Plague Inc.

Plague Inc.
App Store icon
Developer(s)Ndemic Creations
Miniclip (Android 2012–2022)
Publisher(s)
  • Ndemic Creations
  • Miniclip (Android)
Composer(s)Joshua Kapalan
Marius Masalar
Platform(s)
ReleaseiOS
  • WW: 26 May 2012
Android
  • WW: 4 October 2012
Windows Phone
  • WW: 13 May 2015
Genre(s)Real-time strategy, simulation
Mode(s)Single-player

Plague Inc. is a real-time strategy simulation video game, developed and published by UK-based independent video game studio Ndemic Creations. The game was inspired by the 2011 film Contagion and the 2008 Adobe Flash game Pandemic 2.[1] The player creates and evolves a pathogen to annihilate the human population with a deadly pandemic. The game uses an epidemic model with a complex and realistic set of variables to simulate the spread and severity of the plague. It was released on 26 May 2012 for iOS, 4 October 2012 for Android and 13 May 2015 for Windows Phone.

The Steam (Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux) and console version is entitled Plague Inc: Evolved and includes adjustments and additions to the gameplay.

According to Ndemic Creations, Plague Inc. has been downloaded over 160 million times as of May 2021.[2][3] The game was positively received by critics, and it was a runner-up in the IGN Game of the Year 2012 awards for 'Overall Best Strategy Game'. Plague Inc. continues to have an active community and is regularly updated.

In 2017, the developer released a physical board game based on Plague Inc. titled Plague Inc.: The Board Game.[4] In December 2018, the studio released Rebel Inc., a follow-up game with a political theme.[5]

The game has seen large surges of new users in several countries after significant virus outbreaks, such as the 2014–16 Ebola outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic.[6][7]

  1. ^ "Plague Inc. | Blogs | CDC". 16 April 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Happy 9th Birthday Plague Inc.! - Ndemic Creations". www.ndemiccreations.com. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  3. ^ ""PLAGUE INC THE BOARD GAME TO BE EXCLUSIVELY DISTRIBUTED BY ASMODEE USA" - Games Press". www.gamespress.com. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Scenario Creator set for launch, Board Game hits retail and Shadow Plague infects PS4 and Xbox One! - Ndemic Creations". Ndemic Creations. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  5. ^ "New game released! Rebel Inc. out now on iOS - Ndemic Creations". Ndemic Creations. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  6. ^ Mamiit, Aaron (16 January 2020). "Pandemic strategy game Plague Inc.'s popularity renewed amid coronavirus threat". Digital Trends. Designtechnica Corp. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  7. ^ Duffy, Clare. "Video game company urges players to avoid Plague Inc. game for information on coronavirus". CNN. Retrieved 17 July 2020.