The Ensign vs Afterplace
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Ensign
Embark on a challenging narrative-driven adventure where your choices have dire consequences. This game offers a fully accessible experience for VoiceOver users, delivering a difficult yet rewarding gameplay loop.
- 100% VoiceOver playable
- Challenging gameplay
- Narrative-driven
- No ads
- No data collection
- No in-app purchases
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death awaits. their humanity makes them strong. - 100% playable via VoiceOver - Pre-sequel to the #1 viral smash hit, A Dark Room. - Made with love by indie game developers. - No ads. - No data collection. - No IAP. - No crippled gameplay. - No data requirements. - No elevated device privileges. - Stupid difficult, but that's why you'll love it.
Afterplace
Embark on an open-world adventure on your mobile device, exploring a vast landscape filled with hidden secrets, treasures, and quirky characters. Engage in combat, uncover mysteries, and forge your own path through a world without waypoints.
- Open world exploration
- Hidden secrets and treasures
- Combat with monsters
- Interactive characters
- No virtual buttons
- Dynamic control adaptation
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An open world adventure game filled with silly characters and terrible secrets. Afterplace is an adventurous indie game for mobile devices. It's a huge open world, full of hidden secrets, treasures, and creatures. You'll run around the woods, fight monsters, and talk to ostensibly shady characters! All from your pocket! Be warned though - you never know what the forest might be hiding, and not all trails are paved. Labyrinths and dungeons are tucked away in the most concealed nooks. There are no waypoints in Afterplace. You'll have to forge your own path. Afterplace has been designed from the ground up to be a fast, fluid, beautiful experience for mobile. There are no virtual buttons. You can move and attack by touching anywhere. You can tap objects directly to interact or attack, use two thumbs like a traditional controller, or control the game with a physical gamepad. The game will adapt dynamically to your play style. Pick up and set down the game at your own pace, it will always save your progress. Afterplace is made to feel like a full-fledged indie adventure game that fits in your pocket. About the Author: Afterplace is made by one person, Evan Kice. A former software engineer from Austin TX, Evan quit his job (to the dismay of his friends and family) and has been working full time on Afterplace since early 2019. The initial game released in December of 2022, but Evan plans on continuing to support and polish the game when he can!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: The Ensign at $1.99 against Afterplace's $6.99. Afterplace's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
The Ensign costs $1.99 and Afterplace $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Afterplace holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 552 and 631 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of The Ensign's written reviews are positive against 94% of Afterplace's.
The Ensign ships an update every 2 months, Afterplace monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Ensign | Afterplace |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 — better | $6.99 |
| Rating | 4.6 (552 ratings) | 4.9 (631 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 86.2% of reviews | 94.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 552 | 631 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #72 | #60 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 32 MB | 249 MB |
| Age rating | +12 | 12+ |
| Developer | Amirali Rajan | Evan Kice |
Customer experience
The Ensign
Afterplace
User reviews
The Ensign
From 552 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌟 Compelling story and world-building
- 🤖 Unique and challenging gameplay
- 🎮 Rewarding progression and sense of accomplishment
- 💎 Excellent prequel to A Dark Room
- 🧠 Encourages strategic thinking and decision-making
Room to improve
- 🤯 Extremely difficult and punishing at times
- 🔁 Frustrating to restart from the beginning after dying
- 🕹️ Lack of checkpoints or save options
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🧭 Unclear navigation and objectives at times
Afterplace
From 631 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Charming characters and dialogue
- 🎨 Beautiful pixel art and visuals
- 🎶 Excellent soundtrack
- 💡 Unique story and world-building
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or performance issues
- 🔍 Lack of a map or quest log can lead to getting lost
- 🔍 Some plot points not fully explained
- 🔍 Limited weapon/item variety
Bugs and requests
The Ensign
Reported bugs
3 issues- Game crashing when trying to collect loot
- Inconsistencies between item descriptions and inventory
- Saved progress being lost after closing the app
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to save progress and resume later
- Difficulty settings or optional modes
- More narrative depth and character development
- Improved accessibility and UI for visually impaired players
Afterplace
Reported bugs
2 issues- Crashes on certain devices
- Saves not loading properly
Requested features
3 requests- Landscape mode support
- Ability to restart or replay the game
- More in-depth combat and progression systems
In-app purchases
The Ensign
No in-app purchases
Afterplace
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The Ensign free?
Is Afterplace free?
Which has better reviews, The Ensign or Afterplace?
Do The Ensign or Afterplace have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Ensign or Afterplace?
Which is more popular, The Ensign or Afterplace?
Other comparisons
