That Dragon, Cancer Review

A game about a family with a young son who has terminal brain cancer. It sounds off-putting and morbid but this living biography invites you to join the family and find hope, faith and love in the face of an insurmountable challenge. It’s a unique collage of poetry, phone calls, diagnosis rooms and home movies full of raw emotion.

In game form, lightness combines with weight and sadness to create a unique perspective on cancer and losing a child. The mature theme and simple click-to-move interface make it an ideal first game. If you get stuck you can simply move to the next scene, which is always unlocked.

You can play the game on your own or with your family if they are mature enough for the topic, by taking turns to play a particular level while the others offer suggestions on how to progress or which parts of the game to investigate next. The emotive material and intimate engagement with this family’s story make it important to take time to discuss the game. After playing, you can engage further in the story with a documentary, Thank You for Playing, about the family behind the game.