That Dragon, Cancer

That Dragon, Cancer is an autobiographical account of the Green family and their son, Joel, who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of one. The game drifts from one memory to the next, documenting both the high and low moments in Amy and Ryan's experiences with their son and his beast-like disease. Sprinkled throughout anger, helplessness, and fear is an appreciation for the extra time that the Greens got to spend with Joel and an acknowledgement of the universality of grief. Ultimately, the game ends with a message of faith-based hope that seems to suggest an arrival at acceptance.

The game is very easy to control, and there aren't any opportunities for failure.

• Did playing the game bring back any unpleasant memories? How do you handle grief or feelings of sadness?
• Do you think That Dragon, Cancer qualifies as art? Why/why not?
• What types of metaphors did you notice in the game? Were they effectively conveyed?