Afterplace
reviews and complaints

This is one of the best games I’ve ever played regardless of pc, console, or mobile. It is seriously a minding bending experience. This game takes from some of the greats such as Zelda and undertale but expands it and does it’s own thing in such an amazing way. You can tell the creator of this game is also an amazing writer. Very few games can break boundaries artisticly while managing to be fun to play, this game does both. MUST BUY. Bravo creator.

So many things I love about this game. There’s very little direction, and the ‘figure it out yourself’ approach really makes it feel like your own unique adventure. Every time I thought I had seen it all I would find something surprising and new to explore. As someone who tends to quit games when they get too challenging, I was so glad to see an invisible mode as a toggle-able option. Story, characters, gameplay, all great and well executed. 10/10 game. Cheers

If you are looking for a game that gives feels like Undertale, exploration like Yume Nikki, and story like something all of its own, this game is it. It feels like this game was made by a kindred spirit of the kid d that likes to go through a game to find all the little secrets.
Also, thank you so much for including the “invincible” setting without penalty, I know some might feel like that’s cheating, but it personally made it way more accessible and enjoyable.
Thank you for making this game!

I am not one to usually review games, but Afterplace quickly impressed me! The smooth and simple controls are nice, the graphics are cute, the music decent, but the story and the characters take the prize!

This game left me wanting more! The story and characters bring you in and make you want know more about them and their past and where in the universe are we, and where did we come from?

Great game! Hopefully more to come a sequel or anything this developer will hopefully make another game!

I have downloaded hundreds of iOS games. Literally. Paid for most of them. I’ve been searching for the best of them.
This is it.
If you want to feel the way you did when you were exploring in BotW, but mobile: this is your game. If you want the creativity and cleverness of Fez, but without taking itself so seriously, this is your game. If you want the care and attention to detail of Stardew Valley, but without the grind, this is your game.
If every developer was Evan Kice, mobile gaming would be so much more than it is.
Bravo!

Afterplace is not just the best rpg I have played on my phone, it is also one of the best rpgs I have ever played- comparable to Undertale imo. This is a fantastic game with a lot of charm to it, I wholeheartedly hope the developer continues to make these games.

The combat, while simple in terms of what the player can do is made interesting by the variety of enemies. The ability to collect upgrades is welcome, the characters are memorable and interesting, the bosses are very cool and enjoyable to fight- if a bit difficult at times.

At 6.99 dollars, I got my money's worth with a 10-12 hour adventure.

This game brought me to tears at points. Not only is the story line have so much depth, but the characters each have their own backstories and plot that you have to work for. This game can only be described as a cinematic masterpiece. The artwork is breathtaking. The soundtrack is beautiful. The gameplay keeps you on the edge of your seat right up until the very end. Undertale would have nothing on this game. I was never disappointed for a single second since the moment I picked Afterplace up. It was absolutely worth every cent, and you can bet your money that I will absolutely recommend Afterplace to everyone I know. This game needs way more recognition for the hidden gem that it is.

I’ve never been a defender of mobile games, but the way Afterplace was made feels the exact same quality as indie games on PC/Console - and it’s now one of my favorite!

There’s no way to describe how immersed I was on my first playthrough. The art, sound design, music, and especially the character design/humor does so much for it.

The controls are really intuitive, and the combat is really fun and engaging. Took a bit to get used to - probably bc I’m used to using a physical controller - but I never felt confused or frustrated with the controls like I do in other phone games.

Absolutely a must-play, and I hope to see more games like this! Will be following Evan on his future endeavors

Evan if you’re reading this, thank you so much for making this game. I loved every bit of it. It really gave me the feeling that everything I did was discovering a secret. Many times I’d think, how is it possible that i NEEDED to do this to advance? It feels like I found a secret! My journey felt like my own, and was so fun and so cool.

