Evil Genius 2: World Domination
Evil Genius 2: World Domination
Game
Game2009
Evil Genius
Developer Elixir Studios
Evil Genius is a single-player real-time strategy and simulation video game developed by Elixir Studios and published by Sierra Entertainment, a subsidiary of Vivendi Universal Games. It was released on 28 September 2004. The game is inspired by the spy thriller genre (notably the James Bond film series), and is set in an alternative 1960s–70s era. Most closely resembling Dungeon Keeper, the gameplay puts players… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
279 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Oct 29, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
86
LovedLoved
152 positive · 24 negative
95% range 81–91%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 152 | 24 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 8 | 2 | 78 |
| Mastodon * | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
2,561 of 2,736 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
86% recommend · 152 yes, 24 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 176 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (3,371 of 3,617 positive).
Players describe Evil Genius as a rough gem that is addictive and fun despite technical issues. [1][2][3] Many reviewers note the game has a unique supervillain theme with humorous 60s spy parody. [4][5][6] Some players find the game tedious, buggy, and unbalanced, especially without mods. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [9]
Unbalanced A.F. I never played this when it came out, but only now 20 years later. So I guess they had enough time to do some balancing. Anyways, after getting to 150 notoriety I seem to have hit some kind of soft-cap, where I can't replenish my minions as fast as agents keep killing them. A single super agent has killed 60 minions, thereby eliminating all scientists and valets. With all the valets dead noone could …
- [1]
Slow paced, nearly impossible to complete without guides, multiple game breaking bugs, frequent crashes, yet when everything clicks together it's so much fun and so damn addictive. A rough gem from a simpler time.
- [5]
Evil Genius – The Game Where Being Evil Has Never Felt So Damn Good Some games let you save the world. Others let you conquer it with a death ray and a volcano lair staffed by morons in jumpsuits. Evil Genius is the latter. And it does it with so much style, James Bond would probably apply for an internship. Story? You're not the hero. You're the moustache-twirling mastermind building a secret base, kidnapping world …
- [7]
Merits: ▪ Original concept ▪ Decent graphics for the time ▪ Funny animations Flaws: ▪ Low resolution textures & models ▪ Dumb AI ▪ Tedious progression Verdict: I love the idea of the game and enjoyed it back in the day, but it did not hold up well. It has that Austin Powers/No One Lives Forever vibe with their signature quirky humour. The gameplay is a mix of Dungeon Keeper and a typical board game. Unfortunately, …
- [3]
Building a secret volcano lair has never felt more right. Evil Genius scratches that supervillain itch in a way nothing else really does: managing your minions, setting up traps and watching secret agents stumble into your elaborate death rooms is genuinely satisfying. It's not perfect and the pacing can drag a bit mid game. This game is lowkey a hidden gem that deserves way more attention than it gets. If you've …
Summarised from 34 of the 260 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
86% of the 176 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Evil Genius. The complaint that keeps coming up: frequent crashes and game-breaking bugs. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Evil Genius has an average review score of 78% and 75 out of a possible 100, according to the review aggregators GameRankings and Metacritic respectively, which indicates "generally favourable reviews". Most critics praised the game for its humour and unique take on the god-game genre, but also criticised it for its frustrating micromanagement and annoying bugs. GameSpot gave the game a 7.3 out of 10, stating that "while Evil Genius' dry, campy humor is often amusing from the start, it takes quite a bit of time and effort to pull off acts of infamy and establish your notoriety among global powers" and states "Evil Genius is hampered by some frustratingly haphazard pacing as well as issues…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 279 · most liked firstI see Demis Hassabis is among the crowd on that "AI Person Of The Year" Time Magazine cover. I remember reading about him in Edge, years ago.... .... when he was making "Evil Genius".... .... a game about subjugating the population of the planet. Red flags are easy to spot with hindsight.
neutral · AI labelView post →Holy Dog Shit. Just cuz your game company's name is Evil Genius doesn't mean you gotta do some evil stuff. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih4t...
neutral · AI labelView post →Another old video game screenshot tf sequence, this time from 2022! I had a lot of fun with Evil Genius 2!
positive · AI labelView post →Evil Genius Games is continuing their attempt to censor industry news by issuing what looks to me like an invalid DMCA Takedown Notice for the original investigation article about their business practices. www.enworld.org/threads/evil...
