Afterparty

 PC
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 24
  3. Negative: 1 out of 24
  1. Game Over Online
    Dec 3, 2019
    70
    As I played Afterparty, I kept thinking that I should be liking it more than I was. A character- and story-driven game sounds like it should be right up my alley, and I can picture people enjoying the conversations and appreciating a vision of Hell where it’s being run by devils with just as many problems as everybody else. But I didn’t like the game, and I didn’t really like that there isn’t much game in the game (there aren’t any puzzles, and the drinking mini-games are so inconsequential it doesn’t even matter if you win them). So I’m giving Afterparty a lukewarm score. It’s definitely a game where your mileage may vary.
  2. CD-Action
    Nov 25, 2019
    70
    The game is loaded with small glitches and inconsistencies but next to Night in the Woods it’s the one game I could point to and say ‘that’s how you should write engaging, living dialogue’. [13/2019, p.54]
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  3. GameSpot
    Oct 27, 2019
    70
    When it hits those strides, it's a novel look at what hell might look like for most of us, a vision that turns the concept of eternal damnation into something more palpable and threatening. It fumbles when it reaches outside its comfort zone, and the focus on small moments means it lacks the grandiose ones that make our lives feel more meaningful than they might otherwise be.
  5. Twinfinite
    Oct 27, 2019
    70
    At the end of the day though, Afterparty will leave many with a bit of a hangover, wondering if there was more that could have been done with the drinking system and its branching narrative.
  6. Gameblog.fr
    Nov 11, 2019
    60
    Afterparty begins as a very joyful festivity in which you encounter a lot of great and eloquent people in a very charming place. But it continues as a very passive, clumsy experience and ends as a forgettable game from which you retain mostly technical issues, lack of impactful and pleasant interactions, instead of its strong writing and amazing vocal performances. Too bad, this Hell was surely paved with good intentions.
  7. GameSpew
    Oct 27, 2019
    60
    Afterparty offers up a good laugh, and not just at the unfortunate glitches. Its art style is adorable, and the neon lights and bloody backgrounds truly make it feel like you've jumped down into hell. But while the story is intriguing, it feels too slow at times and its main protagonists fall flat against an otherwise fantastic cast of characters.
  8. Edge Magazine
    Nov 10, 2019
    50
    As for a return trip to hell to see how alternative choices might have played out? It would have to freeze over first. [Issue#139, p.116]
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In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Eurogamer
    Oct 28, 2019
    Night School Studios follows on its excellent work in Oxenfree with this touching look at the absurdity of life and video games. [Eurogamer Recommended]
  2. Polygon
    Oct 27, 2019
    Afterparty is an ambitious game that works hard to deliver funny dialog and outright laughs. And while it only partially succeeds in these laudable aims, it also delivers an enjoyable, unexpectedly worldly story about what it means to cease to be a child, and to begin to be an adult.
  3. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Oct 30, 2019
    But while all of the principal cast do a smashing job, Dave Fennoy’s Satan is probably the (morning) star of the show.
  5. The Verge
    Oct 31, 2019
    The game continually tugs an interesting thread on perspective, and whose matters more.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 49 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 49
  3. Negative: 10 out of 49
  1. hello_world
    Oct 29, 2019
    6
    Afterparty's gameplay would be familiar to those who played Night School's previous outing "oxenfree". For the uninitiated, it is a narrativeAfterparty's gameplay would be familiar to those who played Night School's previous outing "oxenfree". For the uninitiated, it is a narrative based adventure where dialogue options are the main point of interaction. There are a few mini games sprinkled out the adventure, but for the most part you will be walking to places and choosing what to say to NPCs.

    The new mechanic of Afterparty is that you can purchase different alcoholic drinks at certain locations, which will give you an extra dialogue option depending on what drink you chose. The effects can be increasing your character's confidence, making them flirty or making them speak like a pirate. These options are generally more fun options to choose, though they don't really feel like they are meaningful choices in terms of the narrative or character relationships.

    Narrative wise, the game aims for a more comedic approach to its script. While the premise is amusing, as is the aforementioned drinking mechanics, the comedy generally fell flat for me. The attempts at humour never had me laughing, though to its credit it never became grating either and did make the characters more enduring. It should be noted that humour is subjective and I find that I can be hard to please when it comes to comedy. The narrative does have its dramatic beats and they do flesh out the characters. However, the narrative doesn't feel as tightly written as Oxenfree. Simply put the ending of the game didn't have a impactful narrative payoff, as much of it relies on a twist that your characters don't have anything to do with.    … Full Review »
  2. Latin_Godzilla
    Oct 17, 2020
    0
    What a disappointment of a game. I LOVED Oxenfree, for is the best indie games hands down. When i read that Night School Studio were toWhat a disappointment of a game. I LOVED Oxenfree, for is the best indie games hands down. When i read that Night School Studio were to released another game i was SO excited cause i thought they had amazing talent doing stories that connect whit people and make you don't want to move out your chair until you finished...i was wrong. Now i see that NSS were just lucky creating Oxenfree. Afterparty is an insult to my expectations. Really boring game, didn't see the time to finish it instead of making me feel like i didn't wanted to finish it. I couldn't even end the game cause of how slow, talkative and empty it was. Going to clubs drink and have stupid dialogue couldn't get any boring that what NSS just created. I wasted my money and left so disappointed that I'm even angry writing this review. Won't buy another NSS game since they just showed me that Oxenfree experience was just a one time trip.… Full Review »
  3. thefunkhunter
    Mar 1, 2020
    0
    Disappointed, essentially a visual short story, virtually no thought necessary as none of your choices matter and you are able to progressDisappointed, essentially a visual short story, virtually no thought necessary as none of your choices matter and you are able to progress without using any brain power at all. The writing is not good, not funny as there are way too many puns not even worth mentioning. All the jokes fell flat, game was still buggy even 5 months after its release. Gameplay consisted of moving left to write, choosing one of two dialogue options, and then proceeding no matter what you picked. Male character was an beta male with purple hair, um no thanks.… Full Review »
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