I haven’t backed many projects on Kickstarter, but That Dragon, Cancer by Ryan and Amy Green is one of those projects I can’t see passing up.
We created That Dragon, Cancer to tell the story of our son Joel and his 4-year fight against cancer. Our desire is to craft an adventure game that is poetic, playful, full of imagination and of hope. This is how we choose to honor him and his memory.
– Ryan and Amy Green
That Dragon, Cancer is a heart-breaking game for any father to make. Ryan Green calls it a “love-letter to his son” with a goal of encouraging the people who play it to love one another.
God at Play‘s Josh Larson worked with the parents to create this game, which is fitting. Josh hosted the Meaningful Game Play Game Jam back in 2011, which had the purpose of developing prototypes to explore deeper experiences in games.
Ryan Green participated remotely and submitted Giga Wife, which explored the idea of being a good husband. I remember him reading the introduction and talking about how much he loves his wife, and you can tell he has a big heart. The game was humorous at times, but also deals with the very real complications that a relationship can have.
I know Josh personally, and he is a very deliberate and conscious person. He’s a game developer I admire because he is always pursuing impactful experiences. And now Josh and Ryan are working together on a game that is very meaningful to not only the Greens but anyone who has had to fight the battle against cancer.
Please consider backing the project. I backed That Dragon, Cancer on Kickstarter because I want to support their efforts and see them succeed.
I also support the idea that a game can be the chosen medium for something such as this tribute to a beloved child. A game with an agenda of love is something I want to say I helped make available.
As of this writing, they are 57% funded after an initial burst of media coverage, but most Kickstarter projects hit a slump soon after. I would hate for this project to miss its goal. Pledging even just a small amount helps.