neutral · AI labelView post →Been playing Evil Genius 2 a lot lately so here's a Vanilla based on one of the villains from the game. #VanillatheRabbit #EvilGenius2 #SonictheHedgehog
neutral · AI labelView post →Apparently Evil Genius Games is sending legal letters to E.N. World TTRPG News & Reviews to try to get a news article they did on EGG issues taken down. This is NOT a good look, or a smart move by EGG. www.enworld.org/threads/evil...
neutral · AI labelView post →Slow paced, nearly impossible to complete without guides, multiple game breaking bugs, frequent crashes, yet when everything clicks together it's so much fun and so damn addictive. A rough gem from a simpler time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I replay this gem once in a few years. It's one of those games that just hit all the right spots. Much better than EG2. 2 mods you absolutely needs for QoL improvemens: * Resolution Fix * Unofficial Evil Genius Patch by Planet Evil Don't alt-tab, it will crash the game. Also remember to save often.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The CEO of Evil Genius Games, who has been watching his company slowly folding up, has not decided to start making legal threats as well. Stick a fork in him, he's done folks because that's peak desperation right there. #ttrpg www.enworld.org/threads/evil...
neutral · AI labelView post →I would hope that in the last 20 years most people would know by now of Evil Genius, or at least the most recent sequel. Think Dungeon Keeper meets Doctor Evil. It has an aesthetically pleasing 60s vibe, wrapped in comical gameplay and base building depth. It encapsulates the experience of being a supervillain well, and it’s always fun to start a fresh base. I'm not sure if I first played this in 04 or 05 but it's always been an enjoyable playthrough and one which I find myself routinely coming…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've personally seen him swear out someone who called him on his idiocy. In my case he was accusing Demis Hassabis, one of the founders of DeepMind, of being "obviously evil" because he uh...worked on a game called Evil Genius in a previous career. The man can convince himself of anything.
neutral · AI labelView post →Hello friends, Today I will review the game Evil Genuis. This game is quite hard as it is a strategy game to setup your evil lair against government forces and spys who can go into the players base and blow up and mess up parts of it. By designing different traps and setups on the base, the player can lower the amount of damage to their base, but it will still happen. The game is very addictive and can be one of those game where the player wants to play it for "one more minute". While playing…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not enough of d20 Spectaculars was finished for it to be released. Now, 19 years later, I *could* 're'create it from scratch without using any of the words WotC paid me for. Evil Genius Games' doing a "Spectacular Heroes' game seems more likely. geekeratimedia.substack.com/p/three-unpu...
neutral · AI labelView post →Cheat codes, humanzee. just type it in, then hit control c for moneys. you'll have to look up the rest.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →#dragonthoughts We really need a Dungeon Keeper/Evil Genius style game, but where you're a dragon managing your kobold tribe. Being a big powerful dragon with your kobold workers, managing their needs as you expand your lair and hoard, and deal with those pesky adventurers.
neutral · AI labelView post →i love this game. every few years i come back to it. its one of those games that you think "hey i will play this for an hour or two" then you look at the clock and its three weeks later and your wife has left you and took the kids.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There are some things I've pitched for/written samples for that might surprise people. But in terms of published work, it's probably the 7-page comic about a retrofuturistic casino heist I wrote for the official companion for the game Evil Genius 2 (which I also wrote for). Art by Staz Johnson.
neutral · AI labelView post →been playing since I was a kid . im 30 now lol
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Build your own incredible spy, create thrilling tales of espionage and high-stakes missions, and unleash a host of minions, villains, and Evil Genius NPCs in The Spy Game! The fate of the world is in your hands! Good luck, Agents. #ttrpg #tabletop
neutral · AI labelView post →"You ever play the game Evil Genius? It's like that. Like my casinos. It's a front."
neutral · AI labelView post →The original is still the best. It has better henchmen, better objects like the giant mixer, and a better world map for plotting schemes. It's a classic, just buy it and enjoy it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tonight at 8pm EST on Twitch! We are gonna reveal a new PNG! And for the occasion we'll be playing a game that is very appropriate for it, Evil Genius 2!! Join us as I try to keep my cool and take over the world! (Link in Bio) #PNGtuber #ENvtuber #EvilGenius2 #Vtuber
neutral · AI labelView post →Man know what I miss playing? Games where you are the villain. Not "you can chose to do evil things" but an actual game where you are a bad person. Like Dungeon Keeper or Evil Genius. It doesn't have to be serious either.
