XCOM: Enemy Unknown casts the player as the commander of an elite military organisation. Gameplay is divided into two distinct types. The player directs his/her soldiers in turn-based combat missions against alien enemies, whilst between missions the player organises XCOM's research and engineering sections in order to create new technologies and improve their base of operations.
For the turn-based gameplay, each level is shrouded by fog of war which is revealed as players explore the area and discover enemies. The player controls a squad of between four and six human soldiers or robotic units as they hunt the aliens on the map and attempt to complete objectives.
The game's strastegy element occurs between missions. The player manages construction, manufacturing and research projects, and directs how the scientists and engineers use resources recovered from missions and receieved from XCOM's sponsors.
A holographic view of the Earth called the Geoscape also allows the player to keep track of the situation around the world, dispatching forces to engage the aliens.
