Austrian game developer Philipp Gosch and his wife Michaela (néeTritthart) passed away during last week’s floods in Thessaly, Greece. Authorities recently identified their bodies after they were previouslyconfirmed missing on September 7.
Known by his online profile Saphire, Gosch was a lead software developer and technical artist in Graz, Austria. He was also a founding member (and vice president of) the Game Development Graz (GDG) association. On its website, GDG called him “an integral part of the Austrian and international game development scene.”
“Phil was known for his contagious enthusiasm, multifaceted talents, extraordinarily kind heart, and his always fun attitude,”wrote GDG. “[He was]a driving force behind bringing the community together, spreading knowledge, and organizing events like our local game jams and the Game Dev Days.”
Gosch created a number of games during local game jams. Several of them are playable, such asRootsy Tootsy Platformerfrom this past February, and the full list can be foundhere.
Outside of game development, Gosch was said to be an avid skater with Michaela, and the pair took part in theEuro Freestyle Championship this past August. A (translated) website from the localskating communitydedicated to their memory called the activity”the first connection between the two.”
“Michaela traveled all over the world as a freestyle skater and conjured up maneuvers on the asphalt that were difficult for ‘normal’ skaters to grasp. An enthusiasm that Phil began to share more and more. […]Michaela and Phil, we miss you, Ride in Peace!”