Pathogenic Wiki
Master the microscopic war inside the human body. Builds, walkthroughs, organelle synergies, and expert guides for every Pathogen.
New to Pathogenic? Start Here
Pathogenic is a 2D roguelike twin-stick shooter where you play as a parasite grafting organelles onto your cell. These guides cover controls, your first run, and how to survive the immune system.
- How to Play Pathogenic – Beginner Guide Learn Pathogenic basics: movement, organelle grafting, room clearing, boss fights, and your first successful run through the human body. Read guide
- Keyboard and Mouse Controls – Pathogenic PC Guide Default Pathogenic PC controls: WASD movement, mouse aim, Space dodge, Tab editor, M map, and combat input tips. Read guide
- Plasmid Progression – Pathogenic Metagame Guide Complete guide to Pathogenic plasmid trees: earning fragments, pathogen-specific upgrades, unlock order, and demo transfer rules. Read guide
Popular Pathogenic Builds
Organelle combinations matter more than raw stats. Explore ranged artillery, melee Phagocytosis runs, minion swarms, and pathogen-specific setups that break the immune system.
- Ranged Artillery Build – Pathogenic Secretor Guide Read guide
- Melee Phagocytosis Build – Pathogenic Spike Guide Read guide
- Minion Swarm Build – Pathogenic Spore Guide Read guide
- Amoeba Flexible Build – Pathogenic Reshape Guide Read guide
- Nanobot Armor Build – Pathogenic Tank Guide Read guide
- Kite Ballistic Build – Pathogenic Flagella Guide Read guide
- Multi-Hit Melee Build – Tri-Phase & Gyrase Guide Read guide
- Chromatophore Laser Build – Pathogenic Overcharge Beam Read guide
- Nidublast Swarm Build – Pathogenic Minion Gun Guide Read guide
- Bacteriophage Swarm Build – Pathogenic Viral Minion Guide Read guide
- Shockwave Swarm Build – Pathogenic Secretor Artillery Read guide
- Wrecking Ball Melee Build – Pathogenic Boss Burst Guide Read guide
Organ Walkthrough Hub
Each organ in Pathogenic has unique hazards, enemy pools, and boss fights. Plan your route through Skin, Intestine, Stomach, Liver, Lungs, Heart, and the hidden secret level.
- Skin Walkthrough – Pathogenic First Organ Guide Read guide
- Intestine Walkthrough – Pathogenic Maze Organ Guide Read guide
- Stomach Walkthrough – Pathogenic Acid Organ Guide Read guide
- Liver Walkthrough – Pathogenic Detox Organ Guide Read guide
- Lungs Walkthrough – Pathogenic Airflow Organ Guide Read guide
- Heart Walkthrough – Pathogenic Final Organ Guide Read guide
- Brain Walkthrough – Pathogenic Secret Organ Guide Read guide
Organelle System Deep Dive
Over 120 organelles and mutations can be looted and grafted. Learn how Flagella, Mitochondria, Secretors, Spikes, Pseudopods, and Traits interact to create game-breaking synergies.
- Flagella Organelles – Pathogenic Movement Guide Read guide
- Mitochondria Organelles – Pathogenic Power Guide Read guide
- Secretors Organelles – Pathogenic Ranged Weapons Guide Read guide
- Spikes Organelles – Pathogenic Melee Weapons Guide Read guide
- Pseudopods Organelles – Pathogenic Auto-Attack Guide Read guide
- Organelle Traits – Pathogenic Passive Effects Guide Read guide
- Multi-Hit Organelles – Update 4 Weapon Guide Read guide
- Auto-Attack Organelles – Pseudopods & Laser Guide Read guide
- Sinoatrial Node – Pathogenic Rhythm Organelle Read guide
- Pulsar Gland – Pathogenic Weapon Organelle Guide Read guide
- Chitin Infuser – Pathogenic Pierce Organelle Guide Read guide
- Oxidator – Pathogenic Burn Organelle Guide Read guide
Choose Your Pathogen
Seven playable pathogens plus co-op Diatom each offer different slot layouts and playstyles — from starter Bacteria to S-tier Amoeba and Helminth. Compare unlock requirements, specialist guides, and tier list rankings.
- Bacteria Pathogen Guide – Pathogenic Best Starter Body Pathogenic Bacteria (Bacterium) starter guide: balanced slots, first-run routing, plasmid priorities, and when to swap to Amoeba or Helminth. Read guide
- Amoeba Pathogen Guide – Pathogenic S-Tier Flex Body Read guide
- Helminth Pathogen Guide – Pathogenic S-Tier Blocker Read guide
- Spore Pathogen Guide – Pathogenic Minion Specialist Read guide
- Diatom Pathogen Guide – Pathogenic Co-op & Solo Dual Body Read guide
- Pathogen Tier List – Pathogenic Best Characters Ranked All seven Pathogenic pathogens ranked: Bacteria, Helminth, Spore, Amoeba, Nanobot, Protozoa, and Virus for clears and challenges. Read guide
Challenge Modes & Antibiotics
Fifteen challenge modes rewrite the rules: melee-only Phagocytosis, room-rerolling Metamorphosis, timed Hyperplasia, and more. Antibiotics scale difficulty for daily runs.
