''Subterfuge'' is a

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

video game developed by Ron Carmel and Noel Llopis. A

wargame A normal wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a simulation of an armed conflict. Wargaming may be played for Recreational wargaming, recreation, to train military officers in the art of milit ...

loosely based on the games ''

Diplomacy Diplomacy is the communication by representatives of State (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, non-governmental institutions intended to influence events in the international syste ...

'' and '' Neptune's Pride'', it takes place in an

underwater An underwater environment is a environment of, and immersed in, liquid water in a natural or artificial feature (called a Water, body of water), such as an ocean, sea, lake, pond, reservoir, river, canal, or aquifer. Some characteristics of the ...

world where players use diplomacy and tactics to defeat their opponents, expand their territory, and gain resources. It features minimalist art, except for the specialist portraits, which were drawn by Shane Nakamura. In 2023, after a long period of inactivity from the developers, ''Subterfuge'' was acquired by the indie game development company Game Shovel for the purpose of continued support. An update was also released for the

Android Android most commonly refers to: *Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), a mobile operating system primarily developed by Google * Android TV, a operating system developed ...

version of the game, bringing it in line with modern app requirements and effectively reviving the game for many players who had lost access.

Gameplay

''Subterfuge'' is loosely based on the strategic board game ''

'' and the 4X browser game '' Neptune's Pride'', which are known for fair and equal combat systems requiring players to team up and deceive others to tip the balance of power. The game simulates a

resource war A resource war is a type of war caused by conflict over resources. In a resource war, there is typically a nation or group that controls the resource and an aggressor that wishes to seize control over said resource. This power dynamic between nati ...

between players who start from nothing, and slowly expand their territory to create mines and gain the game's primary resource, neptunium. The game takes place in real time to allow for diplomacy; an average game lasts for about a week but can be longer or shorter. Despite taking a week to play, the developers claimed the game was still "short". A game supports anywhere from 2 to 10 players. Diplomacy is highly encouraged in ''Subterfuge'', and players only communicate via in-game messages. This allows for the

negotiation Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more parties to resolve points of difference, gain an advantage for an individual or Collective bargaining, collective, or craft outcomes to satisfy various interests. The parties aspire to agree on m ...

strategy Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "troop leadership; 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 " a ...

and teamwork which is vital for players to win, since a team of multiple players is more capable of eliminating a target than one player would be alone. To win a normal game, a player must gain 200 neptunium through mines, which can be constructed by combat units that are not currently being used to fight other players. 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" are also available, where the goal is to control a certain amount of outposts instead.

Time machine

Due to the 24 hour nature of the game, ''Subterfuge'' does not require a player to be in the game to issue moves (orders): players can plan orders in advance using the time machine feature, allowing complex maneuvers to be performed. The time machine also allows the viewing of past events and a prediction of the future based on player knowledge. The time machine works 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 is 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 can only schedule four moves using the time machine, players who have bought the full game can issue an unlimited amount of future orders. The time machine also moves forward when the player launches a submarine, which shows 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 Android (operating system) games IOS games Multiplayer video games Real-time strategy video games Science fiction video games Video games developed in the United States