Before a player starts their game, they can insert Genetic Code. These genes allow personalization of pathogens by providing boosts to how one infects people, reacts to different environments, acquires DNA, and just the playstyle in general of your pathogen.
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 victories in the Neurax Worm. However, the other special plagues normally 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.
Genes
Edit
Standard plague genesEdit
Cytochrome SurgeEdit
Get more DNA from popping orange DNA bubbles.
- This is extremely useful with Parasite, where orange bubbles become the primary way of getting DNA points.
Metabolic HijackEdit
Orange and red bubbles are automatically popped.
- This also pops colony bubbles in the Simian Flu, potentially allowing for more relaxed gameplay. It doesn't give any more DNA for popping them, though.
DarwinistEdit
This gene increases the chance of your plague mutating. The opposite of the gene Creationist This can amplify the tendency of Virus to randomly mutate.
CreationistEdit
This gene decreases the chance of your plague mutating. The opposite of the gene Darwinist. This can inhibit the tendency of Virus to randomly mutate.
Genetic MimicEdit
Your plague is harder to cure. This gene is pretty much a must-have in the Standard Plagues at higher difficulties.
Base HydrolysisEdit
Your plague can mutate Abilities, but is easier to cure. Caution is advised when considering this gene for playing at higher difficulties.
Base OxidisationEdit
Your plague can mutate transmissions, but is easier to cure. Caution is advised when considering this gene for playing at higher difficulties.
TeracyteEdit
This gene increases the chance of your plague spreading by land. This gene is useful for infecting areas with multiple countries in close proximity to one another, such as Asia.
AquacyteEdit
This gene increases chance of your plague spreading by sea. This is useful in situations where Island Countries can be particularly difficult to infect, such as Pirate Plague.
AerocyteEdit
This gene increases chance of your plague spreading by air. This is useful in situations where planes are less common than usual, such as Volcanic Ash.
SuppressionEdit
Your plague is more likely to cross a closed land border. This is useful in bypassing situations where a plague would usually be locked out, such as shortly after discovery.
XerophileEdit
This gene gives your plague a bonus in arid climates. This is useful in spreading in countries with an Arid climate, such as Saudi Arabia.
HydrophileEdit
This gene gives your plague a bonus to infectivity in humid climates. This is useful in spreading in countries with a Humid climate, such as India.
RurophileEdit
This gene gives your plague a bonus to infectivity in rural environments. This is useful in spreading in Rural Countries, such as Argentina.
UrbophileEdit
This gene gives your plague a bonus in urban environments. This is useful in spreading in Urban Countries, such as China.
Note: Mega-Brutal infected population cost increase still applies to the "stasis" genes. Cost will still increase.
Ionised HelixEdit
This gene grants bonus DNA when devolving (+2 DNA Points for devolution). This gene is useful at lower difficulties because devolution of low-tier Symptoms, for example, frees up DNA Points that can be used to evolve higher-tier symptoms.
Translesion +Edit
Costs to devolve don't increase. This is useful when devolution of unwanted symptoms in Virus is preferred.
Sympto-StasisEdit
Symptom costs don't increase, but your plague will be easier to cure. Caution is advised when considering the use of this gene at higher difficulties. This is perhaps the best gene out of all the others for Bacteria, Virus, Parasite, Prion, Nano-Virus and the Neurax Worm, as symptoms like Total Organ Failure won't cost 60 DNA points as you consider buying it.
Trans-StasisEdit
Transmission costs don't increase, but your plague will be easier to cure. Caution is advised when considering the use of this plague at higher difficulties.
Patho-StasisEdit
Ability costs don't increase, but your plague will be easier to cure. Caution is advised when considering the use of this gene at higher difficulties. This is perhaps the best gene out of all the others for the Fungus and Bio-Weapon, as you can easily evolve spore bursts with 1 DNA point each and spore eruptions for 2. As for the Bio-Weapon, Patho-Stasis allows you to get Unlock Annihilate gene easily when the time is right.
Special plague genesEdit
(Exclusive to Necroa Virus, replacing Evolution)
Autolytic ReductionEdit
This gene slightly decreases the speed at which zombies decay, allowing them to be dangerous for longer periods of time.
