This article was taken from the October 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
That Dragon, Cancer, starts unlike any other game we can think of: in an intensive care unit, with your character -- the game's creator, Colorado-based developer Ryan Green -- caring for his four-year-old son, who has terminal cancer. "It stuck with me that this experience was like a game," recalls Green, 34. "You want your child to stop crying, but no matter what mechanics you try, you can't comfort him."
The OUYA title is part of a rise in games, such as Dear Esther, that tackle overwhelming topics such as grief. "I want people to feel what we went through and to be changed," explains Green. "That's something games can do that no other medium can." There is, of course, one big difference: "Gamers are used to crafting their own narrative, but this is about experiencing the limitation of my agency in that moment," Green says. "But I hope that players can face death and choose not to fear it.''
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
