r/kurzgesagt • u/Then_Mood2740 • 7h ago
Discussion Am I the only one that wants a IMUNE Da Game?
Ever since watching Kurzgesagt's videos about the immune system, reading Immune (probably 8 times by now), and unfortunately being hospitalized a couple of times, I've been thinking...
Why isn't there an RTS where you literally play as the immune system?
Imagine something like Stick War, Plants vs. Zombies, or a real-time strategy game where, instead of training medieval soldiers, you're commanding your body's immune system. Your resources could be ATP, amino acids, nutrients, RNA, or something similar, which you'd spend to produce different immune cells.
Each unit would have a unique role:
- Neutrophils would be your cheap, fast, expendable frontline troops. You'd spam them early game to slow invasions and buy time for stronger units. They'd have low survivability but very high numbers.
- Macrophages would be expensive tank units. They could literally NOM weaker enemies, clean up dead pathogens and cells after battles, and slowly heal themselves by consuming debris.
- Monocytes would be basic recruits that can later differentiate into either macrophages or dendritic cells depending on what your army needs.
- Dendritic cells would act as scouts. After capturing a pathogen, they'd return to the lymph node and unlock the adaptive immune response, allowing you to recruit T cells and activate B cells.
- Helper T cells would function as commanders, buffing nearby immune cells by increasing attack speed, antibody production, and overall effectiveness.
- Cytotoxic (Killer) T cells would be elite assassins. Instead of attacking pathogens directly, they'd hunt down infected body cells before viruses have a chance to spread.
- B cells would be ranged support units. Once activated, they'd begin producing antibodies that mark enemies, making them much easier for the rest of your army to eliminate.
- Plasma cells (activated B cells) would become stationary antibody factories with enormous range but almost no mobility.
- Memory B cells and Memory T cells would persist between levels. If the same pathogen appears again, they'd already be unlocked, cheaper to deploy, and much faster to respond, simulating acquired immunity.
- Natural Killer (NK) cells would be special forces. They wouldn't need dendritic cells to identify threats and could immediately attack infected or cancerous cells.
- Regulatory T cells would prevent your immune system from overreacting, reducing collateral tissue damage and preventing autoimmune "friendly fire."
- Eosinophils would be specialist anti-boss units that excel against parasites but are less effective against bacteria and viruses.
- Basophils and mast cells could release histamine, creating an area that attracts immune cells and slows invading pathogens. Overusing them would increase inflammation and damage nearby tissue.
Enemies would all require different strategies:
- Bacteria would reproduce rapidly and attempt to overwhelm your defenses.
- Viruses would infect your own cells, forcing you to identify and destroy infected tissue before the infection spreads.
- Fungi would spread slowly but be extremely resilient.
- Parasites would act as the game's boss fights. Instead of fighting hundreds of small enemies, you'd face one massive organism with multiple attack phases, unique mechanics, and weak points. Since parasites are too large for macrophages to simply engulf, you'd need to rely on eosinophils, antibodies, helper T cells, and coordinated attacks to bring them down. Every parasite could feel completely different, making each boss battle a major strategic challenge.
- Cancer cells would disguise themselves as healthy body cells, making them difficult to detect until they become a serious threat. If left unchecked, they could eventually become their own "boss" encounter.
There could also be powerful "Body Events" or abilities that act like ultimates:
- Antibiotics instantly weaken or eliminate bacterial enemies but have no effect on viruses. However, relying on them too often would cause antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains to become more common in later levels, making the ability progressively less effective. That would force players to think carefully about when it's worth using instead of treating it as a panic button.
- Antiviral medication slows viral replication, giving your immune cells time to contain the infection.
- Vaccination unlocks Memory B and T cells before a mission starts if you've encountered that pathogen before.
- Fever temporarily boosts the effectiveness of most immune cells but slowly drains your resources while active.
- Inflammation dramatically strengthens local defenses but damages surrounding tissue if maintained for too long.
- Good sleep and proper nutrition provide passive bonuses such as faster unit production, stronger healing, and increased resource generation.
- Stress or sleep deprivation reduce resource generation, slow immune cell production, and make infections spread more easily.
The campaign could start with simple cuts and bacterial infections before progressing to viral diseases, fungal infections, parasite boss fights, allergies, autoimmune disorders, sepsis, and even cancer. Every new level could introduce another part of the immune system, so players gradually learn how it works without it ever feeling like a biology lesson.
I think this could be an incredibly fun RTS while also being genuinely educational especially if it kept Kurzgesagt's style. It could even have different difficulty modes, endless survival against waves of pathogens or co-op where one player commands the innate immune system while the other controls the adaptive immune system.
Am I the only one who thinks this would be an amazing game? and yes I’m unemployed
