Afterlove EP Devs Want To Bring Mohammad Fahmi’s Vision To Life

Ivor: First and foremost, music has always been a fundamental part of Afterlove EP – in particular, its ability to heal, inspire and, in Rama’s case, provide direction and purpose. Before we even started developing the game, we reached out to L’Alphalpha, a local indie band that we were fans of. They ended up writing a whole album that doubles as the soundtrack to the game! It’s called ‘Kelak, Kelam ‘Kan Berpendar’ and is out now on streaming platforms.

As for the blend of gameplay elements, the narrative is what Fahmi and Sasha are both known for and visual novels are a huge inspiration for us and the best format for us to tell Rama & Cinta’s story. We think the rhythm elements are also a great way to immerse the player in a number of key story elements.

Ivor: Players can expect to see some similarities in terms of narrative themes and tone, not to mention the fact that they’re all either set in Indonesia or inspired by Indonesian culture. But a key difference with Afterlove EP is that the game is set in modern-day Jakarta and is about others helping you (Rama), whereas Coffee Talk and A Space For the Unbound are about helping others. Afterlove EP’s art style is also very unique. Our art director is Soyatu, the renowned Indonesian artist well known for his beautiful hand-drawn manga-esque characters.

Ivor: We certainly haven’t set out to make the player miserable, but it’s probably going to be quite an emotional experience for some, especially early on in the game. Rama’s journey is the player’s, and the whole point is that Rama will come to terms with his loss and realize that the good things in his life are there waiting for him.

Ivor: The game’s main narrative path is pretty much solely focused on Rama’s journey, and we start him (and the player) out at the bottom – he’s depressed, directionless and frustrated. But there are numerous other characters in the game with their own things going on. Some of them will also have options that provide a path for you to follow and engage with if you choose.

Ivor: We don’t have any news on this just yet, but please stay tuned for updates in the new year!

Ivor: It’s hard to say at this stage, but since the game is heavily focused on conversations, some of which have branching narratives, we think it’ll probably be somewhere between 10-15 hours for everything.

Ivor: For the time being, we’re 100% focused on completing Afterlove EP, so at the moment, we work best in the visual novel/inspired-by-visual novel space. But we’re definitely open to other genres in the future.

Ivor: Fahmi’s loss left us with huge shoes to fill, and keeping the game true to his vision has been our top priority. It was THE question we needed to answer before even considering continuing development, but we know in our hearts that he would have wanted us to continue.

Fortunately, we had all been working very closely with Fahmi on the game in one way or another before he passed away, and he was very clear about what needed to be done. He had finished the full outline for Afterlove EP and had already brought Sahsa Ariana in to work on the narrative. Since Sasha had previously worked with Fahmi on What Comes After and was heavily involved in the narrative design for A Space For the Unbound, she was naturally a good fit to take on the lead narrative position. Fahmi had also already begun discussions with Sweet Baby Inc., with whom he also had a close relationship, and [they] were already familiar with his plans for the game’s narrative.

Ivor: We want to thank the fans for their patience! >.< We’re working very hard to bring Fahmi’s vision to life and to create a gameplay experience that will move and resonate with players. Of course, the fact that we need so many people working to deliver his vision speaks volumes about his talent, but we think it’ll be worth the wait and that Fahmi would be very proud of the end result! Don’t forget to wishlist the game if you haven’t already!