Afterplace

About

Afterplace is a single player open world hack and slash game with a comedy theme. It was developed by Evan Kice and was released on July 22, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Afterplace is an adventurous indie game for mobile devices. It's a huge open world, full of hidden secrets, treasures, and creatures. You'll run around the woods, fight monsters, and talk to ostensibly shady characters! All from your pocket! Be warned though - you never know what the forest might be hiding, and not all trails are paved. Labyrinths and dungeons are tucked away in the most concealed…

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98%

Audience ScoreBased on 161 reviews

story24 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

Rich, open-ended exploration with a vibrant and mysterious world full of secrets and surprises.
Charming, well-written characters and dialogue that blend humor, heart, and sometimes creepiness.
Simple, smooth combat that complements the exploration and narrative without overshadowing them.

Lack of clear guidance or quest markers can lead to feeling lost or confused at times.
Menus, inventory controls, and UI can feel clunky or awkward, especially on some platforms or controller setups.
World maps and areas are sometimes too large with excessive backtracking and no fast travel, leading to tedious traversal.

story
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
64%
4%
The story is widely praised for its heartfelt, humorous, and emotionally engaging narrative, featuring memorable characters and meaningful themes like grief and purpose. Its open-ended, exploration-driven structure allows players to uncover plot developments in varied orders, creating a unique and immersive experience despite occasional confusion. Overall, the well-written, twist-filled story combined with clever worldbuilding delivers a touching and memorable adventure that resonates deeply with players.
- “The story and writing are often incredibly funny but handle heavy themes like grief, the pursuit of purpose in life, and the aftermath of regretted choices in a way that feels real without hampering the game's tone.”
- “The story, both main objective and side quests alike, are whimsical, heartfelt, humorous, and above all brimming with character.”
- “Intriguing worldbuilding, a great sense of adventure and discovery, cleverly designed organic quest design, witty and heartfelt writing, and an open-ended world that lets you explore at your leisure and in any order.”
- “If I have one complaint, the game world is so open that it's actually possible to do elements of the story very out of order, which makes some of the plot a bit confusing; this also happened to me.”
- “It wasn't enough to spoil the experience, but upon reaching certain points in the story I had moments of 'oh, I was supposed to see this before I did that other thing, huh, that would've added a bit of context.'”
- “This level of freedom made exploring a joy, but unfortunately the open map and lack of quest indicators means that you can get pretty confused, especially before you've at least figured out the general direction everything is.”
humor
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is praised for its balance of quirky, genuine, and often surreal comedy that complements its heartfelt and sometimes dark themes, creating an emotionally rich and unpredictable experience. Players appreciate the witty dialogue, memorable eccentric characters, and the seamless blend of lightheartedness with deeper, poignant storytelling. Overall, the humor is seen as both genuinely funny and thoughtfully integrated, enhancing engagement without feeling forced.
- “The story and writing are often incredibly funny but handle heavier themes—grief, the pursuit of purpose in life, and the aftermath of regretted choices—in a way that feels real without hampering the tone of the game.”
- “It does that magical thing games can do sometimes where you'll do something weird as the player and the game anticipates your weirdness in a funny way.”
- “Beautifully crafted, heartfelt, and hilarious dialogues with wonderful music; this game is truly a hidden gem.”
music
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
42%
10%
The game's music is widely praised for its catchy, dynamic, and mood-enhancing soundtrack that perfectly complements exploration, combat, and story moments. While generally loved for its variety and emotional resonance, a few users noted minor issues with looping and repetitive themes in some areas. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, often elevating the game's charm and atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack reinforces this mood perfectly, combining gentle melodies with ambient soundscapes that shift with each new area.”
- “Also, it's got a really nice dynamic soundtrack, switching from calm to intense as you enter and exit combat.”
- “Loved the music, some really great bops throughout that are uplifting and such a vibe.”
- “Graphics are meh, and OST is hit or miss.”
- “Music - music was fine.”
- “Using the same music theme for the ruins and the library was a little bit of a letdown.”