neutral · AI labelView post →Evil Genius – The Game Where Being Evil Has Never Felt So Damn Good Some games let you save the world. Others let you conquer it with a death ray and a volcano lair staffed by morons in jumpsuits. Evil Genius is the latter. And it does it with so much style, James Bond would probably apply for an internship. Story? You're not the hero. You're the moustache-twirling mastermind building a secret base, kidnapping world leaders, training disposable minions, and stealing national monuments for the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Evil Genius Games/Dave Scott have been threatening people with legal action if they don't take down critical articles - www.enworld.org/threads/evil... (Notably, the supposed legal letter doesn't actually mention what in the article is supposedly defamatory)
neutral · AI labelView post →Merits: ▪ Original concept ▪ Decent graphics for the time ▪ Funny animations Flaws: ▪ Low resolution textures & models ▪ Dumb AI ▪ Tedious progression Verdict: I love the idea of the game and enjoyed it back in the day, but it did not hold up well. It has that Austin Powers/No One Lives Forever vibe with their signature quirky humour. The gameplay is a mix of Dungeon Keeper and a typical board game. Unfortunately, progression is slow and tedious, thus it overstays its welcome.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →LIVE NOW! Evil Genius 2! Basically, still sick, and wanted a casual game where I could just chat and hang out with y'all while being chaotic! www.twitch.tv/CamronJK www.twitch.tv/CamronJK Come hang out with my sick self! I know the time is weird, sorry! #furrylive #furry #vtuber
neutral · AI labelView post →Elmo's an immature Narcissist and extremely dangerous,he doesn't see any limits to what he can do. Wealth is not enough for this guy,he's the Evil Genius in his own Video game.
neutral · AI labelView post →10/10. a classic
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yes, Theme Park was a good game, but new Nobel winner Demis also founded and ran Elixir Studios (Evil Genius!), did the AI on Black & White, and once ate an entire six foot Italian sub in under an hour without even soaking the bread or anything. You gotta read the rest of the Wikipedia page!
neutral · AI labelView post →I watched a construction worker torture a guy to death by dancing like Michael Jackson
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you could remake any video game, but with a GW theme, what would you want? I would love a Games Workshop version of Vampire Survivors or Dynasty Warriors. Also, Evil Genius clone and something like Transport Tycoon. Would also settle for a tower defence game.
neutral · AI labelView post →Netflix and Evil Genius settle their Rebel Moon RPG fight, with the tabletop game publisher moving on to a new sci-fi project. www.geeknative.com/164357/netfl... . .. #rebelmoon #ttrpg
neutral · AI labelView post →In the video game Evil Genius (2004) one of the things you can put in your evil base are some Archives, to help your scientist minions. If you capture a Secret Agent, you can "interrogate" them using the shelving!
neutral · AI labelView post →Chose a steam game at random to play, decided on Evil Genius 2 which I really enjoyed but am now kind of done with?
neutral · AI labelView post →One of the first games I remember playing until well past midnight when it was released. That was when I had to use a CD to launch the game. Picking it up on Steam, the idea was to revisit those memories of good times gone. Instead I end up with frequent CTDs. And I forgot how annoying it is to get money. I'm sure there's a patch that will fix this game for modern systems. But that point of friction alongside the cash issue makes this game sit in the purgatory space of my library to be…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a fun "dungeon builder" game. A lot of homages and jabs at super spy tropes with a 1960's asesthetic. I like most of the character designs, everything is over the top, but some are hideous, partly due to how old the game is. The number of unit types you can build and the number of things they can do and objects they interact with is engaging. And the sound track is really well done with big bands and orchestras. It has a fair amount of replay ability since you can make your base any…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Better than Evil genius 2 and always will be.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dont know how why or where I got a physical copy of this game ages ago but I've played it a hell of a lot. I bought it a second time on steam since I cant find the CD anymore.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Do y'all remember the kerfuffle last year about most Evil Genius Games employees quitting due to a toxic workplace and their intended use of AI/NFT/Web3? Now CEO Dave Scott is trying to suppress all mention of that, even threatening lawsuits. www.enworld.org/threads/evil... #ttrpg #TabletopRPG
neutral · AI labelView post →Nice to be playing the bad guy for a change
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →10ish games to get to know me Final Fantasy 1, 8, and 13 Sekiro Doom Eternal Trails in the Sky SC (any Trails game, really) World of Warcraft Red Alert 2 TIE Fighter Chrono Cross Evil Genius Xenoblade Chronicles 2
neutral · AI labelView post →better than the second one, great mechanics and story base building is a highlight
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So campy and fun. I remember playing this game to death when I had the CD-ROM version and I've played the Steam version even more than that. That said, I cannot recommend the use of guides and the unofficial patch enough, as this game can be obtuse at times and straight up broken at others. When it's working on a technical level, though, you will find a game with a ton of style, humor, and replayability.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Building a secret volcano lair has never felt more right. Evil Genius scratches that supervillain itch in a way nothing else really does: managing your minions, setting up traps and watching secret agents stumble into your elaborate death rooms is genuinely satisfying. It's not perfect and the pacing can drag a bit mid game. This game is lowkey a hidden gem that deserves way more attention than it gets. If you've ever wanted to live out your world domination fantasy while micromanaging a bunch…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've played this since i was a kid. When the second came out i was SO disappointed. Returning to this theres a fair deal of jank but on the nexus there are a few mods to bring back to exactly how amazing you remembered it being. There's so few games that let you play as a villain at their core compared to others. This is a base building tongue in cheek and cheesy reverse bond film. Becoming increasingly powerful as a nefarious monster with 3 amazing ones to choose from. Some of the humour has…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Since I've seen Evil Genius Games crop up in some places recently. I'm just thinking back on this. www.enworld.org/threads/evil...
