Plaid Hat Games PHG3000 Aftermath: an Adventure Book Game, Various

Product Information

SPIEL.digital 2020; four days of promised virtual showcasing, gaming, and exploring. Laptop recharging, headphones resting. We made it. The question is; did the organisers?

The whole game has a really nice look to it. The miniatures are fantastic, the maps look great, and that box cover is one of the best I’ve seen. Play in glorious 4K/60 FPS. Endure endless waves of increasingly difficult zombies in the new Horde Mode XL game mode, featuring hundreds more zombies on screen than ever before possible. Horde Mode XL will arrive in a free post-launch update on PC. In broad, general terms (and without any major spoilers) each player will take control of one or two characters. Each is named and has their own miniature, starting items and special skills, as well as a box that keeps their progress organised from one game to the next. As I mentioned earlier, Aftermath is an episodic game but not a legacy game in the sense that any items are destroyed, so the game can be completely reset once you’ve finished playing it. Theoretically, the players will retain the same character from game to game, however there are ways around this if one player drops out or wants to introduce a different character mid way through.For some reason, I had not heard too much about this game. I actually came across it by accident whilst trying to decide if Stuffed Fables (also by Plaid Hat with Jerry as the designer) would be a good fit for me. I had read that this game was like an ‘adult version’ of Stuffed Fables, with slightly better mechanics, therefore decided to give this one a go first. Components I was blown away by the quality of the miniatures in this game. I have a few different games with miniatures, but none that felt as high a quality as these did. The detail in the characters is great, they are quite chunky with a nice weight to them, and they have been glazed with a sort of 'Nuln oil' type effect so that they look pretty good straight out the box, with no real need of a paint job.

Aftermath is not a true legacy game in the sense that the players will destroy components, but it does provide an episodic campaign that will introduce numbered cards and send players to different areas of the storybook board, some of which will differ depending on your actions and choices. If you’ve played either Stuffed Fables or Comanauts, the system in Aftermath is very similar in terms of how the story unfolds, albeit simplified in comparison to Comanauts and with none of the dice rolling that occasionally ruined Stuffed Fables. Aftermath is a cooperative, post-apocalyptic, adventure board game in which you play as rodents who are trying to find a way to survive in a human-less world. This is a campaign game, so you’ll play through a series of missions until you either lose or complete all of your goals. I was blown away by the quality of the miniatures in this game. I have a few different games with miniatures, but none that felt as high a quality as these did. The detail in the characters is great, they are quite chunky with a nice weight to them, and they have been glazed with a sort of ‘Nuln oil’ type effect so that they look pretty good straight out the box, with no real need of a paint job.As one of the best features of the original is its level of replay ability then this expansion only helps to increase this by giving you more missions to play and an additional character class to fully level up while smashing into hordes of zombies. The entire game can represent hundreds of hours of hard-core zombie slaying fun for you and your friends or just a casual friendly competition to see who can get the most zombie kills or kill the most elite enemies. Final Cut The four main characters in Aftermath have personal goals and you’ll be attempting to complete all of those goals as you play through the game’s missions. On top of that, you need find food and other supplies so your colony can survive. I really like that you get to choose the missions you go on throughout the Aftermath campaign. It makes you feel like you have some control over how the story plays out.

Strategic Resource Management: Scavenge the remnants of humanity for food and supplies to sustain your colony. But be wary of bandits and predators lurking in the shadows. Fight or flee to stay alive and return with valuable resources to keep your colony thriving.For some reason, I had not heard too much about this game. I actually came across it by accident whilst trying to decide if Stuffed Fables (also by Plaid Hat with Jerry as the designer) would be a good fit for me. I had read that this game was like an 'adult version' of Stuffed Fables, with slightly better mechanics, therefore decided to give this one a go first. Components You'll leave the safety of your colony and venture out into the abandoned world on one of 20+ story-driven missions and side missions. Scavenge the ruins of mankind in search of food and supplies for your colony, but beware, the world is filled with bandits and predators, and you must fight or flee to stay alive. Thrilling Gameplay: Immerse yourself in a captivating narrative as you embark on 20+ story-driven missions and side missions. Every decision you make impacts the outcome, creating a unique and exhilarating experience every time you play. Unique Character Personalities: Choose from a diverse cast of critter characters, each with their own distinct personality, playstyle, and personal goals. Whether you’re a guinea pig with anger issues or a mysterious vole, every character adds depth and excitement to the game.