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Plague Inc: The Cure Lets Players Stop A Pandemic Rather Than Start One
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Ndemic Creations, the developer behind Plague Inc., released a unique expansion for the game this week called The Cure. For the first time in eight years, the surprising twist on the world domination game has players attempting to cure a widespread deadly disease rather than spread it, all in the hope of raising awareness for those who are working to find an end to the real world's pandemic.
Plague Inc. first hit iOS and Android app stores in 2012, and later came to Windows in 2015. The real-time strategy simulation game sees players creating and evolving a deadly pathogen that can quickly spread throughout the human population. As a result, the virus will either kill everyone, turn them into zombies, or take over their minds, depending on the selected game mode. Plague Inc. was an instant success and went on to inspire a few spin-offs, including Plague Inc.: Evolved on Steam and a Plague Inc. board game. A politically-themed sequel called Rebel Inc. was also later released. Interestingly, Plague Inc. has seen a surge in downloads since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Ndemic Creations decided to take advantage of Plague Inc.'s resurgent popularity for a good cause with its latest expansion. The studio has partnered with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI), World Health Organization (WHO) and Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) to build The Cure, which completely reverses the Plague Inc.'s sinister goals. Now, players are responsible for eliminating the plague by following four new objectives: Hunt the Disease, Control the Outbreak, Support the Economy, and Develop a Vaccine. Some key tasks include finding patient zero, implementing contact tracing and lockdowns, creating furlough schemes, and researching medicine for a vaccine.
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These tasks should sound pretty familiar in 2020. Ultimately, The Cure was designed to put players in the shoes of the hundreds of specialists working hard every day to control the COVID-19 pandemic. James Vaughan, the founder of Ndemic Creations, said in the mode's announcement that he "never imagined" Plague Inc. would come to represent real life, but he's thrilled to use the game as a way to educate and inform players. However, it's also important for players to keep in mind that The Cure is only a rapid simulation game and in no way matches the speed at which controlling a real-life pandemic happens, and some of the scenarios may not completely depict reality.
Development on The Cure was first announced back in March during COVID-19's initial rapid spread from country to country. In addition to working on the expansion, Ndemic Creations donated $250,000 to be split between WHO and CEPI for their efforts in controlling the virus. There's no predicting how well-received the expansion will be, or if it will achieve its awareness goal, but Ndemic's generous efforts will certainly not go unnoticed.
Plague Inc.: The Cure is available now for download on the Apple Store and Google Play. Unfortunately, at this time, the expansion is not available on PC and consoles, but Ndemic Creations did tease that it will be coming soon. The Cure will be free to all Plague Inc. players until COVID-19 is controlled.
