Thanks to Coronavirus The Mobile Game PLAGUE INC. is Surging in Popularity

Plague Inc. is a mobile simulation strategy game where you take on the role of a disease and try to infect and kill the entire world. The game was released for Android and iOS back in 2012 by Ndemic Creations and for some reason the game has seen a huge rise in popularity recently. I can’t imagine what could cause an 8 year old game to become the top paid iPhone app earlier this week?

Well, it looks like the coronavirus has sparked interest in Plague Inc. To be fair, the game is a lot of fun and can be pretty challenging. However, there’s no denying that people would have an increased interest in a game about disease with the current world situation.

In addition to being popular, the game has been removed from the app store in China. Ndemic released the following response on their blog:

We have a huge amount of respect for our Chinese players and are devastated that they are no longer able to access and play Plague Inc. It's not clear to us if this removal is linked to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak that China is facing.

Back in January, the company also noted:

Plague Inc. has been out for eight years now and whenever there is an outbreak of disease we see an increase in players, as people seek to find out more about how diseases spread and to understand the complexities of viral outbreaks. We specifically designed the game to be realistic and informative, while not sensationalising serious real-world issues.

They’re not just saying that their game is accurate by the way. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has praised the game for “being an educational way to learn how pandemics unfold. The CDC said the game creates a ‘compelling world that engages the public on serious public health topics.’”

Finally, while Plague Inc. is a great game for mobile gamers, if you’re looking for a board game centered on diseases, I can’t recommend Pandemic enough.

Via: CBS