Mohammad Fahmi, the Indonesian creator and developer of Coffee Talk and What Comes After, has died aged 32. The news was announced today, March 28, on Fahmi’s Twitter account in a post written in Indonesian by his sister, which IGN Japan has corroborated with Coffee Talk publisher Toge Productions. No cause of death has been announced.
A spokesperson for Toge Productions said, “We're absolutely devastated by the news. We already miss him greatly and we hope that he is resting in peace wherever he may be.”
Fahmi was born January 29, 1990 and was a much-loved developer in the global indie game scene, as much for his beautifully made games as his warm personality. In addition to making his own games, Fahmi worked on programming and game design for various other games, as well as marketing and PR, giving talks at game events as a representative of the Indonesian game scene, and writing short stories on his website.
Members of the games community across the world have been paying tribute to Fahmi since the news broke:
Today we've received the most devastating of news. Our beloved Fahmi, the writer of Coffee Talk and a beloved friend of Toge Productions has passed away. We are absolutely devastated by his early departure.
Thank you, Fahmi.
Rest in Peace.— Toge Productions 🌱 (@togeproductions) March 28, 2022
I cannot believe that Fahmi is gone. He helped me when we were journalists together, we moved into games at a similar time, and he has been a constant source of support and inspiration. I cannot put into words how much I will miss him. The world is a worse place now.
— Iain Garner (@NeonIain) March 28, 2022
Fuck. The passing of Fahmi is a huge loss not only to his beloved family and friends but also to the South East Asian indie games scene. I hope he knew the incredible impact he had on people just from purely being his authentic self. I’m sorry but I don’t know how to process this
— Anisa Sanusi (@studioanisa) March 28, 2022
Inna lillahy wa inna illahi rajiun – to Allah we belong and to Allah we shall return.
Fahmi had a wonderful soul, and his boundless kindness & enthusiasm shall be missed both personally as well as in the medium and the industry at large. https://t.co/dXOc5ZfQJD
— Rami Ismail (رامي) (@tha_rami) March 28, 2022
This is such tragic news. RIP Fahmi. https://t.co/z3AK4VAhna
— 🇺🇦 Chris 🇺🇦 Charla 🇺🇦 (@iocat) March 28, 2022
Coffee Talk was a breakout hit that showcased Fahmi’s talents for writing witty and touching dialogue, along with a strong eye for pixel art design and engaging gameplay mechanics. IGN Japan wrote in its review of Coffee Talk:
“Coffee Talk succeeds in depicting daily life in modern Indonesia, reflected in the diversity of its people. The game has a calming atmosphere that will make you want to play at your leisure with a cup of coffee. The story does not offer much in the way of drama, but the message that its creator conveys by the end is piercing and beautiful.”
At the time of his death, Fahmi was working on his next game, Afterlove EP, which Fahmi’s website describes as “a slice-of-life adventure about love, loss and music.” A sequel to Coffee Talk had also been announced. It's not clear what will become of the two projects.
Fahmi’s untimely death cuts short a promising career, depriving game fans around the world of the unique experiences that were surely to come. The editorial teams at IGN offices across the world offer our condolences to Fahmi’s family, his colleagues at Toge Productions and the fans of his games.
Daniel Robson is the Chief Editor of IGN Japan. Follow him on Twitter right here.
Source: IGN.com Creator of Beloved Visual Novel Coffee Talk Dies, Aged 32