Summary<\/h3>\n\n- Afterlove EP<\/strong><\/em> is a new slice-of-life adventure from the creator of Coffee Talk<\/em> and What Comes After<\/em>.<\/li>\n
- Pikselnesia shares how the team navigated its own grief alongside the game\u2019s emotional beats after its founder unexpectedly passed away.
Afterlove EP<\/em> is out today on Xbox Series X|S.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\nWhen we, Pikselnesia, first heard the pitch for Afterlove EP<\/a><\/em><\/strong> from one of Indonesia\u2019s greatest narrative minds, Fahmi Hasni, we knew it would be something special. But we never expected everything to unfold the way it did.<\/p>\nI first met Fahmi, funnily enough, through a dating app. After a very brief entangling, it quickly became clear that we were meant to create something far greater than just a fleeting companionship. Even before What Comes After<\/em> took shape, he was already dreaming about what at that time was called Project Heartbreak. Back then, he didn\u2019t even have a story \u2013 just a feeling he wanted to capture. The ache of trying to move on while the voice of lost love still lingers in your head.<\/p>\nThen, just as we were stepping into full production, Fahmi passed away. I remember spending a lot of horrible months in my grief wondering what went wrong \u2013 if anything could have gone differently. Fahmi\u2019s passing was sudden, tragic, and utterly shocking.<\/p>\n
When our team and publisher eventually chose me to be the Narrative Lead, I knew exactly what to do. Our protagonist would feel what I felt.<\/p>\n
I was going to put him through hell.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pub-f354ec240bea480db7320bd0e29d972e.r2.dev\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/RHYTHM-02-d1962ea7dd7ba98dd90a.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nAs the team hurled itself into continuing production in the dark, I knew each of us struggled to fill the giant hole Fahmi had left. Our producer, Ivor<\/strong>, had known Fahmi since before his days as a gaming journalist. Now, he had to shoulder the impossible \u2013 leading a studio without its heart. He managed Pikselnesia, coordinated with our publisher Fellow Traveler, and kept Fahmi\u2019s family updated. I knew he was skilled \u2013 his years in the AAA mobile game industry proved that \u2013 but guiding a grieving team while mourning a friend must have been gut-wrenching.<\/p>\nOur other co-lead, Damas<\/strong>, was a pillar of the Indonesian gaming industry. His Bandung-based studio \u2013 Rolling Glory Jam \u2013 had been our backbone when we released What Comes After<\/em> years before. Then there was Giri,<\/strong> who I had worked with on What Comes After<\/em>. Seeing him again as Lead Programmer for Afterlove EP<\/em> felt like reuniting with an old ally. Our other programmer, Dany<\/strong>, took on even more \u2013 stepping into the role of Creative Director while still managing the back-end of our PC and Nintendo Switch builds. I had seen all these men stand beside Fahmi before. Though I perhaps would never fully grasp the depth of their grief, I could feel their determination to complete Fahmi\u2019s final masterpiece, the swan song of his dying breath.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pub-f354ec240bea480db7320bd0e29d972e.r2.dev\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/CUTE-MEET-MEMORIES-02-cf3bee843bb24ceb9088-scaled.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nEven when Afterlove EP<\/em> was just a conversation I had with Fahmi over coffee, Fahmi already knew he wanted Soyatu<\/strong> to lead the art direction. I remember being in awe \u2013 Soyatu\u2019s unmistakable style, in an artful game about death? It would surely be a head-turner. I was relieved when Fahmi also found Pinga<\/strong> to create background arts that perfectly complement Soyatu\u2019s lively characters. Together, their work felt seamless. And when Maxi<\/strong> joined the team, everything clicked into place. Watching Soyatu\u2019s characters come to life \u2013 actually walking, actually talking \u2013 was surreal. It made sense, though. Maxi had worked with Giri before at Thinker Studio, and I never doubted his talent for a second.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pub-f354ec240bea480db7320bd0e29d972e.r2.dev\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Afterlove-setting-d4d05a61610e2b32d945.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nThis all-star team was exactly what Fahmi\u2019s vision needed \u2013 anything less simply wouldn\u2019t have sufficed. His love for Jakarta ran deep. The chaotic sprawl of the streets, the hidden gems tucked away in hole-in-the-wall eateries, the city\u2019s thriving music and art culture \u2013 all of it shaped him, and his hopeless romantic tendencies. That was why he brought L\u2019Alphalpha into the project so early. The shoegaze band has a unique, distinctive sound that is somewhat cinematic, exceptional lyrics written in Bahasa Indonesia that are melancholic without being maudlin, the type of songs that recognized pain but never let it consume you. It was everything Fahmi wanted Afterlove EP<\/em> to express.