That Dragon, Cancer

 PC
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 39
  3. Negative: 1 out of 39
  1. Kill Screen
    Jan 12, 2016
    71
    Numinous Games’ That Dragon, Cancer does not suffer from this problem; the pain feels real, the sadness is authentic. This is not surprising given that the game is undisguised autobiography: Ryan and Amy Green created it as a meditation on their family’s journey as their son Joel was treated for and eventually killed by brain cancer.
  2. Brash Games
    Mar 6, 2016
    70
    From the eyes of a consumer I can say that this is a wonderful re-telling of a family’s bravery and strength. That Dragon, Cancer tries its best to represent such a difficult subject in an approachable manner that’s neither inappropriately light-hearted, nor depressing, and they do a good job with it.
  3. Metro GameCentral
    Jan 11, 2016
    70
    A very brave attempt to use video games to inspire empathy and share grief over one of the most sensitive subjects imaginable.
  5. We Got This Covered
    Jan 11, 2016
    70
    The minimalistic approach and slow pace That Dragon, Cancer takes won't appeal to everyone, but it does contain some fiercely moving moments and a very unique overall experience.
  6. PC Games
    Jan 13, 2016
    62
    There are two sides to That Dragon, Cancer. There is the tragedy of small Joel Green, who was killed by one of the most insidious sicknesses on the planet. I feel for him and his parents. But then there is also the game that was born from this tragedy. And it is simply and quite literally too much of a pain to play.
  7. DarkStation
    Feb 25, 2016
    60
    That Dragon, Cancer tells a beautiful story in the most human way possible and the flaws the game does have can’t take away from that fact.
  8. The Escapist
    Jan 12, 2016
    60
    Like inventing and describing a new color, That Dragon, Cancer tries to describe something indescribable, and does an admirable job of it.
  9. 4P.de
    Jan 22, 2016
    50
    This is a challenging and admirable project. But it isn’t an admirable game. Or good storytelling, since there can be no trace found of development of consistent continuation of thoughts. I applaud Ryan Green's courage to deal with his personal pain in this way, but nonetheless I feel excluded.
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This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
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In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Ars Technica
    Jan 11, 2016
    While it's not new for indie and experimental games take on ambitious, emotional concepts and existential crises, never has one come along that has been so frank, so nakedly autobiographical, and so imbued with its creators' spiritual identities.
  2. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Jan 12, 2016
    That Dragon, Cancer is an important game because it tries, but not because it succeeds.
  3. The A.V. Club
    Jan 11, 2016
    That Dragon, Cancer is smart about presenting that tragedy through a series of stylistically disparate interactions to prevent itself from becoming dull or numbing.

Awards & Rankings

100
#100 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
92
#92 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 104 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 104
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 104
  3. Negative: 30 out of 104
  1. drizzoo
    Jan 13, 2016
    10
    In response to the claim that That Dragon, Cancer is not a game. Who cares if That Dragon, Cancer is a "game"? Seriously? It doesn't have toIn response to the claim that That Dragon, Cancer is not a game. Who cares if That Dragon, Cancer is a "game"? Seriously? It doesn't have to fit the narrow definition of "game." It has to be played, that makes it a VIDEOgame. Pretty simple really--you play it, therefore its a vidoegame. I am pretty tired of this discussion of what is and isn't a game.

    Anyway, I think TDC is a great example of why, as the medium of videogames has evolved in terms of artistic sensibility, its really weird to grade them on old rubrics like difficulty, replayability, and fun factor. Critics keep doing this in their reviews though even though most people have eschewed the categories themselves.

    What you need to know about TDC is that it is incredibly compelling, incredibly heartfelt, and incredibly emotionally challenging in all the right ways. Its not mechanically challenging or even mechanically novel, however, its mechanics poetically illustrate the value of grief, something I have never experienced in a game before. This game wrecked me. It made me feel for the Greens, more than that, it made me determined to love people who grieve. How does one possibly grade that experience on a 10 point scale? You can't really, or at least it feels very weird to experience that and shave off 2 points for a couple glitches and floaty platforming mechanics.

    If your rubric keeps you from experiencing the emotional power of a game because of these types of things, your rubric probably needs to be thrown out. Start from scratch. Experience things as a human being before you experience them as a "gamer."    … Full Review »
  2. kuehnau
    Jan 13, 2016
    2
    That Dragon, Cancer makes an attempt at discussing something as serious as dealing with the horrible, horrible loss of a child; my heart goesThat Dragon, Cancer makes an attempt at discussing something as serious as dealing with the horrible, horrible loss of a child; my heart goes out to the family.

    Unfortunately, That Dragon, Cancer, is about as much of a game as is The Stanley Parable or any other "games" that make an attempt to to make some sort of commentary on life, love or the state of the industry.

    Further, it also doesn't excuse the product from criticism, regardless of the message, no matter how personal or emotional.

    As a digital product, advertised as a "game" (and I use that term loosely), That Dragon, Cancer suffers from a hodgepodge of bugs, glitches and other technical difficulties.

    The reality is, this product does nothing new, it has nothing revolutionary about it. And I simply cannot review a product based solely on the level of emotional attachment some people may develop for this product.    … Full Review »
  3. RaidenDP
    Jan 12, 2016
    1
    Just because this game tackles a subject as serious as the life of a child dying of cancer through the eyes of his parents, that doesn'tJust because this game tackles a subject as serious as the life of a child dying of cancer through the eyes of his parents, that doesn't automatically excuse its numerous failings on both a technical and creative level.… Full Review »
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