The creator of the popular pandemic simulator Plague Inc., Ndemic Creations, has shifted gears with the release of After Inc. This new game, available now on iOS and Android, tasks players with rebuilding civilization after a zombie apocalypse rather than orchestrating its downfall.
After Inc. blends 4X strategy with city-building elements. Players establish settlements in a post-apocalyptic world, scavenging for resources, constructing buildings, and managing survivors while fending off zombie hordes. Progressing through rounds unlocks new tools and technologies to aid in humanity’s revival.
This represents a significant departure from Plague Inc., both mechanically and thematically. While Plague Inc. focused on the global spread of infectious diseases, a concept that gained uncomfortable relevance during the COVID-19 pandemic, After Inc. offers a more optimistic vision of the future.
Designer James Vaughan, speaking to Gamefile, described After Inc. as a “more happy and optimistic game,” emphasizing the lush environments and the resilience of the survivors. He jokingly added that the only downside is the zombies, a problem readily solved with “some nails stuck in a cricket bat!”
An enhanced version, After Inc.: Revival, is slated for early access release on Steam next year. This will allow Ndemic Creations to refine the campaign, expand content, and incorporate player feedback. The game is currently available to wishlist on Steam.
Ndemic Creations achieved widespread recognition with Plague Inc., a surprisingly complex simulation of disease transmission. The game’s educational value in understanding disease spread even earned recognition from the CDC.
Released nearly a decade before the COVID-19 pandemic, Plague Inc. experienced a surge in popularity during the early stages of the outbreak. Downloads in China alone reached approximately 2.2 million in just a few months before the game was removed from the Apple App Store in China. To date, Plague Inc. boasts an impressive 190 million players worldwide.
In a 2020 blog post, Vaughan acknowledged the correlation between disease outbreaks and increased player engagement, stating that players often seek to understand the complexities of viral outbreaks. Ndemic Creations further demonstrated its commitment to public health by partnering with the World Health Organization in 2021 for a public awareness campaign on pandemic safety measures.
Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ndemic Creations introduced a new game mode to Plague Inc. called Save the World. This mode inverts the original gameplay, challenging players to contain and eradicate a spreading pathogen. With After Inc., Ndemic Creations continues to explore new frontiers in simulation gaming, shifting from pandemic creation to post-apocalyptic reconstruction.