neutral · AI labelView post →!! LIVE NOW !! We're finally playing a game I had planned to stream for ages, EVIL GENIUS (the first one.) Yes, its another base building game. www.twitch.tv/jumpdrivepro...
neutral · AI labelView post →It's truly an exceptional game, a parody of being a nefarious megalomaniac. Money, power/violence, logistics, training/education, global theft, global missions (acts of infamy), technology, planning, combat, coordination, and many other things are all critical to its gameplay. You essentially learn to be a master planner and manipulator, and to think through strategies and logistics to achieve desired outcomes. There are numerous ways to play, and a number of them should work well, which is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best games ever made.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →it may look old but very good My only complaint is its hard to learn at first but gets easier the more you play
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I made the mistake of recruiting the Red Ivan. He blew up half my base while fighting some enemy soldiers. Exiled him to the world map where he could steal money for me without risking destroying my stuff. I recalled him for the final objective since we no longer needed any money and I figure it doesn't matter if the base goes up in flames during the climax. Pretty much as soon as he lands back on the island with his couple of mercenaries he runs into Agent Steele and absolutely bodies him…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The soundtrack is good and the game while a clunky mess is ok. If you do play it, it takes like 30 seconds to edit a spreadsheet in the files to raise the minion cap to like 200. This will make the game a fair bit easier but also a bit more fun for your first outing. The lack of a double speed function is the single biggest frustration I think this game has.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Netflix had Evil Genius Games make a TTRPG based on one of their properties, then after the game was done, said "Oh we own the IP and the game so we're not going to pay you even though we're going to sell it" evilgeniusgames.com/...
neutral · AI labelView post →A Classic That Still Holds Up Even after all these years and what feels like millions of games released since Evil Genius first launched, this game still delivers. Even in 2026, I genuinely think the original Evil Genius deserves a place on every gamer's list. It's one of those games that has a unique charm that modern games just don't quite replicate. If you've never played it, you're seriously missing out. It's incredibly fun, has plenty of personality, and is the kind of game you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Playing Evil Genius as I read this.
neutral · AI labelView post →License-first games seem to not perform well. Renegade is practically unknown. Leading Edge never got rich. Evil Genius were just scammers. Even precious D&D licenses like Conan and Diablo flopped. Has the Airbender game ever been expanded beyond the Kickstarter bundle?
neutral · AI labelView post →It is a very unique concept it is done very well the humor is very on point and is filled with tiny details Certainly a game that will let you flex your creative muscles have a bit of malign fun and still holds up despite its age. Truly A game that I hope receives a successor one day (Looks over shoulder) A different successor
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game idea: Orcish Bank. Evil Genius / Prison Architect like base building. Keeping thieves away from your bullion. Gradually expanding operations, while you make choices about who to lend money to each day (Papers Please). Gradually your choices impact the fate of the (Ank Morporkish) city.
neutral · AI labelView post →...Would love it if Rebellion studios would figure out the same fucking lesson, because Evil Genius 2 really could have used the shot in the arm that open modding would have given it, before they abandoned the game with clear evidence of planned but unfinished DLC. (islands on the map we can't use)
negative · AI labelView post →
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