Creator of Coffee Talk Passed Away at 32
By Sarah Bergin
Mohammad Fahmi, an Indonesian developer, has passed away at 32 years old.
Fahmi was the creator for Coffee Talk and What Comes After. He was a trailblazer in Southeast Asia as a successful indie game developer. He also worked on game design, programming, PR, and marketing for games such as The Oregon Trail: American Settler and Ultra Space Battle Brawl.
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.
— Toge Productions ? (@togeproductions) March 28, 2022
Thank you, Fahmi.
Rest in Peace.
Many have shared their condolences regarding his loss. Fellow Traveler, a game publisher, wrote, "Fahmi was a unique and inspiring voice and we feel blessed to have known him. We are devastated by this loss and will miss him dearly."
"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," stated fellow game developer Anisa Sanusi.
Most of Fahmi's fanbase originated from Coffee Talk, coined as a "talking simulator" based on listening to and understanding other people. During the creation of this game, he drew from Western perspectives on communication and culture. When speaking on The Boss Rush Podcast, Fahmi stated, "One thing that is great about making games set in a single, closed space is that you can pretend that it's anywhere on earth."
He proceeded to speak about how his team drew most of their inspiration for Coffee Talk from movies and television shows about and set in the United States. Even though he didn't go there to study Western culture, he was able to elaborate on those experiences to create a game of his own.
Fahmi's worldly concepts and driven narratives have allowed players around the world to experience his games in a unique manner. While not everyone may be from the area from which it was derived, the empathy and conversation shown in Coffee Talk were a reflection of Fahmi's characteristics and understanding.
Afterlove EP, which was being designed, written, and directed by Fahmi, is currently in the works. There has been no statement at this time for any plans regarding its future development.
Coffee Talk can be accessed on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, or Xbox.