Evil Genius
- June 21, 2009
- Elixir Studios
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Evil Genius" is a world domination simulator where you play as an evil mastermind, building a secret lair, developing super-weapons, and using traps to defeat government agents. Choose from three evil genius characters and manage minions as you work towards global domination, recruiting henchmen and constructing over 300 items for your lair. The goal? To create the ultimate doomsday device and achieve total world control.
PC
Windows
Gog Com
Reviews
- Unique and humorous take on being a villain, with a charming 60s spy aesthetic.
- Engaging base-building mechanics that allow for creativity and strategic planning.
- Fun gameplay with a variety of traps and henchmen, providing a satisfying experience.
- Clunky interface and dated graphics that may deter modern players.
- Slow pacing and lack of a speed-up feature can lead to tedious gameplay.
- AI issues with minions and enemies can result in frustrating moments during gameplay.
- humor259 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -1 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, characterized by its clever, tongue-in-cheek references to spy films and a playful, cartoonish style that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the hilarious animations, quirky traps, and witty dialogue that contribute to a light-hearted atmosphere, making it a standout title for those who enjoy comedic gameplay. Despite some dated graphics and occasional gameplay frustrations, the humor remains a significant draw, ensuring that the game is both entertaining and memorable.
“One of the game's greatest strengths is its blend of strategy and humor.”
“The game has an incredible amount of humor and charm that modern franchise games often lack.”
“It's a spy-thriller themed base-builder, with great humor and fun gameplay.”
“Not funny, didn't laugh.”
“The jokes fell flat and felt forced.”
“I expected more humor, but it was mostly cringeworthy.”
- gameplay221 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Evil Genius" is a mix of base-building, resource management, and strategic planning, set against a humorous spy-themed backdrop. While many players appreciate the engaging mechanics and the charm of managing minions and traps, they also note significant issues such as bugs, poorly explained mechanics, and a slow pace that can lead to frustration. Overall, the game offers a unique experience with a blend of fun and challenge, but it suffers from dated elements and a lack of polish that can detract from the enjoyment.
“Gameplay is great; you can conquer the world, build a base, train different types of minions, do different kinds of nefarious deeds, and more.”
“The gameplay is fantastic, the premise is amazing, and there is enough versatility that the game has good replayability.”
“The gameplay consists of building a mountain dungeon, sending your henchmen to the board-game style overworld, and having them steal plans, art, or machines to further your ambitions.”
“From a badly planned gameplay element of jumping back and forth between the island and world screen to make sure your minions aren't all killed in a sudden agent rush to AI issues of your minions not doing anything or letting agents waltz in through doors they leave out of to the vast amounts of missing information that leaves the player in the dark about what exactly works and how it works to the dull linear campaign with no available sandbox mode to speak of.”
“Regrettably, Evil Genius tantalizes players with a diverse array of options but cruelly stifles their freedom to explore alternative gameplay styles.”
“It's just so terribly slow, so full of waiting and almost devoid of actual gameplay besides the base building that is also very, very slow once you spent your initial funds (because earning money in this game is also very slow and difficult).”
- story214 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 83 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of "Evil Genius" revolves around players taking on the role of an evil mastermind, tasked with building a secret lair, managing minions, and executing humorous missions to achieve world domination. While the narrative is not particularly deep or linear, it offers a playful parody of classic spy tropes, allowing for a unique role-playing experience. However, the pacing can be slow due to mission mechanics and resource management, which may detract from the overall enjoyment of the story progression.
“The humor, the animations, the story... absolutely brilliant!!”
“Evil Genius is a fun base-building game where you create an army in your secret volcano lair to perform missions across the globe.”
“You will build your underground secret base and from there you will puppeteer your minions and henchmen to your will into stealing, robbing, cheating and manipulating missions, while repelling the forces of justice and characters 'a la' James Bond and Rambo, from your base.”
“The current way the minions plot and steal is boring and lame.”
“The game is split between a base mode where all of the animated action takes place and a world map where you carry out missions that are solely a matter of numbers - you commit the designated number of agents of various types to a mission and watch their figures fall by attrition until they either succeed in the mission or fail.”
“You will find yourself waiting for these missions before you can progress.”
- graphics171 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game, while undeniably dated due to its 2004 release, have aged surprisingly well thanks to a charming, cartoonish art style that complements its humorous and nostalgic themes. Many players appreciate the vibrant colors and whimsical animations, which contribute to the overall enjoyment despite some technical limitations. Overall, the visuals are considered decent for their time, appealing particularly to those who value gameplay and aesthetics over cutting-edge graphics.
“The graphics have aged well.”
“The graphics remain good, the music is beautiful and the immersion into being a silly evil genius is just too beautiful and atmospheric.”
“The graphics are polished for the time and provided a nice solid fluid experience.”
“The graphics are dated, but the gameplay is top notch.”
“The graphics are a bit low end and that combined with the terrible random research table, sort of let the game down a little - still, well worth playing.”
“If you are looking for cutting edge graphics and all sorts of technical wizardry, this game might not be.”
- music92 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its fantastic quality and ability to capture the essence of 60s spy films, particularly reminiscent of the James Bond aesthetic. While many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature that enhances the game's atmosphere and humor, some note that it can become repetitive during gameplay. Overall, the music is considered a significant asset, contributing to the game's charm and immersive experience.
“The music score is amazing; the late James Hannigan won a BAFTA nomination for this game's music - and it really sets the mood as a playful James Bond-esque environment.”
“The art style, music, gameplay, all perfect.”
“Evil Genius is an original game, with an excellent soundtrack and brings an amazing feeling of evil to us all.”
“The soundtrack can get a bit repetitive.”
