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Except in some scenarios, players can insert one of the genes from Genetic Code before they start their game.  These genes allow personalization of plague, for example, by providing boosts to infectivity and DNA gain, increase/decrease the mutation rate, and so on.

Every time a player wins a game with a standard plague, they unlock one of the 25 genes regardless of the difficulty level. The same goes for Neurax Worm. However, the other special plagues can unlock one of their special genes.

There are five different types of genes: DNA Genes, Travel Genes, Evolution Genes, Mutation Genes, and Environment Genes. Players can only have one of each type of gene per game, meaning that there are a large number of different genetic combinations that one can use for any disease (3,125 to be exact). There are exclusive genes for Necroa Virus, Simian Flu, and Shadow Plague.

On Android, you must buy the premium version for $0.99 in order to use the genes that you unlocked.

Standard Plague Genes[]

DNA Genes[]

These genes give you more DNA in different ways.

ATPBoostIcon
Gen Name ATP Boost
Description Get bonus DNA at the beginning (8 extra starting DNA points)
MetabolicJumpIcon
Gen Name Metabolic Jump
Description Get more DNA from popping red, biohazard bubbles
(The points given are random. There is a 6/13 chance that the player will get one more point per bubble. The DNA Points given by the red bubbles depends of the disease's severity.)
CytochromeSurgeIcon
Gen Name Cytochrome Surge
Description Get more DNA from popping orange DNA bubbles
(In general, the gene tends to give the player a +1 DNA at the beginning of the game when the disease is basic and has not been found. When the disease is more complex, in particular the severity has increased, the gene gives the player more DNA per orange bubbles. The range that gives more DNA for the gene is random.)[1]
CatalyticSwitchIcon
Gen Name Catalytic Switch
Description Get bonus DNA from popping blue, cure bubbles(2-5 DNA points from each blue bubble)
MetabolicHijackIcon
Gen Name Metabolic Hijack
Description Orange and Red bubbles are automatically popped for you (1/6 probability of losing 1 DNA point from each red and orange bubble)

Mutation Genes[]

These genes let you tweak how your plague mutates.

DarwinistIcon
Gen Name Darwinist
Description Increases the chance of your plague mutating (+0.4 mutation)
CreationistIcon
Gen Name Creationist
Description Decreases the chance of your plague mutating (-0.4 mutation)
GeneticMimicIcon
Gen Name Genetic Mimic
Description Your Plague is harder to cure (+0.15 cure requirement)
Base Oxidisation Icon
Gen Name Base Oxidisation
Description Your plague can mutate Transmissions. Easier to cure (-0.1 mutation, -0.05 cure requirement)
Base Hydrolysis Icon
Gen Name Base Hydrolysis
Description Your plague can mutate Abilities. Easier to cure (-0.1 mutation, -0.05 cure requirement)

Travel Genes[]

These genes give your plague a boost when spreading.

TeracyteIcon
Gen Name Teracyte
Description Increases chance of your plague spreading by land (+7 infectivity)
AerocyteIcon
Gen Name Aerocyte
Description Increases chance of your plague spreading by air (+7 infectivity)
AquacyteIcon
Gen Name Aquacyte
Description Increases chance of your plague spreading by sea (+7 infectivity)
SuppressionIcon
Gen Name Suppression
Description Plague more likely to cross a closed land border (3 times infectivity between closed land borders)
NativeBiomeIcon
Gen Name Native Biome
Description Increases infectivity in your starting country

Environment Genes[]

These genes boost your plague in specific environments.

XerophileIcon
Gen Name Xerophile
Description Give your plague a bonus in arid climates (+0.5 arid effectiveness)
HidrophileIcon
Gen Name Hydrophile
Description Give your plague a bonus in humid climates (+0.5 humid effectiveness)
RurophileIcon
Gen Name Rurophile
Description Give your plague a bonus in rural environments (+0.5 rural effectiveness)
UrbophileIcon
Gen Name Urbophile
Description Give your plague a bonus in urban environments (+0.5 urban effectiveness)
ExtremophileIcon
Gen Name Extremophile
Description Give your plague a minor bonus in all environments (+0.2 arid, humid, rural & urban effectiveness)

Evolution Genes[]

These genes change the way your plague evolves. Note that these types of genes don't interfere with the Genetic Drift in Mega Brutal difficulty, which determines how much the amount of infected population should scale, although they are primarily designed to cut certain DNA point costs, especially early in the game.

IonisedHelixIcon
Gen Name Ionised Helix
Description Bonus DNA when devolving (-2 devolution cost)
TranslesionIcon
Gen Name Translesion +
Description Costs to devolve don't increase
SymptoStasisIcon
Gen Name Sympto-Stasis
Description Symptom costs don't increase but easier to cure(-0.1 arid, humid, rural & urban effectiveness, -0.1 cure requirement)
TransStasisIcon
Gen Name Trans-Stasis
Description Transmission costs don't increase but easier to cure (-0.1 arid, humid, rural & urban effectiveness, -0.125 cure requirement)
PathoStasisIcon
Gen Name Patho-Stasis
Description Ability costs don't increase but easier to cure (-0.1 arid, humid, rural & urban effectiveness, -0.11 cure requirement)

Special Plague Genes[]

Necroa Virus Genes[]

Exclusive to Necroa Virus, replacing Evolution Genes

These genes adapt the Necroa Virus in different ways.

