Tomorrow, a game called That Dragon, Cancer becomes available to play. The premise is heartbreaking:

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

Earlier this month Wired did an incredible profile on the creator of the game: Joel’s dad, Ryan Green. From Jason Tanz’s A Father, a Dying Son, and the Quest to Make the Most Profound Videogame Ever:

Over time, That Dragon, Cancer became Green’s primary method of dealing with Joel’s illness, as well as a way for him to preserve a connection to his son, whom he struggled to get to know. In real life, Joel couldn’t talk about his feelings, leaving Green to guess at his thoughts and emotions. Joel’s reaction to radiation therapy was particularly puzzling. Children usually hated being placed on the gurney inside the giant linear accelerator, resisted the anesthetic, fought and clawed at their parents and doctors every time they entered the room. But Joel loved it. He grew impatient in the waiting room, and his face lit up when the doctors came to get him, more excited than his parents had ever seen him. Green couldn’t know just why Joel was so enthusiastic about undergoing the anesthesia, but he wrote a scene imagining the adventures Joel might be experiencing in his mind—riding animals made of stars, giggling and tearing across the cosmos.

It is an incredible story—equal parts sad and inspiring. This game scares me—I’m not sure I have the strength to play it. Here’s the trailer…