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Sigma Theory: Global Cold War

in library

3.3/5

( 47 Reviews )

3.3

47 Reviews

English & 4 more
Offer ends on: 10/07/2025 09:59 EEST
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17.994.49
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Sigma Theory: Global Cold War
Description
STORYFrom the creators of the award-winning sci-fi game Out There... In the near future, a paradigm-shifting scientific discovery looms over the world, promising radical new technologies. The world’s superpowers realize they could have the power to destroy the global financial system, wipe o...
User reviews

3.3/5

( 47 Reviews )

3.3

47 Reviews

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Product details
2019, Mi-Clos Studio, ...
System requirements
Windows 7 / 8 / 10, 1,3 GHz CPU, 1 GB RAM, NVIDIA GT 440 or AMD Radeon HD 5550 w/ 512 MB, 1 GB...
DLCs
Sigma Theory: Global Cold War - Original Soundtrack, Sigma Theory: Brazil - Additional Nation, Sigma...
Time to beat
4.5 hMain
6.5 h Main + Sides
14.5 h Completionist
7 h All Styles
Description



STORY

From the creators of the award-winning sci-fi game Out There...

In the near future, a paradigm-shifting scientific discovery looms over the world, promising radical new technologies. The world’s superpowers realize they could have the power to destroy the global financial system, wipe out entire countries or even gain access to immortality.

However, this discovery — called “The Sigma Theory” — can only be harnessed by a handful of scientists. You are placed at the head of your country’s Sigma division. Your objective is to ensure that it is your nation that reaps the benefits of Sigma Theory before anyone else.

To achieve this you will have powerful resources at your disposal: a cadre of the world’s most elite covert agents, advanced tactical drones and, of course, your own skills in diplomacy and subterfuge.

It’s a cold war out there, one in which mankind must face up to its future.

THE ULTIMATE ESPIONAGE SIMULATION

Turn-based espionage: Use your special agents to dominate the world. Seduction, blackmail, manipulation, industrial espionage… Every low blow is both permitted and encouraged.
Dynamic narrative: Develop and manage your relations with over 100 NPCs: lobbies, armed groups, politicians… Alliance, deception or assassination, you choose.
Field operations: Direct the kidnapping of your targets during gripping pursuits through the world’s greatest cities. Discretion or direct confrontation, your agent’s life is in your hands.

Recruitment
First, recruit a team of four special agents from 50 unique unlockable characters to support your missions. Each comes with their own story, motivations and traits that define their behavior during missions.
Access the investigator, soldier, hacker, seducer and other archetypes to complete your Sigma division and execute your strategy.

Espionage
When your team is ready, assign them missions around the world to gather scientists, discover compromising documents on local politicians, and more.
Exploit your agents’ abilities to seduce, manipulate and bribe your targets over to your side or have them neutralized.

Counter-espionage
Other nations will also use their agents to infiltrate your country and seize your scientists. Track, capture and interrogate them to gain information on your enemies, then exchange them for ransom when they are no longer useful.

Exfiltration
Order your agents to exfiltrate scientists recruited to your cause during gripping turn-based exfiltration phases through the world’s greatest capitals. Choose the position your drones wisely to support these delicate missions.

Diplomacy
In Sigma Theory, diplomacy is the key to achieving your goals. Meet your foreign counterparts and further your objectives using flattery, threats or blackmail. You can also recover your captured agents, advance your research, and much more. Develop your relations with powerful lobbies and armed and influential groups to obtain their favor. But be careful, they may turn on you.

Tech Tree
Sigma Theory is the cause of this cold war. Rally scientists from around the world to your cause to discover new technologies to gain the edge and change the world. Mind control, destabilization of the world economy, robot soldiers, immortality… Will you keep these discoveries for yourself or share them with the world?

Games that inspired us:

XCom, Phantom Doctrine, Plague Inc, Pandemic (board game), Rocket Ranger, Tropico, Armello, Civilization, Curious Expedition and so much more
Popular achievements
Goodies
Contents
Standard Edition
Deluxe Edition
soundtrack (MP3)
DLC: Sigma Theory: Nigeria - Additional Nation
DLC: Sigma Theory: Brazil - Additional Nation
System requirements
Minimum system requirements:
Why buy on GOG.COM?
DRM FREE. No activation or online connection required to play.
Safety and satisfaction. Stellar support 24/7 and full refunds up to 30 days.
Time to beat
4.5 hMain
6.5 h Main + Sides
14.5 h Completionist
7 h All Styles
Game details
Works on:
Windows (7, 8, 10, 11), Linux (Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04), Mac OS X (10.11+)
Release date:
{{'2019-11-21T00:00:00+02:00' | date: 'longDate' : ' +0200 ' }}
Size:
609 MB