Pathogenic Tools
Plan your next run with our interactive Build Planner. Slot organelles, preview synergies, and export a loadout before you infect your next host.
Is Pathogenic Worth It?
Our full Pathogenic review covers soft-body physics, build variety, organ biomes, challenge modes, co-op Diatom, and whether the $9.99 Steam price delivers value after the launch sale window.
Latest Pathogenic Updates
August 12 wiki sync: August 7 balance guide (Overcharge stacking, Heart HP), August 2 demo return, Cloudflare CSS MIME headers, and Build Planner localization.
Read Bacteria pathogen , study patch history , draft mutations reference , unlock Diatom pathogen , and assemble organelle synergies for post-launch metas.
Pathogenic Wiki FAQ
What is Pathogenic?
Pathogenic is a 2D roguelike twin-stick shooter by Aberrant Labs and Slug Disco where you play as a parasite invading a human host. You loot and graft 120+ organelles to evolve your pathogen while fighting immune cells and rival parasites across procedurally generated organs.
When did Pathogenic release and on which platforms?
Pathogenic launched on Steam July 16, 2026 for Windows, macOS, and Linux at a $9.99 base price. Steam Deck Verified status confirmed during launch week. Console versions have not been announced.
How many pathogens and organs are in the game?
There are seven playable pathogens—Bacteria, Helminth, Spore, Amoeba, Nanobot, Protozoa, and Virus—and six standard organs (Skin, Intestine, Stomach, Liver, Lungs, Heart) plus a hidden secret level.
What are the default PC controls?
WASD moves your pathogen, the mouse aims and fires, Space dodges, Tab opens the organelle editor, and M opens the fast-travel map. Full rebinding is available in Settings.
What is plasmid progression?
Plasmids are permanent upgrades earned from plasmid fragments collected during runs. Each pathogen has its own plasmid tree unlocking new organelles, stats, and challenge options between attempts.
Does the Steam demo progress transfer to the full game?
Yes. Plasmid progress from the demo carries over to the full release on the same Steam account.
What are Pathogenic challenge modes?
Fifteen challenge modes modify run rules. Examples include Phagocytosis (melee only), Metamorphosis (reroll organelles each room), Hyperplasia (timed runs), and Photosynthesis (no weapon organelles).
Is there multiplayer co-op?
Yes. Co-op Diatom supports online multiplayer where each player controls their own pathogen with scaled enemy difficulty and shared map discovery.
Is ppathogenic.wiki an official site?
No. ppathogenic.wiki is an independent fan wiki and is not affiliated with Aberrant Labs or Slug Disco. We compile guides, builds, and tools for the community.
Where can I buy Pathogenic?
Pathogenic is available on Steam. Search for Pathogenic by Aberrant Labs or visit the official Steam store page linked from our site header.
What is the Pathogenic supporter pack?
The Artbook & Soundtrack DLC bundles the original score and a digital concept artbook near the $9.99 price point when not on sale. It is optional and does not unlock gameplay content.
How do I reach the Brain secret level?
Complete a normal Heart ending to learn the six-key wall code, then on a new run collect four yellow puzzle shapes across Intestine through Lungs, defeat the A/V node, and solve the Heart shape puzzle. See our brain route guide for full steps.
What changed in the July 18 balance patch?
The unnumbered July 18 hotfix buffed item rooms, tuned storm-related abilities, and continued Heart boss adjustments alongside July 17 stability fixes. Update Steam to the latest build.
Can I play Diatom without a co-op partner?
Yes since July 22. Press X on Diatom at pathogen select and wait for solo mode. One player then controls both halves. See our solo Diatom guide.
What is Ephemeral organelle recycle?
July 22 lets you recycle Ephemeral traits for rewards when more than nine rooms remain in the current organ.
What changed in the July 22 update?
100k sales, Lungs rebalance, 40 new organ rooms, solo Diatom, Ephemeral recycle, camera zoom slider, Cancerous trait transfer, and stability fixes.
Is Pathogenic Steam Deck Verified?
Yes. Pathogenic received official Steam Deck Verified status during launch week July 2026. See our Steam Deck guide for portable settings and build tips.
Is the Pathogenic launch discount still active?
No. The 20% launch sale ended July 30, 2026. Pathogenic is back to the standard $9.99 Steam price unless a later seasonal sale appears. See our price and bundles guide for current bundle options.
How many Steam achievements does Pathogenic have?
41 achievements at launch. See our Steam achievements guide for unlock tips and Brain route requirements.
What changed in the August 2 update?
Demo re-release, Heart room polish, Iridophore Membrane bubble, boss armor scaling, Lil Collector buffs, challenge achievements on boss kill, and crash fixes.
Is the Pathogenic demo available again?
Yes since August 2, 2026 as a limited taster scope. See our August 2 update guide for details.
What changed in the August 7 balance patch?
Overcharge-strength bonuses stack additively, several overperforming organelles were nerfed, underused turrets/melee tools were buffed, and most Heart enemies gained about 25% HP. See our August 7 balance guide.