Building nuclear weapons in Geoplanetical involves a weapons program or, for an existing nuclear power, the newer warhead-ordering controls. The official gameplay description supports both declared and clandestine programs that you can fund, pause or abandon. The October 29 1.0.2 notes add that nuclear powers can order warheads and delivery systems from the Nuclear room.
Develop a weapons program
The normal program choices are declared and clandestine. Start the type of program you intend to pursue and fund it, then follow its progress. You can pause or abandon a program, and the official description also allows rebuilding a depleted arsenal.
The official nuclear gameplay explanation describes these choices without publishing one universal cost or completion time. Use your program's displayed requirements rather than importing a research tree or menu path from another geopolitical game.
Funding a program and possessing operational warheads are different stages. Do not treat the existence of a nuclear doctrine or a strike-planning screen as proof that a new program has already produced an arsenal.
Order replacements as an existing nuclear power
The 1.0.2 release notes state: nuclear powers can order new warheads and delivery systems from the Nuclear room. This provides a specific route for an already nuclear country to expand or replenish its equipment.
Keep that update's eligibility clear. It describes nuclear powers, not an instant ordinary purchasing shortcut for every non-nuclear country. Check the available order and requirements in your updated game; the registered announcement does not specify a universal price, delivery time or button sequence beyond the Nuclear room location.
Account for secrecy and inspections
A clandestine program can be suspected or exposed. Under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, it can trigger an IAEA inspection. Open Diplomacy → Organizations → IAEA and read the deadline and response choices.
Cooperate and dismantle abandons the program, returning only unspent reserved funds. Refuse and continue keeps it going despite the international response. Ignoring the deadline counts as refusal and makes the program public.
Once you have weapons, doctrine and alert level are separate decisions under Defense → Command → Deterrence. They concern your posture and commitments, not a substitute for acquiring the weapons.
Keep the console shortcut separate
For experimentation, the official wiki documents the nuclear_power cheat. It completes the nuclear program and sets the arsenal to 2,500 warheads.
That is a cheat result, not the normal output of funding a program or placing an order. A successful cheat permanently disables Steam achievements for that campaign, even if you later turn a toggle off. The official console instructions identify the key immediately left of 1 on a US keyboard as the backtick key; use the documented layout-specific key for your keyboard.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pursue a nuclear program secretly?
Yes, the official gameplay page offers a clandestine program. It can still be suspected or exposed and may trigger an IAEA inspection.
Where can a nuclear power order more warheads?
The 1.0.2 patch notes place new warhead and delivery-system orders in the Nuclear room for nuclear powers.
Does nuclear_power preserve achievements?
No. It is a simulation-changing cheat, and successful cheats permanently disable Steam achievements for that campaign.