The goal of the computer game called “That Dragon, Cancer” is not to win. The goal is to play. It’s essentially the game of life seen through the parents of a five year old boy fighting cancer.
The hero’s armor is laughter and a smile. The villain is far scarier than any monster or outlaw. It’s a dragon that kids can identify with.
“Even after he died, we still liked the idea of Joel fighting the dragon, so that’s where we came up with the name,” said Amy Green, co-creator of the game.Ryan and Amy Green used the mythical creature to describe the disease that eventually killed their son, Joel. Ryan is co-creating the game with Des Moines software developer Josh Larson.
“This is definitely the most rewarding and fulfilling project I’ve ever worked on,” said Larson.
For them, the digital world is appealing because it goes on forever, turning their family videos and precious memories into a playable format with a deep message.
“There were definitely MRIs where we thought, when will we reach the end of this, when will he get better, we’ve been doing cancer for four years. After he died, we said to ourselves we’d do it for twenty years just to have him here with us,” Amy Green told Channel 13 News.
In the game, players experience the things Joel loved like going to the park and feeding the ducks.
“He was a delight. He was just sweet and funny. He loved to laugh,” said Amy Green.
As you advance, you experience cancer through the heart of a parent.
“I just love being able to tell people why Joel mattered and why we loved him,” said Ryan Green.
Many games have gained their popularity through violence. Larson and the Greens hope this game catches on because of the value of love and hope.
“Being able to create a connection through video games may sound really weird, but we really believe in the potential of video game,” said Larson.
The game is scheduled to be released by the end of next year on Ouya, the Windows Marketplace, and Apple App Store.
You can be a part of the game by donating to its Kickstarter site. At certain donation levels, you can send a message Joel finds while playing the game or even have your dog created for Joel to play with.
You can contribute by visiting the link below.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/godatplay/that-dragon-cancer