CytopathicBoostIcon
Gen Name Cytopathic Boost
Description Infected corpses are more likely to reanimate as a zombie
AutolyticReductionIcon
Gen Name Autolytic Reduction
Description Slightly decreases the speed at which zombies decay
ThermoNecroIcon
Gen Name ThermoNecro
Description Reduces the zombie rate of decay in hot countries
DopamineInhibitorIcon
Gen Name Dopamine Inhibitor
Description Increases the chance of a zombie victim becoming a zombie
SplicedActivationIcon
Gen Name Spliced Activation
Description Active Abilities cost less DNA to use (from 5 to 3)

Artificial Genes[]

Exclusive to Simian Flu, replacing Evolution Genes in Plague Inc. and Mutation Genes in Plague Inc: Evolved

These genes influence genetic structure in a variety of ways.

LatentCatalystIcon
Gen Name Latent Catalyst
Description Get DNA when a Gen-Sys lab is destroyed
CortisolSensitivityIcon
Gen Name Cortisol Sensitivity
Description Reduces research from Gen-Sys experiments on apes
ATPOverdoseIcon
Gen Name ATP Overdose
Description Bonus DNA at start but costs significantly more to devolve (+15 starting DNA points, +20 devolution cost)
IonDeficitIcon
Gen Name Ion Deficit
Description Costs more to devolve but harder to cure (+0.15 Cure requirement, +4 devolution cost)
IonSurgeIcon
Gen Name Ion Surge
Description Costs less to devolve but easier to cure (-0.15 Cure requirement, -4 devolution cost)

Ape Genes[]

Exclusive to Simian Flu, replacing Mutation Genes in Plague Inc. and Evolution Genes in Plague Inc: Evolved

These genes impact the behavior of intelligent apes.

AdrenalSurgeIcon
Gen Name Adrenal Surge
Description Increases ape strength and speed but lethal over time
LeadershipIcon
Gen Name Leadership
Description Active Abilities cost less DNA to use (-2 DNA cost)
ViralAffinityIcon
Gen Name Viral Affinity
Description Increases ape to ape transmission
TogetherStrongIcon
Gen Name Together Strong
Description Increases DNA from colonies (+1 DNA)
CallOfTheWildIcon
Gen Name Call of the Wild
Description Apes less likely to be found by humans

Blood Genes[]

Exclusive to Shadow Plague, replacing Mutation Genes in Plague Inc. and DNA Genes in Plague Inc: Evolved

These genes change how your vampire fights.

HealthyEaterIcon
Gen Name Healthy Eater
Description Increases vampire maximum health
ScavengerIcon
Gen Name Scavenger
Description Vampire gets more DNA from destroying labs and Templar Bases
BrawlerIcon
Gen Name Brawler
Description Vampire Blood Rage ability doesn't cost DNA
BerserkerIcon
Gen Name Berserker
Description Vampire Blood Rage ability kills more people
HarvesterIcon
Gen Name Harvester
Description Vampire gets more DNA when consuming people using Blood Rage

Flight Genes[]

Exclusive to Shadow Plague, replacing Evolution Genes in Plague Inc. and Mutation Genes in Plague Inc: Evolved

These genes control what kind of bat your vampire transforms into.

BatBoltIcon
Gen Name Bat Bolt
Description Vampire Flight range increases
BudgetBatIcon
Gen Name Budget Bat
Description Vampire Flight ability doesn't cost DNA
FairWeatherBatIcon
Gen Name Fair Weather Bat
Description Vampire flies faster when not injured
AerophobicBatIcon
Gen Name Aerophobic Bat
Description Vampire flies faster but damages health
SociallyAwkwardBatIcon
Gen Name Socially Awkward Bat
Description Vampire starts Blood Rage automatically when entering a new country

Shadow Genes[]

Exclusive to Shadow Plague, replacing DNA Genes in Plague Inc. and Evolution Genes in Plague Inc: Evolved

These genes give your vampire a passive specialty.

Witchdoctor
Gen Name Witch Doctor
Description Vampire heals faster when in it's lair
Unholyengineer
Gen Name Unholy Engineer
Description Harder for drones to target lairs
Shadowspawn
Gen Name Shadow Spawn
Description Vampire less likely to be spotted in countries with lairs
Frugalresearcher
Gen Name Frugal Researcher
Description Lair DNA bonus triggers with fewer infected people
Madscientist
Gen Name Mad Scientist
Description All bubbles are automatically popped for you

Unlocking via gameplay[]

You can unlock genes by playing the game in any difficulty.

  • Beating any plague type unlocks a random gene.
    • Beating a Necroa Virus game unlocks a random Necroa gene.
    • Beating a Simian Flu game unlocks a random Simian / Artificial gene.
    • Beating a Shadow Plague game unlocks a random Shadow / Flight / Blood Rage gene.

Multiplayer Genes[]

The Multiplayer Mode adds unique genes that allow players to give certain advantages in a specific type of environment while making the plague less effective in others. These genes also include advantages of different mechanics such as making the player's disease kill people infected with other diseases faster, or making DNA bubbles that appear in the plague's country of origin score more points until the opponent finds the player's country of origin.

Glitches[]

  • In some versions of Plague Inc: Evolved, the player can save the game just before winning and reload it many times as needed to unlock all genes for a disease type in Genetic Code.[2]

Trivia[]

  • Some of the genes have good and bad sides. For some genes that make your plague easier to cure, however, some abilities and symptoms can override that effect.
  • Neurax Worm is the only special plague that doesn't have its own special genes.

References[]

  1. NdemicTech (2017-11-11). "Cytochrome Surge --- BROKEN". Retrieved on July 22, 2022.
  2. The Spiffing Brit (2020). "Plague Inc Is A Perfectly Balanced Game With No Exploits - Unlock All Genes Instantly". YouTube
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