Afterlove EP

GameLusterSara Thomas

10/10

With a strong storyline and fun gameplay, AfterLove EP beautifully and masterfully handles the deep topic of grief.

ShackNewsLexi Luddy

9/10

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.

SiliconeraJenni Lada

8/10

From the creator of Coffee Talk and What Comes After, comes a slice-of-life adventure set in modern Jakarta about love, loss and finding your own way forward. Step into the shoes of Rama, a young musician struggling to move on with life after the death of his girlfriend, Cinta. Switch version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes.

Checkpoint GamingAnna Monti

8/10

Amid February’s swath of releases, Afterlove EP humbly strikes a chord with its heartfelt narrative about love, loss and overcoming the universal struggle with grief. Developed by Indonesian indie studio Pikselnesia, the game carries an added weight as its founder, Mohammad Fahmi, unfortunately passed away in 2022 before its completion. Since his passing, the team has diligently worked to honour his creative vision for Afterlove EP. After playing it, I can truly say that it’s such a wonde...

WellPlayedKieron Verbrugge

7.5/10

Afterlove EP pulls from a deep emotional well to weave threads of grief, love, hope, resentment, forgiveness, identity and more through a mostly-good mix of choice-driven visual novel and rhythm game. It has some issues with flow, and the rhythm stuff isn't amazing, but stick with it and you'll fall in love with this little slice of Jakarta.

Steam Deck HQOliver Stogden

7/10

Afterlove EP is a decent visual novel with some dating sim elements, but pacing issues keep it from being great. It runs perfectly on Steam Deck.

Game RantNick Rodriguez

7/10

Afterlove EP lacks meaningful gameplay, and its bugs can range from inconvenient to apocalyptic, so it says a lot that it's still worth recommending it to anyone who likes smaller, story-driven games. Make no mistake, the aforementioned issues do drag down the overall experience, but at the end of the day, Afterlove EP is more than the sum of its parts. Its music, charming characters, nuanced portrayal of grief, and beautiful manga-inspired art design are all worth the price of admission. If developer Pikselnesia can hammer out its more troubling bugs, then Afterlove EP has a chance to become ...

But Why ThoArron Kluz

7/10

Despite these issues, the power of Afterlove EP‘s story manages to shine through. It is an incredibly touching slice-of-life story that explores the forms and layers of grief with the variety and depth perfect for a video game.

Push SquareGraham Banas

7/10

Considering the real-life tragedy surrounding the development of Afterlove EP, it would have been easy to forgive developer Pikselnesia for not moving forward with work on the title. To its credit, it's powered forward and delivered a poignant, prescient experience worth your time.

TheGamerTessa Kaur

A muddled, but complex exploration of grief and loss.

TheSixthAxisAran Suddi

5/10

There is only one thing truly certain about life, and that is death. One day we will pass on from this world, and we cannot know the day it will come for us. Accompanying death is grief – grief from the ones who love us and care about us. Grief does shatter you, remoulding you, and changing you. Sometimes that change is small and other times it is so significant, those around you do not recognise the person you have become. Afterlove EP is a game that explores grief following the death of a loved one, and how it can grip you.

Rock Paper ShotgunEdwin Evans-Thirlwell

Unscored

A well-wrought but draining and frustrating study of grief, recovery and rock music at the heart of Jakarta.