Alcohol has a terrible temptation that can lead you to overindulgence. Bad and embarrassing things often come with nights of excessive drinking, from loss of boundaries to waking hangovers. The Night School Studio, best known for its explosive hit Oxenfree, points out that alcohol makes itself the center of Hell. But before you think that this is just a reunion game, think again. Afterparty is at its best when it consumes expectations, looks at topics related to life and death, and is okay with not having all the answers.
We all have our own ideas about Hell, but the Night School Studio creates a fun version where everyone works out a basic set of 9 to 5 chores followed by a night of giggles in the barrel. While the plot may be a little quick (with lots of well-crafted jokes), Night School Studio is not afraid to touch on deeper themes, such as what it means to be healthy and impact alcohol forever. Afterparty is at its peak when it takes a break from the night of fighting to discuss the afterlife and what it means to long-time friends Milo and Lola, our main characters. They mysteriously end up in the inferno, and part of the journey comes together for their lives and what caused their sudden death. The other half is doing a lot of work to make sure you can face Satan in a drinking contest, the only way back to Earth.
Afterparty is a story-driven experience (much like Oxenfree), and that's its strong point. Colored characters and clever dialogs drive the narrative, and the movement of nature keeps things moving despite having many spoken lines. You can switch between Milo and Lola, getting their different ideas on how to solve problems or how they feel about the situation and their friendship. For example, as you learn more about the Hogo, small puzzles appear, which reach how you pass the hit, and Milo and Lola both seek different solutions. I really enjoyed the change of characters, as you get to watch the friendships from their different lenses and understand where they come from when conflicts or big discussions come to life. This also evolves later, as the game sees who you have been keeping others in, which is a nice touch.
While the heroic friendship evolved into a major focus, Sister standouts Mary Wormhorn and taxi driver Sam offered a reciprocal welcome to the dynamic power of Millo and Lola. The old one is Milo and Lola's inner demon and he constantly tries to persuade them, and by extension, you. You often comment on your choices, which cast doubt on your mind. Sam has a mysterious aura about him, but his low-to-earth nature and subtle nature make him adorable.
While most of your time is spent looking at and participating in discussions, and making decisions and doing other drinking related activities. The minigames are fairly simple, like the “Simon Say” dance competition, which goes straight to the beer pong and cup game. You don't really get the opportunity to practice any of these before playing them, but you are not punished for failure. Anyway, and they don't add anything exciting to the game. That's a big back problem: It tells the story involved, but it's not always fun to play. Backdrop doesn't do you any favors, as you usually need to move from the end of the property back to the start of the taxi to your next destination. Considering that you are also visiting multiple locations, this makes the whole building feel repetitive and out of order To make the spices usable, you can choose various drinks that offer additional conversational options as a way to play. For example, I have spent the entire conversation talking like a pirate and another when I was a rich jert, but this shift feels worthless if it doesn't affect anything major.
Branch methods are essential for any game driven choice, and Afterparty certainly has them, but after playing the game twice, they don't dramatically change the experience. Many seemingly important moments don't matter, and the biggest differences I've seen have been the two distinct ends I had. I like that the relationships you spend on money have something to pay you, but my second play finally sounds like a waste of time, especially because you need to think through the whole game to see any difference. There is nothing to spoil, but the ending is not what I expected, which made me very grateful. I do not feel judgmental, or as though I have made a clear “right” or “wrong” choice, and the various conclusions reflect this striking similarity.
After there were some questions you didn't expect to ask, and what made me feel satisfied – don't expect someone to stop. As with most parties, there are high points mixed with passions. At the very least, conversations, venues, and attendees make it a great party to attend, even if you're sometimes a little bored.