Steam free download is the best narrative I've played this year

We all know what it is like to lose someone we love and most of us have had to learn to mould our lives around the ever-present invader known as grief. We have had to get used to how it pushes its way into our lives, taking root and growing alongside us. Most importantly, we have had to learn that life still goes on and that is what Afterlove EP is about.

Developed by Pikselnesia and the last project from narrative designer, writer and developer Mohammad Fahmi who passed away in 2022, Afterlove EP is a slice-of-life adventure set in modern Jakarta. With themes exploring love, loss and how to find your way forward in the darkest of times, this hand-drawn tale is guaranteed to stay with you for a long time.

Pikselnesia

Although Afterlove EP is not set for release until Q3 of 2024, a free 1-hour demo is now available for players over on Steam. With the game taking place over 28 days and nights, the demo will give you access to the first few days as players follow Rama, a young musician who is struggling after the death of his girlfriend, Cintra.

The slice-of-life title features elements of a visual novel and narrative adventure alongside being a side-scroller and even a rhythm game as you experience an incredible soundtrack from Indonesian indie band L’Alphalpha.

Overall, Afterlove EP is a love letter to Indonesdia where many of the developers have lived throughout their lives. Although I have yet to visit, I feel as though the game captures it perfectly. As you walk through the streets as Rama, visiting bars, libraries and record stores, you pass all manner of people, propped-up food carts and bustling motorbikes.

Pikselnesia

For a game centred around a tragic loss, Afterlove EP feels full of life - whether that is through the game’s setting or the characters you meet along the way. From Rama’s old friends, to the record store clerk and new friend, Mira, each character brings a breath of life into the game as well as each having distinguishable personalities.

As mentioned, the game takes place over the course of a month and during this time, Rama must get his life back on track before his band, cleverly named Sigmund Feud, must perform an important gig. After disappearing from his friends and life altogether after the death of his girlfriend, we join him as he ingrains himself back into society despite still hearing Cintra’s voice in his head.

However, with Cintra’s voice acting as somewhat of a devil on his shoulder, Rama must learn to let go whether that means attending therapy sessions or reconnecting with his old friends. With the realisation that life goes on, Rama discovers that his friend’s lives didn’t stop when his did and the pressure to catch up with them adds another layer of stress to his life.

Pikselnesia

Although I only got to experience Afterlove EP for 1-hour, it has still managed to resonate deeply with me as somebody who has often abandoned reality in order to exist only within my grief and anguish.

It is clear that Pikselnesia put its heart and soul into this slice-of-life narrative adventure and I can’t wait to play its full release later on this year.