Afterparty

Night School Studio delivers a funny, compelling narrative. A few spills aren't enough to water down a great experience.

Demons want to have fun and get wasted.

While Afterparty arguably doesn't quite hit the same overall heights as its older sibling, it still manages to deliver one amazing adventure of its own, largely thanks to a terrific sense of humor, a unique story, and some truly astounding writing and dialogue. Hell has been transformed into a giant, twisted, colorful party and Night School has filled it with a terrific cast of characters and a unique drink-based mechanic that will all easily leave you wanting more. Afterparty is worth picking up and is easily one clever gem that shines brightly...especially when standing out among a city fill...

Devilishly delicious.

I couldn’t have known from the start but Afterparty is the perfect palette cleanser for any gamer that is starting to feel fatigued from this Fall’s biggest games. It’s rib-bustlingly hilarious with a truly imaginative version of Hell that must be seen to believe. Night School Studio, the developers behind 2016’s surprise indie hit Oxenfree, has crafted another dialogue-heavy adventure game that is relatable and relevant, even with its zany premise. But while it does succeed as a perfect followup to Oxenfree, it’s riddled with a few nasty bugs and technical issues that are difficult to ignore.

Like many, Oxenfree surprised the hell out of me in 2016, as Night School Studio’s debut title surpassed expectations with its moving story and clever gameplay mechanics. As such, Afterparty has been on my shortlist ever since it was announced, especially considering the absurdity of its premise.

Some of the best dialogue of the year and an interestingly original portrayal of Hell overcome a slightly undercooked take on classic graphic adventures.

Afterparty is a unique look at the people we are, the people we wish to be, and how the world, its occupants, and even ourselves can frequently screw with both. While as a video game it offers mostly persistent conversation, that conversation is excellently performed and smartly written. Despite undeniable narrative and technical shortcomings, Afterparty is a shindig worth turning up to, even if the invite seemed a little more promising.

Despite my excitement, Afterparty was a comedown from its spiritual predecessor. The parts are all there, but the core script lacks wit, and the developments in Milo and Lola's friendship ultimately lacked catharsis. This story could have left an impact—not a lot of games focus on young, platonic relationships, the confusion of friends as they grow apart in their 20s, and the pitfalls of party and drinking culture. The opening showed much potential, but like a lot of parties I've been to, this shindig was one that I didn't mind clearing out of by the end.

Night School Studios’ new title 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. Despite its well-written dialogue and extensive-world building, Afterparty‘s technical problems are too numerous to overlook. Multiple playthroughs will yield different endings, but with its biggest issues being quite glaring, it...

“Playing Afterparty feels like a bad night out with friends. Things didn’t go as expected, but it’s still fun.”

This serves as a good contrast to the actual denouement of the game, which involved a twist I didn't see coming, and I doubt many will. It's a fitting finale, in a world where you can be sentenced to eternal torture for "repeatedly misusing the express lane in grocery stores." If that turned out to be reality, Christ, I'd spend all my off hours drinking too. This hell is an Afterparty because everyone is bumbling along in that state of 3am despair, where you started the night pretending you were fine, but now you're haunted by everything bad you've ever done. Except this is forever now, and th...