Plague Inc Sequel Priced Aggressively

After Inc.: A $2 Gamble in a Free-to-Play World

Ndemic Creations' bold move to price its new title, After Inc., at just $2, has raised eyebrows. Released on November 28th, 2024, the sequel to the wildly popular Plague Inc. finds humanity rebuilding after the Necroa Virus pandemic. While the premise offers a brighter outlook than its predecessors, developer James Vaughn admits reservations about the pricing strategy in a recent Game File interview. The mobile gaming market's dominance by free-to-play, microtransaction-heavy games fueled his concerns.

Vaughn's confidence, however, stems from the success of Plague Inc. and Rebel Inc., believing their established player base will drive discovery and demonstrate continued demand for premium strategy games. He acknowledges that without the prior successes, even a high-quality game would struggle for visibility.

Ndemic Creations is committed to a one-time purchase model. The App Store listing explicitly states "no consumable microtransactions" and promises that expansion packs will be "buy once, play forever."

Early success suggests the gamble may pay off. After Inc. currently sits in the App Store's Top Paid Games, and boasts a 4.77/5 rating on Google Play. A Steam early access version, After Inc. Revival, is slated for 2025.

Rebuilding Civilization, One Settlement at a Time

After Inc. is a 4X grand strategy/simulation hybrid. Players rebuild British society after the apocalypse, establishing settlements, managing resources, and battling zombies. Ruins provide building materials, and players must construct essential buildings like farms and lumberyards to keep citizens happy and fed. Five leaders (ten in the Steam version), each with unique abilities, guide the rebuilding effort. As Vaughn quipped, even the zombie threat is manageable: "Nothing that can’t be solved with some nails stuck in a cricket bat!"