Afterparty puts you in Hell, and it expects you to talk your way out. That premise sounds simple. It isn’t.
The game drops Zed and Curtis, two college dropouts, into a bar in the underworld run by Satan himself. They need to drink enough to earn a spot at the afterparty, and the catch is that they have to convince everyone they meet that they deserve to be there. That means lying, bribing, and arguing their way through a series of conversations that decide whether they live or burn.
Trailer, via Night School Studio.
Talking Your Way Out
The core mechanic is a conversation system built around persuasion. You pick responses from a menu, and the game tracks how well you’re doing by color-coding the dialogue. Green means you’re winning, red means you’re losing fast, and the meter fills as you talk. The trick is that you can’t just say the right thing — you have to time your responses, interrupt, and build off what the other person just said. Miss a beat and the whole exchange falls apart.
It’s a clever system, and it makes every conversation feel tense. The game also lets you play as either character, which changes the tone of every interaction. Curtis is smooth and confident, while Zed is nervous and blunt. Switching between them mid-conversation is a small touch, but it adds depth to scenes that would otherwise feel flat.
The Devil’s Bar
The setting is a dive bar in Hell, and it’s packed with characters who each want something from you. Some are friendly, some are hostile, and some are just curious. The bar itself is a long counter full of bottles, glasses, and patrons who sit in silence until you approach them. The lighting is dim and the music is low, giving the whole place a lived-in, worn-down feeling that fits the theme perfectly.
The art style is hand-drawn and animated, and it’s consistently charming. Characters are expressive, and the backgrounds are detailed enough to reward a second look. It’s a game that looks like it was made with care, even when the story takes a dark turn.
Lies, Bribes, and Arguments
The plot moves through a series of encounters, each one a mini-game of persuasion. You might have to convince a guard to let you pass, or a bartender to serve you a drink, or a fellow patron to stop talking about you. The solutions aren’t always obvious, and the game doesn’t hold your hand. You’ll fail conversations, lose the meter, and have to start over. That repetition is where the game’s pacing starts to show cracks.
The difficulty spikes are the biggest complaint. Some conversations require you to remember details from earlier scenes, and failing them can send you back through the same sequence again. The game doesn’t explain why it’s happening, and that lack of clarity can frustrate players who are used to clearer feedback.
Music and Sound
The soundtrack is a mix of jazz, blues, and spoken-word pieces that fit the underworld setting. The songs are moody and atmospheric, and they add to the tension during conversations. The voice acting is strong across the board, with the lead characters delivering lines that feel natural and human. The sound design is subtle but effective, with footsteps echoing in empty halls and glasses clinking in the bar.
“We were trying to make a game where you could talk your way out of Hell.”
Pacing Problems
The middle stretch drags. After the initial hook wears off, the game settles into a rhythm of failure, retry, failure, retry. That loop is the game’s identity, but it also becomes the problem. The pacing dips in the final act, where the stakes are highest but the systems feel unchanged from the early hours. It’s a shame, because the setup promises something more dynamic than the delivery delivers.
Final Stretch
The ending lands with a twist that ties the entire story together. Without spoiling it, the resolution depends on the choices you made earlier, and it rewards players who paid attention. It’s a fitting end to a game that spent its runtime teaching you to pay attention.
Afterparty is a game about talking, and it succeeds at that. The conversation system is inventive, the world is memorable, and the voice work carries the weight. But the pacing issues keep it from greatness. It’s a solid, often brilliant game, marred by moments where the difficulty feels arbitrary and the pacing sags.
The game is available on PS4, PC, Mac, and Xbox One, and it runs well on all of them. The loading times are short, and the menus are easy to navigate. There’s no online component, so you don’t have to worry about multiplayer hiccups. It’s a single-player experience, and it’s best enjoyed in short sessions.
The Verdict
Afterparty is a game worth playing, but not a game without flaws. Its conversation system is a standout, and its setting is memorable, but the pacing and difficulty balance need work. It’s a game that asks a lot of its player, and it rewards those who stick with it.
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