Paradox Development Studio has announced Afterworld, a grand strategy game set in a world following a nuclear disaster. In the procedurally generated North American wasteland, players will choose one of several factions and attempt to build a society.
The game will involve managing resources such as food, water and fuel; settlements can be transformed into tribes and then empires. Players will shape the development of society through their choices regarding laws, ethical rules, resource allocation and leadership. Afterworld will be released on PC via Steam, but no release date has been announced.
Why it matters
The announcement of Afterworld shows that Paradox is bringing its grand strategy approach to the theme of rebuilding after a nuclear disaster; the game’s focus extends beyond mere survival to the principles on which a new society will be founded. Addressing law, ethics, resource allocation and leadership decisions within the same framework means that economic management and political choices are no longer separate areas. The procedurally generated world and the ability to choose between different factions offer a framework that allows players to experiment with changing social orders rather than follow a fixed scenario. However, how the game will bring these systems together and when PC players will be able to access the experience remain unclear, as no release date has been announced.