My only complaint about this game would be that by the end, I felt like there were some plot points that I didn’t fully understand. Mainly, the time period between a long time ago, and when the game starts, from the main character’s perspective. I feel like maybe I could figure it out if I replayed and explored some more? But I hope this game gets really popular and some YouTuber just explains it to me

I loved this game

This game is amazing. The animation is smooth, the gameplay is great, and there are LITERAL DEMON MONSTERS. But all silliness aside, this game looks amazing. It’s amazingly well written and designed, there are some very tense moments, and it is great for people who like games like the old Zelda games on the NES and SNES. And this game has an overarching narrative that hasn’t been discussed for all I know, and amazing characters. I’m not even finished with the game yet! This game is an 11 out of 10. I totally recommend playing this. The only things that hold me back are the music, because it sometimes doesn’t fit the current tone, and how sometimes, I just can’t find what I’m looking for in a certain area. But this game is still great. In fact, you should buy it NOW.

As a hobbyist game dev, I find this game interesting, inspiring, and well done. A good mechanic is that the drinks are very fun to buy from the vending machine.

As a person, (I'm definitely a person, not a machine in disguise) I find this title warm and inviting, odd and intriguing, funny and beautiful. I especially like the vending machines.

I imagine that if I were a vending machine playing this game (I am totally human though) I would really appreciate the representation and the broad spectrum of good and bad vending machines.

I, as a human, (NOT a sentient dispenser of various snacks and liquids) want to go use a vending machine now, then I will play more of this game.

10/5 stars. (Btw most vending machines will take credit cards now so don't worry about bringing cash to the next vending machine you see. Though personally I love cash and imagine that vending machines like cash and coins more because they taste better then credit cards.)

This is the best action RPG I’ve played since Links Awakening. Wow, I’m loving it. It’s funny without trying to hard, the combat is varied and engaging, and the pixel art is truly gorgeous. Some areas were so beautifully and artfully done, I thought about trying to get a screen grab so I could make a set of prints to put it.

My only gripe is frame rate. I don’t have a 120 refresh rate capable phone but it can do 60 and this feels like it must be something like 24. It’s hard to play at this refresh rate these days. I’ve been spoiled I guess. It was a struggle to play the first half hour of the game because it made me feel sluggish in combat.

I really hope this can be patched later.

Still, even with that issue, I can’t put this game down. It’s really wonderful. The developer (I heard it’s just a one person operation) brilliant.

If you find this review, even if your sensitive to low refresh rates, download this anyway. It’s worth adjusting for.

I have never laughed and smiled more at a mobile game than with this.

All of the characters and their dialogue feel unique and, despite the tiny sprites, convey emotion incredibly well. Some characters are also adorable little scrunkly scrimblos. :)

The writing so far is silly but not overly silly. Just silly enough to occasionally give you a chuckle without derailing the immersion. Not too dissimilar to a certain popular game maker game.

The visuals are simple and pleasant, and doors are always marked in a certain manner so you don’t miss them, while secrets are way less obvious and are fun to look for.

The music and ambiance make for a very chill experience, and ramp up for the combat.

The only issues I had was the music cutting out in the Library, and the menu buttons occasionally not registering taps. So far everything else works fine. (possibly fixed now)

The new landscape mode is a welcome addition, and feels way more comfortable for a game like this.

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.

I grew up with Atari and Nintendo (I’m that old). This reminds me of the best adventure and rogue type games, only better because it’s 2023 and we like mystery and puzzles (there’s a bit of a puzzle and a lot of mystery). This has a lot going for it - the graphics are cute and retro. Lots of humorous items and dialogue. The story is kind of touching and I found myself caring about the characters, so the story is very good.
The story is odd enough without being ridiculous and difficult to understand, which is a tough balance to achieve I think. I like that you need to earn coins to upgrade things, but I wish it was clear how to switch between items (last house on the left in the town).

When the game was over, I wished there was a way to free play and re-explore the world. I worked hard and invested time so starting over being my only option to play more was kind of a bummer.

2 things I’d love to see - a way to continue playing (as I mentioned) and a mini-map for the screen. I could see the mini-map kind of making some things too easy, but that library is maze-like. Maybe just a library map? I find myself wondering what I missed in the library even after completing the game.

