Game info

Kankerspokenjagers is a serious game which helps children (5-8yr) who have a parent with cancer. Through this mobile game they learn about coping with the feelings they might have and get to know more about the medical process through play.

The idea for Kankerspokenjagers (Dutch for Cancer Ghost Hunters) comes from a student game artist and her mother, who unfortunately had cancer herself. The student game artist applied for an internship at 038Games, a student game studio. There, her idea was picked up, appropriate partners were found and a team of student artists and developers was formed around her.

A total of 11 students in 2 iterations has worked on this mobile game. The initial release in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store was early 2022, and the final version was released just before the summer.

The first topic that was addressed in the game was emotions. In four different minigames, children learn how to deal with anger, sadness, fear, and even happiness. A very important feature was the option "I don't know", since this happens often with these children.

In the second iteration, minigames were added which focused on the medical aspects of cancer. What is cancer? What are radiation and chemotherapy? What happens during an operation? All questions these children might have.

The game was very well received by children (either with a sick parent or without), parents and medical professionals. A new game for teenagers in now in the making.

The game was dedicated to Joyce, the mother of the student game artist who initially came up with the idea. Unfortunately she passed away before the final version of the game was released. We are honored for the opportunity to have worked with her in the early stages of game design and development.

038Games

a student game team from 038Games, an initiative from Windesheim University of Applied Sciences