Game features

Languages
English
audio
text
Deutsch
audio
text
français
audio
text
русский
audio
text
中文(简体)
audio
text
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User reviews

Posted on: August 28, 2025

Pahkasika

Verified owner

Games: 238 Reviews: 5

Cold War that leaves you cold

Sigma Theory is a game that I would like to like. It has some great ideas, but the execution is just too poor at times. As some others have pointed out, at it's core, ST:GCW is a board game on PC. You control four pieces and do various things with them around the board. But whereas random element might work in a board game setting, here it seems to just be always against the player. Even with tutorial enabled, the game also does not really explain the core mechanics well (thankfully there are some guides for this). Special mention for a quite buggy UX. Some hover-on menus take multiple tries to work correctly, the game crashed twice in a few hours, and I had to Alt+F4 from the game over screen as it just did not advance back to the main menu. As I got the game for free, I will not complain too much, but overall I can't really recommend this title.


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Posted on: September 24, 2025

sguzman08

Verified owner

Games: 11 Reviews: 2

I think i got this for free

but it's surprisingly a pretty good game.


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Posted on: January 12, 2024

Ollined

Verified owner

Games: 90 Reviews: 8

Exciting Espionage

When I first started Sigma Theory: Global Cold War, I was expecting something similar to Invisible Inc. In reality the games have almost nothing in common. The core of Sigma Theory's gameplay is turn-based management of various things on a global level: Agents and double agents, love life, foreign relations and research. There is not much wrong with the minimalist gamepley although there are some dead turns where not much happens. The concept of the game is quite exciting. The most disappointing aspect for me were the extraction missions. What I was expecting to be exciting turn-based stealth gameplay essentially boils down to a randomly-generated dialog selections the result of which is decided by RNG. There is still some excitement in the scenarios described with text and vary minimal sound and visual design. The difficulty seems a bit weird. Despite being behind for most of the game, I was able to win fairly effortlessly in the end. The minimal story in the classic mode is fine with the ending being at least interesting. The game features a large selection of agents to choose from with unique abilities, although the effects of said abilities are undermined somewhat by the random nature of the game. The recruitment process involves some deduction for picking the appropriate dialog option, which is applied in talks with diplomats as well. This is an interesting idea and a good opportunity to give some additional depth to the characters. In a single campaign I did not have the opportunity to thoroughly interact with all of the systems, for example interrogation and the application of researched technologies. A single campaign takes only a few hours to finish. That being said, the game did not compel me to go for another playthrough. Having received the game for free I cannot complain, but I would not pay full price for it.


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Posted on: March 3, 2020

t0nda

Verified owner

Games: 142 Reviews: 24

Dystopian spy race

In Sigma Theory, your task as the national head of the sigma project is to get your science right, and to get it right and powerful in a way that allows your nation to succeed over its competitors. In order to achieve this, you control a bunch of agents who try to convert, bribe or sexually convince enemy scientists to work for your country, or your agents may abduct scientists. There are elements of diplomacy, counter-espionage, »hacking«, exfiltrating action, and terrorism support involved as well, and a little bit of, well, marriage management. The whole thing is a bit dystopian; each scientific achievement comes with its advantages for you or your enemy countries, respectively. All in all, it has a design that might as well fit a board game by its mechanics. The overall idea is pretty good, and the game does not have too many bugs (except for minor translation flaws where French has been conserved, oh, and the Nigeria DLC does not work at all with me). In a way, it is a round-based strategy game: When do I send my agents where, and who will do what? The flaws (not bugs, though) lie in a lack of diverse elements (an exfiltration scenario is likely to yield the same ooh-some-problem-now-go-left-or-right-dilemma which you have already come across, for instance), and in general it is rather chance-based. In addition to this, there is a clear edge of intelligence over strength as far as your characters go, so it is unbalanced (which is not necessarily a bad thing). Replayability is given to some extent only as the agents differ; and more will be unlocked during play. The plot is pretty streamline. So this does not add to replayability, things will just be basically the same. Which is okay with minor games (such as, say, Defcon), but not so much with complicated ones. Variation would be welcome here. The game has great potential, but its repetitiveness after the first playthrough and its overwhelming chance-basedness are its weak spots. Good game, overall.


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Posted on: June 30, 2019

Early Access review

Talgaros

Verified owner

Games: 25 Reviews: 2

Still need some work but I liked it

I did, definitely, like this game. The concepts, the mechanics, the story, it is all really nice. Of course, it's not perfect, few bugs here and there (does not prevent you to play, but, can be annoying), the replayability and lifespan is not so great, but still decent. It needs polish for sure, some depth would be nice, the whole geopolitical battlefield is a bit too two dimensional, so, I hope the developer are going to add some layers and some new mechanics.


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