Plague Inc. Simian Flu Guide: Managing Ape Colonies and Labs

To beat the Simian Flu in Plague Inc., evolve Simian Neuro-Genesis early to unlock primate abilities, establish Ape Colonies to secure steady DNA generation, and dismantle Gen-Sys laboratories before cure research accelerates. Managing intelligent apes alongside human transmission allows you to counter human defenses directly while building toward global infection.

Early Setup and Simian Neuro-Genesis

The Simian Flu tracks humans and apes as separate populations. Starting in Central Africa provides a dense native primate population, a hot climate, and low initial healthcare infrastructure.

Evolve Simian Neuro-Genesis as your first major milestone. Unlocking this ability grants:

• Active Primate Control: Ape markers appear on the world map, enabling manual relocation and colony placement.
• Dual Transmission: Humans and apes begin spreading the virus independently.
• Core Active Abilities: Unlocks migration commands, defensive colony founding, and targeted lab assaults.

Keep human awareness low during the opening stage. Invest in low-cost basic transmission traits such as Air 1 and Water 1, paired with primate transmission traits like Ape-to-Ape Transmission and Sub-Human Transference. This establishes an animal reservoir without triggering rapid governmental responses.

Founding and Defending Ape Colonies

Infection alone yields diminishing DNA returns over time. Establishing Ape Colonies provides a recurring flow of DNA bubbles required to fund mid- and late-game evolutions.

Colonies require the following progression path:

1. Simian Neuro-Genesis
2. Ape Instinct
3. Ape Cognition
4. Ape Colony

Once unlocked, trigger the Ape Colony ability over an area with high numbers of infected, intelligent apes. Place your first colony in your African starting region, followed by secondary colonies in regions with substantial ape populations, such as Brazil or Southeast Asia.

Colonies provide three specific functions:

• Passive DNA Generation: Regularly generates DNA point bubbles on the world map.
• Sanctuary Protection: Shields resident apes from standard human hunting and pest-control efforts.
• Combat Concentration: Clusters apes together, improving local resistance against security forces.

Avoid establishing colonies in countries with heavy military forces or immediate hostile surveillance until you evolve local defensive traits.

Countering Gen-Sys Labs and Drones

Human authorities eventually commission Gen-Sys Corporation to combat the outbreak. Gen-Sys builds research facilities—marked by blue lab icons—that drastically accelerate global cure research.

To destroy a lab, select an ape group in the facility's host country (or an adjacent nation) and command them to assault the installation. Destroying a lab removes its accumulated cure contributions and rewards bonus DNA points. If a facility appears in a nation lacking intelligent apes, send a migration wave to that region immediately.

Bypassing Borders with Ape Migration

Island nations like Greenland, Iceland, Madagascar, and Great Britain often close sea routes and airspace before the virus arrives naturally. Use the Ape Migration ability to bypass these closures manually.

• Land Travel: Select a territory containing intelligent apes, open the Ape Migration command, and drag a movement path across borders into uninfected territories.
• Water Travel: Evolve Ape Swim to cross narrow maritime channels, allowing access to isolated island nations after commercial ports close.
• En Route Spread: Migrating primates seed both ape and human infections through every territory along their transit vector.

If a migration path crosses a zone under active Gen-Sys drone surveillance, human forces may target the pack with airstrikes. Move apes in concentrated, direct paths rather than scattering smaller groups across hostile zones.

Transitioning to Lethality

Delay lethal symptoms until your colonies are established, Gen-Sys labs are suppressed, and the infection has reached every populated continent. Mutating lethal symptoms too early causes human authorities to close borders and launch military culling campaigns before your apes can defend themselves.

Once global coverage is complete:

1. Evolve high-tier lethal symptoms branching from Neuro-Enhancement, such as Hemorrhagic Shock and Total Brain Failure.
2. Evolve ape combat abilities, including Ape Frenzy and Logistical Organization, to overwhelm military defenses.
3. Attack any emergency research labs that appear during the final collapse to keep cure progress suppressed while human populations decline.