Games about fighting cancer
I've just received a request from a friend who works at a hospital, who's trying to get hold of games that can teach patients what's going on inside their bodies when they're battling or recovering from cancer.
I found a few discussions here, and a few elsewhere, but I figured some of you may know of one or two others as well. Here's the kind of thing he's looking for:
Oh, so re-reading, it may not necessarily have to be about cancer, but possibly other types of illness as well.Over 20 years ago I read an article about video games being used to teach about leukemia. I think it was a National Geographic, but I'm not sure.
White cells that went around eating bacteria PAC man style. Platelets that ran into stuff and stuck to things sort of like bubble tanks. Red cells that collected and carried oxygen to other areas. "Chemo" hero who was attacking cancer , antibiotics attacking disease, building new tissue to "heal."
As well as teaching, the theory behind these games was that patients could gain a way to visualize the changes in their body and be able to visualize more effective disease fighting.
geez, I'd tread lightly and respect. Personally if I'm fighting for my life I don't want somebody to give me a pac-man game. Unless it's a really damn good pac-man game but, really, give me a strategy wargame so if I'm down to last days and I'm gaming then at least I'm spending them as best I can.
Though it's only eight years old, your friend may be thinking of Ben's Game, created on behalf of the Make-a-Wish Foundation. It seems not to have been updated since 2004.
The game targets young children, so it's not crazy to imagine something like this helping them through a tough time.
I did find a reference to Ben's Game, but I couldn't get a link. Thanks for that.
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