Choose Combat Mission Cold War
Choose Combat Mission Cold War if you want a Simulation game with Shared/Split Screen, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and LAN PvP. Combat Mission Cold War launched in 2021.
Combat Mission Cold War vs Combat Mission: Red Thunder
Combat Mission Cold War and Combat Mission: Red Thunder both land in Strategy on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Strategy games on Steam. Combat Mission Cold War (2021) is 2 years older than Combat Mission: Red Thunder (2023). Combat Mission: Red Thunder scores higher on Steam reviews (78.8% positive) than Combat Mission Cold War (62.3% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Combat Mission: Red Thunder
Choose Combat Mission: Red Thunder if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Combat Mission: Red Thunder launched in 2023.
Both Combat Mission Cold War and Combat Mission: Red Thunder sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Combat Mission Cold War |  Combat Mission: Red Thunder | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2023 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 59.99 USD | 59.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 62.3% positive (106 reviews) | 78.8% positive (52 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | Battlefront | Battlefront |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Combat Mission Cold War (2021) is 2 years older than Combat Mission: Red Thunder (2023).
- Combat Mission: Red Thunder scores higher on Steam reviews (78.8% positive) than Combat Mission Cold War (62.3% positive).
- Combat Mission: Red Thunder is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Combat Mission Cold War (59.99 USD vs. 59.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Unsupported.
Combat Mission Cold War vs Combat Mission: Red Thunder — FAQ
- Should I play Combat Mission Cold War or Combat Mission: Red Thunder first?
- If you want chronology, Combat Mission Cold War (2021) came out before Combat Mission: Red Thunder (2023). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Combat Mission Cold War and Combat Mission: Red Thunder similar?
- They overlap on Strategy on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.