ThermoNecroEdit
This gene reduces the zombie rate of decay in countries with a Hot climate. This increases the effectiveness of zombies in hot countries.
Spliced ActivationEdit
Active abilities cost less DNA to use. This allows the player to invest more DNA Points in improving the deadliness of their zombies if they wish to do so.
(Exclusive to Simian Flu, replacing Mutation)
Call of the WildEdit
Apes are less likely to be found by humans. This gene can be used to ensure the humans take a longer time to figure out that the Simian Flu is causing the apes to behave erratically.
LeadershipEdit
Active abilities cost less DNA to use (1/2 cost). This gene allows the player to invest more DNA Points into either improving their apes or negatively impacting humans.
Adrenal SurgeEdit
This gene increases ape strength and speed, but it is lethal over time. The latter portion makes this gene potentially useful in a Simian Flu
(Exclusive to Simian Flu, replacing Evolution)
Cortisol SensitivityEdit
This gene reduces research from Gen-Sys experiments on apes. This has the effect of reducing the effectiveness of the Cure effort.
ATP OverdoseEdit
Bonus DNA is given at the start, but it costs significantly more to devolve (+15 starting DNA Points), (20 more points devolution cost).
(Exclusive to Shadow Plague, replacing Travel genes)
BrawlerEdit
Vampire Blood Rage ability doesn't cost DNA
- This is means blood rage ability's costs will be disabled, and Budget bat is same as it.
(Exclusive to Shadow Plague, replacing Environment genes)
Socially Awkward BatEdit
Vampire starts Blood Rage automatically when entering a new country
- Doesn't work with Brawler.
Unlocking via Gameplay Edit
You can unlock genes by playing the game. Below are some ways people found which gene gets unlocked by which action, mostly tested on mobile (Android/iOS):
- Beating a Bacteria level likely unlocks a DNA Gene
- Beating a Virus level likely unlocks a Travel Gene
- Beating a Fungus level likely unlocks an Evolution Gene
- Beating a Parasite level likely unlocks a Mutation Gene
- Beating a Prion level likely unlocks an Environment Gene
- Beating a Nano-Virus level likely unlocks a DNA Gene
- Beating a Bio-Weapon level likely unlocks a Travel Gene
- The gene unlocked by beating a Neurax Worm level unlocks is currently uncertain.
- Beating a Necroa Virus level likely unlocks a Necroa Gene
- Beating a Simian Flu level likely unlocks a Simian/Artificial Gene
- Beating a Shadow Plague level likely unlocks a Shadow/Flight/Blood Rage Gene
Multiplayer genes Edit
Here is a list of some genes on Multiplayer games. Some of the genes on Multiplayer are VS Mode exclusive. This list is less outdated than it was, but is still none-the-less incomplete.
- Hydrophobe: Gives your plague a bonus in arid climates, but a penalty in humid climates.
- Xerophobe: Gives your plague a bonus in humid climates, but a penalty in arid climates.
- Urbophobe: Gives your plague a bonus in rural environments, but a penalty in urban environments.
- Rurophobe: Gives your plague a bonus in urban environments, but a penalty in rural environments.
- Pharmaphile: Gives your plague a bonus in wealthy countries, but a penalty in poor countries.
- Pharmaphobe: Gives your plague a bonus in poor countries, but a penalty in wealthy countries.
- Frigophobe: Gives your plague a bonus in hot countries, but a penalty in cold countries.
- Thermophobe: Gives your plague a bonus in cold countries, but a penalty in hot countries.
- Benign infection: Your plague is harder to cure but you start with less DNA.
- Unstable inception: Get bonus DNA at the beginning, but your starting country will be selected randomly.
- VS mode Exclusive Safe house: Get more DNA from bubbles in your starting country, but your opponent gets bonus DNA when it is discovered.
- VS mode Exclusive Search and Destroy: Get a DNA bonus from finding your opponent's starting country. The bonus decreases the longer it takes.
Trivia Edit
- All multiplayer genes have good sides and bad sides.
