Plague Inc: Evolved
A plague simulation game praised by the CDC.
Plague Inc: Evolved is a real-time strategy simulation game released in 2015, developed and published by the UK independent studio Ndemic Creations. It is a remake of the studio’s earlier game, Plague Inc., built for PC and consoles. Players create and evolve a pathogen with the goal of wiping out humanity, using an epidemic model that incorporates complex, realistic variables to simulate disease spread and severity—a feature that has drawn interest from the CDC.
The core gameplay mirrors the original Plague Inc.: the player controls a plague starting with patient zero, evolving it to infect and kill the entire global population while adapting to different environments. A time pressure exists, as humans work to develop a cure. The developer cited Pandemic 2, a 2008 browser-based Flash game by Dark Realm Studios, as inspiration. The CDC praised the series for raising public awareness about epidemiology and disease transmission through an engaging, non-traditional format, and the developer was invited to speak at the CDC. The game includes all expansion packs from the original Plague Inc.
On 28 January 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the DLC Plague Inc: The Cure was released. Here, the player tries to eradicate a fast-spreading plague by creating a cure before losing all "authority" due to public panic. The player can slow the plague by enforcing health guidelines, public awareness campaigns, and continental lockdowns. This DLC was initially offered for free for a limited time until a specific date, after which it became a paid DLC.
A second DLC, Plague Inc: Aliens & Anti-Vaxxers, launched on 7 April 2026, adding a new disease type and six new scenarios.
Plague Inc: Evolved entered Steam Early Access on 20 February 2014. In 2014, the developer used nearly half a million pieces of player feedback and feature requests to guide development, stating he was only halfway through the original design document. A multiplayer "VS. mode" was added on 1 December 2015, where two players compete to spread their plagues while preventing a cure and trying to eradicate the opponent’s disease, introducing new genes, evolutions, and abilities. The 1.0 release came on 18 February 2016. On 9 August 2019, the game launched on Nintendo Switch, playable via Joy-Con or touchscreen.
The Xbox One version received "generally favorable reviews" on Metacritic, with an average scor
- Release year
- 2015
- Developer
- Ndemic Creations
- Nationality
- UK-based
- Genre
- Real-time strategy simulation
- Platforms
- PC, consoles, Nintendo Switch
- Known for
- Realistic epidemic simulation, CDC praise
Lore & Background
Plague Inc: Evolved went live on Steam Early Access on 20 February 2014. The developer used almost half a million pieces of feedback and feature requests from players to help understand what players wanted, stating he was only 50 percent of the way through the original Plague Inc. design document. A multiplayer mode, titled 'VS. mode', was added on 1 December 2015, where two players compete to spread their own plague while preventing a cure and eradicating the other player's disease. The 1.0 release took place on 18 February 2016. On August 9, 2019, Ndemic Creations released the game for the Nintendo Switch, with gameplay operated through the Switch's Joy-Con or the touchscreen.
Reader's Guide
Plague Inc: Evolved is significant for its realistic epidemic modeling, which led to praise from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC stated the game 'uses a non-traditional route to raise public awareness on epidemiology, disease transmission, and diseases/pandemic information' and invited the developer to give a talk. The game includes all expansion packs from the original Plague Inc. Two notable DLCs were released: Plague Inc: The Cure on 28 January 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, where the player attempts to create a cure while managing public panic; and Plague Inc: Aliens & Anti-Vaxxers on 7 April 2026, adding a new disease type and six scenarios. The game received generally favorable reviews, with an average score of 80 out of 100 on Metacritic for the Xbox One version. Critics praised its complex gameplay but noted some lack of depth from its mobile origins. Sales increased at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the developer offered The Cure DLC for free on some platforms until the pandemic was under control.
Did You Know?
- The game was inspired by Pandemic 2, a 2008 browser-based Flash game by Dark Realm Studios.
- The developer used almost half a million pieces of player feedback during development.
- A multiplayer 'VS. mode' was added on 1 December 2015.
- The DLC Plague Inc: The Cure was initially offered free until COVID-19 was brought under control.
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