That Dragon, Cancer

 PC
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

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  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 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    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 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."    … Expand
  2. Aiden_Pearce
    Feb 15, 2016
    4
    Sorry, for the loss, Ryan & Amy.

    The end of the ''game'' it reads "thank you for playing'', but there is zero gameplay, nor is this a game. i really don't see how 14.99 justifies what i just went through. Also, imo, the controls are wonky as heck. i feel like the button mapping could have been made easier. I think i spent about an hour and a half on this, and there were a few times i    Sorry, for the loss, Ryan & Amy.

    The end of the ''game'' it reads "thank you for playing'', but there is zero gameplay, nor is this a game. i really don't see how 14.99 justifies what i just went through. Also, imo, the controls are wonky as heck. i feel like the button mapping could have been made easier. I think i spent about an hour and a half on this, and there were a few times i was kind of stuck, once underwater trying to (incorrectly) swim up, another time in a hospital room with Joel crying on a loop, and a 3rd time infront of candles in the church where i found myself playing repeater a few times before progressing.

    kudos, for the artistic approach, i thought that was a nice touch.

    i'm not going to really touch too much on belief, bc i don't feel like that should warrant a positive/negative review just bc someone might share a different belief; mine, may be similar, who knows.. But, i kind of wish it was less about ''us'' knowing what exists and that Joel is alright now, and more about how Joel positively left a good imprint on others whilst he was here. it's not my story. it was heartfelt.

    basically, bc of what i thought were weak controls. and, the fact that it's simply not a game. i don't feel it warrants a 15 USD price tag.

    i dislike giving this a negative review. rip, Joel, and to the family, all the best.    … Expand
  3. Gamed
    Jun 4, 2016
    0
    Okay so I like the new trend of pushing the boundaries of video games. So I saw this game get really high ratings and the art style intrigued me. I was verrrry disappointed. I guess people rate it highly because it's about a kid with cancer. I had to MAKE myself finish it to see if it maybe/ hopefully got better, it didn't.

    The voice acting was imo the most unbearable part (I'm    Okay so I like the new trend of pushing the boundaries of video games. So I saw this game get really high ratings and the art style intrigued me. I was verrrry disappointed. I guess people rate it highly because it's about a kid with cancer. I had to MAKE myself finish it to see if it maybe/ hopefully got better, it didn't.

    The voice acting was imo the most unbearable part (I'm assuming they are the actual parents). I couldn't help but feel like the whole game wasn't even about the kid, it's just the parents moping and trying to say "deep" things to show how much of a struggle they've had having a kid with cancer. Literally, the whole game is some kind of vanity project to tell the world how hard it is/was for them and how amazingly they fought through it.

    Overall, the idea of a game about childhood cancer is great and has lots of potential, but more metaphorically. Actually listening to the parents complain about their babies crying is wayyyy too literal and an absolutely annoying experience for the player. No one wants to hear these people complain forever but instead they could have focused on broader ideas like loss and staring death in the face. The game shouldn't be about them it should be about the whole issue and presenting it in a way that the player will be able to relate. But the creators literally made the whole game about them and their kids even going so far as to use their appearances, voices, and names. They also pretty much tell you in the game that they are game developers. No one cares they are game developers. It's a game about cancer, or is it?    … Expand
  4. DJAftershock
    Jan 19, 2016
    4
    Oh, dear, I gave a game that's about CANCER a 4/10. Colour me an evil monster.

    I really wish I could give this game a big score, but this just isn't an experience worth going through. If this story was made into some sort of hour-long documentary, I would've watched and loved it. The reason this game gets a 4 and not lower is that I really did feel for the characters of the story (and    Oh, dear, I gave a game that's about CANCER a 4/10. Colour me an evil monster.

    I really wish I could give this game a big score, but this just isn't an experience worth going through. If this story was made into some sort of hour-long documentary, I would've watched and loved it. The reason this game gets a 4 and not lower is that I really did feel for the characters of the story (and it honestly broke my heart when I learned it was a true one) and I wanted to know more about it. But after about an hour and a half, everything was over and there was a whole lot of nothing left behind. As Yahtzee Croshaw stated when talking about Everybody's Gone To the Rapture, "once you remove the fun and interactivity of The Stanley Parable, you ARE supposed to replace it with something". I simply don't think that "but it's art!!!" is an excuse for glitchy sections and overly-dragging monologues. Heavy Rain worked, The Beginner's Guide worked, but this, unfortunately, does not.    … Expand
  5. mirta000
    Jan 17, 2016
    0
    for a game, it's really bad.

