Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One
Genre: Adventure, Music Rhythm, Story-Heavy, Indonesian Culture

If a small-time indie band were to spend a few years toiling and creating a simple adventure game with little to no puzzle-solving and more narrative branch path-choosing and planning (with some tacked-on music rhythm minigames on the side to keep in theme) you’ll get a game like Afterlove EP.

That’s more of a compliment than a knock; an adventure title like Afterlove EP with its personal story and touch, alongside its unique way of representing the culture and country it’s from -modern-time Indonesia in this case- makes the game more unique than anything that’s out in 2025 at this time of writing. Its art style, its choice of lyrics for the songs that carry the game, and its plot all make for quite a trip, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Love Me Tender

Afterlove EP starts off with the death of main character Rama’s girlfriend Cinta. After a year of hiatus from his band Sigmund Feud, he suddenly wants to get back in the game again, unaware that the world has moved on. Coupled with the fact that he still hears his dead girlfriend’s voice in his head constantly, and you can see that Rama’s path to recovering and finding meaning in his life beyond music might be a bit tough. As an observer, it’s your task to shape Rama’s non-linear narrative path to either get through his grief, make amends with his bandmates while getting ready for a big show within a month (while avoiding a major band breakup), and even hook up with someone new to get over his massive hurdle. Oh, and also find therapy in-between his search for part-time work.

As an adventure game with a month-long schedule, you can move Rama around the town he’s in, meet up with people and build relationships while making music, in hopes of reaching the conclusion you want. The game itself is pretty cryptic with its approach and objectives, as there’s no way to know if you’re doing right with someone or not. I do like that the game is keeping it real without any indicator of sorts (ie use a notepad to keep track of your relationships), but modern gaming players may not appreciate that. At the very least, the game’s narrative flow is very natural in keeping up with Rama’s choices, whether he wants to engage in a same-sex relationship, or just stay platonic and stick to himself while getting the help he needs. The game doesn’t reward you taking each piece of the proverbial pie/relationship choices, so you have to commit lest you want a bad or terrible ending.

And while the rhythm minigames are a nice diversion with some nice and breezy Indonesian songs made for fine listening, a couple of tracks from the setlist do feel last-minute as their respective button prompts are not in sync with the music being played. It’s not the main focus of the game, and the eventual last rhythm segments of the game are well-done, but I do have to point out some stinkers in the playlist.

Still, I can’t fault the game too much for its small problems because you’ll be engrossed with the game’s unique art style and representation of modern Indonesia. The cast is charming and are worth your time, be it the poetry-savvy Mira or your snippy pragmatic bassist Tasya, or even the laid-back drummer Adit. You’ll find a couple of characters to latch onto and see their stories through, and even relate to some of them due to how natural and well-written they are. They don’t feel like fake quip-filled characters and do feel real as you get engaged through Rama’s warped viewpoint. In fact, Rama’s voice in his head is given life thanks to the talented Risa Mei who does a great job in giving reasons not to have our main protagonist face reality.

My Girl…

Afterlove EP is a quaint and charming adventure title solely focused on moving on, and does a great job conveying that with its scenario, characters, and music numbers. I just wish there was a better way to chart your progress in-game so I know what conclusion I’m getting, instead of just restarting to a new playthrough and fast-forwarding through the good stuff. Then again, Afterlove EP gets points for replayability if you want to see how the rest of the scenarios pan out. Other than that, score one more point for Indonesia’s gaming scene for another banger of a title.

Final Score: 80/100

Review code provided by publisher.