Nuclear Option on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information

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Fly near-future aircraft with immersive physics on intense battlefields, facing land, air and sea threats. Wage war against AI or other players with an array of potent weapons. Wield tactical and strategic nuclear weapons, capable of annihilating anything in their path.

Nuclear Option is a early access, flight and action game developed and published by Shockfront Studios.
Released on October 15th 2023 is available in English only on Windows.

It has received 4,058 reviews of which 3,826 were positive and 232 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.1 out of 10. 😍

The game is currently priced at 17.49€ on Steam.

The Steam community has classified Nuclear Option into these genres:

Early Access Flight Action Simulation Multiplayer Combat Military Sci-fi War Wargame Futuristic Jet Destruction Stealth Physics 3D Level Editor PvP First-Person Realistic

Media & Screenshots

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System requirements

These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.

Windows
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 10
  • Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-7600K CPU or similar
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 2GB DirectX 11 supported GPU
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 2 GB available space
  • VR Support: TrackIR, HOTAS, Gamepad, Mouse and Keyboard

User reviews & Ratings

Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.

Jan. 2026
TL;DR: Just about the best non-VR, sim-lite air combat game out. Caveat that it is much more like VTOL VR and Tiny Combat Arena than War Thunder or DCS. 9.5/10 In-depth: Nuclear Option is a product of a genre that mostly died out in the early 2000s and is more or less at the tip of the spear with a few other contemporaries like Tiny Combat Arena, VTOL VR, and Helicopter Gunship DEX. This game is commonly described in reviews as an alternative to War Thunder and DCS, which I find a little misleading: First off, NO is exclusively played in-cockpit. There are external views, but these do not provide data overlays conducive to gameplay in the way that War Thunder does. However, it is intentionally accessible, with a detailed flight model for all vehicles that is realistic without needing a half-hour to cold start. You’re off the ground within minutes (seconds in helos!), and sorties are very easy to play through. Secondly, NO approaches air combat from a MUCH wider spectrum than WT or DCS, which is why I say the best comparison is to VVR. War Thunder is exclusively combat-focused, and on the air side has gravitated very heavily toward dogfights. DCS is a study sim that mainly focuses on combat, with some logistical elements, but is also more oriented around going kinetic. Meanwhile, NO is constantly expanding, and is at a point that there is an aircraft for just about any role or playstyle in the current mission structure. That’s a huge distinction that the game currently has, since no other game of this type has touched things like COIN and recon (Cricket), gunships (Tarantula), in-depth logistics (Tarantula/Ibis), or providing AWACS support (Medusa). Every vehicle is multirole to a degree, with loadouts and personal preference dictating the mission regime of a given aircraft. You can use a Medusa as an AWACS, dedicated e-war platform, SEAD, or, if you want, all three at once. An elephant in the room is the use of nuclear weapons, which completely shifts the tone and pace of gameplay when authorized. Nothing else currently approaches nuclear warfare like NO does, which really adds a dimension to both tactical and strategic gameplay. Graphics and sound design are fantastic, and the soundtrack is top of its class. The soundtrack has a song specific to each aircraft, which really helps give each one its own “personality.” For example, the Cricket’s has an engaging, almost army action movie cadence, while the Tarantula’s is deep and lumbering, just like the aircraft itself. The songs are mainly event- and location-based, but dynamic music is on the horizon. Is the game perfect? On its face, no, and certainly not while in early access. Optimization is the biggest issue: singleplayer can run smooth as butter, but multiplayer factors in each individual client, which can make even dedicated servers with only a handful of players run at 15-25fps. Nuclear detonations are especially onerous and can crash your machine if enough go off at once. The rank system can also be frustrating when running as originally designed. The Cricket is currently the only Rank 0 aircraft, which disincentivizes taking on other roles (beyond blowing up small vehicle columns) until you get enough points or shell out the money for higher rank vehicles. That said, for a game that costs half that of VVR and a literal fraction of the kinds of money you can throw at War Thunder or DCS, it’s worth the price even in its current state. It has a very engaged community, a passionate dev with clear vision for the game, and a focus on balance, mechanics, and design philosophy that creates not only a fun combat flight sim but one that ties in every element of a near-future war like the one it is simulating.
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Jan. 2026
I HATE WAR THUNDER I HATE WAR THUNDER I HATE WAR THUNDER I HATE WAR THUNDER I HATE WAR THUNDER I HATE WAR THUNDER I HATE WAR THUNDER This game is very comparable to War Thunder except you dont have to deal with free-to-play bullshit grinds and microtranscations. If you're attempting to escape the influence of the snail, this game will be able to fill the aeronautical hole in your heart that War Thunder orginally did, while being much more consistently fun. edit: To sum it up, Nuclear Option is able to offer the fantasy of flying high tech jet fighters that War Thunder appeals to in commericals and sponsorships, but with it actually being viable for the average person to be able to use them.
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Oct. 2025
If you are too stupid/poor to get a degree in STEM to pilot DCS planes or don't want to sign your soul away to Gaijin slaving 10k hours to unlock 1 single tech tree, this is the game for you. Also, this game has nukes which automatically makes the other two games inferior.
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July 2025
It's like War Thunder top tier RB but 2GB, and no grind. Also Nukes
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May 2025
Do you like the idea of DCS but hate needing to learn 10,000 binds to turn on your plane? Did you enjoy Ace Combat but wish it was just slightly more realistic? If so this is the game for you! A great blend of arcade action with dynamic aircraft simulation gives this a unique feel.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Nuclear Option is currently priced at 17.49€ on Steam.

Nuclear Option is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 17.49€ on Steam.

Nuclear Option received 3,826 positive votes out of a total of 4,058 achieving an impressive rating of 9.07.
😍

Nuclear Option was developed and published by Shockfront Studios.

Nuclear Option is playable and fully supported on Windows.

Nuclear Option is not playable on MacOS.

Nuclear Option is not playable on Linux.

Nuclear Option offers both single-player and multi-player modes.

Nuclear Option offers both Co-op and PvP modes.

There is a DLC available for Nuclear Option. Explore additional content available for Nuclear Option on Steam.

Nuclear Option is fully integrated with Steam Workshop. Visit Steam Workshop.

Nuclear Option does not support Steam Remote Play.

Nuclear Option is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.

You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Nuclear Option.

Data sources

The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.

Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.

Last Updates
Steam data 29 January 2026 00:48
SteamSpy data 28 January 2026 10:25
Steam price 28 January 2026 20:50
Steam reviews 28 January 2026 11:51

If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Nuclear Option, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.

  • SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Nuclear Option
  • SteamCharts - Analysis of Nuclear Option concurrent players on Steam
  • ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Nuclear Option compatibility
Nuclear Option
17.49€ Buy Now
Rating
9.1
3,826
232
Game modes
Multiplayer
Features
Online players
1,358
Developer
Shockfront Studios
Publisher
Shockfront Studios
Release 15 Oct 2023
Platforms
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