![Plague Inc. Plague Inc.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/mobile/000/027/576/Plague_Inc_Music_(Plague_Bloom)_0-7_screenshot.jpg)
Plague Inc.
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About
Plague Inc. is a real-time strategy game in which the player creates and evolves a deadly pathogen in the hopes of infecting the world with a plague. After its release on mobile devices, a console version of the game was released on Steam in 2015. The game became a subject of memes in meme communities on Reddit in 2018.
History
Plague Inc. was created and published by Ndemic Creations.[1] Inspired by the 2008 Flash game Pandemic II by Dark Realm Studios, it was released for iOS on May 26th, 2012 and for Android on October 4th of the same year. The game uses an epidemic model which players must utilize to maximize the effect of their pathogen.
The game proved popular, having been downloaded over 85 million times, and in 2015, a console version of the game, Plague Inc. Evolved, was released on Windows, Mac OSx, Playstation 4, and Xbox One.
Reception
The game was well-received. On top of being a commercial success, it received a score of 80/100 on Metacritic.[2] Critics praised the game's gameplay, strategy elements, and humor in spite of what some called a bare-bones presentation. Plague Inc.: Evolved also received an 80/100 on Metacritic.[3] It was a runner up in IGN's 2012 awards for "Best Strategy Game."
Online Presence
Plague Inc. continues to have a popular online community. A subreddit for the game has over 2,900 subscribers.[4] The game also has over 132,000 likes on Facebook.[5]
Related Memes
Poisoned Water
Poisoned Water refers to a series of jokes that grew popular on Reddit's /r/me_irl subreddit in late October of 2018. A user made several posts in which he offered the subreddit a poisoned glass of water and that a cure to the poison was being worked on in Greenland, which itself is a reference to the video game Plague, Inc.
On October 28th, 2018, Redditor kubapoke made several posts creating a narrative where water offered in the first post was poisoned (examples shown below).
![The water This is just a regular glass of water You can take a sip if you want](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/425/613/ec1.png)
![It's poisoned! Haha I've just poisoned water in this post above I mean me too, thanks Les's see how many ople will drink it](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/425/618/379.png)
kubapoke continued the narrative over several other posts, concluding with a post saying a cure for the poisoned water was being developed in Greenland (shown below, right). The reference to Greenland is itself a reference to the game Plague Inc., in which a player attempts to affect the world with a deadly pathogen. Greenland is difficult to infect in the game as it is a sparsely populated island with limited sea communication.
![Greenland I've heard that a lot of people on this subreddit suffer from a severe case of water poisoning Don't worry. We're producing a cure in Greenland where the virus won't reach us](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/425/623/d1e.png)
![Police Stop right there citizen! Sorry if I've scared you. I've just heard that someone has been poisoning water around here lately. Make sure not to drink any water from strangers. Thank you for your attention](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/425/625/bcf.png)
Greenland and Madagascar
Since the release of the game, Greenland and Madagascar have gained notoriety among players as locations which are hardest to successfully infect due to limited sea communication routes leading to the countries. For example, a post on /r/memes[15] referencing the game gained over 22,000 points (shown below, top left). An inquiry about these jokes was posted to /r/OutOfTheLoop on November 5th, 2018.[6]
![Disease Greenland n----- when they hear a deadly disease is spreading rapidly in the world](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/428/738/873.jpg)
![WHY ARE YOU CLOSED!? WHY ARE YOU CLOSING YOUR DOORS?! Greenland LET ME IN LET MEINNNNNN!!! made with mematic](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/462/792/a0c.jpg)
![Not again "Greenland is S00 hard to infect haha" Madagascar [laughs in closed ports]](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/462/803/d37.jpg)
![A truly dreadful feeling. When cure research progress is at 80% and Greenland still aint infected](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/462/801/7a6.png)
![You have big pp You can't defeat me I know but he can](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/462/808/ac4.jpg)
![The art of war There's a solution hereB adult swi you're not seeing News cte 0 Greenland Dead](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/462/791/41b.jpg)
Anti-Vaxxers Petition
On July 23rd, 2018, Plague Inc. received a free Royal Update which included a "Science Denial" scenario.[7] In the scenario, exiled science experts work on a cure in a "Super Science" utopia established in a random country, while the rest of the world relies on ineffective alternative medicines.
People around the world have stopped believing in science, medicine and even diseases. One country decides to offer scientists sanctuary and from here they hope to save humanity from itself! Can you wipe them out in time?
