What Comes After

What Comes After is a short and touching side-scrolling visual novel which succeeds in sending an impactful message through only a few words. It’s a reminder that the lives of each and every one of us matters, be that of a human, of an animal or of a plant. It gives a soft nudge towards understanding that we can make life better by being kind, compassionate and considerate towards each other, and that changing the world starts by changing yourself, by bettering yourself.

You play as Vivi – a girl that ends up by mistake on a train heading towards the afterlife, despite her not being dead. During her trip, Vivi encounters the ghosts of various human beings, animals and plants that she talks with in order to pass the time, listening to their sometimes happy, other times saddening stories. Each of these confessions contains a nugget of wisdom – an inspirational quote, a reminder of the things we should live our lives by but which we often forget. These contrast heavily with the conversations she can eavesdrop on from the same train before she gets teleported into the afterlife dimension, which focus mainly on daily nuisances like shopping lists, what movies to watch, what music to listen to, dialogues between friends or arguments between lovers. The stories of the ghosts are profound, heartening and contemplative of past lives, making you self-reflect about your own existence and what kind of regrets you will have after you’re gone.

Some of these life lessons might / will hit you hard in the feels, and maybe even give you a push towards appreciating the life you have now, be that good or bad, and the people around you – before it’s too late. What Comes After is not a game, it’s a piece of art. It’s a poem we should learn by heart and daily recite.