A brand-new strategy game on Steam called Afterworld looks like an interesting blend of Mad Max and Sid Meier’s Civilization, set in a post-apocalyptic North America. Afterworld was announced during Gamescom Opening Night Live, with wishlists now available on Steam for fans who don’t want to miss out on its impending release.
Afterworld is being developed by Paradox Interactive, the same studio behind some of the best grand strategy games, such as Crusader Kings and Hearts of Iron. While Afterworld is likely to inherit the DNA of many of Paradox’s previous games, it has already set itself apart by introducing a fictional setting instead of the historically accurate worlds found in most of the company’s other franchises.
Afterworld Gameplay Features
- Massive map
- Post-nuclear-war setting (North America)
- Resource management and survival elements
- Procedurally generated resources and encounters
- Competitive and cooperative multiplayer (PvP and PvE)
- Different factions with unique belief systems and goals
- Heavily political branching story
Afterworld’s Visuals Have Serious Mad Max Vibes
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Image via Paradox Interactive -
Image via Paradox Interactive -
Image via Paradox Interactive
The Mad Max movie franchise has long used heavily modified and armored vehicles as a signature part of its world-building. It has also featured cultists and gangs that distinguish themselves with scavenger-style gear and masks. Now, Paradox Interactive’s Afterworld seems to have taken inspiration from the same aesthetic language used in those movies, as the game’s cinematic trailer looks straight out of a Mad Max film, with armored cars and masked outlaws everywhere.
Afterworld Is All About Rebuilding a Civilization from the Ground Up
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Image via Paradox Interactive -
Image via Paradox Interactive -
Image via Paradox Interactive
In the Sid Meier’s Civilization franchise, the player’s primary goal is to build the biggest and most resilient empire that rules for centuries to come. The same gameplay premise now seems to shape the backbone of progression in Afterworld. As a grand strategy game, Afterworld requires players to expand a fairly small faction into a massive kingdom that rises from the ashes of a collapsed civilization. The catch, however, is that players will need to “re-discover” lost technologies in Afterworld, as opposed to developing them in games like Sid Meier’s Civilization.
Paradox Wants to Try Out New Stuff with Afterworld
Afterworld‘s director, Dan Lind, said, “My goal from the start was to create something that complemented and added a unique twist to [Paradox Interactive’s] stable of games.” Afterworld is poised to offer a fresh mixture of grand strategy and survival games, which is a first for the developer. It will also try to be the “easiest to pick up and immerse in” among similar games on the market. The game director said, “We do this by tying many mechanics to exploration and discovery so that they get progressively unlocked for a deeper and deeper game without overwhelming you during the first 10 minutes.”
For now, many details regarding Afterworld remain undisclosed. For instance, the game’s price and exact release date haven’t been revealed. That said, Paradox Interactive has confirmed that Afterworld will be released exclusively on PC, and the game will likely not receive a console port. Fans can currently wishlist the game on Steam and follow Paradox Interactive’s dev blogs or subscribe to its newsletter for more details and updates.