What Comes After plunks you down on a train to the afterlife (although you’re alive and not supposed to be there). May as well talk to folks on the ride.
Death and its proximity seem like they give a person a certain clarity of vision about their lives, although it may not last (mine always seems to get forgotten in the doldrums and busyness of regular life). Well, for Vivi, someone who’s used to being kind of hard on themselves, that comes in the form of hopping aboard a train of the dead by accident. Seeing as she’s trapped for the duration of the ride until they can take her back, she finds herself chatting with the ghosts inside, learning about their lives.
These spirits have a lot to say about their lives and problems now that their existence is behind them, offering insights into their existence that can be heartwarming, but also terribly sad. There’s a mingling of happiness, love, missed opportunities, and regret that comes from this reminiscing, and it starts to have an effect on Vivi as she listens to their stories. Over time, maybe it will give her pause when she starts to downplay her importance in people’s lives, and perhaps help her feel that maybe she is a worthwhile person after all. At the very least, she will have a great ghost story to tell people from here on out.
Sad, sweet, and uplifting, What Comes After is another lovely narrative work from one of the folks behind Coffee Talk, something well worth your time in how it gives you something to think about in your own outlook on life.
What Comes After is available now on itch.io and Steam.
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