    -You can't even walk yourself, all you do is press your left mouse button to continue the on rails experience and even then you can get stuck. -Very buggy. -Gameplay elements feel very awkward and outright insulting. An example of an insulting mini game - race around the hospital collecting medication while cheery music is playing. An example of a bad mini    for a game, it's really bad.

    -You can't even walk yourself, all you do is press your left mouse button to continue the on rails experience and even then you can get stuck.
    -Very buggy.
    -Gameplay elements feel very awkward and outright insulting. An example of an insulting mini game - race around the hospital collecting medication while cheery music is playing. An example of a bad mini game - hold left click down when dad is facing the right direction to swim up, however he might turn before you do so, so you can get stuck going in the wrong direction.

    As a narrative it's disjointed.
    - half of the game is spent as a bird in the sea jumping from wreckage to wreckage to listen to some dialogue.

    the ending and the developers celebrate death.
    -the ending is painted as a good thing. The kid is in heaven eating as much pancakes as he likes.
    -the developer's wife even put it down on blog that they celebrate his death anniversary because "he went to meet god".

    Overall a very chilling and inappropriate experience.    … Expand
  6. sarahlee123
    Mar 30, 2017
    3
    This was a game that I really wanted to like.

    It's an exciting time for gaming; we're starting to see a lot of indie titles like this that challenge the conventional idea of what a game is. While such titles tend to have little actual gameplay and may not be what you could call "entertaining", they often use the medium in interesting ways to tell stories or evoke some sort of emotional    This was a game that I really wanted to like.

    It's an exciting time for gaming; we're starting to see a lot of indie titles like this that challenge the conventional idea of what a game is. While such titles tend to have little actual gameplay and may not be what you could call "entertaining", they often use the medium in interesting ways to tell stories or evoke some sort of emotional response from the player that's different from what might be possible with more traditional forms of media like film or literature.

    Like Gone Home, Depression Quest, or To the Moon, That Dragon, Cancer, is one such game.
    If you have an interest in unique, narrative-focused games and are thinking about testing this one out, I'd suggest you pick up one of the other titles I just mentioned instead.

    I was drawn to That Dragon, Cancer by glowing reviews from critics and testaments from players that the game could reduce even the most hardened of men to bawling wrecks. Now I'm a susceptible to certain films starring Anne Hathaway or any story featuring a dead dog plotline as the next person, but I was surprised to find myself completely dry-eyed at the end of this.

    So maybe I'm cold and heartless for failing to be moved by this story about the tragic death of a five-year-old from cancer, or maybe this game is just hugely overrated.

    Before I get into what specifically I disliked about That Dragon, Cancer, I want to say that I'm grateful that games like this exist, and I respect the Greens' using a game as a way of sharing their painful experience with the world. Despite all that, personally, it just wasn't worth my Saturday afternoon.

    I did try to engage with That Dragon, Cancer, but something always kept throwing me off, whether it be the game's clunky mechanics, which left me wondering what exactly I had to do to progress to the next level, or slightly hackneyed monologues that expressed the characters' thoughts and feelings a little too overtly for my liking.

    The biggest thing that threw me was That Dragon, Cancer's preoccupation with Christianity. While I understand that faith is important to the Greens and their in-game counterparts, the Christian elements of the game were so overwhelming that they drowned out pretty much everything else. I feel like the developers took a story that could have potentially been relatable to everybody, and made it relatable only to those who share their beliefs.

    From the soundtrack to the letters written by loved ones of those who have passed away from cancer scattered throughout the game, almost everything had a Christian element, making this game feel like two parts religious allegory and only one part personal tragedy.

    I'd rather not end on a sour note, so I won't sign off without first mentioning a few things that I did like about That Dragon, Cancer. The game's most subtle moments are it's best. Snippets of conversations with the family's elder children, and the messages left from Amy on Ryan's phone, which offer a glimpse at the couple's everyday life caring for a sick child, but also carry an undercurrent of hope and love.

