on the brink of transformation. As General Secretary of the Communist Party, you must make difficult policy decisions, respond to real historical events, and balance the needs of rival political factions. As General Secretary of the Communist Party, you must make difficult policy decisions, respond to real historical events, and balance the needs of rival political factions.

Thanks to modern browser emulators, this political classic is accessible once again—giving players the chance to rewrite, relive, or resist the fall of the Soviet Union without downloading anything.

Gameplay Overview

Your first major decision is choosing your political stance. The game lets you play as one of three real-life leaders, each reflecting a different ideology:

• Mikhail Gorbachev – A reformist pushing for transparency and modernization
   
• Boris Yeltsin – A nationalist focused on diminishing Moscow’s control and empowering regional autonomy
   
• Yegor Ligachyov – A hardliner committed to preserving traditional Soviet systems

Once in power, you’ll shape policies in key areas such as industry, agriculture, foreign diplomacy, and military spending. You’ll also face real-world events like the Chernobyl disaster and the Armenian earthquake, which test your ability to lead under pressure.

The game’s strength lies in how every policy move you make has consequences. A shift in military funding might please hardliners but anger reformists. Cutbacks to agriculture could trigger unrest. Your ability to adapt defines your success—or failure.

No fast reflexes are required—just clear thinking and careful planning.

Modern Alternatives to Crisis in the Kremlin

Today’s political simulators owe a lot to this game. These modern titles build on its legacy while offering new systems and expanded depth.

Crisis in the Kremlin (2017 Remake)

Platform: Steam
Developer: Kremlingames

The remake is a significant expansion, offering new pathways such as reintroducing monarchy, forming a democratic republic, or reasserting communist ideology globally. It introduces more complex economic management, real-time diplomacy, and expanded domestic policies.

With dozens of possible outcomes, players can craft a completely different Soviet legacy.

Ostalgie: The Berlin Wall

Platform: Steam
Developer: Kremlingames

In this game, you manage a Cold War-era Eastern Bloc state, from East Germany to Bulgaria, trying to stay afloat amid shifting superpower politics.

You must manage:

• Soviet pressure
   
• Internal reform movements
   
• International relations
   

Your actions determine whether your nation crumbles or thrives.

Collapse: A Political Simulator

Platform: Steam
Developer: Kremlingames

Set in a fictional post-Soviet republic, Collapse challenges you to manage a crumbling state.

You’ll face:

• Riots, revolts, and economic collapse
   
• Strategic decisions on authoritarianism or democratization
   
• Unexpected threats, including separatist movements and assassination attempts
   

It’s a gritty and unpredictable game that reflects the fragility of transitional governments.

Suzerain

Platform: Steam, GOG
Developer: Torpor Games

In Suzerain, you play as President Anton Rayne, navigating the political turmoil of the fictional country Sordland. The gameplay is entirely narrative-driven, told through text and dialogue trees.

What makes it compelling is that every decision you make—whether in foreign policy or personal relationships—has long-lasting effects on the country’s future.

It’s not about mechanics—it’s about leadership, ethics, and survival.

Crisis in the Kremlin was one of the earliest games to place players in the shoes of a real-world leader, challenging them to make consequential choices with national impact. It wasn’t about winning a war—it was about navigating the slow collapse or potential renewal of a superpower.

It gave players a rare opportunity to explore the political, economic, and social realities of a pivotal moment in world history. That core idea remains as relevant—and engaging—as ever.

One of the few political sims available, take over the Kremlin as one of the three Russian leaders (Ligachov, Yeltsin, or Gorbachov), determine your foreign and domestic policies, and react to the crises that happens (like the Chernobyl crisis). Keep yourself in office by keeping both the Nationalists and the Reformists in line. Can you do better than Gorbachov himself?