Paradox Development Studio's upcoming post-apocalyptic grand strategy game, Afterworld, aims to put a unique spin on the end times by transforming it into a sandbox for apocalyptic fantasies. Players will guide a band of survivors in the North American wasteland, building settlements, forging laws and belief systems, and contending with powerful dominions.
A Familiar Yet Twisted Premise
Drawing parallels to Stellaris, Afterworld presents players with a variety of starting options, or origins, for their survivor band. In the alpha build, the "Shelterborn" origin mirrors Fallout's vault dwellers, offering a bespoke scenario where survivors must vacate their failing vault. Unlike Stellaris, however, these origins allow for player input, shaping the band's character and starting resources. For example, Shelterborn survivors can decide how to handle food riots and whether their goal is to rebuild America or dominate its remnants.
From this foundation, players engage in building and upgrading settlements, interacting with other bands, and exploring ruins. The game also features powerful entities known as dominions, sprawling empires ruled by immortals who predated the collapse of civilization. These dominions function similarly to Stellaris's fallen or awakened empires, possessing immense power from the outset.
One notable dominion in the alpha is led by Citizen Farouk, a figure who purports to be a patriot aiming to rebuild America. Players can choose to join him or refuse his overtures, the latter almost invariably leading to conflict. Initially, Farouk dispatches subordinate bands, but will eventually deploy massive, mechanised armies that can overwhelm unprepared players until the endgame. Even joining Farouk does not necessitate loyalty, and players can build their own power base to oppose him.
Deep Systems and Granular Control
Warfare in Afterworld, at least in the alpha, is described as a grind, with the UI and map struggling to make large-scale battles easily parseable. However, the game's manufacturing and supply chain system, which evolves the Hearts of Iron IV model, is a point of interest. Every weapon and vehicle requires either construction or discovery, and players must maintain manufacturing of fuel and ammunition, which necessitates resources and specific buildings. This system evokes logistics-heavy city builders and survival games, making the creation and maintenance of an armed force a rewarding endeavor that facilitates expansion.
Resource scarcity is a primary driver of exploration and conflict. While not a strict survival game, resource shortfalls can stunt population growth and decrease band satisfaction. Acquiring resources through theft, exploration, or settlement is only part of the equation; players must also develop the means to extract or manufacture them, and manage their various bands.
Each band within a player's tribe is treated as a distinct entity with its own characteristics, beliefs, and skills. Players can assign them to the tribe's hierarchy and grant them territory, optimizing their placement based on their strengths. This granular population management, a departure from many Paradox titles, is well-suited to Afterworld's focus on managing North America rather than a galaxy.
A Different Pace for Grand Strategy
Afterworld also distinguishes itself with its pace. Paradox aims for playable games within a single weekend, allowing players to progress from a small, scavenging tribe to a burgeoning empire within a few hours. The randomness of exploration can lead to rapid, unexpected power spikes, such as discovering pre-fall technology that propels a band to prominence. While some balancing may be required, these random leaps in power are seen as crucial to the post-apocalyptic genre and the game's shorter playthrough length.
Paradox has stated its intention for Afterworld to be its most accessible grand strategy game. However, the alpha build's UI is still in flux and lacks informative tooltips, making it unintuitive. The absence of a tutorial or substantial onboarding makes it difficult to assess accessibility at this stage. The tech tree offers a glimmer of hope, revealing itself through exploration rather than being presented entirely upfront. Encountering a river, for instance, may unlock irrigation technology. Similarly, meeting other tribes that have established religions can lead to the discovery of organized religion ideas.
This system integrates with the map's procedural generation, ensuring that while terrain is fixed, players will encounter different tribes, resources, and dangers in each playthrough. However, unlocking and researching technologies can be complicated by in-game politics, such as council opposition to new laws. The law system itself is noted as another area where Afterworld innovates at a granular level, allowing for player choices that can ban intoxicants for all or selectively for slaves to maintain docility.
Embracing belief systems further defines tribes, with progression unlocking perks that add new facets. These beliefs can also introduce internal friction, especially if multiple faiths coexist within a tribe or if a belief system clashes with existing laws or goals. Relics found in the wasteland can be worshipped or used to bolster a band's standing, with some offering practical benefits.
Despite its ambition and the exciting systems on display, the alpha build suggests that Paradox has not yet fully captured the core fun. While the game is fascinating and represents a different approach to grand strategy, much of the playtime is spent troubleshooting and navigating complex systems. However, with ongoing development and feedback from extensive playtime by creators, there is optimism for Afterworld's future, with many promising elements already present.