    As gaming continues to evolve, I hope that other developers will be inspired by games like this to tell stories in a creative way. Even if the execution isn't great, That Dragon, Cancer offers a glimpse at what a game can be.    … Expand
  7. 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 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    That 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.    … Expand
  8. 21-5-73
    Jan 17, 2016
    4
    You can play both a dvd movie and a videogame.
    The difference lies in the verb "play". When you play a videogame, it has active meaning: playing influences the story and the outcome of the game. When you play a dvd movie, it has passive meaning: you watch the movie, and the interaction is minimal and restricted to few controls (pause, fast forward, ecc) which don't influence the story.    You can play both a dvd movie and a videogame.
    The difference lies in the verb "play". When you play a videogame, it has active meaning: playing influences the story and the outcome of the game. When you play a dvd movie, it has passive meaning: you watch the movie, and the interaction is minimal and restricted to few controls (pause, fast forward, ecc) which don't influence the story.
    By definition, this is not a videogame. The score is an average between the story quality and the technical mediocrity.    … Expand
  9. 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't automatically excuse its numerous failings on both a technical and creative level.
  10. Veska
    Feb 28, 2016
    2
    Sorry, for the loss, Ryan & Amy.

    But i play games for fun. If i want get depression, i just go to work or i read news. And this "game" isn t game, really. It's rather sad monument.
  11. crimsondoor
    Jul 15, 2016
    3
    I want to like this game but can't because

    1. Controls are clunky as hell. You can't really control what you want to do, where togo and have to figure out the next step by moving the mouse around. 2. I hate kids. I can't bear baby screams. 3. I am an atheist. Sorry that you have to resort to faith but I don't care about your god who loved your child so much he killed him. 4.    I want to like this game but can't because

    1. Controls are clunky as hell. You can't really control what you want to do, where togo and have to figure out the next step by moving the mouse around.

    2. I hate kids. I can't bear baby screams.

    3. I am an atheist. Sorry that you have to resort to faith but I don't care about your god who loved your child so much he killed him.

    4. Most people can't relate to this game thus it is unenjoyable. When I was playing it most of the time I don't even understand what I am doing or what the message is about.

    Sorry to say this but in my opinion the developers are very self-centered, whether they realised it or not.    … Expand
  12. RoccoSalvetti
    Nov 13, 2016
    10
    This is a very personal and brave work, and the business should be proud of it.
    I played it all in one go, I didn't feel right breaking it in more sessions.
    There are no puzzles, there is no arcade (well, there is one actually), here the mechanics serve the feelings and the storytelling. And they do it well. One remarkable things that was done right is the use of game-play to    This is a very personal and brave work, and the business should be proud of it.
    I played it all in one go, I didn't feel right breaking it in more sessions.
    There are no puzzles, there is no arcade (well, there is one actually), here the mechanics serve the feelings and the storytelling. And they do it well.
    One remarkable things that was done right is the use of game-play to communicate discomfort. To do so you have to put the player in an annoying and frustrating situation, without giving any obvious action to take. Feeling lost can be a deal breaker to many players and it is a very risky design choice, but here it is done very well. You will feel that discomfort, you will feel the frustration as the protagonist does, yet it won't last too long to become redundant and pointless.
    There is also bit where you are invited to follow a conversation exploring the different point of views. Brilliant.    … Expand
  13. Tirah
    Dec 19, 2017
    2
    This game is such a pretentious load of wank I honestly can't understand how anyone could give this a good score. They're probably just pity points for the Greens, and that's not why we're here. We are here to talk games, and as a video game That Dragon, Cancer fails on every single level.

    It's not emotional or touching, its symbolism is ham-fisted at best, it looks downright hideous,    This game is such a pretentious load of wank I honestly can't understand how anyone could give this a good score. They're probably just pity points for the Greens, and that's not why we're here. We are here to talk games, and as a video game That Dragon, Cancer fails on every single level.

