''Subterfuge'' is a

real-time strategy Real-time strategy (RTS) is a Video game genre, subgenre of strategy video games that do not progress incrementally in turn-based game, turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in Turn-based strategy, turn ...

video game developed by Ron Carmel and Noel Llopis. It was loosely based on the strategic board game ''

Diplomacy Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...

''. The game took place in an underwater world where players used

diplomacy Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...

and

tactic Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to: * Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks ** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield ** Chess tactics ** Political tact ...

s to defeat their opponents. It featured minimalist art, except for the specialist portraits, which were drawn by Shane Nakamura.

Gameplay

''Subterfuge'' took place in real time to allow for diplomacy; an average game lasted for about a week but could be longer or shorter. Despite taking a week to play, the developers claimed the game was still "short". A game supported anywhere from 2 to 10 players. Diplomacy was highly encouraged in ''Subterfuge'', and players only communicated via in-game messages. This allowed for the

negotiation Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties to reach the desired outcome regarding one or more issues of conflict. It is an interaction between entities who aspire to agree on matters of mutual interest. The agreement c ...

strategy Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "art of troop leader; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art ...

and teamwork which was vital for players to win. To win a normal game, a player must gain 200 neptunium through mines which could be constructed by combat units. Over the course of a game, players must fight over outposts spread across the map in an attempt to increase production capacity and rate for combat units. "Dominion rules" were also available where the goal was to control a certain amount of outposts instead.

Time machine

Due to the 24 hour nature of the game, ''Subterfuge'' did not require a player to be in the game to issue moves (orders): players could plan orders in advance using the time machine feature, allowing complex maneuvers to be performed. The time machine also allowed the viewing of past events and a prediction of the future based on player knowledge. The time machine worked by letting players go to the time they wished to have the order executed; they then played the game as if it were in the present. When the set amount of time had passed, the order would be carried out, even if the player was not present. Developer Ron Carmel said that he implemented this feature based on previous experience playing '' Neptune's Pride'', which lacked this feature, leading to inconvenience. While most players could only schedule four moves using the time machine, players who have bought the full game could issue an unlimited amount of future orders. The time machine also moved forward when you launched a submarine, which showed the player what the map will look like when the sub arrives.

Reception

''Subterfuge'' has been met with mostly positive reception; it has been praised for having simplicity and tactical depth. Pocket Tactics gave it the award for the best multiplayer game of 2015. Three weeks after launch, ''Subterfuge'' had been installed 113,000 times on Android and 107,000 times on iOS; it earned $23,000 in the three-week period.

References

External links

*{{Official, http://subterfuge-game.com 2015 video games Science fiction video games Real-time strategy video games Multiplayer video games IOS games Android (operating system) games English-language-only video games Video games developed in the United States