Choose Plague Inc: Evolved
Choose Plague Inc: Evolved if you want a Simulation game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 25,374 Steam reviews back the pick.
Plague Inc: Evolved vs Linear Chicken
Plague Inc: Evolved and Linear Chicken both land in Strategy, Indie, Casual on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Strategy, Indie, Casual on Steam. Plague Inc: Evolved (2016) is 2 years older than Linear Chicken (2018). Plague Inc: Evolved scores higher on Steam reviews (93.8% positive) than Linear Chicken (61.5% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Linear Chicken
Choose Linear Chicken if it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. Linear Chicken launched in 2018.
Both Plague Inc: Evolved and Linear Chicken sit in Strategy, Indie, and Casual on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Plague Inc: Evolved |  Linear Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual | Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 93.8% positive (25,374 reviews) | 61.5% positive (13 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Ndemic Creations | FelGC.GamesDevelopment |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Plague Inc: Evolved (2016) is 2 years older than Linear Chicken (2018).
- Plague Inc: Evolved scores higher on Steam reviews (93.8% positive) than Linear Chicken (61.5% positive).
- Plague Inc: Evolved has co-op; Linear Chicken does not.
- Plague Inc: Evolved is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Linear Chicken has no Deck rating yet.
Plague Inc: Evolved vs Linear Chicken — FAQ
- Should I play Plague Inc: Evolved or Linear Chicken first?
- If you want chronology, Plague Inc: Evolved (2016) came out before Linear Chicken (2018). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Plague Inc: Evolved and Linear Chicken similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, Casual on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Linear Chicken have multiplayer like Plague Inc: Evolved?
- No. Plague Inc: Evolved supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Linear Chicken is listed as single-player only.
- Does Plague Inc: Evolved run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Plague Inc: Evolved is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Linear Chicken doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.