    It's not emotional or touching, its symbolism is ham-fisted at best, it looks downright hideous, and the constant whining about religion is annoying. The gameplay is pretty much nonexistent, too. There's no freedom, no exploration. You have a few objects to click on, notes to read, audio to play. That's it.

    The artistic side of things is godawful. I know this minimalism was a stylistic choice, but there are so few (poorly done) animations that it looks like an alpha build, not a finished product. The audio is slightly better - the music is your typical, boring melancholic piano accompanied by voice-overs provided by the Green family and friends. It's interesting to note that the Green boys are actually pretty decent voice actors. Certainly better than their parents. The camera movement is terrible and the opening sequence with the duck where the camera wildly sways from side to side almost made me sick.

    This is a sad little project. It may have been made with love and passion in an attempt to tell a tragic tale, but if you take these things away you're left with a bad product that's definitely not worth its asking price. I've read the entire blog dedicated to little Joel and it was more educational and touching than this entire game (minus the frequent mentions of god, that nonsense gets old really quick).

    Bottom line: don't let this game emotionally blackmail you, don't give it pity points. It's terrible, and it deserves a bad score. Read the official blog instead if you want to learn about Joel's painful journey.    … Expand
  14. bjadams
    Jan 13, 2016
    5
    This project had so much potential. It could have been another Papo & Yo. However it's more of a flyby with little interaction here and there rather than a "game". There are no real puzzles to solve. It's great as a story, telling the loss of a child, but as a game, it does not really justify the price tag.
  15. Sirik_Matak
    Jan 20, 2016
    0
    It's a primitive, yet successful, attempt for a free publicity and easy $ from the developers. Make a sub-par, pretentious animation and hide behind the wall of emotional blackmailing. You don't like what we made? WELL, THEN YOU WISH EVERYONE DIED OF CANCER, YOU PRICK.
    That's the main, and the only as far as I can tell, point that is being brought up by zaelots of this really sub-par,    It's a primitive, yet successful, attempt for a free publicity and easy $ from the developers. Make a sub-par, pretentious animation and hide behind the wall of emotional blackmailing. You don't like what we made? WELL, THEN YOU WISH EVERYONE DIED OF CANCER, YOU PRICK.
    That's the main, and the only as far as I can tell, point that is being brought up by zaelots of this really sub-par, overpriced product, poorly disguised as a game. It's not. It's a scam riding one of the oldest ponies for easy dosh and easy ego-boost. Pay up and say you love it, or else you're like Hitler and wish bad for all people. Disgusting, yet effective. Just like any other emotionally blackmailing scam out there. To all these naive people who try to defend this product: do you really think that the developers will donate all their income from this to help fight cancer? Yeah, probably not, but pay us more!    … Expand
  16. Rtheom
    Jan 12, 2016
    8
    It isn't a game so much as it is an interactive storybook, but it does exactly what it intended to do. I can only imagine that playing this is infinitely more difficult as an actual parent.

    Bugs aside, what made the game for me is that it is the ONLY game I have ever played that actually made me feel intense, burning hatred whenever those "trees" showed up. And I'm not talking about the    It isn't a game so much as it is an interactive storybook, but it does exactly what it intended to do. I can only imagine that playing this is infinitely more difficult as an actual parent.

    Bugs aside, what made the game for me is that it is the ONLY game I have ever played that actually made me feel intense, burning hatred whenever those "trees" showed up. And I'm not talking about the frustration that comes with difficult or buggy games, or anger at a boss or enemy. This was pure emotion.

    Stay away if you're looking for a game, and beware, there is lots of religious thought. But you're not playing a game and these people aren't selling an ideology, they're just sharing an experience in the only way they know how.    … Expand
  17. GreenMachineG
    Jan 12, 2016
    6
    That Dragon, Cancer is an emotional voyage through the eyes of game creator Ryan Green and his wife as they slowly lose their young son to cancer. The journey is such a soul-crushing and heartfelt sentiment, and evokes all sorts of emotion into the player. The game is well written, well-paced, and overall really well done.

    My biggest issue with the game, and I really tried to get past    That Dragon, Cancer is an emotional voyage through the eyes of game creator Ryan Green and his wife as they slowly lose their young son to cancer. The journey is such a soul-crushing and heartfelt sentiment, and evokes all sorts of emotion into the player. The game is well written, well-paced, and overall really well done.

