{
  "id": 3334524,
  "title": "Crusader Kings devs Paradox officially reveal Afterworld, a Fallout-flavoured grand strategy game in which you can overrun America with a cannibal cult",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/crusader-kings-devs-paradox-officially-reveal-afterworld-a-fallout",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-25T19:21:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Rock Paper Shotgun",
    "slug": "rock-paper-shotgun",
    "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/crusader-kings-devs-paradox-officially-reveal-afterworld-a-fallout-flavoured-grand-strategy-game-in-which-you-can-overrun-america-with-a-cannibal-cult"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Paradox Interactive, developers of Crusader Kings 3 and Hearts of Iron IV, have officially unveiled Afterworld, a post-apocalyptic grand strategy game set in a procedurally generated North America. This marks Paradox's first non-historical setting in a decade, according to game director Dan Lind. Despite initial thoughts of the Fallout series, Afterworld leans more towards the atmosphere of 11 bit's Frostpunk and Proxy's sci-fi 4X Zephon, punctuated by Mad Max references.\n\nIn the game, players can choose from various origins, prologues, and formative Traumas that shape their tribe's initial resource allocation and priorities. Settling down and scavenging for essential resources like food, water, and fuel, players must adapt often due to threats and resource scarcity. The expansive world map is shrouded in fog of war, becoming territories as you explore.\n\nAs players navigate the wasteland, they encounter other tribes and buildings or terrain features that grant them Ideas, unlocking technologies through research. Scavenging for pre-Fall technology provides a significant advantage. Players must also develop their tribe's social customs, beliefs, political systems, and laws, which are influenced by chaotic societal dynamics in neighboring territories.\n\nPlayers can define philosophies as orthodox or false, with beliefs influencing diplomacy and trade. Tribal members possess distinct stats, capable of leading war parties and holding office. Religion plays a significant role, as players can influence their tribe's beliefs, potentially leading to disagreements with other tribes. The ultimate goal is to unite all tribes under your banner and establish a new American empire, presenting a significant challenge given the exponentially increasing resource and supply demands.\n\nAfterworld also offers cooperative and PvP gameplay options, although a release date remains undetermined beyond \"coming soon.\" A proper preview and interview with Paradox are expected to follow soon.",
  "summary": "Following leaks earlier in the week , Crusader Kings 3 and Hearts of Iron IV creators Paradox Interactive have officially announced Afterworld , a post-apocalyptic grand strategy game about wasteland tribes jostling for dominance of a procedurally generated North America. It's Paradox Development Studio's \"first non-historical setting in a decade\", in the words of game director Dan Lind. Read more",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "TechRadar",
        "title": "The studio behind Crusader Kings and Hearts of Iron just revealed its first non-historical title in a decade — Afterworld is a new strategy game set in an original post-apocalyptic America",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/the-studio-behind-crusader-kings-and-hearts-of-iron-just-revealed-its",
        "published": "2026-08-25T19:08:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}