<\/p>\nIn Afterlove EP<\/em>, you step into the life of Rama, a deadpan young musician grieving the loss of his girlfriend, Cinta, who died from a fatal heart disease. Coping with the weight of her absence is already overwhelming \u2013 sorrow, trauma, and guilt twist together in a relentless storm. But what makes it even harder is that Cinta\u2019s voice never truly leaves him. She lingers in his mind, speaking to him, questioning him, making moving on feel impossible.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pub-f354ec240bea480db7320bd0e29d972e.r2.dev\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/RHYTHM-01-4610dcf4e8ba425d20d7.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nAs Rama stumbles toward a new chapter in his life, he faces choices that shape his future \u2013 including three potential love interests: Mira, Regina, and Satria. Yet, Cinta remains. She watches. She comments on his decisions. She even occasionally disagrees with how he tries to move forward, a presence that refuses to fade into memory. Meanwhile, his band, Sigmund Feud, is barely holding together. His absence during his deepest grief took its toll, and when he finally returns, he somehow manages to make things worse. Anyone who has tried to start a band with friends in a garage will understand \u2013 sometimes it\u2019s tangled in personal drama, other times it\u2019s clashing ambitions. But in every indie band, there\u2019s always that moment when everything feels like it could fall apart.<\/p>\n
As you navigate Rama\u2019s life in the most eventful month of his new life, you\u2019ll be immersed in Soyatu\u2019s signature art style \u2013 not just in character sprites you\u2019re controlling and interacting with, but also in beautifully crafted comics woven throughout the game.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pub-f354ec240bea480db7320bd0e29d972e.r2.dev\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/COMIC-DIALOGUE-d97a1b34a39a77516d49.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nYou\u2019ll also be able to control how well Rama plays with the band in both practice sessions and live performances, as you jam out to L\u2019Alphalpha\u2019s incredible shoegaze post-rock soundtrack.<\/p>\n
Jakarta itself plays a crucial role in Afterlove EP<\/em>, with real-life locations that meant the world to Fahmi and our team. Who knows? Maybe one day, you\u2019ll find yourself wandering these same streets, seeing the city through his eyes, and understanding why he fell in love with it.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pub-f354ec240bea480db7320bd0e29d972e.r2.dev\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/REF-VS-IN-GAME-908bb778ef4ea53ad088.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nThere\u2019s so much more to discover, but I don\u2019t want to spoil the wonder of experiencing Afterlove EP<\/strong><\/a><\/em> for yourself. So, I\u2019ll end here \u2013 with my deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported us on this journey. We\u2019re finally at the finish line, and it\u2019s because of you that we were able to bring Fahmi\u2019s final masterpiece to life. Until later when we meet again, friends.<\/p>\n
Afterlove EP<\/em> is out today on Xbox Series X|S.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
When we, Pikselnesia, first heard the pitch for Afterlove EP<\/a><\/em><\/strong> from one of Indonesia\u2019s greatest narrative minds, Fahmi Hasni, we knew it would be something special. But we never expected everything to unfold the way it did.<\/p>\n I first met Fahmi, funnily enough, through a dating app. After a very brief entangling, it quickly became clear that we were meant to create something far greater than just a fleeting companionship. Even before What Comes After<\/em> took shape, he was already dreaming about what at that time was called Project Heartbreak. Back then, he didn\u2019t even have a story \u2013 just a feeling he wanted to capture. The ache of trying to move on while the voice of lost love still lingers in your head.<\/p>\n Then, just as we were stepping into full production, Fahmi passed away. I remember spending a lot of horrible months in my grief wondering what went wrong \u2013 if anything could have gone differently. Fahmi\u2019s passing was sudden, tragic, and utterly shocking.<\/p>\n When our team and publisher eventually chose me to be the Narrative Lead, I knew exactly what to do. Our protagonist would feel what I felt.<\/p>\n I was going to put him through hell.<\/p>\n As the team hurled itself into continuing production in the dark, I knew each of us struggled to fill the giant hole Fahmi had left. Our producer, Ivor<\/strong>, had known Fahmi since before his days as a gaming journalist. Now, he had to shoulder the impossible \u2013 leading a studio without its heart. He managed Pikselnesia, coordinated with our publisher Fellow Traveler, and kept Fahmi\u2019s family updated. I knew he was skilled \u2013 his years in the AAA mobile game industry proved that \u2013 but guiding a grieving team while mourning a friend must have been gut-wrenching.