Earthrise

Earthrise taps into late Cold War anxieties, presenting a future shaped by political tension and hard choices. Part strategy, part simulation, it tasks you with managing global systems while trying to prevent disaster—or at least survive it. The interface is dense, and the learning curve is real, but once you understand its language, the game opens up into a surprisingly thoughtful experience. Decisions have long-term consequences, and there’s a persistent sense of unease as numbers shift and situations escalate. It’s not flashy, and it doesn’t try to entertain in obvious ways. Instead, it pulls you in with the weight of responsibility. The occasional dry humor in text descriptions provides brief relief from the grim outlook. Earthrise is demanding, sometimes unforgiving, but memorable precisely because it takes its subject matter seriously.