Love this game. I’m super picky about games I spend time and money in, and I’m glad I found this one.

It’s been very rare that I get to experience a story-driven game -and that’s almost certainly what this game is- without any preconceived notions. Undertale, a game which is similar to this in some ways, suffered immensely from this in my opinion -It’s hard to get an unbiased idea of these sorts of story-driven games when millions of other people are giving their own opinions on it, even if that’s just through fanart. If you want to experience a story-driven game before it becomes popular, this is probably, no, almost certainly your best opportunity. The writing is overall a blast, and I was pleased by some of its more abstract ideas. Is the surreal explored to its fullest extent in this game? Not quite, but it’s still a core component.

But the fact this is a mobile game —Wow! It’s unbelievable! Seeing this sort of game on the phone market is a sign of hope for entrepreneurial game developers not seen in years!
If there is one thing I would want to change, I really, really hope they add more than one save file. I’ve completed the game once, and while I did so rather thoroughly, I did miss some things. I cannot re-experience the game until I delete my previous save, which I am reluctant to do. …Also, the combat could use some work. The final boss was… not a challenge, from how I fought it at least.

Overall rating - 9.5/10 - +0.5 for bringing new life to mobile gaming. Absolutely brilliant work, Evan!

This is a game for:
• people who like Legend of Zelda games, especially if your favorites are the top-down early games
• people who like to explore in games
• fans of eldritch/cosmic themes
• people who like games unique worlds/settings

Pros:
• gorgeous art. I love the way it plays with the medium of 2D pixel games
• AMAZING writing. Seriously. It made me laugh. It made me really sit there and think sometimes. It made me sad. Can't express how much I adore the writing here.
• Complex story themes
• thought-out worldbuilding
• decent accessibility features (can't overstate how often that's overlooked in 1-dev indie titles tho so kudos!)
• controller support if touch controls don't work for you
• game runs beautifully and always picks up RIGHT where you were
• cost is upfront so there are no microtransactions or ads to slow you down.

Cons:
• combat is simplistic in design but can be difficult to execute properly. Thankfully, the accessibility features make that a non-issue.
• the game has controller support, but since it's vertical, anyone with attachable controllers (like a Backbone) has to use touch controls
• no guide or quest list to track where you need to go or what to do. For some this may be a pro, but I often found myself lost as to where to go. Or lost in general. But that's a 'me' thing.

OVERALL this game is well worth its cost. Honestly, I think it's worth more than that, but I understand it's difficult to get a game that costs upfront to sell on the App Store. I highly recommend!

What an excellent game. Beautiful sprite work, animation dripping with personality, charming and instantly lovable characters… and the story!

Starts off unassuming, with a hint of intrigue, and quickly becomes enthralling and touching. I got the sense that the choices I was presented with were significant and meaningful. While I’m a little disappointed in how quickly I was able to finish the story, it’s definitely for the best that the pacing is so tight and deliberate. Any dead air or bloat to the experience would likely have been for the worse.

I think the gameplay is also overall great. Mechanically very simple and straightforward, I love how delightfully spammable the basic attack is. Enemies and encounters were never complex, yet still demanded focus and a thoughtful approach most of the time, the final handful of fights being especially ambitious and spectacular!

My only points of criticism are as follows (minor spoilers for point 2)

1) I wish there were like a slider in the settings to increase input sensitivity. While play felt fine overall, there were numerous occasions where I’d miss a dodge due to my swipe just not being registered, and I similarly found it pretty hard to microwalk for exploration and combat purposes. I feel like the ability to increase input sensitivity would remedy this, but at the end of the day this was a minor point of frustration.

2) I feel like the reveal of User 0’s identity should have been hinted at more intentionally? To me the reveal was surprising, but it was mostly confusing. I’m sure there was much I missed in my playthrough, but this development felt like it came out of nowhere when maybe it was intended to be harder-hitting

All in all though, I absolutely adore this game. It was worth every penny, despite my minor grievances, and I’m definitely gonna have a hard time shutting up about it to my friends lol.

Cheers Evan, excellent work!