One family dealt with the grief of having their young son battle, and then lose, to a rare form of brain cancer in a way that they hope will allow many others to understand their pain and also the love they felt for 5-year-old Joel. That Dragon, Cancer is a game but it's also a documentary that follows their life dealing with cancer.
Joel Green was diagnosed with a terminal form of brain cancer when he was only 12 months old. His parents were told he would not survive for long. Joel's father, Ryan, a programmer, began the project while Joel was ill and according to reports, they did not know they would keep going even after their son had died.
The result is a heart-wrenching tale that lets players take a look into the Greens' life that even the most stoic of gamers have said they had to stop playing at times and wished they could press the reset button.
More developers have been trying to tackle more serious issues via video games. The game Hellblade by Ninja Theory, for example, is a game which explores mental health issues in a fantasy setting.
That Dragon, Cancer sets itself apart by being an honest, brave and vulnerable account of the actual struggles and emotional anguish that the Greens went through, and players relive those moments via the game.
There are a few spoilers below but if you want to go into the game knowing a bit of the emotional rollercoaster to expect, read on.
The game itself is 2 hours long and makes use of imagery and novel tools to represent the emotions the family went through as well as Joel's fight with cancer. One early scene shows the family in the doctor's office receiving the devastating news, and then the player is presented with a toy that can point to the faces of everyone present in the room.
When each face is selected, the internal dialogue of each person is played for the player to hear. The unspoken thoughts and fears that go through a person's mind are something that many who have themselves battled cancer or had loved ones stricken by the disease are familiar with.
Another scene shows Joel, no more than a toddler, trying to fly upward on balloons. However they are constantly popped by thorns on dark blobs representing his cancer.
Those who have tried to play the game admit that even with the simple graphics, the game is a tough one to get through. One writer revealed that certain parts had him cradling his head in his hands, rocking back and forth to comfort himself. But the Greens say they want the game to be more about hope rather than sadness.
"Joel didn't have the chance to make an impact. We can show the world how important Joel was to us. Loving him and losing him was the richest part of our life so far," said Ryan.
Without giving too much away, the end of the game allows the player to experience the joy of being part of Joel's life with his favorite things: balloons and pancakes.
That Dragon, Cancer is available to download on Steam beginning Jan. 12. The family requests everyone to join them in celebrating the game's release with a worldwide Pancake Party with their own loved ones.
