History VideoGame / EvilGenius

* CloningBlues: The doppelgangers sent out to fool the specialists.

* TakeOverTheWorld: [[Website/ThatGuyWithTheGlasses Of course.]]

** And then Ivan turns it UpToEleven and has a [[MemeticMutation RAWKET]] [[VideoGame/MetalSlug LAWNCHAIR!]] Most players refuse to use him since he's a bit trigger happy and will set most of your base on fire. Others [[GameMod swap it out for a machinegun]], usually Dirk's.

** Antarctica entirely belongs to S.M.A.S.H. An accurate representation would be split between S.A.B.R.E. (Norway, United Kingdom, France, Australia)[[note]]There's also New Zealander territorial claims IRL. New Zealand would theorically be part of S.A.B.R.E. according to the setting's logic, but doesn't exist on the worldmap[[/note]] and S.M.A.S.H. (Argentina, Chile) controlled slices

* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: The second island has native monkeys ambling around, and Col. Blackheart, bonus henchman, can sic his pet monkey on enemies as a special ability. You can also get a trap that sics a mind-controlled monkey on foes, but a glitch prevents you from researching what you need to get this.

* FinalDeath: While normally Henchmen can [[YouCallThatAWound only be knocked out]], Super Agents are capable of actually finally killing them. They get three "[[VideoGameLives lives]]" after which they are gone for good.

* DumbassHasAPoint: Some of the tutorial prompts in ''Evil Genius 2'' come about from your otherwise hapless minions raising surprisingly valid points. The Genius, for instance, needs to be reminded that helicopters repeatedly flying to and from an allegedly "abandoned" island is pretty suspicious to the world at large, which inspires them to train Valets and run a casino as a cover operation.

* InstantExpert: A few minutes' instruction is all it takes to upgrade a mindless construction worker into a quantum physicist. Maximilian in the second game can accelerate this even further with his own special ability that ''instantly'' upgrades minions in training.

* PragmaticVillainy: In ''Evil Genius 2'', a minion setting off for a Steal Cash scheme for the first time is told in no uncertain terms ''not'' to return to the lair once they're done, instead taking a share of the cash for themselves and quietly disappearing to retire someplace inconspicuous. You lose the minion(s) this way, but it beats having them return to the lair while trailing meddlesome do-gooders behind them.

* YouHaveResearchedBreathing: A considerable level of research is required in ''Evil Genius 2'' to unlock such arcane secrets as using stairs to explore the third dimension of your lair, or arming your minions with handguns.

* InstantExpert: A few minutes' instruction is all it takes to upgrade a mindless construction worker into a quantum physicist.

Upon release, the game was reasonably successful but not enough to save its developer, Elixir Studios, from closing down a year after its launch. The [=IPs=] were bought up by Creator/{{Rebellion}}, who would release two different and now-defunct Facebook titles, ''Evil Genius WMD'' and ''Evil Genius Online.'' In 2013, while announcing the beta for ''Evil Genius Online,'' they also announced the production of a proper PC successor to the original game. ''[[VideoGame/EvilGenius2 Evil Genius 2: World Domination]]'' was properly revealed in July of 2017. It is set to release on March 30, 2021.

* ForgottenPhlebotinum: Partway through things on the first island your crew invents a shrink ray. It gets used to steal the Eiffel Tower in an optional mission, and that's the last you ever hear of such an advanced device.

** [[spoiler:One causes gravity to lead people to the moon.]]

* DisproportionateRetribution: Eli Barracuda killed the Mayor of New York because the Mayor accidently spilled coffee over his suit.

* DoomsdayDevice: Three to choose from for the endgame.

Upon release, the game was reasonably successful but not enough to save its developer, Elixir Studios, from closing down a year after its launch. The [=IPs=] were bought up by Creator/{{Rebellion}}, who would release two different and now-defunct Facebook titles, ''Evil Genius WMD'' and ''Evil Genius Online.'' In 2013, while announcing the beta for ''Evil Genius Online,'' they also announced the production of a proper PC successor to the original game. ''[[VideoGame/EvilGenius2 Evil Genius 2: World Domination]]'' was properly revealed in July of 2017. It is set to release in 2021.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: Each enemy intelligence agency roughly corresponds to a Cold War faction[[note]]P.A.T.R.I.O.T. and S.A.B.R.E. are the Western Bloc (P.A.T.R.I.O.T. represents the US sphere of influence, while S.A.B.R.E. is the West-aligned Europe, Turkey, and the British Commonwealth), H.A.M.M.E.R. is the Eastern Bloc (USSR, Eastern Europe, and Cuba), A.N.V.I.L. is Communist China, and S.M.A.S.H. is the Non-Aligned Movement[[/note]], but some of their territories would historically belong to another one. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Making the geographical territories part of a single faction does cut down on the total number of regions in the game]].

Upon release, the game was reasonably successful but not enough to save its developer, Elixir Studios, from closing down a year after its launch. The [=IPs=] were bought up by Creator/{{Rebellion}}, who would release two different and now-defunct Facebook titles, ''Evil Genius WMD'' and ''Evil Genius Online.'' In 2013, while announcing the beta for ''Evil Genius Online,'' they also announced the production of a proper PC successor to the original game. ''[[VideoGame/EvilGenius2 Evil Genius 2: World Domination]]'' was properly revealed in July of 2017. It is set to release in 2020.

* FailedASpotCheck: Minions and foreign agents are both more likely to set off traps when their attention stat is low. Less skilled agents can also miss the bodies, henchemen and other incredibly conspicuous objects. Reducing enemy's attention with distractions and social minions is a big part of both keeping an operation quiet and ensuring traps are deadlier.

* ReversePsychology: Some enemy agents can be deterred from going somewhere, simply by putting a door with the lowest security setting (i.e. "Anyone can enter") in front of it. They clearly are thinking "Well, if anyone can enter, there can't be anything that important on the other side". Obviously, this can be used against them to keep them out of more vital areas.

* TheBadGuyWins: Your goal, of course. [[spoiler: If you beat the game, you're treated to a scene of your evil genius taking leadership of the Forces of Justice, with its former leaders bowing down to him as banners of the evil empire are unfurled.]]