GamesStrategyPlague Inc’s city-building sequel is “more happy and optimistic” than its predecessor, even if its creator thinks its $2 price tag is a “huge gamble"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesStrategyPlague Inc’s city-building sequel is “more happy and optimistic” than its predecessor, even if its creator thinks its $2 price tag is a “huge gamble"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Ndemic Creations)
A sequel to the incredibly popular mobile gamePlague Incjust came out and it’s all about rebuilding the world following an apocalypse – aptly named After Inc. It’s free-to-play on Android (with ads) but iPhone users can buy it for just $2.
I was a massive fan of Plague Inc. I played it on Miniclip, which really shows my age, and then got it on my phone once it went mobile. According to an interview with game designer James Vaughan onGame File, it was the 11th most-downloaded paid mobile game, with some 190 million players.
Naturally, I had to tryAfter Incfor myself during my lunch break, and it’s just as moreish as its predecessor, maybe even moreso. I promise I’m not playing it during work likeOscar does with Balatro, honest. Rather than controlling a virus, you take charge of settlements as they leave underground bunkers and try to rebuild society after the necroa virus turned most people into shambling zombies. It’s easy to learn and fiendishly difficult, which seems to be developer Ndemic Creations' style.
“I have had quite a lot of people worry that our games tend to predict the future,” Vaughan says to Game File. “I’ve tried to make a more happy and optimistic game this time.” It’s certainly a pretty game, and there is hope to be found, but it’s also incredibly stressful. Zombies can attack you suddenly, accidents happen that require resources to fix, and if your settlers lose too much morale, it’s game over.
“After Inc. crunches a whole load of different things together and we end up with a pretty unique game which lets you build up a settlement in 20 minutes and improve your overall civilization at the same time for future games,” Vaughan explains. Every time you win a mission with a specific settlement, you can unlock a new bonus that you carry through in all future playthroughs. Things like pigeon breeding for meat, or more efficient storage of toilets.
You get a decent amount for $2, especially when most mobile games are free-to-play. When asked if he was confident in the pricing, Vaughan says, “Nope - absolutely not - its a huge gamble! The only reason we can even consider releasing a premium game is because we have our existing juggernauts of Plague Inc. and Rebel Inc. which will help players find our games - and also show that there is still an appetite for intelligent, sophisticated strategy games on mobile. If we didn’t have Plague Inc. to help - I think any game, no matter how good it is, would really struggle to get noticed.”
You should know, however, that while you can get the base game for just $2, if you want the expansions that add more settlements and technology, you’ll need to pay more. I’m in the UK, and since I’m a huge fan of Plague Inc I bought the DLC that unlocks the current expansion and promises access to all future ones at no extra cost. It cost me £14.99, around $19.01. At the moment, that gets you 18 missions and eight difficulty modes.
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I’m fairly happy with that purchase, especially as it was discounted from a whopping £59.99, or $76.06. There’s no mention of an end date, so I’m not sure how long the discount will apply for.The App storeis showing it cheaper, so if you’ve got an Apple tablet maybe buy it there instead.
If you’re a fan of the original Plague Inc I’d highly recommend checking this out, especially while the discount is still on offer. It’s got some teething issues at the moment, like resource menus not displaying uniformly – the amount of times I’ve clicked scavenge instead of expand storage is already too high – but the devs have already been implementing fixes, so things should be improving soon.
If you’re not much of a strategy fan, why not check out our list of thebest android gamesinstead?
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
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2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3
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4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”