RUSE

R.U.S.E. is a real-time strategy game that takes place during World War II and emphasizes gaining the upper hand through deceit rather than by raw force. Playing “ruse cards” acquired throughout combat allows one to achieve this goal. Some potential ruses include camouflaged details, decoy units, radio silence, and spies who can reveal unidentified units. Online skirmishes allow as many as eight people to compete against one another as one of six different factions: the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italia, or France. Each side has its unique arsenal of units and areas of particular expertise, such as the British’s air superiority or the Germans’ armored vehicle superiority. There is also a single-player campaign, and online games offer a variety of customizable parameters, including the year of engagement (1939 to 1945), win conditions, the number of potential ruses, and more.