App Profile: Afterplace

$kYddL

Rating: 5/5

I walked into it blind after stumbling upon it in the App Store. Usually hard to find games aren’t worth anything, ranging from cheap cash grabs to soulless nonsense. But Afterplace…is such a different game entirely. The Legend of Zelda/UnderTale influence is the first thing that caught my attention while playing. I fell in love the moment a squirrel I attacked ran offscreen and led me to a big surprise (emphasis on big). After that, I really couldn’t put the game down. The details I found in the world were so well fleshed out, and it feels lived in. Everything I interacted with/talked to gave me a reason to care and pursue crazy side quests. I loved the quirkiness, it’s got such a distinct, well crafted charm you truly can’t find with many games. I got so invested in the stories and the complete mystery of the events unfolding before me. I love getting to unravel the story myself and catching the details of the world that each tell a story. Each big story piece gave context in a way that had me in awe, especially the big main ending…(jaw was on the ground). Gameplay was simple, fluid but gave enough to do so that it never grew stale to play. This game has so much care and love put into it, for just one guy…Evan really gave us a piece of art worth talking about. From the serious moments to the all around goofiness of this game, it was such a delight to experience. I’m looking forward to anything this guy has next. Worth more than 8$ in my opinion

U-Troop

Rating: 5/5

Just beat this game after buying it last week, and was so pleasantly surprised. The visuals are incredible, the controls are easy enough, and the story and dialogue was next level. I’d even say exceptional. This game was made by one individual, so, understandably, there were a few things that left me with an itch that had not been scratched, but was teased at. For instance, the combat & weapon system. In an ideal world you would have been able to buy a variety of weapons from the weapon store that eventually appears, with different specs (dagger= speed but lacks damage, great sword=damage, lacks speed, etc). And having the option for ranged weapons would have added a fun element as well, I believe. I think any critiques I could have really are a compliment: this game is so good that it leaves you wanting MORE. I wish the mushroom forest was a whole world, I wish treasure chests gave more than just coins, I wish you gained exp from fights to level up and adjust stats. But none of these things were the point of Afterlife. In the end, the point was to be engrossed in a beautiful world, and to traverse a rich story about loss and how to move forward in it. For that reason this game deserves a solid 5/5. Great work.

J.MoFi

Rating: 5/5

I recently bought a controller for my phone and was looking for a little time waster RPG to play while I waited to get my steam link and GeForce connected to my phone. I picked this game up as something I thought I’d play for an hour and be done. Not only did this game get me in the first 5 minutes but it kept me utterly enamored til the very 3nd. The controls feel very simple but the combat mechanics make it very layered and complex. The RPG progression isn’t standard which is absolutely more than ok and gave me a breath of fresh air. With amazing world building, heartbreaking lore and lovable and actually funny characters, alongside a slew of twists and turns. It put me in such a good place with myself after playing and genuinely almost had me in tears at some point. I’m a cynic and I have nothing negative whatsoever to say about this experience. I’ll probably buy it on steam for myself and a few others as well. I love this game and I can safely say this game is one of my favorites of the decade. I hope to see more from Evan Kice in the near future.