    My biggest issue with the game, and I really tried to get past it, were the bugs and glitches. Several times I found myself losing sound, or having to re-start because the game would freeze up. I even hit a glitch where the beginning of the 3rd scene wouldn't continue because a visual cue wouldn't trigger, and no matter what I did I couldn't get the game to continue. Luckily, you can skip from scene to scene and I was able to continue past the 3rd scene altogether.

    Other than that the game features a neat polygonal art style, and cool point of view work, where you are constantly switching from who or what you are seeing the story unfold. The game uses point and click to do everything, include walk around (no WASD used), which was okay. If you get past the technical issues, and just take the emotion beat for beat as you go along, this story will touch you, and for anyone out there that has lost someone to cancer this game will take you right back to that time. The story and dialogue are out of this world, and some of the ideas are so out of the box that you have to give it a good thumbs up in those departments.

    I would definitely recommend everyone give this a play-through, and with proceeds going to charity there is no good reason not to try it. Well done Nominous Games!

    7.2/10    … Expand
  18. wishanem
    Jan 12, 2016
    10
    It seems crass to put a score on something so personal and emotionally resonant, but "That Dragon, Cancer" unquestionably achieves its goals. It is a successful window into moments of a family suffering one of the worst experiences imaginable.
  19. gamereviewes781
    Jan 15, 2016
    5
    This game is really interesting. Yet, it fails because of its lack of interaction that we get from the plot. I do get that this is an exploration game but I wish there would be different outcomes. The plot was also ridiculous. Graphics are okay (mediocre). I just don't really like this game. I don't feel like playing this game once more which is a major thing to consider. I tried my bestThis game is really interesting. Yet, it fails because of its lack of interaction that we get from the plot. I do get that this is an exploration game but I wish there would be different outcomes. The plot was also ridiculous. Graphics are okay (mediocre). I just don't really like this game. I don't feel like playing this game once more which is a major thing to consider. I tried my best to stay positive when I played the game but this is my final grade. 5/10… Expand
  20. GamecubeLover
    Aug 15, 2016
    0
    What a boring and pointless game. While other people are dying we must care about this kid and make a whole video game about it! The game is so boring and cliche that the didn't even try! I bet their kid will come back from the dead to just kill this game. Cancer is sad but it doesn't need a god damn game! You can make like books or something but a VIDEO GAME? This game is ungodly. I don'tWhat a boring and pointless game. While other people are dying we must care about this kid and make a whole video game about it! The game is so boring and cliche that the didn't even try! I bet their kid will come back from the dead to just kill this game. Cancer is sad but it doesn't need a god damn game! You can make like books or something but a VIDEO GAME? This game is ungodly. I don't even want to call it a game for the sake of it. Oh wait my cat had cancer and died so I must make a 3 hour game that is boring and a waste of time! Know what? Everybody who has cancer must get a game! NOPE just this one kid and the game is boring and 100% cliche and unoriginal. I am sorry for their lost but WHY A GAME!… Expand
  21. Sashamorning
    Feb 2, 2016
    10
    Unhesitatingly honest and unabashedly transcendent, this gem is art through gaming, a celebration of life. Transformational and courageous, this game needs to be experienced to be understood. Thank you for sharing Joel with us, even if all too briefly.
  22. Hadzi
    Jan 14, 2016
    7
    This is a game but it's more like a storybook. This game has it's great storytelling which is emotional. It really sends a powerful message. The game itself would have a lot lower ratings if it wasn't to this storytelling and message it sends because it has a ton of bugs and glitches, The story is about a loss of a child viewed trough eyes of his parents which is just soul-crushing,This is a game but it's more like a storybook. This game has it's great storytelling which is emotional. It really sends a powerful message. The game itself would have a lot lower ratings if it wasn't to this storytelling and message it sends because it has a ton of bugs and glitches, The story is about a loss of a child viewed trough eyes of his parents which is just soul-crushing, heartbreaking, terrible event that nobody should experience. Game is well written and a great idea but it lacks in execution. This review is one of my hardest because the game is bad but story and message that it sends are powerful. Basically you don't know what to say or write about this game… Expand
  23. johnthinc
    Mar 1, 2016
    10
    Full disclosure: I have not played this game. This review is essentially a review of the reviews I have read while evaluating my interest in this title.