<\/p>\n Our other co-lead, Damas<\/strong>, was a pillar of the Indonesian gaming industry. His Bandung-based studio \u2013 Rolling Glory Jam \u2013 had been our backbone when we released What Comes After<\/em> years before. Then there was Giri,<\/strong> who I had worked with on What Comes After<\/em>. Seeing him again as Lead Programmer for Afterlove EP<\/em> felt like reuniting with an old ally. Our other programmer, Dany<\/strong>, took on even more \u2013 stepping into the role of Creative Director while still managing the back-end of our PC and Nintendo Switch builds. I had seen all these men stand beside Fahmi before. Though I perhaps would never fully grasp the depth of their grief, I could feel their determination to complete Fahmi\u2019s final masterpiece, the swan song of his dying breath.<\/p>\n Even when Afterlove EP<\/em> was just a conversation I had with Fahmi over coffee, Fahmi already knew he wanted Soyatu<\/strong> to lead the art direction. I remember being in awe \u2013 Soyatu\u2019s unmistakable style, in an artful game about death? It would surely be a head-turner. I was relieved when Fahmi also found Pinga<\/strong> to create background arts that perfectly complement Soyatu\u2019s lively characters. Together, their work felt seamless. And when Maxi<\/strong> joined the team, everything clicked into place. Watching Soyatu\u2019s characters come to life \u2013 actually walking, actually talking \u2013 was surreal. It made sense, though. Maxi had worked with Giri before at Thinker Studio, and I never doubted his talent for a second.<\/p>\n This all-star team was exactly what Fahmi\u2019s vision needed \u2013 anything less simply wouldn\u2019t have sufficed. His love for Jakarta ran deep. The chaotic sprawl of the streets, the hidden gems tucked away in hole-in-the-wall eateries, the city\u2019s thriving music and art culture \u2013 all of it shaped him, and his hopeless romantic tendencies. That was why he brought L\u2019Alphalpha into the project so early. The shoegaze band has a unique, distinctive sound that is somewhat cinematic, exceptional lyrics written in Bahasa Indonesia that are melancholic without being maudlin, the type of songs that recognized pain but never let it consume you. It was everything Fahmi wanted Afterlove EP<\/em> to express.<\/p>\n In Afterlove EP<\/em>, you step into the life of Rama, a deadpan young musician grieving the loss of his girlfriend, Cinta, who died from a fatal heart disease. Coping with the weight of her absence is already overwhelming \u2013 sorrow, trauma, and guilt twist together in a relentless storm. But what makes it even harder is that Cinta\u2019s voice never truly leaves him. She lingers in his mind, speaking to him, questioning him, making moving on feel impossible.<\/p>\n As Rama stumbles toward a new chapter in his life, he faces choices that shape his future \u2013 including three potential love interests: Mira, Regina, and Satria. Yet, Cinta remains. She watches. She comments on his decisions. She even occasionally disagrees with how he tries to move forward, a presence that refuses to fade into memory. Meanwhile, his band, Sigmund Feud, is barely holding together. His absence during his deepest grief took its toll, and when he finally returns, he somehow manages to make things worse. Anyone who has tried to start a band with friends in a garage will understand \u2013 sometimes it\u2019s tangled in personal drama, other times it\u2019s clashing ambitions. But in every indie band, there\u2019s always that moment when everything feels like it could fall apart.<\/p>\n As you navigate Rama\u2019s life in the most eventful month of his new life, you\u2019ll be immersed in Soyatu\u2019s signature art style \u2013 not just in character sprites you\u2019re controlling and interacting with, but also in beautifully crafted comics woven throughout the game.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also be able to control how well Rama plays with the band in both practice sessions and live performances, as you jam out to L\u2019Alphalpha\u2019s incredible shoegaze post-rock soundtrack.<\/p>\n Jakarta itself plays a crucial role in Afterlove EP<\/em>, with real-life locations that meant the world to Fahmi and our team. Who knows? Maybe one day, you\u2019ll find yourself wandering these same streets, seeing the city through his eyes, and understanding why he fell in love with it.<\/p>\n There\u2019s so much more to discover, but I don\u2019t want to spoil the wonder of experiencing Afterlove EP<\/strong><\/a><\/em> for yourself. So, I\u2019ll end here \u2013 with my deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported us on this journey. We\u2019re finally at the finish line, and it\u2019s because of you that we were able to bring Fahmi\u2019s final masterpiece to life. Until later when we meet again, friends.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n