Last Wednesday (November 12th), video game developers, Josh Larson and Ryan Green, launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to raise $85,000 to bring their game, That Dragon, Cancer, to PC, Mac and Steam. The new adventure was originally a OUYA console exclusive and is dedicated to Green’s son, who passed away after a four-year battle against cancer.
According to its campaign’s website, That Dragon, Cancer is designed in the style of a 3d point-and-click adventure game, without the puzzles. The player’s objective is to not only solve problems, but simply to be present in each moment. The audio environment s and simple interactions help create a beautiful, narrative experience. This is free from time constraints and encourages players to take their time. Although the dragon does not appear in the game, his violence is felt everywhere, which makes the gameplay an emotionally trying experience, but one the game’s team told enriches the lives of those who have played it.
Ryan and his wife, Amy Green, wrote, “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 who we choose to honor him and his memory.”
During his recent interview with Forbes magazine, Green noted, “It was always our desire that this was not a game characterized by how it makes you cry, we wanted to embody the bitter with the sweet. So recently, we’ve been working on communicating who Joel was, his mannerism, his behavior and his laughter and the way in which he played.”
Revealing his thoughts about creating the game and if his son’s death had altered his faith, Green explained. “When Joel was alive, we were still hoping for a miracle, but I think the real challenge is to find the beauty when the story doesn’t turn out how you were hoping to write it.”
Those who help to fund the game will receive various rewards, including digital downloads of the soundtracks, digital posters, memorial add-on, early access to the original demo scene, behind the scenes, and patron of the arts award.
Since its debut on Kickstarter, the project’s campaign has raised $49,882 from 1550 backers. It is set to close on December 12th.
Have a crowdfunding offering you'd like to share? Submit an offering for consideration using our Submit a Tip form and we may share it on our site!
