Infection is a round-based PvP mode where the teams shift mid-match: humans start with numbers, infected start with pressure, and every human death adds another infected. That single rule creates the whole rhythm. Early fights are about control and clean picks, then the round turns into containment, retreats, and eventually a last stand as the infected snowball.
Most Infection maps are tight on purpose, with choke points, high ground, and escape routes that gradually get cut off. Humans usually have better starting gear or ranged tools and win by staying organized and alive. Infected lean on mobility, durability, and fast respawns, and they win by forcing contact. You can feel the difference in goals: humans want time and spacing, infected want trades and chaos.
A strong round feels like controlled panic. As a human, you stop chasing and start valuing lines of sight, crossfire, and not being the first person picked off. As infected, you learn routes and timing, then hit in waves so defenses break instead of farming single deaths. When it is tuned well, humans feel powerful but punishable, and infected feel weak alone but unstoppable together.
