Afterparty (video game)

Afterparty is an adventure video game by Night School Studio for macOS, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One platforms in October 2019 and Nintendo Switch in March 2020. Set in Hell, themed as a college town, the player navigates dialog-based conversations, outdrink Satan, and return two best friends from the afterlife.

Afterparty
Developer(s)Night School Studio
Publisher(s)Night School Studio
Platform(s)macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Linux
ReleasemacOS, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
  • WW: October 29, 2019
Switch
  • WW: March 6, 2020
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Plot

Lifelong friends and recent college graduates Sang Bong or as he prefers Milo, and Lola Woolfe find themselves in Hell, with no recollection of how they came to be there. After being assigned a Personal Demon, Sister Mary Wormhorn, they meet Sam, a psychopomp cab driver. Sam explains that while demons torture humans, after work hours, both groups enjoy the nights drinking and partying. Sam explains that the only way out of Hell is to outdrink and out-party Satan himself in a contest. Needing an invite to Satan's party at his home, Milo and Lola traverse Hell. Milo and Lola eventually meet Lucifer, who demands they prove their abilities before challenging him by obtaining seals of approval from his brothers and sisters, the Monarchs of Hell.

One of the Monarchs is Apollyon, a judge of the Dead. Milo and Lola sneak into a demons-only bar to find Apollyon, who sees through their disguise and agrees to give them a seal if they serve as lawyers for Roberto, a soul charged with serial murder. Milo and Lola can either throw the trial per Apollyon's wishes or else let Roberto ascend to heaven and challenge Apollyon afterward; either way, Apollyon will give the pair her seal.

Another Monarch is the hard-partying Asmodeus, who is trying to forget about his recent breakup with his ex, Beth. Milo and Lola can either get Asmodeus and Beth back together or otherwise beat Asmodeus in a dance-off, to obtain the necessary seal.

Having obtained the needed seals, Milo and Lola return to Satan's party, with a team of challengers drawn from the people they have met during the night. Apollyon attempts an intervention, feeling that Satan's drinking is out of control and Hell is suffering because of it, but Satan angrily continues the drinking game with Milo and Lola, teleporting them away from the party.

The game has multiple endings, depending on Milo and Lola's performance. If they win the contest, they are sent back to Earth and resume their lives. If they lose the contest or refuse to play, they remain in Hell; while Satan still struggles with his addiction, Hell appears to be running better. After mentioning that Hell is actually better than they thought, Sam bursts in, having found another loophole to possibly allow them to escape Hell, to which Milo and Lola immediately agree to.

Reception
Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
MetacriticPC: 75/100[1]
PS4: 70/100[2]
XONE: 75/100[3]
NS: 74/100[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
EurogamerRecommended[5]
GameSpot7/10[6]
GamesRadar+3.5/5[7]
IGN8.5/10[8]
PC Gamer (UK)80%[9]
USgamer4/5[10]

The game received "generally favourable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[1]

PC Gamer said, "I had high expectations for Afterparty. I was expecting a comedy title, set in a fantasy world that could have been from a Noel Fielding sketch. But the very real relationship between Lola and Milo, the witty humour that had me chuckling every minute and the audacity on show from Night School Studio to go where they did, at the risk of their player's discomfort, made Afterparty even more than I thought it could be."[9] IGN said, "Night School has crafted an original take on the Biblical location, smartly riffed on moral and societal ideas, and told a personal, intriguing story about Milo and Lola’s afterlives."[8]

The Verge gave the game a positive review, saying, "Throughout this all, Afterparty weaves together its bigger questions about relationships, growing up, and what it means to be a good person through its sharp-tongued humor. It’s a darkly funny game whose laughs benefit from its choice of setting."[11]

Accolades

The game was nominated for "Game, Original Adventure" and "Writing in a Comedy" at the NAVGTR Awards.[12]

References
  1. "Afterparty for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  2. "Afterparty for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  3. "Afterparty for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  4. "Afterparty for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  5. Hetfeld, Malindy (October 28, 2019). "Afterparty review - a candid reflection on the fear of growing up". Eurogamer. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  6. Vazquez, Suriel (November 4, 2019). "Afterparty Review - Drink, Die, Repeat". GameSpot. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  7. Delaney, Mark (October 28, 2019). "Afterparty review: 'Hilarious and blasphemous'". GamesRadar+. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  8. Dornbush, Jonathon (October 28, 2019). "Afterparty Review". IGN. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  9. Agnew, Callum (October 28, 2019). "Afterparty review". PC Gamer. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  10. Cryer, Hirun (October 28, 2019). "Afterparty Review: Hell of a Good Time". USgamer. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  11. Farokhmanesh, Megan (October 29, 2019). "Afterparty is a hilarious exploration of the afterlife and binge drinking". The Verge. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  12. "2019 Nominees". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
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