Disciple
Aparna Krishnan Reshmy
What happens after your final breath, in that space between endings and new beginnings?
Disciple is an immersive and interpretive experience that follows a soul navigating the afterlife, suspended in the space between death and rebirth. Inspired by the cyclical nature of Samsara—a Buddhist philosophy that describes the path toward rebirth—this journey through vast, dimensionless spaces reflects pivotal links in the chain of dependent origination: Ignorance (Avidyā), Consciousness (Viññāṇa), and Becoming (Bhava). The player is guided by a sphere of “enlightenment” as they move through the links of Samsara, gradually developing self-understanding and awareness in response to the themes embodied within each space.
Each space is designed as a visual interpretation of the theme it embodies, incorporating mythical creatures and surreal realities. The gamified experience encourages players to explore creatively, choosing their own paths through a series of non-linearly interconnected environments—some more challenging to navigate than others. Built as a first-person game simulation, the project lets players move fluidly through sculpted worlds modeled with physics, simulated blueprints, and advanced VFX techniques that replicate real-world phenomena and objects.