emotional
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a heartfelt and emotionally rich experience with whimsical, humorous, and touching storytelling, complemented by charming characters and witty dialogue. Its emotional unpredictability, combined with a unique, open-ended exploration and memorable soundtrack, creates a deeply engaging and often nostalgic adventure. Overall, it's praised as a hidden gem that balances emotional depth with lightheartedness and clever worldbuilding.
- “The story, both main objective and side quests alike, are whimsical, heartfelt, humorous, and above all brimming with character.”
- “Despite minor frustrations, afterplace stands out as one of the most heartfelt and engaging indie adventures in recent memory.”
- “The game throws plot twists like a pitching machine, but wraps them all together in a package that made me cry at a few points.”
gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
61%
13%
The gameplay is simple, polished, and easy to learn, focusing on real-time combat with timing and positioning rather than complex mechanics. While not particularly deep or innovative, it complements the game's strong storytelling, charming world, and engaging exploration, making for an enjoyable and accessible action-adventure experience.
- “Gameplay is fun, exploration is fun, plenty of content, heartwarming story, catchy soundtrack.”
- “The battles play out in real time, with a focus on timing, positioning, and quick reactions rather than complex systems or leveling mechanics.”
- “There is so much to explore, and the combat mechanics are simple but not too easy.”
- “The enemies can all be walked past (which I'm fine with, this is a more narrative-focused game) so they're not big for gameplay purposes; it just feels like the game wants the sense of scale but there's better ways to achieve that than having so much time required walking.”
- “Similarly, while the combat is functional and thematically consistent, it lacks the depth or variety found in more mechanically driven adventure titles.”
- “The moment-to-moment gameplay is rather simple.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
55%
27%
The game's pixel art style combines nostalgic 16-bit aesthetics with modern use of color, lighting, and animation, creating a charming and immersive atmosphere. While some find the graphics simplistic or amateurish, many appreciate its unique minimalist approach and expressive visuals that enhance the overall experience.
- “The pixel art style evokes a strong sense of nostalgia for the 16-bit era, but its use of color, lighting, and subtle animation makes it feel modern and expressive.”
- “Together, the visuals and audio create an atmosphere that is meditative and immersive, allowing players to lose themselves in a space that feels vast despite its pixelated simplicity.”
- “Graphics are meh, and OST is hit or miss.”
- “It might be slept on here because of its amateurish visuals, but I can assure you that this is an absolute diamond in the rough.”
- “The graphics is very unassuming, but have you ever played Omori, Tunic, Undertale?”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere in Afterplace is praised for its immersive, meditative quality, blending simple visuals and audio to create a vast, mysterious world rich in emotional subtlety. It evokes a unique, off-kilter vibe reminiscent of games like Kirby and Yume Nikki, prioritizing mood and personality over spectacle or achievements. While some darker areas may feel overly quiet, the overall ambiance is considered a standout, precious element of the experience.
- “Together, the visuals and audio create an atmosphere that is meditative and immersive, allowing players to lose themselves in a space that feels vast despite its pixelated simplicity.”
- “Ultimately, Afterplace is a quiet triumph—a game that values mystery, atmosphere, and emotional subtlety over spectacle.”
- “Lots of personality to the writing, unpredictable happenings, and a captivating off-kilter atmosphere.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Grinding in the game is minimal and well-balanced, with combat remaining fluid and engaging without becoming tedious. Enemies respawn infrequently and are easy to defeat, allowing players to progress without excessive grinding or frustrating tasks.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game’s optimization is excellent, consistently maintaining a performance of over 120 frames per second without any dips.
- “Performance - never dipped below 120 frames.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers strong character development, providing a deep and engaging narrative that resonates on an internal level. Players seeking meaningful story progression and perspective will find this aspect particularly satisfying.
- “You will not be disappointed if you like a game with perspective, story, character development and player engagement on a more internal level.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the game replayable, indicating it offers enough content or variety to encourage multiple playthroughs.