Kiloton

Kiloton is a sardonic look at nationalism and military buildup through the lens of an abstracted real-time-strategy game. Through interactions with a possibly fascist computer terminal, the player is tasked with "victory," and given a lot of leeway as to what victory looks like. Will it be a peaceful resolution through diplomacy? ....Probably not, if the computer has anything to say about it.

Inspired by cold-war media like Dr. Strangelove and WarGames (1983), Kiloton tries to merge the indifference and isolation of a control room with the horrific stakes of nuclear war. Even with world-ending abilities at your fingertips, Kiloton ensures that the power never gets to your head. There is no lasting "balance of power"— only annihilation is final. This moody aesthetic design is combined with a refreshing, micro-less take on RTS games that is more approachable for players that are less familiar with the genre.

Note: This game requires a keyboard to play. Everything in this game uses keyboard input!!

Features

• 2 to 4 Hour Singleplayer campaign

  • Enemies with complex personalities and goals

• Multiplayer P2P gameplay! (5 player maximum)

• A robust procedural generation system for great replay-ability!

• Custom Scenario Editor for unique and challenging levels

• Cold-war R&D system traces the arms race of the 60's-80's!

Combined-arms strategy

Warfare, in Kiloton, comes in four main forms. 

• Ground Battles

• Air Battles

• ICBMS (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) and ABMS (Anti-Ballistic Missiles)

• Economic Support and Proxy Wars

You will develop competency in all four theaters if you mean to come out of the Cold War alive. 

Economic strategy

Kiloton has an atypical approach to resource management: you don't manage 'money,' you manage cities. Your cities grow or shrink over time depending on your economy's strength. Your economic strength is a function of your population against your spending.

"Population" is not an abstract number: your population live in destructible pixel-based cities on the map. You may capture (or destroy) enemy population centers to stop your enemies from waging war. 

Research and Development

You will guide your nation's research focuses as you see fit. There are four research disciplines, each with five progress tiers.

• Ground-combat

• Air Defense

• Aircraft

• Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles

At each tier of progress, the related assets will increase in a specific strength; range, damage, health, speed, etc.

Will you invest in missile defense, and protect your cities? Will you invest in the strength of your army, to capture enemy cities? Or will you build only missile silos, and hope that no enemy will be foolish enough to make you use them?

Don't be so sure...

Finalist for Best Student Game in the 2026 Independent Games Festival (wish me luck)

Nominated for awards in Technical Excellence, Excellence in Game Design, Impact, and Grand Prize at the RPI GameFest '25