Signal Space Lab’s Human Within stands out as one of the most distinctive VR games of 2025, seamlessly merging immersive storytelling techniques. The game artfully navigates the space between a virtual reality experience and interactive narrative, shifting from live-action sequences reminiscent of choose-your-own-adventure tales to engaging VR puzzle mechanics.
The story in Human Within delves into philosophical and ethical dilemmas about humanity’s interaction with technology. At the center is an innovative technology that allows people to upload their consciousness into a digital domain. This leap brings both opportunities and challenges, and the game explores these with intensity. Players enter this world as Linh’s digital consciousness, setting the stage for a compelling narrative that offers unique insights through VR.
Game Rant engaged creative director Avi Winkler and director Anne Weigel in a conversation about the game’s origins, the significance of player choices, and the inventive techniques driving the experience. The discussion has been condensed for clarity.
The Research and Technology Behind Human Within
Q: Could you tell us about the early development of Human Within? What sparked the initial idea?
Winkler: We aimed to tell a compelling story about technology using technology as a tool. We envisioned an experience where players actively partake in the narrative. VR uniquely offers an immersive experience beyond what traditional gaming can achieve.
Our inspiration came heavily from films like Lawnmower Man and Transcendence, which focus on technology’s ethical implications. As technology continues to advance rapidly, these themes seemed particularly resonant in today’s world.
Weigel: From a filmmaking standpoint, comprehending the fictional technology in Human Within was crucial, so we delved into current brain-computer interface research. This informed the story’s setting, allowing a plausible portrayal of technology while leaving some room for creative license. Linh’s digital existence offered a perfect lens for examining innovation’s limits.
Q: Did your research into technology shape Human Within’s perspective or influence your optimism or pessimism?
Weigel: My outlook remains optimistic, partly from my own research experience. Our exploration gave valuable insights into technology’s possibilities. It enriched our understanding, enabling us to convey this understanding to the actors so they could interact seamlessly within our fictional world.
Q: Building a VR experience with various formats like live action and digital spaces sounds challenging. What were the primary hurdles in developing this multi-perspective VR game?
Winkler: My background in video game design equipped me to manage the narrative and choice mechanics, but I had never tackled live-action filming. Anne’s expertise was invaluable in bringing a new dimension to my understanding.
Developing a comprehensive narrative that keeps users invested posed its own challenges. Typically, VR experiences are brief, lasting only five to twenty minutes. We set out to create a quality production that blends long-form cinematic elements with the internet’s digital landscapes.
VR’s unique blend of formats required us to carefully balance scene durations to maintain user engagement without causing disorientation. Long seamless takes in our interactive internet spaces demanded top-notch performances from our actors, reminiscent more of stage productions.
Q: Filming in 360 degrees must have posed its own challenges. How did you tackle this aspect?
Weigel: Directing within a spherical space required meticulous planning, as there’s no room to hide anything. Every detail counts, allowing us to explore storytelling from a fresh vantage point. This challenge, though daunting, was exhilarating. Pioneering VR storytelling necessitated a new approach to every aspect of scene composition.
Winkler: We viewed it like a stage production where the audience is on stage rather than seated in an auditorium, surrounding players in a fully immersive experience unlike traditional film and theater.
Q: How did you approach Human Within’s branching narrative structure?
Winkler: My experience with non-linear narratives, like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, informed this project’s design. The branching dialogue and story arcs required innovative solutions to navigate seamlessly in a live-action context, unlike digital avatars where transitions can be managed smoothly. We developed a system allowing us to switch camera positions effectively without disorienting players.
Q: Describe how interactive elements like point cloud and puzzle segments were designed to engage players while remaining accessible?
Winkler: Players are immersed in the narrative, participating as a digital consciousness from Linh’s perspective. Interaction occurs in the 360 scenes and through puzzles, with point cloud sequences offering unique engagement. Our focus was to balance interactivity to enrich the experience while accommodating more casual players.
Q: What technical innovations underpinned Human Within’s development?
Winkler: Vrex, a proprietary software we developed, was vital. Initially crafted for the Afterlife project, it was refined for Human Within. Vrex offers seamless interactivity with minimal data constraints, crucial for delivering high-quality long-form VR content without extensive device resources. This software is pivotal for future high data-content projects in VR.
Q: How does Human Within blur the lines between interactive fiction and gaming?
Winkler & Weigel: Interactive fiction in VR allows for a more immersive engagement with the story, going beyond passive observation. Human Within’s primary focus was to use the narrative to explore player impact, fitting naturally into the story without concern for labeling it strictly as interactive fiction or gaming.
How Human Within Makes Player Choices Meaningful
Q: How does Human Within ensure that player choices are significant?
Winkler: Every player’s choice is impactful. While the narrative isn’t extensive, choices are deliberately significant, directly influencing the story and outcome. This approach emphasizes meaningful decision-making, ultimately guiding the course of the narrative and its conclusion.
Weigel: Player decisions shape not only the outcome but redefine the entire backstory. The choices provide varying perspectives on character motivations, significantly affecting the story’s progression and perception.
Q: Human Within has multiple endings. How did you ensure each feels distinct yet satisfying?
Winkler: Ensuring distinct endings was crucial. While initial plans included more possible outcomes, we refined them to maintain impact, making production feasible. There is no solitary "true" ending; each one reflects player choices, offering unique conclusions and insights.
Q: How do the ethical and technological themes resonate with players in Human Within?
Weigel & Winkler: The narrative invites reflection on personal choices and technological implications without prescribing answers. The game prompts introspection, allowing players to engage with dilemmas through Linh’s experiences and consider broader technological impacts.
Ultimately, Human Within challenges players to explore ethical gray areas, making it not just an engaging game but a platform for deeper contemplation on technological advancements and their potential repercussions.
