Plague Inc.

UK-based independent games studio Ndemic Creations is the team behind this simulation and real-time strategy game, Plague Inc. This is the game where players can destroy the world with deadly plague as they create and evolve a pathogen. An epidemic model with a complex and realistic set of variables are utilized in this game to simulate the severity and spread of the plague.

This game has already reached over 85 million times of download and was able to achieve the runner-up spot during the IGN Game of the Year awards for 'Overall Best Strategy Game' back in 2012. It was also the 15th most downloaded paid iPhone game in the U.S in the same year and was the 5th most downloaded paid iPhone game in U.S for 2013. Up to now, the game is regularly updated and continues to have an active community.

Game Objective

In this game, the players can choose between the different available modes, as well as pathogens and evolve the plague and adapt to various environments. The game's objectives also include infecting and killing the world’s population with a pathogen, enslave the population with the neurax worm, or turn the world’s population into zombies with the necroa virus.

What adds excitement into this game is the time pressure which players need to complete the game before the opponent, humans, and the development of a cure for the plague.

According to the developer, the game is similar to the Contagion film though it was inspired by the Dark Realm Studios’ browser-based flash game, Pandemic 2.

Game Modes

There are three available game modes for the players to choose. The first one is the Casual mode, which is usually for new players who want a quick play. The second one is the Normal mode which is generally for experienced genetic strategists. The third and last mode is the Brutal, this mode is for strategic geniuses.

As the players choose on the modes, they will be directed in selecting a disease type. Players should also remember that once they start the game, it is advisable to go first on the casual mode until they get the hang of things.

Type of Diseases

Initially, the players are only allowed to select bacteria, and the subsequent pathogens will be available once the players unlock it after winning the game on Normal or Brutal Mode. From that point, players can play as many different types of pathogens with own perks that also plays a role in evolution decisions.

After the players masters the game with the start-up bacteria, they’ll be able to unlock additional diseases such as:

Virus

- An extremely hard to control mutilating pathogen.

Fungus

- Spores struggle without an effort.

Parasite

- It prevents DNA alteration from common infection.

Prion

-An incredibly complex pathogen hidden inside the brain.

Nano-Virus

-An out of control microscopic microbiological Nano technological bot that comes with a kill switch.

Bio-Weapon

-A very lethal pathogen that kills everything that it touches.

Starting of the Plague

Players will be shown on the world map and choose a target area. This is also where the first person will be infected. It is better to start the plague in a developing country that has a sub optimal living conditions for the plague to thrive and spread.

Collecting DNA Points

These points are important throughout the game as players will be using this to evolve their plague in various ways. Players can receive these DNA points once they tap on the DNA symbols in different colors that can be seen on the map. The different color DNA symbols correspond to different events.

Transmission Traits

These traits help the players in evolving their plague.

Air

-Enables the pathogen to travel on dust particles.

Water

-Enables the pathogen to survive in fresh warm water.

Livestock

-Increases infectivity as it is susceptible to infection.

Birds

-Susceptible to infection and carry it out on the long distance locations.

Rodents

-It increases infectivity largely in urban areas.

Insects

-Increases infectivity and at the same time carries it out to long distance locations in hot climates and also increases the mutation chances

Purchased traits by the players will be highlighted, and a new one will come out on the grid that will also be available for purchase. Players can buy as many of these traits as you can afford with DNA points.

Symptoms Trait

DNA points are used to evolve the player’s plague and also change the symptoms it produces. Some of these symptoms can make the plague more contagious and lethal to those who get it. Players will be able to purchase these symptoms starting from the low level that includes a cough which increases over time to cause coma, and terrible neurological damage, and more. Players may need to wait for a while before the trait evolves, and see them again with higher severity at different levels.

Abilities Trait

These traits allow the players to customize their plague strength. They’ll be able to increase the amount of their plague’s resistance from heat, cold, antibiotics, and other cure. DNA points are also used to evolve the abilities trait.

Devolving your Traits

Once the players spend their DNA points to evolve their trait, they will be allowed to take an opportunity to cancel the evolve process or devolve a trait. Whenever the players devolve a trait, they will only be refunded with 2 DNA points. It is best to think carefully about evolving a trait and in spending DNA points, as it gets harder earning the points once the players are getting close to the world annihilation. Players may also need to devolve some traits to earn back some of the DNA points and used it on more important traits.

Winning the Game

As players take over the targeted countries by destroying it with their plague, they will be able to see it on the world map with corresponding counts of people infected, as well as numbers of death. After the players had succeeded in destroying the human race, they will get notified that they won the game and moves to the next unlocked disease which they will have a more difficult time to win with.

Tips & Tricks

Target Isolated Countries

These less developed countries should be the first on the list to destroy as it would be easier compared to the well-developed countries that have bigger chances of creating a cure. Also, these less developed countries will find it hard to research and get a cure for the disease which is a higher chance for the players to completely wiped out the country with their pathogen.

Target Global Events

If there are countries hosting the world or any big events, players should locate it and attack with their deadliest weapon. The main point of this trick is the fact that the world leaders are present on these events and infecting them attracts more of the global attention and players will be able to shake the world to the core.

Observe Different Countries

To come up with a well-planned strategy, it is also best to know how other countries are doing, as well as know the number of infected people and the ones that are dead. It is also a wise move to go for the countries who are leading in the cure research to avoid neutralization of pathogen and being tracked down.

Embrace the Nano Virus

Players should go for Nano virus as the selection for best virus weapon. This virus moves faster in spreading compared to other viruses available in the game. Players should also take note that the cure for this virus is easy to find. However, the virus lethality would spread much faster than expected before the researchers find a cure.

Infect Before Killing

To succeed in this game, players should make sure that their pathogen is highly contagious before transmitting it as it can kill many victims as possible within a short period. A less infectious pathogen slows down the death rate and raises alert that leads to border closure. Players can check the toxicity of their pathogen by only looking at the number of casualties. A higher mortality rate only means a higher infection rate.

Use the Fungus Plague

This plague is also recommended as a first weapon for the players as it bursts and releases its spores for more transmissions once it’s infected which increases the chance of having more victims.

Transmission Boost

For the players to infect a larger group of people in just a short period, they should spend some of their DNA points for transmission lethality. Modifying DNA strands into a more lethal and sophisticated nature creates more complicated gene mutations that are hard to figure out. A higher number of gene mutations leads to a greater chance of wiping out the entire world.

Monitor the Bars and Graphs

Whenever the players encounter this message, "There are no healthy people left in the world," it means that they have already wiped out the entire world and won the game. But whenever they don’t see this message, they should check their graphs to see their current level and the initial total of kills done. Players should also continue to infect and kill remaining survivors before they can find a way to survive.