by Lloyd “Gus” Sabin, 13 April 2026
Starni Games, the developers of Headquarters: World War II (HQWWII)1 , Ukraine War Stories and the plucky Strategic Mind games (including ‘Spirit of Liberty’ set during the Soviet invasions of Finland during World War II) have spruced up and updated their HQWWII game engine and ideas and brought wargamers the new Headquarters: Cold War (HQ:CW). Admittedly, until taking HQ:CW for a spin, I have not tried out any of Starni’s other offerings, even though they cover conflicts that have always traditionally interested me. I’ll fix that soon, as I did enjoy my time with HQ:CW.
click images to enlarge
There is a lot to like here in HQ:CW as a newbie. The game’s tutorials are very detailed, and use the tried-and-true set up to engage the player and have them accomplish what is being taught before advancing to the next lesson. This system has always worked well for me – from basic map and unit movement, to the introduction of new units (like helicopters), to basic descriptions on the new setting, I felt confident moving into my first campaign mission as the Soviets. It was the new Cold War setting in Germany around 1984 that really stoked my interest in HQ:CW. I could have used a few more lessons on customizing units, unit purchasing between missions and upgrading units, but for those concepts I learned as I went.
Since I am ahem ‘advancing in age,’ I have played the gamut of games set during World War II for decades by now. Both my grandfathers fought in the war. I read everything I could get my hands on about the war growing up, to the extent that World War II has always felt almost like current events to me…maybe less so now that the war ended 80+ years ago. But a new setting, with more modern weapons, was very welcome to me.
I greeted with open arms the chance to use more modern Soviet armor like T-55s and T-62s, a variety of Soviet armored personnel carriers, unique anti-tank, anti-aircraft and artillery units and of course helicopters like the older Mi-8 Hip, for starters, graduating eventually to newer models like the infamous Mi-24 Hind. I also delighted encountering Cold War era NATO equipment, and am really looking forward to taking on a NATO AH-64 Apache attack helicopter in an upcoming mission. Or maybe not, because it will likely kick my butt and rip through half my Soviet force.
As you have probably discerned by now, the campaigns for HQ:CW offer the choice of playing as the Soviets or as NATO. Difficulty is customizable, which is very welcome, and I did not find the ‘Reasonable’ setting to be too difficult – it felt comfortable and doable. If you want to tweak different aspects of gameplay, that can be done by choosing ‘Customizable’ at the beginning of the campaign and tweaking accuracy and damage for both yourself and the enemy.
Mission briefings, like the tutorials, are detailed and illustrated by maps before the game starts on the tactical screen. Objectives are clearly presented on the briefing screen and maps are simple…probably overly, deceptively simple since things can get messy and go downhill quickly once the player makes contact with the enemy. Urban combat is presented well: cover and elevation are modeled, and if the player does not take these factors into account the enemy AI will take advantage quickly and pummel units without proper protection. Use your scouts! And never just roll down a wide road or avenue thinking the enemy will just let you waltz in. They won’t.
Additional features that I really loved to use were off-screen artillery strikes and air strikes, and there is also the rumor of tactical nuclear strikes – which I did not have the chance to use yet. Each of these off-screen features bolstered my efforts and supplemented my efforts, saving my skin more than once, and I appreciated having these additional tactical options.
The game camera and visual effects added some vibrant flavor to the combat. Depending on the units involved, the hits scored and the damage, the camera will zoom into the area and give the player a close-up look for a few seconds. I enjoyed this visual part of the engagements – it built tension and gave weight to the situations. it did cut my overall situational awareness and was slightly confusing on occasion but the benefits outweighed my temporary flummoxing most of the time.
The audio in HQ:CW held no surprises – the music tracks were custom made for this title and the voice acting, at least on the Soviet side, was a bit wooden and cliched, but I didn’t start playing HQ:CW for the audio. If it begins to really grate, I’ll switch it off or replace it with my own tracks.
HQ:CW‘s accessibility and unit roster are where it shines. If the 10-mission campaigns for both NATO and the Soviets (not Warsaw Pact…yet…fingers crossed for future content there) are not enough, there is a skirmish option where the player can build a force and fight it out with an AI opponent. I did not try any multiplayer like 2v2 battles or asynchronous play because I am quickly achieving curmudgeon status.
I will be playing HQ:CW for a long time simply because it is enjoyable to fire up for a mission or two and fun to play, in a Cold War setting that has not received much attention until recently. I really loved the Battle Academy games, especially the Eastern Front games, and got similar warm fuzzies here with HQ:CW. If you too enjoyed Battle Academy or similar titles, you will find a lot to love here.
If that is not enough to sell you…how about a clip of HQ:CW‘s Hind helicopters in action?
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