Road to Heaven is a project that explores the potential of motion-control and narrative-driven game design to create an aesthetic experience that expresses the bodily and spiritual dimensions of understanding and practicing Qigong. Traditionally, studies on Qigong have focused either on its medical or psychological benefits, however, my engagement with Qigong—through historical and philosophical reading, storytelling, and movement practice—has revealed it as an embodied affective journey akin to navigating a well-orchestrated narrative game. This study’s overarching question asks: Can motion control and narrative in a game generate an aesthetic experience that conveys the spiritual and physical essence of Qigong practice? To address this question, this research employs a reflexive methodology and research-creation methodology to generate media case studies and iterative game prototyping. Bernard Stiegler’s theoretical framework on “technic” provides a lens to situate Qigong within a contemporary Western context, while the interplay between Western sociological analysis and complex Chinese social and historical contexts informs the Qigong practice. The resulting dynamic — between personal embodiment, cultural heritage, and interactive storytelling — guides the creation of a prototype that transforms Qigong’s “Technic” into an interactive, aesthetic experience. The results plus the analytical knowledge of art and media, inform my narrative and game design. This project ultimately seeks to expand discussions on embodied knowledge, game aesthetics experience, and spiritual practice within digital media, fostering an ongoing reflexive cycle of experiential learning and prototype making.

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