“Music and sound are both low-key; the music during gameplay is on the same song and same loop, it won’t really grab your attention and is decent ambiance.”
“Overall 9/10 - would recommend for solely the menu music alone.”
- stability63 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
The game is widely regarded as buggy, with numerous glitches and issues that can disrupt gameplay, particularly as players progress. While many users find the bugs charming or manageable, they recommend downloading patches and maintaining multiple save files to avoid potential corruption. Overall, despite its stability issues, the game remains enjoyable and addictive for fans of the genre.
“Maybe that's part of the humor, but overall the game is incredible and the mechanics are smooth as well as bug free, considering the complexity of the game; at the time, that was awesome.”
“Though seriously, this is a fantastic game and despite its obvious graphic shortcomings, it is a much more complete, bug free, and enjoyable game than others five times its price.”
“As they say, a bug-free application is a myth; in fact, the operating systems we have installed are not without their issues.”
“The game is old and buggy, but not so buggy as to be a general nuisance.”
“As I said, the game is buggy and unfortunately there is a certain research-related bug 20-30 hours into the game that in the end corrupted my save file, which is now unloadable.”
“The gameplay in Evil Genius can be very finicky, often buggy, and worst of all, the game does not respect your time.”
- replayability32 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
"Evil Genius" is praised for its high replayability, offering a variety of play styles, base-building options, and character choices that keep the experience fresh even after many years. Players appreciate the game's charm and the ability to experiment with different strategies, making it a title that many return to despite its age. While some note a linear campaign, the overall consensus is that the game provides substantial replay value, with numerous hours of engaging gameplay.
“But perhaps what sets 'Evil Genius' apart is its sheer replayability.”
“Just know that if you're the type who wants endless play, at least here there's a strong amount of variation based on your choices (the actual genius you use, the henchmen you employ, and specific plans you pursue) that you can get some decent replayability out of the game.”
“The gameplay is fantastic, the premise is amazing, and there is enough versatility that the game has good replayability.”
“There is not much immediate replay value in the game; however, after some time away, it is always great to return to it and play a great strategy game in the manner of Dungeon Keeper mixed in with a little Theme Hospital as you try to keep your base safe and secure from enemy agents.”
“The only fault this game really has is some glitches and replayability.”
“Lacks a story and replay value, but still worth the price.”
- grinding22 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that while the game offers enjoyable elements, it suffers from significant grinding issues, often leading to tedious and repetitive gameplay. Players frequently mention the need for extensive micromanagement and the frustration of slow pacing, particularly during missions and resource collection. Many suggest that the experience could be improved with tweaks or mods to alleviate the grind.
“If you can tolerate the bugs long enough, you will find a tedious game that punishes you without clear reason why or without any apparent way to retaliate or do better.”
“But the game is so broken and grindy, it's extremely frustrating.”
“Game has numerous tedious mechanics, slow pacing, lack of time controls, and problems with scale.”
- atmosphere13 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive recreation of 60s and 80s spy film aesthetics, enhanced by an excellent soundtrack and humorous elements. Players appreciate the unique visual style, engaging missions, and the fun of embodying a villainous character, all contributing to a memorable and enjoyable gaming experience. The combination of stylized graphics and nostalgic themes effectively captures the essence of classic spy movies, making it a standout feature of the game.
“Incredibly atmospheric, excellent music.”
“On the other hand, it recreates the atmosphere of 60s super-spy films so perfectly and so much of the humour is brilliant that you can forgive it all its idiosyncrasies.”
“Atmospherically this captures the feel of the 60s Bond movies perfectly and who doesn't want to build their own evil volcano lair, I ask you!”
“The 60's and 70's atmosphere combined with spy movies creates a unique experience.”
“The stylized graphics contribute to its lasting impression and enhance the atmosphere.”
“That is part of the atmosphere.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly without major issues, players note that its AI performance is lacking and the overall experience feels dated. Many express frustration with the slow recruitment and training processes, leading to a repetitive gameplay loop that detracts from the overall enjoyment.
“It runs smoothly and with no issues!”
“No matter how well optimized your base is, you will spend most of the game waiting endlessly for minions to be recruited, trained, and outfitted so you can attempt missions.”
“It's a little bit dated, where graphics and performance are concerned, and once you get the hang of how to play the game, it seems like a fairly linear grindfest where to do x you need to do y, with very little variation.”
“Its most glaring transgression lies in the hopelessly inept performance of its AI.”
“The last thing I'll comment upon is that the game hasn't aged well in terms of performance.”
“It's a little bit dated in terms of graphics and performance, and once you get the hang of how to play the game, it seems like a fairly linear grindfest where to do X you need to do Y, with very little variation.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the game's lack of microtransactions and view it as a refreshing alternative to other titles that prioritize monetization over gameplay, labeling those as overpriced cash grabs.
“There are no microtransactions, which is a refreshing change.”
“I appreciate that the game doesn't rely on microtransactions to enhance the experience.”
“The absence of microtransactions allows for a more immersive gameplay experience.”
“When gaming was still fun and not a cash grab.”
“Play this one instead of the overpriced cash grab that is the alleged sequel.”
“And no microtransactions, obviously.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express a mix of humor and satisfaction in their emotional experiences within the game, highlighting moments of absurdity and personal empowerment, such as causing chaos or manipulating iconic landmarks. These experiences contribute to a lighthearted and entertaining emotional engagement with the game.
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is praised for its amazing humor, engaging objectives, and unique character designs, contributing to a fun and enjoyable experience.
“The character development is amazing, featuring great humor, fun objectives, and unique character designs.”
“Each character evolves in a way that feels natural and engaging, making their journeys truly memorable.”
“The depth of each character's backstory adds layers to the gameplay, allowing for a more immersive experience.”
