Simply contaminate humanity: Plague Inc. - The board game

Attention epidemic lords and virus researchers: Something is happening in the land of viruses and bacteria. Thanks to a successful campaign on the crowdfunding portal Kickstarter The board game version of the popular gaming app Plague Inc. will be released later this year. It will soon be possible to contaminate and develop in the best board game style on the laboratory bench at home. It is difficult to predict whether the board game will be as successful as the app. According to the video, Plague Inc. – The Board Game could be a very interesting title. At least if you speak English, because Plague Inc. will initially only be available in English.

A success even as an app

Granted, through the game app Plague Inc. can be argued like a prince. The aim of the game is nothing less than the complete extermination of humans through the skillful spread and development of viruses and bacteria. The success of the game is unbroken: Plague Inc. is now available for PC, MAC and Linux as well as for the current-gen console Xbox One. The title had been downloaded over 2013 million times by the end of 21, making it one of the most successful game apps ever.

Using epidemics as a central theme for games has become socially acceptable. At least since the virtual smallpox epidemic in digital New York from Ubisoft's blockbuster game The Division - with the notable difference that you fight against the spread in the team shooter. So controversial the subject of Plague Inc. It may well be that the game won over its fans with its realistic gameplay. Seldom have negative influencing factors been simulated in such detail as in Plague Inc. The dynamic course of the game draws users' attention and sometimes requires quick but well-considered reactions to the simulated conditions. Immediate action must be taken when vaccines are developed to keep the virus alive. With constant new modifications, the virtual pathogens evolve into deadly weapons that kill mankind in record time. So macabre Plague Inc. The game is so successful and exciting. I was also skeptical at first, but fell into the fast-paced gameplay just as quickly.

Similar gameplay, only as a board game

For the board game implementation of Plague Inc. Of course, if you want a similar dynamic game feel as in the digital version, even if the hectic simulation factor will certainly give way to the leisurelyness of a board game. To do this, you play the board game from Plague Inc. not alone, but with up to four friends. The aim of the game will be to be the first player to wipe out humanity through the use of epidemics. So nothing has changed on the basic topic, only that it is doubly competitive: Against the health system and against other players. According to Ndemic Creations, the development of the board game variant alone took around two years. So one can conclude that the game mechanisms are sophisticated and extensively tested.

The video linked above gives a first impression of the gameplay. First of all, the starting positions of the players are determined by means of cards. The world map in the board game version is not as detailed as in the app, but at least every continent consists of several sections. Disease tokens mark the degree of contamination and grant certain advantages. These are brought about by the evolution of the epidemics. For this purpose, each player has his personal evolution board at his disposal, on which he can add certain symptoms, such as vomiting or fever, to his disease. In addition, evolution can influence the infection rate. The aim of the game is to get as many DNA points as possible before the world health system collapses completely.

Each turn consists of five game actions: increasing DNA points through controlled countries, selecting a country map, evolution, infection, throwing the dice to determine lethality.

The further the game progresses, the more important the analysis of the circumstances becomes. Viruses, for example, need resistance to the cold in order to be efficient in cold regions, or they can evolve to spread better in dry regions. The board game by Plague Inc. keeps close to the original. That's great because it works Plague Inc. similarly dynamic. We could be dealing with a really good board game title that is spreading like a virus among the board game community. If you want to support German localization, you can contact the following Link use for it.

Plague Inc. could make a great board game title if luck of the dice becomes a motivating rather than a frustrating factor. The targeted annihilation of humanity through the spread of epidemics ultimately wants to proceed in a planned manner, even if coincidences play a not entirely unimportant role. I'll be the board game version of Plague Inc. definitely keep an eye on it and report to you when a German edition comes within reach.