Gameplay screenshots

One randomly selected player on each team is a commander, who directs the team from an overhead view. This player sets up infrastructure and spawn points. The remainder are soldiers who play it as a first-person shooter. These players can choose from four classes: stealth, a quick class who can turn invisible; exo, a slow heavy weapons specialist designed to destroy enemy buildings; assault, a player versus player class who can see invisible units; and a support class who can heal teammates or repair buildings constructed by the commander.^[4] New abilities become available to each class as the commander researches technologies and erects buildings. Each side comprises 16 players. A team wins when they destroy the other side's base. There are six post-apocalyptic maps.^[5]

Drivable vehicles were originally planned, however this was cut due to issues.^[6][7]

Nuclear Dawn received mixed reviews on Metacritic.^[8] PC Gamer found the perks "muddled and unclear" and disliked how there is no way to practice the commander role outside a live game. However, they called it "surprisingly deep and well-designed" and praised the map design, technology tree, and first-person elements.^[4] GameSpot praised the design, game balance, and maps, but they criticized the lack of a tutorial or solo play. They said players' experiences will likely vary according to how experienced their teammates are, ranging from "a white-knuckle tactical struggle" to "a sloppy brawl".^[5] Although they felt there were still balancing issues that needed to be fixed, Rock Paper Shotgun recommended it to fans of Savage and Natural Selection.^[9]