Rebel Inc. (video game)

Lore & Background

Rebel Inc. was released on December 8, 2018 on iOS devices, with an Android version following on February 11, 2019. A Windows PC version called Rebel Inc: Escalation was released on October 15, 2019. The game's simulations were inspired by the political situation in Afghanistan, and its regions are inspired by the geography of Afghanistan. In an update, version 1.8 added a region called 'Opium Trail', which is about preventing opium trade. In 2020, Ndemic Creations started a beta tester program for Android and iOS devices to bring the campaign mode to these devices. The game has received several free updates as well as paid DLC.

The player assumes control of an operation tasked with stabilizing a war-torn region. Players work with a monthly budget to provide services, jobs, infrastructure, and other amenities to gain support. An insurgency eventually begins, and the player must finance military initiatives to put it down. Peace can later be negotiated with insurgent leaders. The game features strategic elements such as budgeting, random events, peace negotiation, balancing civilian and military initiatives, and counter mechanics like inflation, corruption, and local concerns. It includes several governors with different abilities, such as the Warlord who uses a personal militia or the Economist who prioritizes income but gives its entire budget annually. Multiplayer modes include VS and Co-Op modes, as well as a Campaign mode released in 2020 about adapting insurgency and other tactics for counterinsurgents. The game has a collection of custom scenarios and a creator to make them.

Reader's Guide

Rebel Inc. is notable as a spiritual sequel to one of the greatest mobile successes, according to Pocket Tactics, and received high praise from critics and a diplomat. Mike Holmes of Gamereactor gave it a 9/10, appreciating its depth, involvement, great pacing, varied gameplay, interesting subject matter, and excellent value for money, though noting that winning strategies could become too easy to fall back on. Dick Page of Pocket Tactics gave it five out of five stars, calling it an initially obtuse but ultimately highly rewarding spiritual sequel. Campbell Bird of 148.apps described the game as fun, but noted that if a player finds a strategy that works, it is applicable in basically every part of the game. Said Tayeb Jawad, then ambassador of Afghanistan to the United Kingdom, called the game 'sophisticated and engaging'. The game's success is reflected in its high download numbers: along with Plague Inc., it was one of the most downloaded games on the App Store in 2020, and one of the most downloaded paid games on iOS in Hong Kong. Its campaign mode, released in 2020, and the addition of the Opium Trail region in version 1.8, show ongoing development and expansion of the game's content.

Did You Know?

• The game features a governor called the Economist who gives its entire budget annually.
• Said Tayeb Jawad, then ambassador of Afghanistan to the UK, praised the game as 'sophisticated and engaging'.