That Dragon, Cancer
Storytelling Reinvention:
uses real-life biographical media to tell and enhance the story
Game Information
Release Date: January 12th, 2016
Developer: Numinous Games
Publisher: Numinous Games
Rating: Teen
Genre(s): Documentary, Exploratory, Game for Change
Price: $19.99
Website: www.thatdragoncancer.com/
That Dragon, Cancer is a video game created by Ryan and Amy Green, Josh Larson, and a small team called Numinous Games. The game is based on the Greens’ experience of raising their son Joel who was diagnosed with terminal cancer and was given a short time to live. He continued to survive four more years before succumbing to cancer in March of 2014. The game revolves around a point and click adventure game using the medium’s interactivity and immersion to relate the highs and lows of the Greens’ struggle with cancer treatment.
Initially, the game was developed to relate how parents handle a child terminal illness, but with Joel’s death the game was reworked to incorporate and memorialize Joel. Along with the game a documentary was made called Thank you for Playing that portrays the last few years of Joel’s life and development of the game. This game was made using Kickstarter funding in association with Ouya, a publishing and game console. The game was released on Windows and Mac OS X on January 12, 2016 –– the day that would have been Joel’s seventh birthday.
That Dragon, Cancer deals is autobiographical -- incorporating real-life elements, such as home-videos, phone messages, and cards from families of cancer victims -- while having the player embody the difficulties the parents face and the strength that they both have through Joel’s cancer treatment.
Researcher: Eli Campbell
