History Main / FogOfWar

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' has a Heartless called the [[IronicName Illuminator]] whose only ability is to create this. The problem? You're fighting [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Barbossa]]. He's invincible until you take down the Illuminator, which can respawn.

* ''VideoGame/TomAndJerryChase'' has this, albeit for the mice only. During the scouting phase, they have to use their robot mice to wipe the fog to look for the EXP cakes, all while being vulnerable to surprise attacks from the cat, who can see the full minimap from the start, not to mention the robot mice are [[OneHitPointWonder One Hit-point Wonders]].

* ''VideoGame/TomAndJerryChase'' has this, albeit for the mice only. During the scouting phase, they have to use their robot mice to wipe the fog to look for the EXP cakes, all while being vulnerable to surprise attacks from the cat, who can see the full minimap from the start.

** Cloudy weather.

* [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in ''VideoGame/StarWarsEmpireAtWar'' with infantry sight ranges and vehicle sensor (or whatever) ranges, as not having it in effect at all would make it easy for any faction to simply abuse bombing runs, orbital bombardments or planetary defense cannons without directly engaging the enemy. The partial version of this trope is in effect even at the start of battles, meaning you know what the map itself looks like, but you won't know exactly what your enemy is up to. On some ground maps, specific [[WeatherOfWar weather effects]] can drastically reduce sight range (specifically falling volcanic ash and snowstorms). However, there are various ways to reduce the Fog of War, such as building Sensor Nodes (passively removes the fog within a large radius of the node), claiming abandoned Sensor Arrays/Satellites (lifts the Fog across the whole map as long as it is controlled), and spotter units' "Sensor Ping" ability. Only near the end of the battle (and when it's in your favor) does the Fog lift on its own, saving you the trouble of searching for stragglers.

*** ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'', however, has an option to make the whole map visible from the start. There's still a cheat code to lift it though ([[TheSixthSense iseedeadpeople]]).

* The ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'' series, starting with ''Thracia 776'', has maps with fog. It can be literal fog, nighttime darkness, or in some cases other weather effects (up to blizzards and sandstorms), but it functions with the same fog-of-war rules as ''Advance Wars'', sans units being able to hide on certain terrain. In some of the games, Thieves and classes coming from them (like Assassins and Rogues) get to see much farther in the fog, and sometimes you can get Torches and Torch staves to temporarily dissipate the fog/darkness. ([[MyRulesAreNotYourRules Enemies will have no trouble hunting you down in that darkness, though.]]) Every single one of these is [[ThatOneLevel met with groans of disgust]] by the disgruntled fans.
** [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness Even though it introduces Fog of War]], Thracia has some oddity like making the fog '''literally''' pitch black, covering both units and the map, meaning that you cannot navigate the map and what it looks like. Unlike other maps, they are usually relegated to side chapters save for one. Also, thieves do not provide any vision bonus unlike other games.
** As if lampshading this, [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword]] gives fog of war levels ''their own {{Leitmotif}}'' - a dreary dirge, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB-BIPpr6QA "Shadow Approaches"]].

* VideoGame/NintendoWars has had it since ''Game Boy Wars'', but only on certain maps or settings. This fog actually affects AI, since it will ignore units that are hidden in forests, reefs, or just plain not in their vision radius by the fog ([[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard except in the first two games for the last part]]). Recon units have extra vision radius, infantry and mechs get an extra three squares if they're on mountains, and in every game she appears in, Sonja gives all her units extra vision in Fog.

*** In the GBA Advance Wars titles, the AI had full knowledge of your units, and could attack unhindered; the only way to protect yourself is to hide in forests and reefs, where the AI cannot fire unless they have an adjacent unit (or if Sonja has her COP active).
*** In AW:DS, the AI will maneuver as if omniscient, but has to station a unit to reveal yours before attacking.
*** In Days of Ruin/Dark Conflict, the AI behaves as though fully affected by Fog of War.
** There's a cheap trick in Advance Wars where you could scout out the map by moving your unit but canceling their order in order to reveal the map. Though risky as they could collide with a hiding unit, it's a way to navigate the fog. However, the developers were aware of this so the unit will still spend their fuel upon moving through fog of war even if the turn wasn't finalized. Days of Ruin/Dark Conflict doesn't used this trick because the unit moves ''after'' their order is confirmed.

* Anime illustration: In an episode of ''[[LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya]]'', the SOS-dan was challenged to a computer game with this limitation. Yuki quickly figures out that the opposing side has cheated by removing the Fog Of War on their side, hacks the system, and levels the playing field.