How Afterlove EP survived after its creative director’s devastating death
polygon.comIndonesian indie game studio Piknelsia was in the middle of development on its rhythm-based visual novel Afterlove EP when it received the devastating news: Mohammad Fahmi, the studio’s founder and creative director, had died. “When it happened, I remember our character artist, Soyatu, called me around 2 AM in the morning and said, ‘Is Fahmi joking about death again? This time it’s not funny, please tell me that this is not true!’” Afterlove EP game producer Ivor Dwitomo told Polygon.
Afterlove EP was put on hold indefinitely while the team grieved the loss of their coworker and friend. “No work happened on Afterlove EP during that time, but then we came together, talked about the game’s development, and we all agreed to continue Afterlove EP no matter what,” Dwitomo said. The game is about love and death, set in Jakarta, he said — and Fahmi had outlined a clear vision for the game. The rest of the team wanted to deliver that vision.
Fahmi, the acclaimed creator of Toge Productions’ Coffee Talk, passed away in March 2022. Coffee Talk, released in 2020, is a visual novel and coffee shop simulator centered around a barista working in a fantasy version of Seattle. It’s a game that perfectly evokes the atmosphere of a coffee shop on a rainy day — with some light fantasy elements thrown in. Afterlove EP has a different but still distinct sense of place; it’s set in Jakarta, Indonesia, where Fahmi grew up. The story pulls these three genres together (visual novel, dating sim, and rhythm game), focusing on Rama, a young musician whose girlfriend has just died.
“With Afterlove EP, Fahmi really wanted to show a slice of life of what it is like to be young and living in the places that he himself grew up and lived in,” Dwitomo said. Game director and programmer Dany added: “And we hope that they will enjoy getting to know our home through the locations and vibe of the characters you meet, whilst if you’re from or know Jakarta, you might find yourself nostalgic for some of
Read more on polygon.com
