Working from home and social distancing are great ways to prevent the wide-spread of COVID-19. I’ve spent the better half of my day working and watching pandemic movies on Netflix. However, after playing Plague Inc. on my Android phone, I got really curious if there are other Pandemic games that I can play on the internet or PC. So, let’s not waste time and jump right in. Here are the top pandemic related games on the internet you can play right away!
How to Enable Flash
If you’re using Chrome, you would need to allow Flash support before you can play these games. Here’s how to do it.
- Go to Privacy & Security
- Open Site Settings
- Enable “Block sites from running Flash”.
Now, this will change the option to “Ask first”. So every time you open a website that requires flash, just “Click Allow” and enjoy. Alternatively, you can install Flash in your system (on Mac) to run these games.
Top Pandemic Related Games on the Internet
1. Pandemic 2
This game is not about saving but inflicting a disease on earth.
The goal is to spread it across as fast and effectively as possible. You can either choose the realistic mode which has a longer gameplay or a relaxed mode if you’re trying it out for fun. The player starts by choosing a disease, be it a virus, bacteria or parasite. Interestingly, the player is in control of the virus. For example, you can change the virus symptoms, modify the disease resistance for a larger outbreak and also choose a medium of transmission, like, airborne, water, etc.
This game might look like an easy game but it does need some strategizing and a constant tab on the breaking news section which affects the gameplay. I’d suggest this for anyone who has time in hand and would want to, ahem, destroy the world! The game also has a well laid out instruction page. thus making it easy to follow.
Overview
- The player controls the virus
- Needs proper strategizing
- Graphics might seem outdated
- May take time to understand
- Great for teenagers and adults
Play Pandemic 2
2. The Great Flu
It’s a health game where the player has to manage and control a new influenza virus outbreak and prevent it from turning into a pandemic.
The game starts with a documentary-style video intro and also, gives a simple how-to about the game. Understanding the role-play is fairly easy as you’re assigned the role of the leader of the “World Pandemic Control”. In the gameplay, you can assign research teams to infected areas, distribute anti-viral vaccines, close schools and other institutions and ultimately find a vaccine so that the entire world population can be helped and further escalation can be prevented.
One can easily find similarities with the current COVID-19 situation, where the number of affected patients and the death toll is rising and there is the looming fear of an economic slowdown, in addition to the virus. The game is developed in consultation with Dr. Ab Osterhaus, targeted to increase awareness and impart knowledge about how a virus spreads and evolves.
Overview
- Gives the player an insight into an outbreak
- The graphics might be outdated for some
- Ghost clicks while using the side panel
- Made in consultation of a virologist
Play The Great Flue
3. Medical Mysteries
It is a series of small games where the player has to investigate infectious disease outbreaks.
You can toggle between games like, Disease Defenders, which is an independent mission game, where you’re in a team of experts to fight the outbreak. Animal alert is another game that puts you in the role of an epidemiologist, microbiologist, or veterinarian, with an aim to find out what is making people sick. The duration of these games ranges anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes and the story-line is easy even for smaller age groups as well.
So, If you’re sitting at home and your kid has an inclination towards science, this is a great way to impart knowledge in a fun way. All these games are safe for children as it complies with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998.
Overview
- Multiple games in one place
- Great for smaller age groups
- Super-easy to follow
- Might not be well suited for adults
Play Medical Mysteries
Read 14 Best Multiplayer Android Games for Couples
4. Flu Epidemic
Image to be a minister of health someday and deal with real-world problems? Well, you can be one in the game and try to contain a new flu spread in the city which could affect millions of people worldwide.
The game provides you with multiple options to choose from, which in turn decide what happens next in the game. For, example, if you choose to kill all the birds (Bird Flu), wildlife protestors are likely to emerge and also the spread through humans contact will render your move ineffective. Got the point?
What keeps me hooked to the game is TV news like a monologue where a news anchor deciphers the options a player chooses and reports its repercussions on the world. Graphically, there isn’t much on the screen but a map shows the intensity of the outbreak, the percentage of people infected and if the public opinion is in favor of the govt or not. The game is developed by the Centre of the Cell which is a science education center based at Queen Mary, University of London and is the first education center located within working biomedical research laboratories.
Overview
- Easy gameplay (Objective type)
- Real-time analysis of your moves
- Suitable for kids and teenagers
- Other science-backed games on the same page
Play Flu Epidemic
5. Plague Inc: Evolved
From donating Quarter of a Million Dollars to Fight COVID-19 to getting banned in China. This application always sees a jump in the number of users whenever a calamity hits.
It’s another strategy game but it’s far different from the others with real-life simulation and graphics. The games revolve around the player creating a pathogen with the aim of wiping out entire humanity with this deadly plaque. The game is not just good entertainment but also uses an epidemic model, which other complex variables to make the outbreak’s effect severe. Besides using a pathogen, the player also has other options like enslaving the population or converting them into zombies. However, the player does have a time constraint before humans develop a vaccine.
The developer initially started this game as a hobby and to my surprise, was inspired by Pandemic 2, the first game on the list. Although it doesn’t have online support, you can still get it through Steam for $6.5 only.
Overview
- Graphically rich and up-to-date
- Multiple disease types to play with
- Realistic world scenarios
- Multiplayer-option
Play Plague Inc.
Read: 9 Best Steam Tips and Tricks Every Power User Should Know
Closing Remarks
Pandemic games are in great demand and games like these can be a great motivator to be inside. These games not only impart knowledge and give you an idea about how the virus spreads and how it affects the world population, but are also made in the supervision of specialists. Whether its Plaque Inc. (featured by CDC) or Pandemic 2 which laid the foundation of the pandemic/virus genre, these games should be tried out by everyone at least once. Maybe, now is the right time. Also, if you’ve got a PS4, you might want to try The Last of Us: Remastered or Resident Evil 7 Gold which is based around the same genre. So, here was my list of top pandemic related games on the internet you can play right away!
Also Read: Official Coronavirus Live Maps and Apps to Track COVID-19
