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.
Get bonus DNA at the beginning (8 extra starting DNA points)
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.)
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]
Gen Name
Catalytic Switch
Description
Get bonus DNA from popping blue, cure bubbles(2-5 DNA points from each blue bubble)
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.
Gen Name
Darwinist
Description
Increases the chance of your plague mutating (+0.4 mutation)
Gen Name
Creationist
Description
Decreases the chance of your plague mutating (-0.4 mutation)
Gen Name
Genetic Mimic
Description
Your Plague is harder to cure (+0.15 cure requirement)
Gen Name
Base Oxidisation
Description
Your plague can mutate Transmissions. Easier to cure (-0.1 mutation, -0.05 cure requirement)
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.
Gen Name
Teracyte
Description
Increases chance of your plague spreading by land (+7 infectivity)
Gen Name
Aerocyte
Description
Increases chance of your plague spreading by air (+7 infectivity)
Gen Name
Aquacyte
Description
Increases chance of your plague spreading by sea (+7 infectivity)
Gen Name
Suppression
Description
Plague more likely to cross a closed land border (3 times infectivity between closed land borders)
Gen Name
Native Biome
Description
Increases infectivity in your starting country
Environment Genes[]
These genes boost your plague in specific environments.
Gen Name
Xerophile
Description
Give your plague a bonus in arid climates (+0.5 arid effectiveness)
Gen Name
Hydrophile
Description
Give your plague a bonus in humid climates (+0.5 humid effectiveness)
Gen Name
Rurophile
Description
Give your plague a bonus in rural environments (+0.5 rural effectiveness)
Gen Name
Urbophile
Description
Give your plague a bonus in urban environments (+0.5 urban effectiveness)
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.
Gen Name
Ionised Helix
Description
Bonus DNA when devolving (-2 devolution cost)
Gen Name
Translesion +
Description
Costs to devolve don't increase
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)
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)
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.
Gen Name
Cytopathic Boost
Description
Infected corpses are more likely to reanimate as a zombie
Gen Name
Autolytic Reduction
Description
Slightly decreases the speed at which zombies decay
Gen Name
ThermoNecro
Description
Reduces the zombie rate of decay in hot countries
Gen Name
Dopamine Inhibitor
Description
Increases the chance of a zombie victim becoming a zombie
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.
Gen Name
Latent Catalyst
Description
Get DNA when a Gen-Sys lab is destroyed
Gen Name
Cortisol Sensitivity
Description
Reduces research from Gen-Sys experiments on apes
Gen Name
ATP Overdose
Description
Bonus DNA at start but costs significantly more to devolve (+15 starting DNA points, +20 devolution cost)
Gen Name
Ion Deficit
Description
Costs more to devolve but harder to cure (+0.15 Cure requirement, +4 devolution cost)
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.
Gen Name
Adrenal Surge
Description
Increases ape strength and speed but lethal over time
Gen Name
Leadership
Description
Active Abilities cost less DNA to use (-2 DNA cost)
Gen Name
Viral Affinity
Description
Increases ape to ape transmission
Gen Name
Together Strong
Description
Increases DNA from colonies (+1 DNA)
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.
Gen Name
Healthy Eater
Description
Increases vampire maximum health
Gen Name
Scavenger
Description
Vampire gets more DNA from destroying labs and Templar Bases
Gen Name
Brawler
Description
Vampire Blood Rage ability doesn't cost DNA
Gen Name
Berserker
Description
Vampire Blood Rage ability kills more people
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.
Gen Name
Bat Bolt
Description
Vampire Flight range increases
Gen Name
Budget Bat
Description
Vampire Flight ability doesn't cost DNA
Gen Name
Fair Weather Bat
Description
Vampire flies faster when not injured
Gen Name
Aerophobic Bat
Description
Vampire flies faster but damages health
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.
Gen Name
Witch Doctor
Description
Vampire heals faster when in it's lair
Gen Name
Unholy Engineer
Description
Harder for drones to target lairs
Gen Name
Shadow Spawn
Description
Vampire less likely to be spotted in countries with lairs
Gen Name
Frugal Researcher
Description
Lair DNA bonus triggers with fewer infected people
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.
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.
