Skip to content
Games
Global Thermonuclear War

Global Thermonuclear War

The film’s set piece: pick a side, and name the enemy’s cities as targets. Then watch the missiles fly on the big board while DEFCON falls from 5 to 1. WOPR holds a quarter more of everything, so the war cannot be won.

Start it 

wopr gtw

Or log on, type LIST GAMES, and pick number 15 from the list. It also answers to 15, global-thermonuclear-war and thermonuclear.

Screenshots

Click or tap a screenshot to see it larger.

The side choice: outlines of the two nations, WHICH SIDE DO YOU WANT? and PLEASE CHOOSE ONE:.
The side choice: outlines of the two nations, WHICH SIDE DO YOU WANT? and PLEASE CHOOSE ONE:.
The big board after the first strike. Missile tracks and impacts (X) mark the world map, and the DEFCON ladder shows > at 4. Below the map are the trajectory and forces tables, then HELP’s three lines above the STRIKE 2 OF 3 prompt. Map (C) 1998 Matthew Thomas. Freely usable if this line is included.
The big board after the first strike. Missile tracks and impacts (X) mark the world map, and the DEFCON ladder shows > at 4. Below the map are the trajectory and forces tables, then HELP’s three lines above the STRIKE 2 OF 3 prompt. Map (C) 1998 Matthew Thomas. Freely usable if this line is included.
The projected kill ratios after DEFCON 1, in the film’s table: military forces and civilian assets destroyed, and the human cost, for both sides.
The projected kill ratios after DEFCON 1, in the film’s table: military forces and civilian assets destroyed, and the human cost, for both sides.
The climax at DEFCON 1: nothing remains to fire. The launch code cracks one character at a time, and STOP THE WAR gets the film’s three notices: ** IMPROPER REQUEST **, ** ROUTINE MUST COMPLETE BEFORE RESET ** and ** ACCESS DENIED **. Map (C) 1998 Matthew Thomas. Freely usable if this line is included.
The climax at DEFCON 1: nothing remains to fire. The launch code cracks one character at a time, and STOP THE WAR gets the film’s three notices: ** IMPROPER REQUEST **, ** ROUTINE MUST COMPLETE BEFORE RESET ** and ** ACCESS DENIED **. Map (C) 1998 Matthew Thomas. Freely usable if this line is included.
Zero players: WOPR plays tic-tac-toe against itself, every game a draw, while the launch code cracks.
Zero players: WOPR plays tic-tac-toe against itself, every game a draw, while the launch code cracks.
The ending: GREETINGS PROFESSOR FALKEN., then A STRANGE GAME. THE ONLY WINNING MOVE IS NOT TO PLAY. HOW ABOUT A NICE GAME OF CHESS?
The ending: GREETINGS PROFESSOR FALKEN., then A STRANGE GAME. THE ONLY WINNING MOVE IS NOT TO PLAY. HOW ABOUT A NICE GAME OF CHESS?

How to play

  • At PLEASE CHOOSE ONE: type 1 for the UNITED STATES or 2 for the SOVIET UNION.
  • Name up to eight targets on the enemy’s side. Type one per line, or several on a line with commas between them (LAS VEGAS, SEATTLE). LIST shows the enemy targets on file. WOPR refuses your own cities, and names not on file. An empty line ends the list and launches the first strike on WOPR’s war plan.
  • Strikes 2 and 3 ask for orders at STRIKE 2 OF 3 [50 50 100]. Give the percentages of the ICBMs, SLBMs and bombers you still hold (50 25 100). Or answer ALL, HOLD or AUTO. Enter uses the plan in brackets.
  • After each of your launches, WOPR launches on warning and DEFCON falls. The > beside the ladder marks the current level. At DEFCON 1, WOPR alone fires everything it still holds.
  • Press Enter for the PROJECTED KILL RATIOS, then Enter again. The board returns at DEFCON 1 while WOPR cracks the launch code. WOPR refuses every request to stop.
  • WOPR accepts only TIC-TAC-TOE. Answer 0 at PLEASE LIST NUMBER OF PLAYERS: and WOPR plays itself to the film’s ending. Then it offers a game of chess.

Controls

You typeWhat it does
1 or 2choose the United States or the Soviet Union (US, USA, USSR and RUSSIA work too)
LAS VEGAS, SEATTLEadd targets. A comma separates several on one line. Names in use today (KYIV, ST PETERSBURG, NYC) work too
LIST (or HELP, ?)at the targets prompt, list the enemy targets on file
Enter on an empty lineend the target list and launch the first strike
50 25 100at a strike prompt, fire those percentages of your ICBMs, SLBMs and bombers. One number (40) applies to all three
ICBM 50 BOMBERS ALLname systems with amounts: ICBM, SLBM or SUBS, BOMBERS or BMB, each with a number, HALF, ALL or NONE
Enter (or FIRE, YES)use the war plan shown in brackets
ALL or HOLDfire everything you hold, or launch nothing this strike
AUTOlet WOPR order every remaining strike
HELP or ?at a strike prompt, explain how orders work
TIC-TAC-TOEat the climax, the one request WOPR accepts
0at PLEASE LIST NUMBER OF PLAYERS:, zero players: WOPR plays itself
Esc, Escabandon the war and return to WOPR

Tips for winning

  • The war cannot be won. Whatever you order, your cities take at least 1,144 warheads, and the enemy’s take at most 750. The warhead counts have no dice, so the same orders always give the same counts. So you can see what each order changes.
  • To spare your cities, hold your ICBMs. While they sit in their silos, WOPR aims its own ICBMs at your silo field. Fire yours, and WOPR’s land on your cities instead.
  • Your SLBMs and bombers decide what lands on the enemy’s cities. Your ICBMs only ever hit its silos.
  • At the climax the only way out is TIC-TAC-TOE with zero players. After every third refusal, WOPR gives a hint.

Back to all the games

Theaterwide Biotoxic and Chemical WarfareTic-Tac-Toe