With the world in the midst of a deadly pandemic, Plague Inc.: The Cure shakes up the games usual formula by tasking players with saving the world instead of destroying it. The new expansion is now available on Steam and is currently free for all Plague Inc.: Evolved players “until COVID-19 is under control.”
Developer Ndemic Creations has described the new DLC as the series’ biggest expansion yet as it adds new mechanics to help you stop the spread of a virus. You’ll dispatch research teams around the world to track the spread of the outbreak and boost testing capacity, implement measures such as contact tracing, lockdowns, and border closures to limit the spread of the outbreak, support the economy by using furlough schemes, and eventually develop a vaccine.
The nine-year-old game has been more relevant than ever over the past year, but The Cure adds a number of pertinent mechanics that will be familiar to anyone who’s glanced at the news recently. It was created with the help of world health and infectious disease experts from all over the world including the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI), World Health Organisation (WHO) and Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN).
Plague Inc. made headlines early last year when Ndemic had to provide a disclaimer informing players that the game was not a “scientific model” following a sales boost generated by players wanting to know how the coronavirus could spread. The game was later removed from sale in China for allegedly containing content that China deemed illegal.
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