When Amy Green's young son was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor, she made up a bedtime story for his siblings to teach them about cancer. What resulted was a video game, "That Dragon, Cancer," which takes players on a journey they can't win. In this beautiful talk about coping with loss, Green brings joy and play to tragedy. "We made a game that's hard to play," she says, "because the hardest moments of our lives change us more than any goal we could ever accomplish."

Amy Green: A video game to cope with grief

A video game to cope with grief

Learning to love a dying child taught more about vulnerability and compassion than any award could, transforming grief into a game.

"That Dragon, Cancer" subverts conventional game design, forcing players to confront the inevitability of loss, mirroring real grief.

A video game about terminal cancer, hard to play yet profoundly impactful, shares a family's journey of love, hope, and shared grief.