That Dragon, Cancer similar games & best alternatives

That Dragon, Cancer - Trailer
That Dragon, Cancer - that-dragon-cancer_1.avif
That Dragon, Cancer - that-dragon-cancer_2.avif
That Dragon, Cancer - that-dragon-cancer_3.avif
That Dragon, Cancer - that-dragon-cancer_4.avif
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That Dragon, Cancer - that-dragon-cancer_6.avif

That Dragon, Cancer

Ouya, Linux, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac • 2016

Should you play it?

An immersive, narrative videogame that retells Joel Green’s 4-year fight against cancer through about two hours of poetic, imaginative gameplay that explores themes of faith, hope and love.

What works

  • Deeply emotional and personal narrative
  • Unique artistic and symbolic storytelling
  • Authentic voice acting by family members
  • Thought-provoking and impactful experience
  • Short but meaningful playtime

Things to keep in mind

  • Minimal and clunky gameplay mechanics
  • Linear and limited player agency
  • Strong christian themes may alienate some players
  • Short duration may feel insufficient for some
  • Some confusing navigation and progression

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • As Long As You're Here

  • The Way of Life Free Edition

  • Sea of Solitude

  • Torn Away

  • Copycat

  • Cut

Less survival-focused

Games that feels like That Dragon, Cancer but with less survival pressure

  • The First Tree

  • Know by heart

  • Farewell North

  • Before Your Eyes

  • Goodnight Universe

  • Long Dream

More relaxing

Games that feels like That Dragon, Cancer but with a more relaxing feel

  • Old Man's Journey

  • The Last Campfire

  • GRIS

  • The Forest Quartet

  • Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery

  • Wanderstop

Choose your own criteria ->

Similarity map

How to compare these games

Compare nearby games

Each card is a nearby game on the similarity map, compared with That Dragon, Cancer. Swipe sideways to move between games. Titles already listed in What to play next are left out.

  • Cover and title: open that game’s page.
  • What works / keep in mind: the same highlights as the desktop comparison panel.
  • Bars: the main motivational differences versus this game.
How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

Swipe to compare nearby games with That Dragon, Cancer. These titles are not in What to play next.

That Dragon, Cancer: Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Strategy, Experimenting, Competence, Survival. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Survival, Intimacy. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation.

Last update: 21/08/2026