Tails by the Foxfire

Indie Game Review: Cold Calling by Can’t Get Enough Games

This week, I had the privilege of playing Cold Calling from Can’t Get Enough Games: a tower defense style telephone switchboard game set at the height of the Cold War, steeped in sometimes surreal, sometimes bitingly brilliant political satire and packed to the gills with familiar faces from history. Rather than go for purely gritty emotional punches, Cold Calling instead opts for an eccentrically witty, laugh-out-loud style that reminded me of Blackadder and the classic Monkey Island and Broken Sword games: some of my all-time favourites. Fans of Papers, Please will likely also find something to love here, given Cold Calling’s similarly time-sensitive gameplay style (unless you play on Chill Calling Mode) and often subversive but always absurdist humour.

Keep reading for Tails by the Foxfire’s full review of Cold Calling, or get the TL;DR by checking out its review scores below and then go play the free demo!

(Full transparency: I received this game for free. However, these ratings and the review below reflect my honest opinions.)

• Fun Factor: 4/5
• Gameplay: 4/5
• Story, Characters & Worldbuilding: 4/5
• Maps & Environment: 3/5
• Music: 3/5
• Recommended: Yes!

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High Stakes, Fast-Paced Tactical Tower Defense

In Cold Calling, players are put in charge of a 1960s switchboard and route calls from historical heavy-hitters like JFK, Richard Nixon, and Lyndon B. Johnson as they negotiate with the Soviet Union about nuclear weapons, breakfast, and other such pressing concerns during the heart of the Cold War. To do this, players must hot-swap wires via a satisfyingly tactile drag-and-drop interface and successfully deliver calls across the board without allowing them to drop. The difficulty curve is gradual, taking you from single-call tutorials to handling multiple calls at once, with obstacles like power-outages and gremlins messing with your mission for world peace.

Sounds like a lot of pressure, right? If that’s not your speed, switch on Chill Calling Mode and remove the doomsday timer from your operations so you can concentrate on enjoying the story without stressing the stakes. As well, the shopping channel has all the handy gadgets you need to differentiate the gameplay loop and keep operations running smoothly, and you get a shiny new paycheque for each mission objective you complete so money isn’t hard to come by. Got some pocket change leftover? Change the channel and buy some fun mementos from past operations to decorate your switchboard!

Your Next Favourite Political Satire Game

If you like your cutscenes brief and light, then Cold Calling will be right up your alley. Story in between the switchboard levels is kept sharp, tight, and punchy, with scenes ranging from snicker-worthy caricatures to laugh-out-loud surrealism. It’s not often a game gets more than a smile out of me, but Cold Calling is a rare exception won a few genuine laughs  within the first 2 hours of gaming, especially during the ‘Bolgi in the forest’ sequence just because of how wonderfully stupid and surreal things got. He’s just a young boy hanging out in the forest, you know? Totally harmless. And that’s just scratching the surface of what Cold Calling has in store for players across its multiple chapters.

Listen in on Pivotal Moments and Experience an Alternative History

At key moments in Cold Calling’s story, players will have a chance to listen in on pivotal moments during the negotiations. Choose which calls to snoop on, and follow their plot threads to completion to get the full story. There are several of these opportunities throughout the game’s main campaign, and a selection of unique side-episodes available once you’ve listened in on all of a character’s conversations, giving Cold Calling tons of replay value.

It’s not all Cold War era figures, either: maybe you’re just like me and don’t know how a rotary phone works (a secret shame I’d never thought about before, but am willing to live with), or just want a nudge in the right direction for your most recent puzzle. Why not give your buddy Ben Franklin a call and let him set you on the right path? He’s not the only odd man out here, either, but I’m not about to spoil the surprise. Want to know who else is dialling in from the past, or who that mysterious masked figure is? You’ll just have to check it out and learn the truth for yourself!

Where to Play Cold Calling by Can’t Get Enough Games

Cold Calling by Can’t Get Enough Games releases on 16th February, 2026, but for now you can get a taste of the action by grabbing the free demo on Steam or from Can’t Get Enough Games’ website. Don’t forget to wishlist the full game, support the devs by leaving them a review, and drop a comment below to share your thoughts about it!