    There are a number of bad reviews for this title that bother me tremendously. There seems to be a couple unifying themes to all of these bad reviews: 1) This is not a game. 2) This is not worth $15 dollars. #1 seems to be a failure    Full disclosure: I have not played this game. This review is essentially a review of the reviews I have read while evaluating my interest in this title.

    There are a number of bad reviews for this title that bother me tremendously. There seems to be a couple unifying themes to all of these bad reviews: 1) This is not a game. 2) This is not worth $15 dollars.

    #1 seems to be a failure among these critics to understand or ignore a key point in the evolution of the video game medium. Video games are no longer just games. They are an artistic medium. Whether an artist working in this medium wants to provide the consumer with a traditional interactive gameplay experience, a narrative driven passive experience with varying degrees of interaction, an abstract audio/visual experience with any sort of imaginable interaction from the consumer, or any combination of the above, is an artistic decision at the liberty of the developer's discretion. Today a video game can literally be any artistic software experience.

    #2 The value of art is entirely subjective. Critics are complaining that $15 is too steep a price for a video game without gaming mechanics, and that could be an entirely correct statement for those particular people. Anyone can assign any value they want to any artistic work. I'm sure some of those same critics have had no problem paying $15 for a movie or an album that I would not pay $5 for, and that's ok. The developer is certainly entitled to what they feel their work is worth. It's also fair to say their opinion is the only relevant opinion, considering they are the only people with any tangible investment into the creation of their work.

    From what I've learned of the game, I don't think I'm prepared to drop $15 for it. I am, however, interested in experiencing the game, I just happen to feel that my $15 is better spent on other pursuits atm. Perhaps when this title goes on sale, is featured in a humble bundle, or my recreational preferences change, I'll pick it up. In the meantime, I felt like I need to express my frustration with these unfair negative criticisms.    … Expand
  24. BloodLust19
    Feb 9, 2017
    9
    This game is a tribute to the creators son, Joel. This is more of a story than a game, and the message behind it is incredible. The game uses extraordinary imagery and audio to show the story of their fight, and plight, of cancer in their family. It tells a story of grief, religion, turmoil, and in the very end, acceptance. This game is a masterpiece of visual art and storytelling. Even ifThis game is a tribute to the creators son, Joel. This is more of a story than a game, and the message behind it is incredible. The game uses extraordinary imagery and audio to show the story of their fight, and plight, of cancer in their family. It tells a story of grief, religion, turmoil, and in the very end, acceptance. This game is a masterpiece of visual art and storytelling. Even if you don't call it a game, you can respect it.… Expand
  25. AndrewTabery
    Apr 7, 2017
    10
    The people complaining about the glitches or wonky controls need to look That Dragon, Cancer again. It's not a game that you play. It's a game that tells a story, almost like a movie. You're just along for the ride. Yes there are some things that could be better, and there are bugs, but the point of this game isn't for it to be played. The point of this game is to tell the story of JoelThe people complaining about the glitches or wonky controls need to look That Dragon, Cancer again. It's not a game that you play. It's a game that tells a story, almost like a movie. You're just along for the ride. Yes there are some things that could be better, and there are bugs, but the point of this game isn't for it to be played. The point of this game is to tell the story of Joel and his family living through the struggle of cancer, which is something I have gone through. Because of that I was re experiencing that time of my life when my mom had cancer, and that made the message of this game so much clearer. People complain that this game costs $15, but for that price you get this real story that many people can connect with. For 4 times the price you could go buy a Call of Duty game, a game franchise that's story hasn't made me feel for a character since MW3. But that's all those games are. Fictional stories about fictional people. That Dragon, Cancer is a real story about real people. That $15 is paying for you to experience the Green family going through an extremely hard time. It's an emotional game. It's not right to rate it the same way you rate Call of Duty.

    And if you can't connect to this game, go watch the videos that Mini Ladd, Markiplier, JackSepticEye, and many other people have made. See how emotional they get. Go watch the video by SoulPancake, who meets Joel. That is the character from the game you played.

