Known by his handle Saphire, Gosch was the VP and founding member of the Game Development Graz association and an "integral part" to the Austrian game industry.
Austrian game developer Philipp Gosch and his wife Michaela (née Tritthart) passed away during last week's floods in Thessaly, Greece. Authorities recently identified their bodies after they were previously confirmed 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 as Rootsy Tootsy Platformer from this past February, and the full list can be found here.
Outside of game development, Gosch was said to be an avid skater with Michaela, and the pair took part in the Euro Freestyle Championship this past August. A (translated) website from the local skating community dedicated 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!"
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