1. Plague Inc: Evolved
While not entirely "underrated," Plague Inc: Evolved is a game that often flies under the radar for those who aren’t familiar with the simulation/strategy genre. It’s a strategy game where you create and control a deadly plague, evolving it to spread across the world and wipe out humanity before the world can find a cure.
The complexity of the strategies you need to employ as you adapt your plague to different climates, populations, and global measures is what makes the game addictive. The Evolved version has more content and features than its mobile predecessor, including multiplayer, special scenarios, and more complex gameplay mechanics. It’s an amazing blend of puzzle-solving and world management with a dark, fascinating theme.
2. The Plague
This is a lesser-known indie game that focuses on the bubonic plague during the medieval era. It’s a roguelike survival game where you manage a settlement in a world ravaged by the plague. The game emphasizes resource management, strategy, and the harsh realities of life during a pandemic. It's visually atmospheric with a grim and immersive tone, and while it’s not widely talked about, it’s one of those hidden gems you might enjoy if you like dark historical survival games.
3. A Plague Tale: Innocence
Although it gained more attention with its sequel, A Plague Tale: Requiem, the first game in the series—A Plague Tale: Innocence—could still be considered underrated for how captivating it is. The game takes place during the Black Plague in medieval France and follows two siblings, Amicia and Hugo, as they try to survive the horrors of both the disease and the violent Inquisition soldiers hunting them. The game has stealth elements, puzzle-solving, and a heavy narrative focus. The depiction of rats spreading disease and consuming anything in their path is both eerie and beautiful.
The story-driven nature and emotional depth of A Plague Tale often surprise players, as it’s much more than just a game about disease—it’s a narrative experience about family, survival, and loss, wrapped in the grim backdrop of medieval Europe.
4. Pathologic Classic HD
A very niche and cult-favorite game, Pathologic Classic HD is a psychological survival horror game where you play as one of three characters, each with a different perspective on the plague ravaging a strange, isolated town. You have to manage your health, resources, and time while navigating a town that feels more like a nightmare than a place to live. The game doesn’t hold your hand, and it’s famous for its oppressive atmosphere, difficult choices, and thought-provoking themes.
The gameplay can be punishing, but for players who enjoy atmospheric, complex, and sometimes confusing narratives, Pathologic stands as one of the most unique takes on a plague scenario.
5. Bio Inc. Redemption
A much lighter take than the others, Bio Inc. Redemption is a simulation game where you play as a doctor trying to cure a patient from a disease, or conversely, you can play as a "bioterrorist," infecting a person with diseases and trying to speed up their demise. It's more of a management game than a story-driven experience but still provides interesting scenarios involving plagues, pandemics, and diseases. It’s quirky and less intense than most others, but it has its own charm.