Plague Inc. has numerous Shout-Outs to other works, both overt and subtle. Most of them appear in the news ticker.
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News ticker references
- Nineteen Eighty-Four: Politician says ignorance better than knowledge.
- Among Us: Astronaut ejected from airlock on ISS. Crew claimed he acted 'sus'
- A Christmas Carol: Banker attempts suicide -"haunted by three ghosts."
- Borat: "Mankini not funny", says Kazakh professor.
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare: Disrespectful funeral-goer 'forgot to press X'.
- Crossy Road: "Animals go on strike over dangerous road crossing."
- People told to await their Destiny.
- Doctor Who: Missing woman 'entered police box with strange man'.
- Suicide rates still increase after the removal of 'flappy bird'
- FTL: Faster Than Light developer sued over 'Perma-death' mental trauma.
- Goat Simulator: Goat demands royalties from game dev.
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014): Dancing twig in pot is best-selling Christmas gift.
- Home Alone: Child arrested for gravely injuring two robbers."
- Hotline Miami: Miami police set up hotline to catch famous killer.
- "Child rescues clown from sewer. Police can't believe It."
- Jetpack Joyride: Machine-gun powered jetpack banned over safety concern.
- Justin Bieber: Justin Bibble trampled by fans.
- Minecraft:
- "Miners and crafters" hail opening of "top notch" diamond mine in Sweden.
- Creeper executed for destruction of virtual property.
- Swedish Miner freed by Microsoft
. Rides into sunset.
- 34th Street closed upon rumors of suspected miracle.
- Monsters, Inc.: Green tech firm claims to have developed a power station that runs entirely on laughter and joy.
- Monument Valley: Girl returns from valley of monuments inside out.
- Penny Arcade Adventures: Rusty rake declared lethal weapon.
- Penny Arcade: Mass panic over 3D-printed robotic juicer
- "New robotic juicer banned in 17 countries after a UN report highlighted its 'profoundly disturbing' behaviour." A likely reference to Penny Arcade's infamous supporting character, Fruit Fucker 2000.
- "PewDieism found to be fastest-growing religion".
- Plants vs. Zombies: "Crazy Dave" convicted of Garden Centre robbery.
- Shortly after starting the Teleportation scenario, a pop-up will inform you of the invention of portals. The next portal-related message reveals that governments can now produce an infinite amount of cake.
- "Hurricane Shakira will be reported as less intense than expected."
- ''Sonic the Hedgehog:
- Hedgehog breaks land speed record".
- "Majority believe Ozone layer was a Sonic The Hedgehog level."
- StarCraft: "Pylons 'vital to high-tech society'".
- Star Trek: "Klingon new official language of EU Parliament"
- Star Wars:
- Script approved for 'Episode 7 - Taking the Mickey'.
- "Porgs not cool," says Ewok.
- Super Mario Bros.: Italian plumber fined for killing turtles".
- Taylor Swift: "Pop singer told to shake it off".
- Terry Pratchett voted best author ever!
- Tiny robot lands on comet, confirms it is a comet
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: "Adventurer found to have faked knee trauma".
- Twitch Plays Pokémon: Gamers everywhere begin worshipping helix fossil.
- Valve Time slower than thought.
- Researchers have calculated that it takes longer than expected for radioactive fluids with a half-life of 3 years to pass through valves. Reason unknown.
- Where's Waldo?: Waldo is found dead under a staircase after having gone missing.
- Writitors demand site paywall.
- Xbox One: New console admits to "always on requirement".
- Zombie Gunship: AC-130 'safest place in event of zombie attack'.
- Driver in hospital after "Zombie Highway" incident.
Other references
- It would be odd if there wasn't a reference to Pandemic, and it appears in the name of a scenario where countries are quicker to seal their borders, named after the Pandemic meme "Shut Down Everything". The same phrase can also be seen on one of the billboards in Madagascar when it starts suffering widespread disorder. Seems like a double reference because Madagascar itself has gained notoriety for being very difficult to infect in the original Pandemic game.
- One of the achievements in the artificial organs scenario is called "I never asked for this."
- An organization called "Z-Com" can appear in the Necroa Virus. And if that somehow went over your head, there's also the achievement "Z-Com: Enemy Undead", awarded for destroying a Z-Com fortress with your zombie horde.
- The Xenophobia scenario description: "...On a positive note, border guards get to shout 'You Shall Not Pass!"
- The Simian Flu update has shout-outs to Ape Escape and Red Dead Redemption.
- Necroa Symptom Combos are named after Left 4 Dead Special Infected.
- You can use the Olympics to help spread your disease.
- One of the ways humans combat your disease is by embracing the iCure, a touchscreen device from Apple$oft.
- The achievement for winning the Neurax Worm scenario by mind controlling the world is named "Assuming Direct Control".
- One official scenario for Neurax Worm is called "Santa's Little Helper", which is a play on Satan's Little Helper. It's also the name of The Simpsons' dog.
- The achievement for beating the game in under 365 days is called Insane Bolt, and shows a sprinter breaking through the tape at the finish line. A subtle reference to Usain Bolt, the fastest sprinter in recorded history.
- The Shadow Plague scenario is rife with references to Vampire Fiction:
- One of the symptom combos mentions that the vampires now sparkle like diamonds when exposed to sunlight.
- Another combo has your vampire hear sinister calls from the shadow portals, making them stronger. The combo's name? "Welcome to Hellmouth".
- The achievement for killing 123 people in 123 days is "Count Countula", with its icon as Count von Count and the newsticker reading "'Sesame Street Killer' on rampage in New York".
- The achievement "Dentist's Dream" seems to have been inspired by film "30 Days of Night".
- By evolving the Insomnia and Anemia symptoms, you can trigger The Walking Dead combo, which slows research for the cure as scientists walk around pale and tired.
- The Necroa Virus' Multiple-Choice Past can come up with two Whole Plot References:
- There's a series of achievements for the "Ultimate Board Games" scenario that require you to reference other games via your game's design elements. These include, but aren't limited to: Scrabble, Risk, Poker, Cluedo, and, yes, Plague Inc: The Board Game.
