February 14, 2025
Pikselnesia

Afterlove EP

Afterlove's difficult development shines through in minor glitches but that can't take away from its uncompromising, uncomfortable, and cathartic look at friendship and grief.

83%Game Brain Score

story, music

gameplay, replayability

90% User Score Based on 133 reviews

Critic Score 72%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

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About

Afterlove EP is a single player casual simulation game with a romance theme. It was developed by Pikselnesia and was released on February 14, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

Afterlove EP follows Rama, a grieving musician in Jakarta struggling to move on after his girlfriend's death while hearing her voice in his head. Blending visual novel, narrative adventure, and rhythm gameplay, players guide Rama through 28 days of choices that impact his music, relationships, and healing journey. His band’s future depends on his ability to embrace life and create new songs.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 133 reviews

story34 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features a beautifully hand-drawn art style and an excellent soundtrack that enhances the emotional experience.
The story effectively explores themes of love, loss, and personal growth, resonating deeply with players who have experienced grief.
The characters are well-developed and relatable, with multiple branching paths and endings that encourage replayability.

The rhythm game mechanics are often criticized for being poorly timed and not well integrated into the overall gameplay experience.
Some players found the pacing of the story to be slow, with certain dialogues and cutscenes feeling unnecessarily lengthy.
Cinta, the protagonist's deceased girlfriend, is perceived as an annoying presence by some players, detracting from the emotional impact of the narrative.

story
112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
66%
4%
The story of *Afterlove EP* is a heartfelt exploration of grief, love, and personal growth, resonating deeply with players through its complex characters and emotional themes. While the narrative effectively captures the struggles of moving on and the intricacies of relationships, some players found pacing issues and character development inconsistencies, particularly with the protagonist and his late girlfriend. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging storytelling, beautiful art, and exceptional soundtrack, making it a memorable experience despite some narrative flaws.
- “I highly recommend this game to anyone who likes story games that explore the concepts of love, loss, growth, and grief.”
- “A remarkable story with a very deep dive into personality, a ton of endings, and exploration of issues relatable to many modern people.”
- “The story doesn't shy away from difficult topics of love and loss.”
- “Two of the story arcs I experienced in my playthrough were so bad (e.g., in one story they have a major fight over something, and the next time you meet them, they suddenly forgive each other and just move on???).”
- “The story was just okay; it wasn't all that captivating in my opinion.”
- “Cinta isn't really given her own personality, though -- she only exists to move Rama forward in his life and his story.”
music
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
53%
4%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many players praising its emotional depth and the quality of the soundtrack, primarily composed by the indie rock band l'alphalpha. While the rhythm game mechanics have been critiqued for their simplicity and occasional mismatches with the songs, the overall musical experience is described as immersive and integral to the storytelling. Players appreciate the combination of beautiful art and music, which enhances the game's charm and emotional impact.
- “The music is bold and noticeable and the art is unique, adding a lot of charm to the story.”
- “The music and art carry the experience forward incredibly well.”
- “The soundtrack is to die for!!”
- “The gameplay is also so-so... the main things you do is like a persona social link which I have talked about previously, although all of the main people that you can interact with are love interests unlike persona social links... the rhythm game is not good... some of the beatmaps/songmaps just don't match with the actual song at all.”
- “As it is, the songs aren't challenging enough to be interesting, but they also don't give you enough time to read the lyrics translations at the bottom of the screen.”
- “I like the ones when the band plays together since it has more sounds, but the song sounds so empty most of the time, with hardly anything that follows.”
emotional
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartfelt storytelling, beautiful music, and touching themes of love, loss, and personal growth. Many players found the experience to be both profound and moving, with some even expressing that it evoked strong emotional reactions, including tears. However, a few reviewers noted moments of disconnection or character issues that detracted from the overall emotional impact, suggesting that while the game resonates deeply with many, it may not connect with everyone equally.
- “It’s equal parts storytelling, music, and introspection—quiet, emotional, and personal.”
- “A heartfelt exploration of love, loss, and moving on (even when it's heavy).”
- “You can feel the emotion and love the developers poured into this game after the passing of Fahmi, and it makes this one of the most profound emotional experiences I have had with a game.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
22%
14%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming, hand-drawn, manga-inspired art style, which creates a warm and inviting atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the unique color palette and well-executed visuals that complement the engaging story and excellent soundtrack, making for a memorable and immersive experience. Overall, the combination of cute artwork and captivating music significantly enhances the game's appeal.
- “✔️ Well-drawn visuals – the hand-drawn, manga-inspired art by Soyatu was very well done and had a very unique and signature vibe that had a well thought out style and color palette.”
- “A beautiful game with a charming art style and a story that hits you right in the feels.”
- “The art style, the music, the character development, everything is done so well.”
- “The combination of art style, environments, BGM, and songs just work well together in my opinion.”
- “There is a distinctive art style that sets it apart.”
gameplay
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
72%
14%
The gameplay is generally described as simple and not heavily focused, with a mix of dating sim and life simulation elements that some players found enjoyable and immersive. However, the rhythm game mechanics received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the beatmaps for not aligning well with the music and feeling clunky, which detracted from the overall experience. While the narrative and music were praised, the gameplay mechanics were seen as a barrier to fully engaging with the story.
- “In terms of gameplay, the lite dating sim meets life simulation was enjoyable and immersive.”
- “The gameplay is simple but very enjoyable.”
- “As for the rhythm game aspects, I’m pretty biased because I’m a huge rhythm game addict, but even for those new to this style of gameplay, I found it to be really intuitive, accessible, and fun.”
- “The gameplay is also so-so... the main things you do are like a Persona social link, although all of the main people that you can interact with are love interests unlike Persona social links. The rhythm game is not good; some of the beatmaps/songmaps just don't match with the actual song at all.”
- “And don't get me started on the rhythm mechanics; they're the worst.”
- “Summary: Afterlove EP has a compelling story with an intriguing and complex set of characters, but its narrative experience is marred by somewhat clunky gameplay mechanics.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The game offers significant replayability due to its multiple routes and diverse stories, encouraging players to explore different paths and uncover various achievements. Even after extensive playtime, there are still elements to discover, enhancing the overall depth and longevity of the experience.
- “The replayability due to the various routes one can take gives the game additional depth.”
- “Another pro for this game is its replayability. There are some missable things in this game, and even after sinking 8 hours into it, I still have a few achievements I can go back for, plus the character paths that I didn't fully see yet.”
- “Replayability is abundant, and since there are a lot of stories to tell, you'll eventually find one that you can enjoy.”
- “There is a lot of replayability, though.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is praised for its compelling storytelling and well-designed characters, with users highlighting the engaging personality of characters like Satria. The integration of mini-games enhances the pacing, contributing to a well-rounded experience that complements the overall art and music.
- “The art style, the music, and the character development are all done so well.”
- “Extremely cute character designs and portraits, very compelling story, and the mini-game is well-placed to match the pacing.”
- “I personally started with Satria's route, as I really enjoyed his character design and personality, and I loved every part of this route.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game does not feature any grindy achievements, suggesting a more streamlined experience that avoids excessive repetitive tasks.
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding for resources, and it just wasn't rewarding.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes the game feel more like a chore than fun.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its art style and music, creating an engaging experience. However, some users feel that certain elements, like sound design, could be improved to enhance the overall ambiance.
- “Just finished the game—love the art style, love the music, love the atmosphere.”