![Sooo they put this mode in! Greenland get ready to be finished! Scenarios Completed: 0 % (Brutal) Science Denial Ultimate Board Games Science Denial Mad Cow Disease Santa's Little Helperhealing crystals and snake oil can only do so Black Death Flight Club People no longer believe in science. Popular opinion has shifted against objective truth and towards 'alternative facts'. But when a terrifying new plague is unleashed, ginkgo tree extract, much. Can the exiled experts save the world? め虎虎 めめめ here Is Everyone? Challenge Play](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/462/793/9dd.jpg)
![Plague Inc. "Science Denial" Scenario News 20 2 2019 Welcome to the Science Denial scenario From Flat Earthers to climate change deniers to anti-vaccine campaigners trüst in science has eroded × 个 worldwide. 스 DNA 0 Cure 0% ⑦ Dead Infected 0 Disease World World](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/462/796/5cb.jpg)
![Plague Inc. "Science Denial" Scenario d 'surplus to requirements' 4 -6 2019 News C 'Super Science' utopia in Japarn Moving against popular global opinion, Japan has invited scientists from around the world to come and work at fully funded 'super Science' cities. 个 DNA 11 Cure.. 0% Dead Infected 6,234,001 Disease World World 6,754](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/462/797/94c.jpg)
![Plague Inc. "Science Denial" Scenario Alternative medicines dist 11 2 2020 News Alternative medicines distributed People are placing their hopes on alternative medicines such as ginkgo tree extract, healing crystals, and snake oil. Use the distraction to spread unhindered. X DNA 83 cure 59% Infected Dead Disease Iceland World 142,043 56,963](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/462/798/3d9.jpg)
On February 17th, Change.org[8] user Eduard Gabrian created a petition calling to add anti-vaxxers as a buff in Plague Inc. On the next day, the user posted a screenshot of the petition along with a link to it to /r/memes subreddit.[9] The post gained over 680 upvotes in one two days.
On the same day, Redditor[10] jojuju1611 posted an edited screenshot of the petition to /r/me_irl subreddit, where it gained over 18,600 upvotes in two days. In the following days, the edited screenshot was posted on numerous subreddits, including /r/PewdiepieSubmissions[11] (33,900 upvotes), /r/dank_meme[12] (30,600 upvotes) and /r/teenagers[13] (5,100 upvotes).
![Petition to Add Anti-Vaxxers as a Buff in Plague Inc change.org Start a petition Browse Membership Q Log in Pettion to add anti-vaxxers as a buffin Plaque Inc. 6,571 have signed. Let's get to 7,500! 16 052020 News Josh G signed 2 minutes ago Jackie Knight signed 11 minutes ago First name Last name Email Kingston, K7P Canada O Share with Facebook friends](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/462/788/338.jpg)
![Are we blind? Deploy the signs! change.org Inicia una petición Mis peticiones Más peticiones Programa de socios Q Entrar Petition to add anti-vaxxers as a buff in Plague Inc. 1.572 personas han firmado. jAyuda a conseguir 2.500! Linus Lindberg ha firmado Hace 13 minutos Spencer Heffley ha firmado Hace 14 minutos Nombre Apellidos Correo electrónico Eduard Gabrian ha iniciado esta petición dirigida a The Plague Inc, developers Anti-vaxxers are stupid Quiero saber si esta petición gana y cómo puedo ayudar a otras peticiones ciudadanas It is critical we send an signing group there inmediately](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/462/789/76a.png)
On February 19th, Redditor[14] itsbryandude made a post on /r/gaming subreddit pointing out that a similar gameplay mode already existed in the game.
Search Interest
External References
[1] Wikipedia – Plague Inc..
[2] Metacritic – Plague Inc.
[3] Metacritic – Plague Inc. Evolved
[4] Reddit – /r/plagueinc
[5] Facebook – Plague Inc.
[6] Reddit – What's the deal with all the Plague Inc. memes popping up now even though the game is like 10 years old?
[7] Steam – Plague Inc. Mutation 16 – The Royal Update is here!
[8] Change.org – Petition to add anti-vaxxers as a buff in Plague Inc.
[9] Reddit – [link in comments]
[11] Reddit – Come on oranges
[12] Reddit – dank_memeirl
[13] Reddit – Because dying from a painful disease is better than “autism”
[14] Reddit – Sooo they put this mode in! Greenland get ready to be finished!
[15] Reddit – Weird flex, but ok disease.
Top Comments
lecorbak
Nov 06, 2018 at 07:32PM EST
Uoiea
Nov 07, 2018 at 12:17AM EST