Plague Inc.: Evolved

Title: Plague Inc: Evolved
Publisher: Ndemic Creations
Developer: Ndemic Creations
Release Date: 18 September 2015
Genres: Indie, Simulation, Strategy
Platform: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Steam
Where to Buy: Amazon, Steam
Rating:

Plague Inc: Evolved is a unique mix of high strategy and terrifyingly realistic simulation. Your pathogen has just infected 'Patient Zero' - now you must bring about the end of human history by evolving a deadly, global Plague whilst adapting against everything humanity can do to defend itself.

Plague Inc. is so realistic that the CDC even asked the developer to come and speak about the infection models in the game!

“The game creates a compelling world that engages the public on serious public health topics.”
- Ali S. Khan, CDC

Over 190 million players have been infected by Plague Inc. already. Now, Plague Inc: Evolved combines the original critically acclaimed gameplay with significant, all-new features for PC including multiplayer, user-generated content support, improved graphics and lots more.

Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One

Review

Plague Inc. is a classic in the strategy simulation genre and one of the few of it’s kind. The premise is simple: you create a disease and try to wipe out the Earth. Humanity eventually catches on to the existence of your disease, and it becomes a race to destabilize the world before a cure can be found.

Despite the simple premise, there is a good amount of replayability for this game and challenges to chase. The game is surprisingly in-depth as you progress and unlock new disease types, such as bacteria and viruses, up to some more interesting diseases such as the simian flu and necroa (zombie) viruses. Each disease type acts in different ways and are modified by different upgrades that affect symptoms and transmission. In addition to the base game, there are also user created scenarios and a “Cure” mode where the script is totally flipped, and you instead race to find a cure. The game has continued to be updated with new content, even up to 2026.

I played the original Plague Inc. when it released on mobile back in 2012 and upgraded to Plague Inc.: Evolved once it was ported to the computers. The game was so fun I didn’t mind paying for it twice. I recently revisited it after not playing the game for a few years and despite the UI being a bit dated, jumping back in was easy.

Overall, I think Plague Inc.: Evolved is a game that still holds up in 2026. It’s a quirky game with a lot of charm despite the grim subject matter that is as fun as it is educational.