    I feel for Ryan and Amy as I play or watch this game, and I hope you do as well.    … Expand
  26. PaxRomana
    Aug 3, 2017
    10
    This is my first review on Metacritic, so I accept if it will not be given much credit. I have watched and played through TDC, and have had the catharsis that comes from a painfully brutal experience.

    Rarely do we see a story about cancer told as honestly as TDC portrays it. It is short, perhaps the length of a movie that you'd pay the same amount to see in theaters. If that is not    This is my first review on Metacritic, so I accept if it will not be given much credit. I have watched and played through TDC, and have had the catharsis that comes from a painfully brutal experience.

    Rarely do we see a story about cancer told as honestly as TDC portrays it. It is short, perhaps the length of a movie that you'd pay the same amount to see in theaters. If that is not something you're willing to pay for, that's understandable. Some people don't like confronting cancer, and that's understandable. Some people say this isn't a game, and I respect their opinion.

    However, if, like me, you long to be moved by art, not just play the latest COD, or puzzle your way through an Undertale, consider That Dragon, Cancer. It is not a game; it is art, and as such, it exists as an expression of the artist's soul, his experiences, and his pain, and unlike other mediums, we are allowed and invited to join him in both his pain and his acceptance, and hopefully find peace as well.

    I rate it 10/10, for this is art at its finest.    … Expand
  27. sno1228
    Jan 31, 2018
    9
    'That Dragon, Cancer' could most accurately be described as an interactive story. It's a game in the same way the Telltale series might be, though this 'game' is far more artfully presented.

    Regardless of semantics, the experience offered here is a deeply moving one. It's a journey that I certainly do not regret taking, and one I will never forget. The reviews I see inferring that this    'That Dragon, Cancer' could most accurately be described as an interactive story. It's a game in the same way the Telltale series might be, though this 'game' is far more artfully presented.

    Regardless of semantics, the experience offered here is a deeply moving one. It's a journey that I certainly do not regret taking, and one I will never forget.
    The reviews I see inferring that this is a cash-grab made on the back of the creators' dead child are, at the very least short sighted, and at the most needlessly spiteful. This is the sort of project that one might use as a coping tool. Based on interviews I've seen that appears to be exactly the case. Coming from similar personal experiences of loss it's all too relatable.

    That said, I'm glad that Mr. Green chose to share this story with us. It's far from perfect, but a more poignant, powerful, and emotional experience is unlikely to be paralleled in any other interactive medium you might encounter.    … Expand
  28. moonlaba
    Jan 17, 2022
    7
    어떠한 감동, 극적인 충격을 기대하긴 했다. 하지만 이건 실화였고 그런 감동이나 반전은 없었다. 그저 한 가족의 담담한 현실을 옮긴 작품이었다. 어쩌면 그래서 더 좋았지만 지루한 부분이 없었다면 그건 또 그거대로 거짓말..
  29. folmas
    Aug 23, 2021
    10
    touching story of one, but perhaps the most severe loss that a couple can experience. Not a game, but life.
  30. Echozone
    Feb 25, 2022
    8
    If you are expecting gameplay, don't. This game is about telling a story, a tragic one, about a family going through a really hard time in their lives. Although controls are clunky, it doesn't really matter as you can't "lose" the game nor need precise controls. It's a game you watch and experience. Amazing storytelling.

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Apr 12, 2016
    80
    Daunting, exhausting and consuming confession of parents about living with the knowledge of inevitable death of their young son does not offer the challenge in terms of gameplay, but empathy. [Issue#262]
  2. GameSpew
    Apr 9, 2016
    100
    It expands the boundaries of what peoples’ idea of video games are; they’re not just sadistic shoot ‘em ups or mind-numbing ridiculousness. Sometimes they’re real life; they’re heartbreaking and devastating. If for no other reason than that, That Dragon, Cancer deserves your attention.
    Read full review
  3. games(TM)
    Mar 8, 2016
    80
    All that needs to be known is this is a beautiful, affecting and emotionally challenging title that acts as a truly fine love letter and monument to a lost loved one. It will open eyes and it will help people with their very real grief, and because of that it is a success.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »